Son's journey for Stradey tribute

Syd Davies, pictured, first took his son Anthony to Stradey in the 1940s

A rugby fan travelled from Australia to see where his father's ashes are scattered for the final time at Llanelli's Stradey Park.

Anthony Davies was brought up in the Carmarthenshire town and attended rugby matches there with his late father Syd.

Mr Davies attended a special thanksgiving service on Tuesday to salute the outgoing 129-year-old ground and those whose ashes remain there.

The Scarlets are moving to a new �23m stadium on the other side of Llanelli.

Mr Davies, 68, who now lives near Perth in Western Australia, scattered his father's ashes on Stradey Park after his death 19 years ago.

His passion for rugby revealed itself in singing and tears

Anthony Davies

His first trip to see rugby at the ground was in the mid-1940s.

He said: "My father took me on that occasion. I most remember the shouting of the fans on the Tanner Bank, a huge mound of ash and earth that ran down one touchline.

"Today's North Stand was later built there.

"My father was a shearer in the Gorse Galvanising works in Dafen for 42 years, then spent a few years with me at Bynea Steel.

"His passion for rugby revealed itself in singing and tears - he was a tenor with Dafen Male Voice Choir.

"His Welsh rugby heroes included Billy Cleaver, Cliff Morgan and Llanelli legends Albert Jenkins, Phil Bennett and Derek Quinnell.

"I went with Dad many times to watch Llanelli - he was a member for a long number of years."

Mr Davies, who emigrated to Australia in 1982 with his family, said beforehand that his father would be proud to be remembered at the service.

"When Dad died in 1989 in a nursing home in Neath, I came home and the club kindly allowed me to scatter his ashes on the centre spot and on the try line at the Pwll end of the old, long gone Tanner Bank.

Anthony Davies, aged 24 in this picture, emigrated to Australia in 1982

"I remember driving to the ground and seeing Jeff Lee, a groundsman and a friend of my father. He let me in and I did the laying to rest, so to speak."

As well as attending the service Mr Davies hopes to stay on for the ground's final game on Friday against Bristol.

He joined other relatives of people who had their ashes scattered at the ground and the Scarlets choir to sing rugby hymns at the 30 minute service.

A small piece of turf was also cut symbolically to be taken to the region's new ground Park y Scarlets.

It was organised by Scarlets and Llanelli RFC chaplain Rev Eldon Phillips.

"Llanelli rugby is moving to a new home so it's right that we show respect for them, their families and the wonderful memories that the ground has given us," he said.

The land occupied by the stadium has been sold for housing.