IF I had a fiver for every time I get asked the question, then I’d be a very rich man.
There’s probably some exaggeration there, but I still reckon it would provide a steady supply of beer tokens.
My earnings would be spaced throughout the year, but would rise sharply during the rugby season and hit a peak at the start of the Six Nations tournament.
The question I refer to is (of course!): Why are Llanelli people nicknamed Turks?
My response can vary – from a short and sharp reply to a lengthy monologue.
Experience has taught me that the person asking the question is disappointed by both responses.
The question often pops up in the most unlikely of circumstances.
Take last Saturday evening, when I was attending the wedding party of some good friends at The Village Hotel in Swansea.
Among the guests were several nurses from Morriston and Neath-Port Talbot hospitals. One, ‘Swansea Gill (with a G)’, revealed she is a regular reader of this column.
Five minutes into our conversation, ‘The Turkish Question’ popped up.
My standard ‘short’ response to ‘Why are Llanelli people nicknamed Turks?’ is “They are not.”
As mentioned above, most people are unsatisfied by such an answer, so I usually have to launch into my standard speech on the subject.
It goes something like this . . .
There are theories as to why Llanelli people are nicknamed Turks (by some misguided people!) . . .
Theory One revolves around tinplate workers. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Llanelli was a major centre for tinplate production. Many will still refer to the town as ‘Sospan’. The work was hot and sweaty and workers often wrapped towels around their heads to absorb the sweat. This made them look they were wearing turbans, leading to the nickname ‘Turks’.
Theory Two puts Turkish sailors (or a Turkish boat) into the mix. The story goes that during the 1920s, a Turkish ship docked in Llanelli when Swansea dockers were on strike. Swansea dockers were unhappy at the scab workers and called the Llanelli workers ‘Turks’. Another version of this yarn has the Llanelli dockers bussed into Swansea to break the strike.
Theory Three centres around the 4th Battalion of the Welch Regiment. During World War One, the 4th Battalion of the Welch Regiment, which included many soldiers from Llanelli, fought against the troops of the Ottoman Empire. And, so, it followed that the returning Llanelli soldiers were called ‘Turks’.
Down the years, I managed to talk to many celebrated Llanelli historians (most of whom have now departed to the great reference library in the sky) and all were agreed the theories were rubbish.
There are no references in the history books to Llanelli people being called ‘Turks’. In fact, the nickname is a relatively modern-day invention.
All my research points to it appearing to gain some traction in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the rivalry between the Scarlets rugby team of Llanelli and the All Whites of Swansea was reaching a peak.
My theory does require adding in the question: Why are Swansea people known as Jacks?
The origin of that nickname has two probable sources –
In the early 19th century, local sailors were known as Jack Tars. Swansea was a centre of the copper-smelting industry and Swansea sailors were known for navigating the dangerous Cape Horn to trade with Chile. The nickname may come from the reputation of those brave sailors.
The dog theory: Swansea Jack was a black retriever who walked Swansea’s docks in the 1930s. He saved at least 27 people and two dogs from drowning in the River Tawe and Swansea Docks. The nickname may come from the dog’s fame.
It’s a case of ‘You pays your money and you takes your choice’ on the Swansea Jack theories, but the nickname has been about for the best part of a century.
As for ‘The Turkish Question’, I’m sticking by my theory that it started with media banter around the rivalry between the Scarlets and the All Whites. Swansea’s players were known as ‘Jacks’, so it followed that the media guys needed to find a simple name to slap on the Scarlets.
Many moons ago I asked some old rugby players for their take on ‘Llanelli Turks’.
Llanelli Wanderers club member and former All Whites fly-half Jack Marker (now sadly departed) was adamant that the Turks nickname was nonsense, had no link to historical events and was just “pub banter from the 1970s”.
Norman Gale *, another sadly departed rugby great, was of the same opinion.
Norman was probably better placed than many to know if the name ‘Turks’ had any historical significance. He played for Gorseinon, the All Whites and the Scarlets. Never known for using two words when one would do, Norman dismissed the Turks nickname as “rubbish”.
Finally, mention must be made of yet more pub banter dating back to the 1970s and ’80s.
Around the time the ‘Turks’ name started being weaponised by Swansea fans, another question started to be asked in pubs across west Wales –
‘If Swansea people are Jacks and Llanelli people are Turks, does that make people living in Loughor ‘Jerks’?
Having been a resident of Loughor for many years, I can declare that this, too, is nonsense.
And, having put ‘The Turkish Question’ to bed, I want to hear no more on the subject. I certainly don’t want to hear Llanelli people labelled ‘Turks’ and I certainly don’t want to have to answer the question again.
On reflection, however, I guess the last bit is wishful thinking on my part!
* Norman Gale is probably worth a thousand words of this column in his own right. He captained Wales twice in 1967-68 and earned a place in Welsh rugby history when he became the last hooker to score a penalty in an international, when he kicked one against New Zealand in 1967.
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