Cardiff
Dragons
The Official Gridball Site
The Cardiff Story
The Cardiff Dragons were one of the original twelve teams in 1951 and have a proud ever present record among the Elite Gridball teams, reaching the Semi Finals in 1952.
Cardiff Dragons
Semi Finalists 1952
Cup Last 16: 1960
Formed 1948
Colours: Magenta
Feeder Teams: Barry Linnets, Bridgend Fish, Cowbridge Blues, Penarth Athletic, Porthcawl Seasiders
Semi Finalists 1952
Record Appearances:
June Pollon 146 {1951-1961}
Record Scorer:
Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer 106 {1951-1961}
Record Victory
11-0 vs Wandsworth Brewers 22nd August 1959
Record Defeat
0-9 at Lanarkshire Miners 1959
Most Goals in a Game
{5} Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer 9-0 vs Frankfurt Eagles 9th August 1958
Most Goals in a Season
Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer {25} 1952
Season History
1951 First Round
1952 Semi Finalists
1953 First Round
1954 First Round
1955 First Round
1956 First Round
1957 Second Round
1958 First Round
1959 First Round
1960 Eleventh in Elite Division
Cardiff team
1st July 1961
8-2 vs Middlesex
Lydia Madgett:
Coach:
Age 38
Born: Atlanta, Georgia, USA: 12th March 1923
Rated 0: {Average}
American coach took charge in 1958
Players of the Year
Young Players of the Year
Margaret Rees {1952}
Team of the Season
Golden Bat
Silver Bat
Bronze Bat
Nations Cup Honours
Joan Williams {Wales - Champions 1960}
Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer {Wales - Champions 1960, Runner Up 1957, 1959}
International Representatives
Penny Lambe {Scotland 1960-1961}
Joan Williams {Wales 1958-1961}
Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer {Wales 1958-1961}
1961 Team Rating: Very Good
1960 WORLD RANKING: 15
Highest {8} 1953
Antonia Nation
Netminder:
Age 27
Born: Swansea 29th April 1934
Rated 5: {Excellent}
117 Dragons appearances in ten years,
including 1952 Semi Final
Joan Williams:
Defender:
Age 26
Born: London, England 6th July 1935
Rated 6: {World Class}
Nations Gold Medallist 1960 {Wales}
June Pollon
Right Sweeper:
Age 29
Born: Cardiff 31st January 1932
Rated 3: {Good}
146 Dragons appearances in ten years,
including 1952 Semi Final
Patricia Crawley
Left Centre:
Age 26
Born: Brighton, Sussex, England 5th August 1934
Rated 3: {Good}
146 Dragons appearances in ten years,
including 1952 Semi Final
Penny Lambe
Right Centre:
Age 21
Born: Govanhill, Glasgow, Scotland 30th July 1939
Rated 5: {Excellent}
43 Dragons appearances since joining in 1959. Nations Bronze Medallist 1958 {Scotland}
Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer
Shooter:
Age 34
Born: Swansea 31st March 1927
Rated 4: {Very Good}
126 Dragons appearances in ten years, Nation Gold Medallist 1960 {Wales}, Silver Bat 1952
Lyn Daniel
Attacker: {out on Maternity leave}
Age 25
Born: Merthyr Tydfil 31st December 1935
Rated 4: {Very Good}
77 Dragons appearances since joining in 1954, Nations Silver Medallist 1957 {Wales}
Maureen Skarvellis
Left Sweeper:
Age 19
Born: Cardiff 11th December 1941
Rated 1: {Good Potential}
13 Appearances since 1957
Cardiff Legends
Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer 84 appearances, 63 goals {1951-1958} - Silver Bat 1952, Nations Cup Runner Up {Wales} 1957
Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer
Silver Bat - 1952
Nations Cup Runner Up {Wales} 1957
Date and place of Birth: 31st March 1927, Swansea, Wales
Age: 32
Position: Shooter
Appearances: 84 {1951-1958}
Goals: 63 {1951-1958}
Still in Cardiff and Wales first seven 1959
Quiet and private off the court, Elizabeth Courtenay-Stringer has been a
well respected shooter on it since Gridball began in 1951. Born in
Swansea in 1927, Courtenay, was working in her fathers Greengrocer's
shop in Swansea by the time she was twelve. She came to the attention
of the selectors when attending trials for the Dragons in 1950.
The Grocers daughter was signed on for the team for the first
Championship in 1951 but found her chances limited in the first season as she played second fiddle to Joan Mercier. However, the first choice Dragons goal getter quit the game after the first season and Courtenay was promoted to the number seven shirt for 1952. She shone in a golden season for the Dragons. Courtenay had a great personal day when hitting four of the goals in their 6-0 quarter final victory over Newcastle, but she left the court almost in tears after failing to get the Dragons to Gridball '52 when beaten 0-4 by Liverpool in the Semi Final.
For her efforts, Courtenay received the Silver Bat but the next four years were ones of struggle for the Shooter as she was largely starved of scoring opportunities by a relatively weak team behind her. In each campaign the Dragons bowed out in Round One and a frustrated Courtenay had only a handful of goals to show for her efforts. Despite this, she resisted temptation to leave South Wales for a better team and found relief in the Welsh National team in 1957 when named as their first choice shooter. Her goals helped the Welsh reach the first ever Nations cup final and she found the basket against England in the final to give the Welsh an interval lead, only for it to be overturned in the second half. Another Silver medal followed in 1959 before she finally won her first major honour, scoring in the 1960 Semi Final win over Argentina before playing in the Nations Cup victory in Belfast over Northern Ireland.
Off court, Courtenay met Welsh movie director, Robert Stringer at an awards dinner in 1955. The couple were married in 1957 with Coutenay adding Stringer to her surname. However, they split after two years, divorcing in 1960.
