The family of a local jockey who hit the international headlines by sawing a piece off the crossbar that cheated Wales out of a win over England at Twickenham, has recalled the incident on its 50th anniversary.

It was on Saturday, January 18th, 1958 that the late Fred Mathias, of Norchard, Manorbier, his brother-in-law Brian Attewell and friend, the late David Morris, climbed into the sacred rugby ground after the match to avenge the last minute penalty kick which bounced off the crossbar with the score at 3-3.

They confessed to their crime' and featured on TV and in the international press, being interviewed by Cliff Mitchelmore on the TV magazine programme Tonight.

By sheer coincidence, on the way home they bumped into Terry Davies, who took the unsuccessful penalty, in a roadside cafe at Northleach, Gloucester, and he signed the three trophies they had divided between them. He was a timber merchant and happily replaced the Twickenham crossbar.

Fred's piece was a prize exhibit in the Penally Abbey Country Club for years and for the last decade or so has been kept in the bar of the Cresselly Arms at Cresswell Quay, where landlord Maurice Cole acts as its custodian.

Fellow jockey and lifelong friend of Fred's, Dennis Reed, of Saundersfoot, said: "The incident was reported all over the world and, two years later when Wales played England again, there was a cartoon by Jon in the Daily Mail showing the crossbar padlocked at each end."

A sad twist to the story was that when Fred got home he discovered his father, also a noted horseman, had died suddenly in his bed, aged 51.

Fred himself died three years ago, but he often recalled the incident.

His wife Diana said: "I was the getaway driver and waited outside the main gate as they did the dirty deed, ready to zoom off when they returned.

"My brother still has his piece of the crossbar but David Morris died. I don't know if his widow still has his."