Martyn Huw Williams (born 1947) is a journalist, author, sports commentator, radio broadcaster, television presenter, television and radio producer. Born in Wales, he has worked in the communications and public relations industries. He has consulted for several institutions and charities, and interviewed numerous public figures and sportspeople as a broadcaster.
Early life Martyn Williams was born in Bancffosfelen in Pontyberem community, Carmarthenshire, to the Reverend Cyril G. Williams and Irene (née Daniels). The family moved to Acton, London when Williams was aged 3 where his father was minister at Radnor Walk Congregationalist Church, Chelsea.
Returning to Cardiff, Williams attended Cathays High School then won a scholarship to Atlantic College, based at St Donat’s Castle in south Wales. He won the John Strawbridge Scholarship to attend Trinity College (Connecticut), graduating with a BA degree in English. Whilst at Hartford Williams founded the school’s rugby team, which is still playing today, and sang with a folk group “The Trinidads Of Trinity College” who recorded an LP, including Williams singing Danny Boy in Welsh.
Broadcasting career Williams joined Harlech Television as a news reporter and presenter including presenting the Welsh League Of Youth Eisteddfod (Urdd National Eisteddfod) in 1972 and the nightly news programme Report Wales, then briefly joining Swansea Sound as a news editor in 1974 before moving to the radio news department at BBC Wales.
Attracting the highest broadcasting figures for a local radio network, Williams introduced the weekly nightly programme “4,5,6” for two hours of news and sport between 1984 and 1986. Williams also worked as a television journalist for BBC Wales on the current affairs strand Wales Today including a special item on Llywelyn The Great on 22 May 1978.BBC Digital Archive database 8 April 1976, 12 April 1976, 22 July 1977, 29 July 1977, 19 August 1977, 16 October 1978, 26 October 1978, 27 October 1978, 14 November 1978, 29 November 1978, 22 May 1978
In addition to his work as a journalist he covered the National Eisteddfod, including the Chairing of the Bard in 1988,Radio Times (Wales Edition) 4 August 1988 and presented light entertainment programmes such as the series Celtic RoadRadio Times (Wales Edition) incl. 1 December 1982, 5 January 1983, 3 December 1982 & 24 December 1982 and documentary programmes such as Secret Of The MachinesRadio Times (Wales Edition), 20 May 1987 about Ray Prosser and Pontypool RFC and Atlantic College, a Delta 4 Production for BBC Wales, where he returned to his former college to look back at the history of its 25 years.Radio Times (Wales Edition) 23 October 1987 In Welsh for S4C he presented documentary programmes on the Ice Age and the Druids - Dyddiau Dyn: Oes Yr IaRadio Times (Wales Edition) 5 April 1987 and Dyddiau Dyn: DerwyddonRadio Times (Wales Edition) 25 April 1987 and wrote his own comedy programme Theatr Ysgafn Yn Cyflwyno: Bois Y BledrenRadio Times (Wales Edition) 1 May 1983 about the trials and tribulations of a rugby club and its committee, and Dwylo Dros Y Mor (about Atlantic College).Radio Times (Wales Edition) 5 June 1987
Sports broadcasting In the 1980s Williams started commentating on sports events such as athleticsRadio Times (Wales Edition) 10 July 1983 and rugby for radio, including internationals.Radio Times (Wales Edition) 31 October 1981, 23 January 1983, 4 February 1984 (Ireland v Wales), and Wales B v Australia (on Sportstime), 31 October 1981 Moving to television he covered club and international rugby matches for BBC Network, where he worked on the BBC series Grandstand & Rugby Special,Radio Times (Wales Edition) incl. Wales v Ireland 4 April 1987, Wales v USA 7 November 1987, England v Wales 6 February 1988, Wales v Romania 10 December 1988, France v Wales 18 February 1989 (ex. Grandstand), Wales v England 18 March 1989 (ex. Grandstand) and BBC Wales where he worked on the weekly rugby programmes Weekend Rugby Union, Rugby Special Wales and Sportfolio, most frequently with Phil Bennett as the second voice.Radio Times (Wales Edition) Weekend Rugby Union 20 April 1986, Rugby Special Wales 26 October 1986, 12 April 1987, 13 December 1987, 3 January 1988, 9 January 1988, Sportfolio Wales Youth v France Youth 11 March 1989 He commentated on the 1987 Rugby World Cup for the BBCRadio Times (Wales Edition) 3 June 1987, 18 June 1987 and the 1991 Rugby World Cup for Sianel Pedwar Cymru (S4C) with Gareth Edwards.Radio Times (Wales Edition) incl. 5 October 1991, 6 October 1991, 30 October 1991, 2 November 1991
Radio As well as his television work he made several radio programmes. In 1982 he made a series of programmes for Radio Wales where he was in conversation with famous Welsh sporting personalitiesRadio Times (Wales Edition) 15 August 1982, 22 August 1982, 29 August 1982, 5 September 1982, 19 September 1982, 26 September 1982 & 3 October 1982 including Jack Petersen, Wilf Wooller, Sir Harry Llewellyn, Eddie Thomas, Vivian Jenkins, Trevor Ford, and Haydn Tanner. In 1984 he made a series Now There’s A PlayerRadio Times (Wales Edition) 1 September 1984, 8 September 1984, 15 September 1984, 22 September 1984, 29 September 1984 & 6 October 1984 for BBC Radio Wales which consisted of a series of interviews with famous Welsh personalities - Claude Davey, Ivor Allchurch, Dai Dower, Don Shepherd, David Broome and Brian Huggett. In 1985 he made a series “Headlines Deadlines” for BBC Radio Wales/Radio 4, where he interviewed newspaper journalists including Lord Hugh Cudlipp, Alan Watkins (Observer), David Nicholas (ITV), Angus McDermid (BBC) and Peter Corrigan (Observer). In 1987 he made Curtain Call for BBC Radio Wales/Radio 4 where he interviewed actors including Siân Phillips, Emrys James, Ray Smith, Glyn Houston, Anthony Hopkins and Hywel Bennett.Radio Times 12 April 1987, 19 April 1987, 26 April 1987, 3 May 1987, 10 May 1987, 17 May 1987
In addition to these series he made programmes for Radio 4 - On The Town, Victorious Lions and Welsh Arts Week, and continued to make one-off programmes for Radio Wales A Plague On Anglo Saxons (on the National Eisteddfod),Radio Times (Wales Edition) 9 August 1986 Atlantic Ideal,Radio Times (Wales Edition) 3 October 1987 Crown, Chair & Cob (a review of the 1987 National Eisteddfod),Radio Times (Wales Edition) 9 August 1987 and On The Town: Portrait Of A City: Cardiff.
Freelance In 1989 Williams joined freelance production company Delta 4/Delta Cyf. and co-founded the production facilities company Derwen, situated in Plas Dinefwr, Llandeilo, West Wales. Together with his partner, Lesley, he started a freelance production company Rugby Vision which produced all genre television programmes.
Programmes included Cymro Cryfa (Strongest Man) for S4C from 1991 to 1995 which took place at the Royal Welsh Show, Yr Arwr a’i Faes for S4C featuring Gareth Edwards, Gareth Davies, Barry John, Elgan Rees, Ray Gravell, Hugo Porta, Jonathan Davies, Clive RowlandsRadio Times (Wales Edition): Gareth Edwards 31 March 1989, Gareth Davies 7 April 1989, Barry John 14 April 1989, Elgan Rees 21 April 1989, Ray Gravel 28 April 1989, Hugo Porta 5 May 1989, Clive Rowlands 19 May 1989, Jonathan Davies 15 January 1991 and His Game His Stadium for BBC Wales with Mike Burton, Graham Mourie, Fergus Slattery, Mark Ella, Andy Irvine, Hugo Porta, Jean-Pierre Rives and Phil Bennett.Radio Times (Wales Edition) Mike Burton 2 June 1989, Fergus Slattery 16 June 1989, Mark Ella 23 June 1989, Andy Irvine 30 June 1989, Hugo Porta 7 July 1989, Graham Mouire 9 July 1989, Jean Pierre Rives 14 July 1989, Phil Bennett 28 July 1989
Rugby Vision also produced three programmes for the BBC Fighting Class series - Peerless Jim: Jim Driscoll,Radio Times (Wales Edition) 3 December 1997 Tylerstown Terror: Jimmy Wilde,Radio Times (Wales Edition) 10 December 1997 and Welsh Wizard: Freddie Welsh.Radio Times (Wales Edition) 17 December 1997 Programmes of different genres were produced for S4C by Rugby Vision, amongst which was Cracabant,Radio Times (Wales Edition) 31 March 1994 a morning children’s series and as production company Cyffro programmes for S4C included, amongst others, a series of eight programmes on a day in the life of a vet Galw’r Fet and Cwist, a sports quiz.Radio Times (Wales Edition) 2 September 1996
Coverage of two Welsh Rugby Tours were produced by Rugby Vision/Delta. The Wales B tour of Canada 1987 was produced for S4C Rygbi: Cymru Yng Nghanada: Taith Cymru B, for which Williams provided the commentary, and HTV and the 1990 tour of Namibia was produced for S4C & HTV, the first rugby tour to that country. To coincide with the opening of the new Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Rugby Vision were commissioned by S4C to produce three programmes: the first was on the International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman, Vernon Pugh;Radio Times (Wales Edition) 16 September 1999 the second Ymlaen I Gymru charted the World Cup’s journey to WalesRadio Times (Wales Edition) 23 September 1999 and the third Symyd Y Pyst followed the story of the demolition and re-building of the Millennium Stadium.Radio Times (Wales Edition) 30 September 1999
Rugby Vision produced two videos on Llanelli RFC for BBC Wales: Llanelli RFC: The Official History, narrated by Phil Bennett and Scarlet Fever: A Triple Dose 1992-93.
Welsh Rugby Union Williams worked with the Welsh Rugby Union to introduce Dragon Rugby into Wales producing two training videos for the WRU, Dragon Rugby: A Game For Everyone and Capture the Magic, a monthly magazine, Dragon Rugby and the Christmas Dragon Rugby Annual which was endorsed by the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Scott Gibbs, a former Welsh Rugby international, joined Rugby Vision to work on the Cymro Cryfa series in 1991 and Dragon Rugby project.
Other commentating Williams continued to commentate on various events for S4C including golf: Golff: Pencampwriaeth Agored Portwgal 1987 (Portuguese Open Golf),Radio Times (Wales Edition) 2 November 1987 Golff: Pencampwriaeth Agored Prydeinig yn Turnberry 1988 (Senior British Open Championship)Radio Times (Wales Edition) 25 August 1988 and rugby - Rygbi: America v Cymru in 1997, and Hen Stagers 1991 (Annual Rugby Union Reunion In Bermuda).Radio Times (Wales Edition) 17 December 1991
Journalism Williams reported on rugby for over 30 years contributing to newspapers such as The Independent, The Sunday Telegraph, but mostly for The Guardian in the 1980s and 1990s.
Published works Williams has written or edited several books on Welsh sports:
He also wrote tourism brochures for the Isle of Anglesey council in 2013 and 2014Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn/Isle of Anglesey County Council 2013 & 2014 Tourist Brochures
Consultancy
Williams was media facilities consultant for the Millennium Stadium, working to the Chairman of the IRB, Vernon Pugh.
He was media facilities consultant and spokesman to Ffos Las Racecourse.
Founder of the Welsh Equine Council and, as Chairman, organised the Inaugural Welsh Festival of the Horse, Margam Park, in 2006.
Producer, Promoter of the 2003 USA tour of the Dylan Thomas Dylan, The Return Journey, featuring Bob Kingdom, developed by Kingdom and Anthony Hopkins, the show’s original director, timed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Thomas in New York.
Voluntary
Williams was chair of the Llandaff Fields Community and Sports Trust Development from August 2011 to July 2014. The Trust, in conjunction with Cardiff City Council, hoped to upgrade the facilities and fields for a number of sports clubs and organisations.
He was one of the founders and became the first secretary of Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd, established in 1967, a largely Welsh speaking rugby team in Cardiff which, as of 2025, plays in the East Central League 3 of the Welsh Championship. His sons, grandsons and grand-daughters have played for the club and his son, Gareth, became senior coach.