Ralf Little is "genuinely delighted" after discovering his footballer great-granddad won a cup final.
Ralf Little is 'genuinely delighted' after discovering his footballer great-granddad won a cup final
The 42-year-old actor has found out his great-grandfather Albert Lockey - who represented Wales over 100 years ago - scored in the 1984 Welsh Cup final to help Chirk FC to victory.
Discovering the news in his upcoming episode of BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?', Ralf says: "This is a big cup final. This has absolutely made my day.
"Honestly, it's so funny. This is 100 years ago, more than 100 years ago. I'm genuinely delighted to read about my great-granddad winning this cup and scoring."
The 'Royle Family' star was researching his mum's side of the family tree when he found out about Albert.
Ralf himself has played as a semi-pro for Edgware Town and Maidstone United, while he's also appeared in charity matches including the Game 4 Grenfell.
In his upcoming episode - as quoted by the Daily Mirror newspaper - he adds: "I've always been a decent player but I never quite really knew where it has come from."
However, Ralf is "heartbroken" when he's told Albert quit football in 1904 amid a religious revival throughout Wales.
He says: "So he gave up playing football for religion? I can't begin to tell you, as an atheist, how upsetting that is to me.
"What a twist. What a twist. Did not see that coming. I am disappointed. I am. I'm kind of heartbroken."
Ralf - whose episode airs on June 30 - will also delve into his maternal grandfather Arthur Bailey's experiences in World War II, when he was on HMS Indefatigable when it became the first British ship to be hit by a kamikaze pilot in 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa.
He admits: "He faced hardship a lot and just took it. I wish I'd asked him about it now. I wish I got to know him better. I guess I never realised that there was that much to talk about."
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