Undy AFC vs Newport County - Saturday 8th July

Ground: The Causeway, Undy, Monmouthshire, NP26 3EW

Telephone: 01633 881352

Website: www.undyafc.co.uk/

Facebook: Undy AFC Twitter: @UndyAFC

Club Shop:

https://www.totalteamwearuk.com/clientshops/undyafc/

Club Chairman: Jim Roberts

Director of Football: Mark Crook

Secretary: Matt Elliot - seniorsfixturessecretary@undyafc.co.uk

Junior Football Contact: Karl Luton - karlluton@undyafc.co.uk

Newly Elected Undy AFC Club Chairman Interview with Jim Roberts

Jim – tell us a bit about your background?

Firstly I will apologise for not being a rich Hollywood star! I’ve been around the club for over a decade now, and like lots of people I got involved when my son started to play football in the under 6s I then moved from an enthusiastic parent to doing my Football leaders qualifications and helped coach for the next few years. I then had a period where I learnt how to use the mowers and look after the grass – which I must say was very peaceful I’ve now got a son playing in our senior section and my daughter playing in our under 16 girls As for me, I’m an engineer and work in the energy sector, and live in Magor with my wife, two children and the dog

What made you want to take on the Chairman’s role?

This is a fantastic club which is testament to the previous Chairman and his great team (many of which I am pleased are staying around for a little longer)! We have some good foundations on and off the pitch I’m excited by the prospects we have to grow and improve

Can you tell us more of the activities happening on and off the pitch ?

Ok lets start with the football The senior teams are already starting their pre-season training, and the management team tell me this has begun well with some new faces potentially interested in signing on with us This year we will have five senior teams representing us at 1st, 2nd and 3rd team level, an under 19s team and a newly formed women’s team

Junior Football continues to grow from strength to strength, and this was perfectly represented by another fantastic junior tournament this year, where we welcomed over 300 teams, with nearly 2,000 players playing nearly 900 games I don’t know of a bigger tournament in Wales, and definitely not a better run one I was pleased to be part of the volunteer group again this year, and I hope to be in years to come

Off the pitch we will continue to have pool and darts teams, as well as running a great social calendar In addition we have some exciting progress in the development of The Causeway Bar We have sought approval from the Trustees to start a refurbishment of the main bar area which will take place in late July/early August ready for the beginning of the next season There is a committee already in place running this programme, and they have the aim of developing a newer and more modern feel to the Bar. This will extend from new flooring, furniture decoration and layout – so watch this space for progress

What are your hopes for the coming year?

There is a great opportunity for our club to continue to develop Specifically in the next 12 months, I hope to see competitive and enjoyable football across all our teams, with a target of promotion for our first team We have some strong talent coming through our development teams too and the linkages for this to develop players from the junior teams continues to strengthen

Our grounds and facilities are a great asset to us as a club It is important we maintain and develop these to the best of our abilities, and we will continue to invest in these I am sure many other people also hear the great comments we have about our facilities, and this is great motivation for us all to support their use

Overall I’d like to continue the development of the sense of community in our football club, driving positive experiences for our members , players , visitors and sponsors We are no longer a small village football club, but instead a large football club in the South East of Wales, playing good quality football with community engagement which will allow us to continue to grow

We have a lot to be positive about. I hope you enjoy today's friendly against Newport County. It's always a real highlight of the Undy AFC calendar.

Undy AFC - Our Club History

Undy A.F.C. was formed in 1947 by Joe Champion, Lambert Bird, Harry Hodges and others. The changing facilities were in Undy Church Hall, using a tin bath for washing. During the period between 1947 and 1962 the Argus Shield was won three times. Unfortunately in 1962 the club was disbanded, due to lack of support.

1970 saw a reformation, the driving force behind this, amongst others, were John King, Percy Pope,Malcolm Pope, our president Mr J Smith, and the tote organiser Bob Scrivens, the tote keeping the club on a firm financial setting for more than 10 years

From 1970 to 1981 Undy Football Club operated without any team managers, a selection committee picked the teams every week The first manager taken on by the club, in 1981 was Dave Segal During the mideighties Undy United F C took over the management of the Playing Fields from Undy Playing Fields Association, changing our name from Undy United to Undy A F C

In 1992, the football club poured its first pint of beer in its new clubhouse, by obtaining its licence to sell alcohol 1996 saw the project to extend the clubhouse, providing us with new changing facilities, and more recently in 2005 the development of our new pitch Our colours changed during this period to the Red that the whole club wears today

Having gained entry to the Gwent County League, the Gwent County Motors Cup was won in 2004, and with a continual improvement of our first team, we became an established Gwent County Division one side, before beginning to set our sights on a place in the Welsh League

In 2010/2011, under the management team of Mark Crook and Jason Davies, we fulfilled our ambition by being crowned Division one Champions and gaining promotion into the Welsh Football League. Our time in The Welsh League has been a successful one, with us winning the Third Division in our first season, and gaining promotion to Division two

In 2015/16, now under the management of Laurence Owen, with Crook as Director of football, we achieved our objective, and gained promotion to the top tier of Welsh League football.

Our stay in the Cymru South division came to an end after relegation in the 2021/22 season We finished the 2022/23 season in the Ardal South East league in third position, just five points behind Abertillery Bluebirds AFC

First Team Honours:

Gwent County League Division One: 2010–11, Welsh Football League Division Three: 2011–12

Gareth Cullimore, James Barnes and Dan Jarman, all in action during the 2022/23 season.

Our Visitors - Newport County

Newport County Association Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Newport, South Wales. The team compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club's usual home colours are amber shirts and black shorts.

Formed in 1912, the club began life in the Southern League before being invited to become founder members of the Football League Third Division in 1920. They failed re-election in 1931, but were elected back into the Football League the next year. They struggled for the next few seasons, but went on to be crowned Third Division South champions in 1938–39. World War II meant they had to wait until the 1946–47 season to take their place in the Second Division, though they were relegated at the end of the campaign. They were relegated out of the Third Division in 1962. In the 1979–80 season, under manager Len Ashurst, they secured promotion out of the Fourth Division and won the Welsh Cup for the first time. They reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup the next year. In the 1980s they suffered financial difficulties with a double relegation costing them their Football League place in 1988 and the club went out of business in February 1989.

The club reformed but were initially unable to play at their home ground at Somerton Park, so picked up the nickname of the "Exiles". They immediately won the Hellenic League in 1989–90 and were promoted out of the Southern League Midland Division in 1994–95. While playing at Newport Stadium, they were relegated from the Premier Division in 1997, before winning promotion out of the Midland Division again in 1998–99. Placed in the Conference South in 2004, they went on to be crowned champions in 2009–10 and after moving to Rodney Parade in 2012, they returned to the Football League following a 25-year absence after winning the Conference National play-off final in 2013 under manager Justin Edinburgh

In the last ten years, they have stabalized themselves as a consistent League 2 side and in that time have also hosted memorable FA cup ties against Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspurs and the Treble winners Manchester City. In the 2020/21 season, they narrowly missed out on promotion to League 1, after a one nil defeat to Morecambe at Wembley. Last season they finished 15th under the leadership of current manager Graham Coughlan, who joined them midway through the season, after the sacking of James Rowberry.

Club Captain Mickey Demetriou, Manager Graham Coughlan and striker Omar Bogle

Interview with Iestyn Davies: Building a Solid Future

One of the highlights from last season were the performances of defender Iestyn Davies, who's emergence from the Undy youth set up through to the seniors, caught the attention of many.

He quickly established himself as one of the first names on the team sheets with a series of mature performances, well beyond his years

Iestyn is now preparing for a second season at senior level with pre-season in full swing

He said: "Pre-season training has been good and it’s been great to get back into it after a long break and join up with everyone again

"We have been working on our fitness, as we are aiming to improve in that aspect for the up and coming season

"Being back at training makes me look forward to the new season and to see our improvements as a team "

After finishing third in the Ardal South East last season, promotion is very much the target for Undy this year.

Speaking about the club’s ambitions, Iestyn commented: "As a club we are still aiming for promotion next season

"We were unlucky last time around to have not gone up, due to losing silly games that we shouldn’t have and a couple of injuries to the squad as well

"I think this season we will be able to learn from our mistakes as a team and work on them to gain promotion "

Today's friendly against Newport County is always one of the highlights of the season at the Causeway

Speaking about the game, Iestyn added: "I am excited to play against the County

"It is a good experience for us as players to play against a professional side, but also to play in front a big crowd as it makes the game more exciting for both teams."

Defender Iestyn Davies says promotion will be the aim for the club this season

Gearingupforthenewseason!

Undy AFC is a grassroots club, run by volunteers in the local community, throughout the season. Over the summer, our volunteers have all been chipping in, to spruce up the Causeway ahead of today's game against Newport County and for the new season.

Without the tireless work of everyone at the club, we wouldn't be able to achieve what we doboth on and off the pitch. If you want to get more involved with the club, please get in touch on the details on the inside of this matchday programme. We look forward to welcoming you.

Some of the club's volunteers in action before the start of a busy pre season period

£50 plus of prizes to be won each week

The Christmas Special "Double Bubble" and extra prizes

£5 a month to enter (via standing order on the first of each month)

Allproceedsgo backintotheclubto supportallsectionsfromthegrassrootsto thefirstteam.

Scan the QR Code to sign up and become a member of the 100 Club

Former Undy man Nathan Wood signs for Newport County

Everyone at Undy AFC would like to pass on their very best to former midfielder Nathan Wood, who last month signed for today's visitors and neighbours Newport County.

Manager Graham Coughlan has made Wood his first signing of the season, from Penybont, where he has spent the past eight seasons, after he begin his senior career at the Causeway.

After securing his signature, Coughlan said: "Nathan is very attack minded and I believe he gives us something that we don’t currently have. He’ll add extra dimension to our offensive play.

"It’s a great opportunity for him, coming from the Welsh Premier League. We’ve had a lot of success in players from the league previously at the football club.

"He was a standout performer in that division last season and it’s an opportunity he fully deserves. I am really looking forward to working with him."

Nathan, isn’t a complete stranger to the County having come their Academy system up until 2015.

He said: "Obviously being a local lad playing for your home-town club is a great feeling. I was really disappointed that I couldn’t go that extra step at the time, but it’s come full circle and I’m back - and it feels really good.

"I’ve been a fan of Newport for years. I watched the club get promoted from the Conference to the Football League.

"I was at the first league game of the season, and I know how much it means to the fans and just how passionate they are. For me to be a part of that and have the opportunity to come here is a no brainer."

Speaking about Nathan's return, Undy Chairman, Jim Roberts said: " We are really delighted to see the success Nathan has had and we wish him the best of luck for the new season."

Nathan Wood will be no stranger to the Causeway when he plays against Undy today

St.Pierre Country Club

Undy vs Newport County: Throughout the Years

TheUndyJuniorTournament2023

329 Teams, 1956 Players and 889 Games

The Undy Football Tournament was once again a massive success. Congratulations to the winners:

U12 - AFC Whitchurch U12 Girls - Emersons Green Panthers

U13 - Winterbourne FC U13/14 Girls - Hutton Girls

U14 - Prestbury Phantoms

U15/16 - Undy Red

U15/16 Girls - Ashton Keynes

Here is to next year being another fantastic success!

The Undy Football tournement is now the biggest across Wales:

Your Welsh Sports Roundup

Some of the latest sport stories around Wales

ROSIE ECCLES WINS EURO BRONZE AFTER OLYMPICS QUALIFICATION (BBC WALES)

Rosie Eccles has won 66kg bronze at the European Games, having already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics by reaching the last four.

The 26-year-old lost to Turkey's 2020 Olympics gold medallist Busenaz Surmineli on a split decision. Eccles, one of 13 British boxers chosen to compete in Poland, beat Ireland's Amy Broadhurst, also by split decision in the quarter-finals.

That sealed the Welsh fighter's qualification for the 2024 Paris Games. Despite defeat by Surmineli, Eccles can now look forward to competing at her first Olympics next summer.

Eccles said: "I'm gutted. I wanted to be in that final for the gold medal… I'm a winner, I thought I'd done enough, but (it was) top level and all that and should have been the final."

CARDIFF SIGN WELSH PROP RHYS LITTERICK FROM HARLEQUINS (BBC WALES)

Cardiff have signed Harlequins prop Rhys Litterick for next season. The 24-year-old front-row from West Sussex is Wales-qualified through his Bridgendborn father.

He made six appearances for the Premiership club where he was coached by former Wales and British and Irish Lions star Adam Jones. He is the first signing for 2023-24 by Cardiff, who have been in crisis since the end of the season.

Rosie Eccles taking victory in the ring and Rhys Litterrick in action for Harlequins

K i d s C o r n e r

The Wimbledon Tennis Championships is well under way. Have a go at our Tennis inspired wordsearch below.

FEDERER TIAFOE MEDVEDEV NADAL RUUD NORRIE MURRAY EVANS DJOKOVIC TSITSIPAS ALCARAZ RUNE

Test your Newport County Knowledge

1) Where do the County play their home games? ...................................................................

2) What is the County mascot called?

3) Who was County's top scorer last season?

4) Name the former Undy player, who managed County till 2021?

Autograph Wall

Autograph Wall

Undy AFC vs Newport County

from the Causeway

Undy AFC: Red Shirts, Shorts and Socks

James Smallcombe

Sam Burden

James Gidney

Iestyn Davies

Tom Wright

Brad Hanbury

Kane Jellyman

James Barnes

Harris Thomas

Paul Clayton

Sam Broadribb

Ryan Hudson

Dan Tozer

Alex Jarman

Ollie Smith

Dan Jarman

Chris Parry

Sam Thomas

NewportCounty:AmberShirts,BlackShorts andAmberSocks

Joe Day Nick Townsend

Harrison Bright

James Clarke

Declan Drysdale

Kyle Jameson

Matty Bondswell

Scot Bennett

Bryn Morris

Aaron Wildig

Harry Charsley

James Waite

Sam Bowen

Nathan Wood

Josh Edwards

Omar Bogle

Will Evans

Kiban Rai

Offrande Zanzala

Director of Football: Mark Crook

First Team Manager: Lewis Thomas

First Team Manager: Graham Coughlan

First Team Coach: Jarred Harvey

Today's Undy AFC Mascots Harry Day, Jake Day, Tom Buckle, Aiyla Wiseman, Ollie Cadden, Cooper Thomas, Jacob Biddington, Ashley Raven Hill, Caden Luton and Yanislav Kharchenko