Penydarren BGC v AFC Porth - Official Matchday Programme

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | RHAGLEN SWYDDOGOL Y GEM

PENYDARREN BGC AFC PORTH

FRIDAY 21ST JANUARY, 2022 CYMRU ARDAL LEAGUE SOUTH WEST

PENYDARREN BGC

A BRIEF HISTORY...

Penydarren Boys & Girls Club was initially formed in 1985. The club was originally based at St. Johns Church Hall at Penydarren in Merthyr Tydfil, where the main activities were table tennis and board games. The club then became members of the Boys & Girls Club of Wales. Two children’s football teams were formed using local council grounds to play their games. Due to refurbishment of the church, the club then relocated using the old Gelifaelog School as a base.

In 1994 the club was successful in gaining a lease to the current site known as ‘The Bont’. With the aid of funding from a variety of sources, work started to remove the old black ash type surface of the original pitch to provide a first-class playing area and a clubhouse with changing rooms. The facilities are admired by many throughout Wales and are held in high regard by all visiting teams. There are also plans in place for a new 3G surface with new floodlighting & changing facilities.

Club membership continued to increase in the late 90s with the club providing teams from Under 10’s to Under 18 level.

Next was the introduction of the senior team, which after playing in local leagues gained promotion into the South Wales Senior League. In 2015-16 Penydarren became members of the South Wales Alliance League following merger of the Senior League with the Amateur League.

After two seasons of consolidation, 2017-18 was to prove to be Penydarren’s season, after an unbeaten league campaign brought the prize of Welsh League Football, winning promotion at home to Cardiff Draconians 2-0 in front of a bumper crowd at The Bont, with six games to spare. The club won 27 and drew 3 of their 30 league fixtures, scoring 117 goals and conceding just 14 in the process.

The club also went on two epic cup runs reaching the quarter finals of the JD Welsh Cup and semi-finals of the FAW Amateur Trophy. The Welsh Cup run saw Penydarren knock out Penrhiwceiber Rangers (5-3), Brecon Corries (3-1), Cardiff Corinthians (4-0), STM Sports (2-1), Llandudno Junction (4-0) and Pontypridd Town (2-1) before losing to Bangor City (7-0).

Penydarren’s Welsh League debut season went down a storm, with the club romping to the Third Division title, winning 24 of their 30 league games. They won the title with a 3-1 win at Ely Rangers, with Connor Keating, Sam Gamble and Alex Long sealing the silverware.

While they also clinched the double, beating Ynysygerwn to win the Welsh League Cup at Port Talbot, by a 3-0 scoreline.

Penydarren kicked off 2019-20 season in Welsh League Division One, due to pyramid restructuring and were well placed for a promotion push, with several games in hand on their rivals, when the pandemic struck. The season was curtailed and Penydarren finished in 4th place on the points per game average, just missing out on a promotion spot to Port Talbot by 0.09.

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KERRY MULLIN FROM THE MANAGER...

Good evening, and welcome to The Bont Playing Fields.

Tonight, we face another big challenge in AFC Porth as we continue our Ardal League West campaign.

After a long break over the festive period, we are eager to start the new year on the front foot with a good result this evening.

We know, however, we're in for a tough game as Porth are a very well established Welsh League side.

With tonight marking a special occasion with the new pitch, we're really relishing the fixture.

I would like to thank everyone who came out to support us against AFC Llwydcoed before Christmas and the previous games so far, your support has been brilliant over the course of the season.

We look forward to your support once again and hope you enjoy the game this evening.

Kerry Mullin FIRST TEAM MANAGER

" IT'S ANOTHER TOUGH GAME FOR US. "

AFC PORTH

A BRIEF HISTORY...

Football in Porth situated at the junction of the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach valleys, began in 1891, to become a hot bed of the game for over 130 years. The first side competed in the South Wales League, known as Porth, losing a three team play off for the title. In 1896-97 the club won the double, winning the League and the South Wales Amateur Cup. While in 1919, the club now known as Porth Athletic entered the Welsh National League winning the title in 1921-22.

However due to the formation of the League of Wales, AFC Porth were restructured into the new Division Two but effectively promoted, which they won again, pipping Caerau to win promotion to Division One.

In 1933, Porth United were elected to the Welsh Football League, competing alongside the likes of Swansea Town II, Newport County II and Cardiff City II, changing their name to Porth Town in 1936-37, their last before resigning. Football was back in Porth in 1946, Porth Welfare joining the Welsh Football League for 1951-52 season in Division Two East, until 1960-61, when they were relegated out of the League before their demise in the early 1970’s.

The following season 1993-94 would be the highest ever finish for the club, 3rd place behind Barry Town and Aberaman Athletic, a position they would achieve in 1996-97 and 1998-99 known as AFC Rhondda since 1994 to raise their marketing profile in the Rhondda Valley. The early 90’s saw goalkeeper Lee Jones transferred to Swansea City for £10,000. But after several mid table finishes, in 2001-02 and 2002-03 the club suffered consecutive relegations to Division Three. In 2003-04 the club narrowly avoided losing their Welsh League status, but after renaming as AFC Porth in 2004, relegation resulted in 2006-07 into the South Wales Amateur League.

In the meantime, a new club had formed in 1950, known as Beatus United, playing in the Rhondda League and in 1964, they were promoted into the South Wales Amateur League, winning the title in 1965-66. In 1984, the club changed its name to AFC Porth and under the guidance of Ray Hacker won the South Wales Amateur League Division Two title and Corinthian Cup for good measure.

In 1991-92 AFC Porth joined the Welsh Football League and in their first ever season, won Division Two, winning 28 of their 32 games to finish 15 points ahead of runners up Carmarthen Town.

1992-93 also saw the club achieve their best run in the Welsh Cup, reaching the quarter finals, with wins against Panteg (5-1), Cardiff Civil Service (3-1), Llanelli (2-0), Aberystwyth Town (2-1) before losing 3-0 to Connah’s Quay Nomads in the fifth round at Dinas Park.

However, the club soon regained Welsh League status winning the Amateur League at the first attempt remaining unbeaten before winning promotion from Division Three in 2008-09 and Division Two in 2010-11, with ex-Cardiff City star Scott Young having a spell as Player-Manager. In 2014 the club won the Nathaniel Car Sales League Cup, on penalties after drawing 1-1, with Jacob Matthews scoring the winning penalty in a 4-3 nail bitter against Pontardawe Town. However, the club suffered relegation in 2014-15 and 2017-18, before finishing 2019-20 season in the restructured Division Two.

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Penydarren BGC

AFC Porth

Stephen Price (GK) Scott Pike Sam Gamble Alex Lloyd (C) Ben Gibbons Adam Lewis Asa Lloyd Ricky Jones Kyle Sullivan Riley Crumb Mackenzie Thomas Joe Mullin Ryan Martin Charlie Sears Aarran Caffell Garrin Batson Joshua Brogden Alex Long Christopher Colvin-Owens

Andrew Hargreaves (GK) Jon Howe Alex Jacklin Patrick Rysgaard Chris Lewis Scott Badman Dean Raven Joe Holman Sam Weaver Matt Humphreys Nabeel Illahi Mez Illahi Yusef Saqib Callum Richards Famid Ali Jarrad Blowers Shaun Davies Robbie George Nathan Wiggins

Manager: Kerry Mullin

Manager: Dean Morris

Referee: Mark Hulbert Assistant Referee: Joshua Evans Assistant Referee: Paul Walters

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