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Port Talbot Town Football Club - Principality Welsh Premier League - The GenQuip Stadium, Victoria Road, Port Talbot. SA12 6AD. Website best viewed 1024x768.
JULY 2009
29th July 2009
Congolese trialist on target for Lido in Corus win
Afan Lido claimed their first pre-season victory on Tuesday night against Corus Steel. Midfielder Kieran Howells opened the scoring on his return to the club from Bettws while the win was completed with a second goal from Congo striker Fodderje on 66 minutes. Corus fielded a number of former Afan Lido players in their starting line-up as they plan for their first season in the Welsh League.
27th July 2009
Rewbury completes Martyrs return from Old Gold
Defender Jamie Rewbury has returned to Merthyr without kicking a ball for Carmarthen. The former Swansea City and Llanelli youngster left troubled Merthyr to sign for Welsh Premier League side Carmarthen Town at the end of the season. Merthyr have since entered administration but will continue under the management of Garry Shephard next season and Rewbury has now returned to Penydarren Park without featuring for his new club.
27th July 2009
Spanish trialist on target for Neath in double win
Neath claimed two friendly victories over the weekend against Briton Ferry and West End. The match against Briton Ferry Llansawel took place on Friday for the Malcolm Judd Memorial Cup and Neath ran out 2-0 winners (above). On Sunday the side then travelled to West End where Spanish trialist Carlos Castan opened the scoring for Neath before Carl Smitham scored twice for the home side. Rob Spendiff scored an equaliser for Neath before a stronger second half performance saw Mattie Harris, Dale Evans and Spendiff again complete the 5-2 victory.
26th July 2009
Former Swan Keaveny signs for Bettws
Striker Jonathan Keaveny has made a surprise move to Welsh League side Bettws. The former Swansea City forward played for Goytre United last season but left the club in March and has not played since. “Jonathan Keaveny will bring Football League experience with him to Bettws and he possesses a fine goal-scoring record in the Welsh League,” said manager Mark Sage. “He hasn't played since leaving Goytre in March but is now raring to go.” Keaveny signed for Swansea City during Nick as manager but returned to the Welsh Premier League with Carmarthen one year later.
26th July 2009
Collins and Bashir make Brewery Field switch
Bridgend Town have added goalkeeper Neil Collins and midfielder Atif Bashir to their squad. Collins signs from Welsh League champions Aberaman Athletic and is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper outside of the top-flight. Bashir has recently been capped by Pakistan and offers the side a strong physical presence. Bridgend will play at The Brewery Field next season and their two new additions will help with their promotion push.
26th July 2009
Thomas display cant prevent Exiles victory
Newport County claimed a 3-2 win over Carmarthen Town on Saturday in a friendly at Cwmbran Stadium. Sam Foley was the star for Newport with a double with Josh Hartrick added the third. Former Newport County defender Mark Dodds scored the first goal for Carmarthen with Nicky Palmer adding the second for Deryn Brace’s side. Goalkeeper Neil Thomas had to be at his best however to prevent Newport adding to their scoreline in the opening half and also saved a Foley penalty. Carmarthen Town striker Craig Hughes missed the match against his former club with a slight injury sustained in the midweek friendly against a Swansea City XI.
26th July 2009
Evans and Harris on target for Neath in Memorial Cup
Goals from Ashley Evand Mattie Harris earned Neath a 2-0 win over Briton Ferry Llansawel on Friday. The Malcolm Judd Memorial match took place at the Gnoll in place of the scheduled friendly between Neath and Merthyr Tydfil that was postponed on FA advice. Evans opened the scoring for Neath on 58 minutes before Harris extended the lead ten minutes later. In other friendly matches Newtown won 2-1 at Cambrian & Clydach on Saturday while Llanelli defeated Penydarren FC 7-2 away from home.
24th July 2009
Old Gold trio take on former club in friendly
Three Carmarthen Town favourites take on their former club Newport County on Saturday. Mark Dodds, Craig Hughes and new signing Sam O’Sullivan will be part of a strong Carmarthen Town side for the friendly againt Dean Holdsworth’s Newport at Cwmbran Stadium on Saturday in what should be an interesting encounter between the two talented sides. Both teams have strengthened during the summer with Steve Williams and Craig Hanford joining O’Sullivan at the club while Newport have invested heavily in their squad to make a serious promotion challenge to the Blue Square Premier. Kick off at Cwmbran Stadium is at 3.00pm.
24th July 2009
Sky drop feeder league results from Soccer Saturday
Sky Sports will no longer show Welsh League and Cymru Alliance results at the weekend. The move comes as a further blow to both Principality Welsh Premier feeder leagues following the BBC’s decision to stop broadcasting it Wales on Saturday results service. “I can confirm that Sky Sports will continue to carry the results service for the Welsh Premier League this season but we currently have no plans to extend our coverage of the Welsh, or any other, leagues,” says a statement from the satellite broadcaster. “Sky Sports has a strong commitment to Welsh football. We show Wales international matches - with the option of Welsh commentary through our interactive service across the UK and Ireland. We also show live Under-21 international matches and showcase the schoolboys in the Sky Sports Victory Shield.” Writing on the Alliance website, league secretary Chas Rowlands says: "This seems grossly unfair on Welsh football as Sky show numerous leagues from England, Scotland and Ireland in their results programme on a Saturday. They also show results from Germany, Iceland, Norway, etc on their internet results service as well as showing various league results a lot further down their leagues than the Cymru Alliance is in Wales. As per usual, Welsh Football is not being treated fairly,” he added.
23rd July 2009
Bevan makes Haverfordwest County switch
Former Neath defender Lee Bevan has signed for Welsh Premier rivals Haverfordwest County. The move was first announced as an exclusive on www.porttalbottown.co.uk almost a fortnight ago when Bevan started training with the club and the Wales Under-23 Semi-Pro player has now agreed terms to sign for the club. The highly-rated youngster left Neath earlier in the month after failing to agree terms on a new contract with Neath much to the disgust of manager Andy Dyer who was quick to remind Bevan of the support he received from the club when he suffered a serious injury last year. Haverfordwest County manager Derek Brazil has also brought Simon Gilderdale back to the club from Newcastle Emlyn and has signed Swansea City defender Jamie Grimes on loan. Meanwhile Neath will play Briton Ferry Llansawel at the Gnoll on Friday in the Malcolm Judd Memorial match. Kick off is at 7.30pm.
23rd July 2009
Owen makes Welsh League return with champions
Port Talbot-based central defender Rhys Owen has returned to Aberaman Athletic. The former Port Talbot Town youth captain signed for the club on Wednesday night from Amateur League side Baglan Red Dragon to start his second spell with the current Welsh League champions. Owen is one of four new signings for manager Mattie Davies as Sam Jacobson, James Cooper and former Swansea City youth goalkeeper Dan Fields have also signed for the club this week. The club are still awaiting confirmation from the FAW that they will be known as Aberdare FC from next season but the request has yet to be approved.
23rd July 2009
Merthyr make move for La Liga friendly
Merthyr Tydfil claim they have arranged a friendly against Spanish La Liga side Almeria. The story appears in this weeks Rhymney Valley Express and although no date has been arranged, details are expected to be announced shortly. The Spanish side are in South Wales on the 1st August to take on Swansea City at The Liberty Stadium and would be a huge draw for Merthyr if the troubled club can confirm the fixture. No further details are available on the proposed friendly other than the details that feature in the local paper.
23rd July 2009
Tudor Park damage adds to Maesteg problems
Vandals have destroyed the two dugouts at Maesteg Park causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage. The dugouts for coaches, managers and substitutes collapsed as a result of attacks in the last two weeks. Committee members David Griffiths and Allan Jones have called for extra security at the club to stamp out the problem in an interview with the Glamorgan Gazette. “We are hoping the council will repair the fencing so people don’t trespass,” said Mr Griffiths. “We want more police patrolling the area and a sign to warn vandals they could be prosecuted. We are also looking into installing CCTV at the club, but it’s costly and we don’t have the funds. A sign attached to the fence reads: ‘The practice and playing of golf is prohibited on these playing fields’. But Mr Griffiths said: “People playing golf is the least of our worries. It’s the mindless vandalism that is a concern for us. I’ve been here 44 years and this is the first time I have seen anything like this.” Mr Griffiths said: “It’s going to cost £300 or £400 to repair. The council said it’s their responsibility to cut the grass but maintaining the shelters is ours. We are looking for sponsorship. If not, we will have to try and raise the money ourselves.” Mr Jones said: “There are so many houses nearby, someone must have seen or heard something. We really hope, after reading this, someone will come forward and tell the police.” On August 14, the first football match of the season is scheduled at the ground. Mr Griffiths said: “We have about 14 teams playing here from the ages of six to 18. If the shelters aren’t ready in time we will have to play the games away. “It would be embarrassing to bring teams up here with the dugouts like they are. It’s the only facility the kids have got up here and it’s being abused. It’s really frustrating and annoying for us. All we want to do is the best for the children in the area, but when this happens, it’s really disheartening.” A borough council spokesman said: “Maesteg Park Football Club recently returned the lease for the field to Bridgend County Borough Council, so it is currently classed as a public playing field, not a private club. “While the council has repaired fencing around the field on numerous occasions during both the current and previous seasons, the club sought permission to install shelters at their own expense. The repair and maintenance of the shelters is a requirement of the league that the club competes in.” Police have stepped up patrols.
22nd July 2009
Neath v Merthyr friendly off on FA advice
The Friday night friendly between Neath and Merthyr Tydfil at The Gnoll has been called off. The decision has been made following advice from the FA who are unhappy with the licence granted to the Supporters Trust to run Merthyr while the club is in administration. A new document is being produced and is expected to be sanctioned early next week. In the meantime however the FA have advised the Football Association of Wales not to sanction any fixtures involving Merthyr until the new agreement is signed. The friendly was expected to attract a large crowd due to the number of former Merthyr players currently playing for Neath.
22nd July 2009
Name change for WL champions to be confirmed
Aberaman Athletic are expected to be known as Aberdare FC by the weekend. The Welsh League champions have applied to the Football Association of Wales to change their name ahead of the new season and the request is due to be discussed in the headquarters of the FAW in Cardiff this week. The club have recently appointed Mattie Davies as manager as they attempt to retain their league title despite losing former manager and main sponsor David Morgan during the summer. The club have also lost the services of a number of players including goalkeeper Neil Collins to Bridgend Town and striker Richard Ryan who has returned to Goytre United.
22nd July 2009
Old Gold edge past Pennock’s young Swans
Carmarthen Town fielded three new signings on Tuesday as they defeated a young Swansea City XI. Steve Williams, Craig Hanford and Sam O’Sullivan all made their Richmond Park debuts as goals from Craig Hughes and O’Sullivan earned Deryn Brace’s side a 2-1 win. Former Carmarthen Town goalkeeper Tony Pennock took charge of the young Swans team that impressed with some excellent football ahead of their own pre-season programme. Carmarthen are now in action on Saturday when they take on Newport County at Cwmbran Stadium. Kick off is at 3.00pm.
22nd July 2009
Changes confirmed to Lido pre-season programme
Afan Lido take on Cardiff-based Grange Albions on Thursday night in a pre-season friendly. A busy schedule of games has been arranged for the side including three games against Principality Welsh Premier League opponents in Aberystwyth Town, Haverfordwest County and Neath. The match at Aberystwyth Town is on Saturday, 25th July while the Neath match will take place on Sunday, 9th August with entertainment arranged in the club house following the match in what will be the clubs only home friendly. The complete list of fixtures is as follows -
Thursday 23rd July Away Grange Albion
Saturday 25th July Away Aberystwyth
Tuesday 28th July Away Corus Steel
Saturday 1st August Away Trefelin
Tuesday 4th August Away Haverfordwest
Friday 7th August Away Pontyclun
Sunday 9th August Home Neath 3:PM
20th July 2009
Margetson could make unexpected Cardiff comeback
Port Talbot-based Cardiff City goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson could make a return to his playing days. Margetson last played professional football in October 2005 but a new rule in brought into the Football League could see him make a surprise return. A recent vote went in favour that Carling Cup matches can now be played on International midweeks, leaving Cardiff City with a potential goalkeeping crisis. With both senior goalkeepers at the club Internationals for their respective countries, the Western Mail report that Margetson could b set to sign as a player for the club ahead of the opening fixtures in the Carling Cup.
20th July 2009
Yellow is the new black for the men in black
Match officials in the Principality Welsh Premier League will wear a new yellow kit from the start of the season. The league had issued a pale blue kit last season but due to a number of colour clashes arising the majority of officials chose to wear a traditional black kit instead. The decision has now been made to issue match officials with a new yellow kit from suppliers Legea and this will become the standard for the Principality Welsh Premier League from next season.
19th July 2009
Casey on target in dream Swans debut
Port Talbot youngster Casey Thomas scored on his Swansea City debut against FC Twente on Saturday. The friendly against Steve McLaren’s Dutch team at The Liberty Stadium was new manager Paulo Sousa’s first home match but it was second half substitute Casey Thomas who grabbed the headlines with a dream debut. Gorka Pintado had handed Swansea City the lead early in the second half before a defensive mix up allowed Twente to equalise. Thomas then restored the lead within a minute with a close range header and in injury time won the penalty that allowed Pintado to score his second of the game and earn the Swans a 3-1 win. Former Afan Lido youngster Thomas regularly impressed for the Reseves and Youth Teams at the club last season and will now look to be part of Paulo Sousa’s squad following an excellent display.
17th July 2009
Bowen and Waters make Aberystwyth move
Aberystwyth Town manager Brian Coyne has completed the signing two Port Talbot-based players. Joining the Park Avenue club are former Port Talbot Town duo Luke Bowen and Michael Waters while Coyne has also added another former Port Talbot Town player in Adam James to his squad as well as Cledan Davies from Tregaron. Both Bowen and Waters are former Swansea City youth players and have featured for Port Talbot Town in the Welsh Premier League. Bowen joins Aberystwyth from Haverfordwest County while Waters played for Neath last season.
16th July 2009
Live game confirmed for opening day
The match between Rhyl and Carmarthen on the opening day of the season will be shown live on S4C. The decision to televise the game is a further boost for the Principality Welsh Premier League following on from the live coverage of both Rhyl and Llanelli’s home games in Europe. The match takes place on Saturday, 15th August with kick off now moved back to 5.15pm to accommodate the camera’s.
15th July 2009
Goytre sign experienced strike duo
Strikers Richard French and Richard Ryan have signed for Welsh League Goytre United. The move for French was first announced on www.porttalbottown.co.uk back on the 20th June and he has now completed the switch from Neath while Ryan returns to the club having only left to join Aberaman during the January transfer window. The duo will be a vital boost for Goytre who have lost the services of Daniel Thomas and Robbie Walters to Port Talbot Town and Haverfordwest County respectively over the summer as they look to win back the Welsh League title that Aberaman won last season.
15th July 2009
Welsh Premier return for Port Talbot referees
The Port Talbot Referee’s Society has confirmed that two members will retain their Welsh Premier place. Gareth Ayres and Paul Fisher both passed the required fitness tests on Sunday and will again officiate in the Principality Welsh Premier League this season. Ryan Thomas is also expected to retain his place following his fitness test scheduled for September. Ayres also received a second boost with confirmation that he will run the line in Swansea City’s opening pre-season friendly against Steve McClaren’s FC Twente at The Liberty Stadium this weekend.
15th July 2009
Martyrs round off long summer with edge over Exiles
Merthyr Tydfil recorded a win for their hard-working fans over Newport County on Tuesday. The two Welsh rivals met at Cwmbran Stadium for a pre-season friendly which Merthyr edged 1-0 thanks to a goal from Tom Harris. Merthyr’s future has been in the balance for a number of months but the hard work of the supporters trust has enabled the club to continue and manager Gary Shephard has been busy re-assembling his squad.
15th July 2009
Three new player boost for Aberaman
Aberaman Athletic manager Mattie Davies has completed the signing of three new players. Joining the club under the new era of Davies and his assistant Adam Moore are Lee Williams who joins the club from Bettws, experienced midfielder Samir Misbah from Dinas Powys and returning to the club from Clevedon Town is striker Jonathan Kift who only left in the January transfer window to join the English pyramid. The club are continuing to look to strengthen their squad and are expected to announce additional new signings shortly.
14th July 2009
Port Talbot Swan O’Leary offered Charlton trial
Kristian O’Leary is to join Charlton Athletic on trial following the expiry of his contract at Swansea City. Port Talbot based O’Leary first signed professional terms with Swansea City in 1995 and has been through the good and bad times at his local club. Chances have been limited in recent seasons however and the midfielder made just one appearance as a substitute last season in the FA Cup match win over Histon. A regular member of Colin Pascoe’s reserve team at the club, O’Leary has been an important figure in helping develop a number of the clubs youngsters but appears set to leave the Liberty Stadium in order to extend his career in the Football League. O’Leary joined Cheltenham Town on-loan in 2006 but rejected the clubs offer of a three year contract to stay at Swansea City.
14th July 2009
Europa heroes return to Stebo for Friday friendly
Following a memorable UEFA Europa League tie against Motherwell, Llanelli return to action at Stebonheath on Friday. The Reds played the home leg of their Europa League match against the Scottish Premier League side at Parc-y-Scarlets but suffered a 3-0 reverse despite taking a one goal leg into the match. On Friday Andy Legg’s side are in action against Truro City who play in the BGB Premier Division in what should be an interesting test for the side. Admission for the match is just £3 while there is no charge for Under-16’s. Llanelli were criticised over their ticket policy in their European campaign but have responded well with a positive gesture for this friendly match. Truro are managed by former Swansea City player Sean McCarthy. Kick off is at 7.30pm.
12th July 2009
Bridge Meadow Stadium boost for County
Haverforwest County are close to completing the building of their new stand to boost their capacity to 1000 seats. Regarded as the best playing surface in the Principality Welsh Premier League, the club now have a stadium to match with the construction of the new stand on the former terraced area of the ground. The new stand means that all five South Wales clubs in the Welsh Premier League are able to host UEFA matches.
12th July 2009
Fry to make early Seven return following cup draw
New Briton Ferry Llansawel manager Julian Fry will return to his old club in the Welsh Cup. The preliminary round draw as handed the newly merged club an away match at Seven Sisters, the club that Fry left to take over at Briton Ferry Llansawel. The match will take place on Saturday, 15th August. Meanwhile Fry has been busy building his squad over the summer and the club are expected to announce a number of signings before the start of the season.
Click here for the full Welsh Cup draw
12th July 2009
Third name change planned for Aberaman
Aberaman have applied to the FAW to change their name to AFC Aberdare. The club won the MacWhirter Welsh Football League under the name of ENTO Aberaman last season but reverted back to Aberaman Athletic when their sponsorship agreement with ENTO came to a close. The club originally applied to change their name to Aberdare Town but were refused due to legal formalities according the clubs official website. The club are now awaiting confirmation that they can play under the title of AFC Aberdare from next season.
12th July 2009
Tucker takes former Welsh Premier duo on trial
Clevedon Town manager Nicky Tucker has offered trials to two former Welsh Premier. The Cardiff-based boss has taken former Carmarthen player Gregg Coombes and Haverfordwest’s Billy Vaughan on trial. Clevedon avoided relegation last season despite being bottom of the table when Tucker was appointed manager in January. “We will have a look at them and see how it goes,” said Tucker on his two new trialists.
10th July 2009
Bevan set to make Haverfordwest switch
Exclusive! Defender Lee Bevan is expected to sign for Haverfordwest County after leaving Neath. The highly-rated youngster has rejected a new contract at Neath and leaves the club on bad terms but has been targeted by Haverfordwest manager Derek Brazil and is expected to sign for the club in the next few days to offer the club extra defensive options following Craig Hanford’s move to Carmarthen. Bevan, who also plays for the Wales Under-23 Semi-Pro team, suffered a serious injury last year but despite the club offering him substantial help, Bevan continued to stall on agreeing a new deal. “As it stands we have offered Lee terms for next year, which he is refusing to commit to,” said Dyer to the official Neath website a month ago. “It is a particularly disappointing situation as far as I am concerned. He is a lad that we have groomed from the youth team into the first team over the last couple of years and someone that we want at the club. He suffered a horrific injury last year and we looked after him in a number of ways- firstly a sizeable amount of money was put forward by a supporter of the club to pay for his knee operation last November, secondly the club arranged through contacts with Swansea City for him to have the operation done in Bristol by Jon Webb, a respected surgeon and then for his rehab to be done with Richie Evans. Thirdly his teammates have arranged a number of events to raise money to re-pay the funds that have been put forward for Lee to have the operation. So, for Lee to now do anything other than to commit to Neath leaves a very sour taste and the situation right now is that people at the club have spoken to Lee to let him know how we feel about the whole situation and at the end of the day the boy has got to make his own mind up about where he is next year but if he is not at Neath then there will be a lot of people who will have put in a lot of effort to rescue his career and will be left wondering why they did so. The situation is in Lee’s hands as we speak”. Neath have already moved to replace Bevan by bringing Liam Hancock back to the club from Carmarthen Town.
10th July 2009
Hancock returns to Neath in place of departing Bevan
Defender Liam Hancock has returned to Neath to further strengthen manager Andy Dyer’s squad. The central defender made his name at the old BP Llandarcy club (now known as Neath) in the Welsh League before a move to Port Talbot Town in 2003. An impressive two seasons followed but Hancock returned to Neath in 2005 before returning to the Welsh Premier League in 2006 with Carmarthen Town and became an important player in Mark Jones squad at Richmond Park. Hancock now returns to a much more developed Neath club then he previously left behind and replaces departing youngster Lee Bevan who leaves the club on bad terms. Bevan suffered a serious injury playing for Neath and the club invested heavily in his rehabilitation, Bevan however stalled on a new contract much to the disgust of Dyer and has not agreed new terms. “We are delighted to announce the signing of Liam Hancock from Carmarthen Town,” said Dyer. “It is a welcome return to Neath for Liam who left us a couple of years ago after playing in our Welsh League Championship team. At that time we nurtured the young Lee Bevan from our Youth team to fill Liam's shoes and as it turns out Liam will now be replacing Lee, who has seen fit to leave the club under a very big cloud. This is the final cog, it has taken a while because there were one or two things to sort out, but I more than delighted with the return of Liam to the club”. The signing completes a summer of heavy investment at Neath as they look to become serious challengers in the Welsh Premier League.
9th July 2009
Sutton double eases Well past Reds
Striker John Sutton scored twice for Motherwell on Thursday as the SPL side avoided an upset. Llanelli took a one goal lead into the 2nd leg UEFA Europa League match at Parc-y-Scarlets but could not avoid defeat as Sutton scored two first half goals to hand his side the advantage in front of the large travelling support. Chances for Llanelli were few and far between although Motherwell did not have things their own way for the entire match but had more than enough quality and possession to ease to a comfortable win. Substitute Jamie Murphy added a third for the Scottish side in the second half as the fitness of the visitors became the difference between the two sides. It was not a good in night in Europe either for The New Saints as they went down 2-1 at home to Icelandic club Fram Reykjavik at Park Hall as the visitors booked their place in the next round with a 4-2 aggregate win.
Click here for Llanelli v Motherwell match report
9th July 2009
Experienced Pridham makes Corus switch
Corus have completed the signing of experienced midfielder Chris Pridham from Welsh Premier side Neath. The former Barry Town, Haverfordwest County, Afan Lido and Port Talbot Town player has made close to 250 starts in the domestic top-flight for five different clubs following his release from Manchester City as a youngster in 1998 and his signing will be a huge boost for Corus as they start their first season in the Welsh League. Pridham was a regular member of the Neath team last season, making 23 league starts.
8th July 2009
Nitin puts the needle into Llanelli Star
Llanelli Chairman Nitin Parekh has hit out at local newspaper The Llanelli Star on the eve of their biggest night. The weekly paper headlined with an article criticising the club over its ticking policy for the UEFA Europa League match against Motherwell on Thursday night despite the club working around the clock to generate interest from the people of the town to come out and support them in what is one of their biggest ever games. Llanelli take a 1-0 advantage into the match but Parekh is hugely, and quite rightly, disappointed by the attitude of the local press towards the club in a statement issued on the clubs official website. Here is the statement in full - “Llanelli AFC are extremely disappointed to see the front page article in the Llanelli Star regarding pricing for the European game against Motherwell. This article reflects only an extreme minority of opinion and crucially makes no attempt to understand the reasons for the pricing. As Chairman, I would like to make it amply clear that the Club returned calls requesting information, but the Star chose not to enter into a live conversation with the Club. It simply proceeded to write its story using comments from a handful of fans on our website. The Club has a strict policy of not discussing internal matters, but for the record I will make the following comments. Upgrading Stebonheath Park to UEFA standards last year required the Club to incur substantial costs, which could only be recouped over two European games. As we have been advised to move the game away from Stebo, we have lost half the revenue that we had expected. In addition, there is a substantial fee to be paid for the use of PYS, which for a club of our size is a hefty burden to bear. The Star may recall that we played our first ever game at Stradey Park, despite extortionate costs, simply to ensure that the people of Llanelli could have the game in their town. We went down the same route using PYS this year. These are one-off games whose costs eat substantially into the UEFA prize money. The Star may also wish to compare the price being charged by The Reds against those charged by The Scarlet’s for games of a similar standard. All in all, this baseless article has damaged the Club's ability to attract people for tomorrow's game - which let us remember is the biggest football match in Welsh club history. It is deeply disconcerting that, rather than getting behind the Reds, The Star feels it better to knock our efforts instead. The Reds have a flourishing Academy with over 200 kids, a heavily discounted ticket pricing policy for kids and a deep commitment to the local community. The Reds fans appreciate that, and I look forward to welcoming you at PYS tomorrow”.
8th July 2009
Controversial Cortez returns to Martyrs roots
Striker Cortez Belle has made a surprise return to troubled Merthyr Tydfil to complete a controversial football cycle. The move completes a rise and fall covered in controversy for the Coventry-born forward who has also appeared in the Welsh Premier League and in the Football League during his brief professional career. Belle signed for Merthyr as a teenager after impressing as a central defender in the Welsh League for Newport YMCA, despite recently being rejected by Coventry City, but found his form and confidence at Penydarren Park as a striker following his switch. Plenty of goals were coupled with plenty of disciplinary problems for Belle at Merthyr and it would be a trait that would follow him throughout his career although the goals eventually dried up and the discipline became worse. A dream move into the Football League with Chester City followed but Belle failed to make the grade in the Football League and was loaned out to Newport County before switching to Llanelli. Belle starred for Llanelli for two seasons before being released and was offered short term deals at Halifax Town, Northwich Victoria and Chippenham Town before returning to South Wales with Merthyr for a second spell with the club. Belle continually fell foul to referee’s in every level that he played with a string of red cards blighting his career including a suspension caused from an incident in five-a-side match. Merthyr have a tough time on their hands off the field at the moment, the arrival of Belle will either bring new problems on it or be the boost the club and its supporters need, one thing is for sure though, it won’t be anything in-between.
7th July 2009
Moore good news as Adam joins management team
Aberaman Athletic have appointed former Afan Lido and Cwmbran midfielder Adam Moore as assistant manager. Moore will link up with former Cwmbran Town teammate and newly appointed Aberaman manager Mattie Davies as the duo plan for the club to retain its Welsh League title. Davies was appointed last week following the resignation of David Morgan and his assistant Pip Edwards and the experienced striker has wasted no time in adding a well-respected figure to his management team. Moore was a highly-rated midfielder in the Welsh Premier League with Cwmbran Town for the majority of his career and also had two brief spells at Carmarthen Town but is remembered locally for scoring Afan Lido’s only goal in their 1995 UEFA Cup campaign. Recently Moore has been manager of Taffs Well and Garw in the Welsh League.
6th July 2009
Ticket sales concern for Reds over Europa tie
Llanelli have reported slow ticket sales ahead of Thursdays UEFA Europa League match against Motherwell. Despite taking a 1-0 advantage into the 2nd leg tie against the Scottish Premier League side, the club had sold just over 200 tickets on general sale by the end of last week although Motherwell are close on confirming sales of nearly ten times that for the away end of the ground. Stuart Jones scored the only goal of the game in Scotland last week to put Llanelli in the driving seat ahead of the return match that will take place at Parc-y-Scarlets. Tickets for the match are on sale at both the stadium ticket office and at Llanelli’s Stebonheath ground but the contentious decision to charge a flat rate of £15 per ticket without concessions has again been the main talking point amongst South Wales football fans despite the superb result from the 1st leg. Ticket sales are expected to increase significantly in the days leading upto the match however with Stebonheath holding a ‘Fan Zone’ on Wednesday and Thursday to generate interest for the game and to entertain the travelling Scottish fans. In addition S4C have confirmed that the match will be shown live on television, a move that has boosted the profile of the game but at the same time as been used as a factor to justify the so far disappointing ticket sales. Tickets will also be available on the day of the game although the club are urging people to buy tickets in advance to avoid any delay at the turnstiles on Thursday.
5th July 2009
Sgorio boost for Reds ahead of Thursday
Welsh television station S4C will cover the return match between Llanelli and Motherwell live on its Sgorio programme. The broadcaster had originally only intended to cover the UEFA Champions League match between Rhyl and Partizan Belgrade but following the historic victory by the Reds at Motherwell last week the decision has been to add the second leg to their programming. The news is another boost for the club and the Principality Welsh Premier League and continues the excellent coverage provided by S4C over the last few seasons. The match takes place at Parc-y-Scarlets with kick off at 7.00pm.
3rd July 2009
County Premier challenge starts at Bishop’s Stortford
Newport County will start the new Blue Square South season at Bishop’s Stortford. Manager Dean Holdsworth has strengthened his squad over the summer with a number of new additions and the confidence to mount a promotion challenge to the Blue Square Premier has not been lost on the bookmakers who have confirmed Newport as one of the favourites to move up. Despite an indifferent start to his reign at the club, Holdsworth’s professionalism on and off the pitch has moulded County into serious contenders as they look to move to just one level off the Football League. Following the match at Bishop Stortford on the 8th of August, the team are home to Hampton & Richmond on Wednesday, 12th August before entertaining relegated Lewes at Spytty Park on Saturday, 15th August.
3rd July 2009
Striker Mattie Davies now has a new football goal
Former Cwmbran Town goalscorer Mattie Davies has a new aim in his football career. The forward has been named as the new manager of Aberaman Athletic and has stated his immediate intentions are to retain the Welsh League title and achieve what the club missed out on this season, promotion to the Principality Welsh Premier League. A legend in the Welsh Premier during his time at Cwmbran and Carmarthen, Davies is now looking ahead to his latest challenge, having achieved success at the club as a player in the championship winning campaign last year. “Ihave always wanted to go into coaching at the end of my playing days and its great to become manager,” said Davies in the Cynon Valley Leader. “I think I have a couple of years left in me yet though, so hopefully I can help out on the pitch as well. Defending our title will be our priority from the very first game of the season and we now have the facilities in place, so maybe we’ll be in the Welsh Premier next season.” Davies will also look to appoint his own backroom staff following coach Pip Edwards move to Cwmamman Institiute while at the same time retain and then build on his squad of players. “I’m hoping to keep hold of key players like Neil Collins and Mark Crutch and then strengthen across the board,” Davies added. One player expected to leave the club his midfielder Geraint Passmore who is in talks with Aberystwyth Town.
2nd July 2009
Jones scores historic winner for Reds and Welsh Prem
A goal from defender Stuart Jones was enough for Llanelli to defeat Scottish giants Motherwell on Thursday. The former Swansea City player scored the only goal of the game on 28 minutes as Llanelli claimed one of the most famous victories ever by a Welsh Premier League club in European competition. Although the tie is only halfway through, Llanelli will be brimming with confidence for the return leg at Parc-Y-Scarlets next week and with it raise the profile of the club and the Principality Welsh Premier League ten-fold. Manager Andy Legg made a surprise in his team selection by dropping regular defender Wyn Thomas for new signing Lee Jarman but Jarman limped out of the contest after 16 minutes to be replaced by Thomas. Including himself in the starting line-up, Legg set up the goal from a corner as Llanelli on 28 minutes as the side battled hard against their high-profile opponents to earn the famous victory. The New Saints did not achieve the same level of success as Llanelli as they travelled to Iceland to take on Fram Reykjavik however as despite taking an early lead through former Wales International Steve Evans, The Icelanders came back to win the match 2-1 although manager Andy Cale will be pleased that his side scored an away goal ahead of the return match at Park Hall next week.
2nd July 2009
Neath to open with Championship double
Neath have confirmed two high-profile home friendlies at the Gnoll for July and August. On Monday, 20th July, new manager Paulo Sousa will bring his Swansea City side to Neath before they start their Spanish tour the following day. Neath will then prepare with games away to Corus and Clevedon Town before Chris Coleman brings his Coventry City side to the Gnoll on Tuesday, 4th August. “Neath Football Club are delighted to announce that the close links it enjoys with Swansea City are continuing under the new manager Mr. Paulo Sousa and the pre-season game at the Gnoll has been arranged for Monday 20th July,” said a club statement on the clubs official website. “Also former Swansea City and Wales defender Chris Coleman will bring his current side Coventry City to the Gnoll on Tuesday 4th August, in another major coup for the club. The club is looking forward to welcoming both championship teams to the Gnoll, in what should prove to be an exciting pre-season.” the statement added. Tickets for the Swansea City match have been confirmed as £8 for adults and £7 for concessions with a family ticket offer expected to be confirmed in the next few days.
2nd July 2009
Trust backing puts Martyrs back on road to cup glory
Merthyr Tydfil will again compete in both the FA Trophy and FA Cup this season thanks to their supporters trust. The Save the Martyrs campaign has already gained the Supporters Trust control of the club during the administration period but due to the club accounts not being lodged at Companies House by the previous regime, the Football Association had indicated that the troubled club would be barred from their cup competitions this season. The debts and necessary fees have now been paid to both the FA and the FAW however from the funds held by the Trust and the club will again enter the prestigious competitions. In the FA Trophy Merthyr have been drawn at home to Marlow in the opening round while in the FA Cup they will take on either Taunton Town, Bishop Sutton or Bodmin Town away from home in the 1st qualifying round of the competition.
2nd July 2009
Morgan ready to kick on in Sousa era
Merthyr-based striker Kerry Morgan feels he is ready to step up to the next level in his professional football career. The Swansea City player has recently signed a new contract with the club having spent the last two seasons on loan at Principality Welsh Premier League clubs Port Talbot Town and Neath but feels the time is right to make an impression at The Liberty Stadium. An agreement was in place for Morgan to spend another season on-loan at Neath but the arrival of new Swansea City manager Paulo Sousa has brought with it a change of plan. “It’s up in the air at the moment with Neath,” said Morgan in the Merthyr Express. “I was supposed to be going but was called back when the new manager came in. I’ll have to wait and see what he says. I enjoyed my time at Neath last season and wouldn’t mind going back there if I had to but I have to stick at it and push for the first team and not get frustrated which is important.” Morgan also had time for his former manager Roberto Martinez, “I was sad to see Roberto go, and his assistant Graeme Jones, because they both taught me a lot about football,” said Morgan. “Just really about the game in general and everyday I was learning new stuff. They took things to a new level. But the new manager is really positive and I think he is the right man for the job. They are quite similar and want to play with the same style so the team will look to keep that going.” Morgan had his first taste of Swansea City life under Paulo Sousa last week as the Portuguese football legend took his first training session. “I only met him for the first time last week but will probably speak more with him soon. He doesn’t know many of us yet and will call us all in at some point. I want to push on now and I’m looking to have the chance to make a fresh start again and have a different opinion on the way I play.”
1st July 2009
Mariners trial for local Swans youngster Jones
Striker Chris Jones has joined Grimsby Town on trial after rejecting a new deal with Swansea City. The local forward impressed enough to break into the 1st Team squad at the Swans under then manager Kenny Jackett but struggled to make the same impression under Roberto Martinez and played the majority of his games for the club with the Reserves. A number of loan moves included a spell at Cambridge United and brief spell in Scotland with Hamilton Academicals but Jones has now decided to attempt to make a more substantial case for himself at Grimsby Town. Chris is better known in Port Talbot as the grandson of former Afan Lido physio Glyn.
1st July 2009
Brazil signs Dragons captain for County
Haverfordwest County have secured the signing of Barry Town captain Jamie Bradford. Manager Derek Brazil has been keen to strengthen his squad having lost the services of defenders Lee Jarman, Neil Thomas and Craig Hanford to Llanelli, Port Talbot Town and Carmarthen Town respectively and is delighted to have brought the Barry Town captain to the New Bridge Meadow. “I am proud that Jamie has decided to sign for us”, said Brazil. “He is a quality player who never gives less than 100%”. The club are expected to announce additional signings in the next couple of weeks while off the field work has started on the construction of their new stand that will take their capacity upto 1,000 seats.
29th July 2009
Congolese trialist on target for Lido in Corus win
Afan Lido claimed their first pre-
27th July 2009
Rewbury completes Martyrs return from Old Gold
Defender Jamie Rewbury has returned to Merthyr without kicking a ball for Carmarthen. The former Swansea City and Llanelli youngster left troubled Merthyr to sign for Welsh Premier League side Carmarthen Town at the end of the season. Merthyr have since entered administration but will continue under the management of Garry Shephard next season and Rewbury has now returned to Penydarren Park without featuring for his new club.
27th July 2009
Spanish trialist on target for Neath in double win
Neath claimed two friendly victories over the weekend against Briton Ferry and West End. The match against Briton Ferry Llansawel took place on Friday for the Malcolm Judd Memorial Cup and Neath ran out 2-
26th July 2009
Former Swan Keaveny signs for Bettws
Striker Jonathan Keaveny has made a surprise move to Welsh League side Bettws. The former Swansea City forward played for Goytre United last season but left the club in March and has not played since. “Jonathan Keaveny will bring Football League experience with him to Bettws and he possesses a fine goal-
26th July 2009
Collins and Bashir make Brewery Field switch
Bridgend Town have added goalkeeper Neil Collins and midfielder Atif Bashir to their squad. Collins signs from Welsh League champions Aberaman Athletic and is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper outside of the top-
26th July 2009
Thomas display cant prevent Exiles victory
Newport County claimed a 3-
26th July 2009
Evans and Harris on target for Neath in Memorial Cup
Goals from Ashley Evand Mattie Harris earned Neath a 2-
24th July 2009
Old Gold trio take on former club in friendly
Three Carmarthen Town favourites take on their former club Newport County on Saturday. Mark Dodds, Craig Hughes and new signing Sam O’Sullivan will be part of a strong Carmarthen Town side for the friendly againt Dean Holdsworth’s Newport at Cwmbran Stadium on Saturday in what should be an interesting encounter between the two talented sides. Both teams have strengthened during the summer with Steve Williams and Craig Hanford joining O’Sullivan at the club while Newport have invested heavily in their squad to make a serious promotion challenge to the Blue Square Premier. Kick off at Cwmbran Stadium is at 3.00pm.
24th July 2009
Sky drop feeder league results from Soccer Saturday
Sky Sports will no longer show Welsh League and Cymru Alliance results at the weekend. The move comes as a further blow to both Principality Welsh Premier feeder leagues following the BBC’s decision to stop broadcasting it Wales on Saturday results service. “I can confirm that Sky Sports will continue to carry the results service for the Welsh Premier League this season but we currently have no plans to extend our coverage of the Welsh, or any other, leagues,” says a statement from the satellite broadcaster. “Sky Sports has a strong commitment to Welsh football. We show Wales international matches -
23rd July 2009
Bevan makes Haverfordwest County switch
Former Neath defender Lee Bevan has signed for Welsh Premier rivals Haverfordwest County. The move was first announced as an exclusive on www.porttalbottown.co.uk almost a fortnight ago when Bevan started training with the club and the Wales Under-
23rd July 2009
Owen makes Welsh League return with champions
Port Talbot-
23rd July 2009
Merthyr make move for La Liga friendly
Merthyr Tydfil claim they have arranged a friendly against Spanish La Liga side Almeria. The story appears in this weeks Rhymney Valley Express and although no date has been arranged, details are expected to be announced shortly. The Spanish side are in South Wales on the 1st August to take on Swansea City at The Liberty Stadium and would be a huge draw for Merthyr if the troubled club can confirm the fixture. No further details are available on the proposed friendly other than the details that feature in the local paper.
23rd July 2009
Tudor Park damage adds to Maesteg problems
Vandals have destroyed the two dugouts at Maesteg Park causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage. The dugouts for coaches, managers and substitutes collapsed as a result of attacks in the last two weeks. Committee members David Griffiths and Allan Jones have called for extra security at the club to stamp out the problem in an interview with the Glamorgan Gazette. “We are hoping the council will repair the fencing so people don’t trespass,” said Mr Griffiths. “We want more police patrolling the area and a sign to warn vandals they could be prosecuted. We are also looking into installing CCTV at the club, but it’s costly and we don’t have the funds. A sign attached to the fence reads: ‘The practice and playing of golf is prohibited on these playing fields’. But Mr Griffiths said: “People playing golf is the least of our worries. It’s the mindless vandalism that is a concern for us. I’ve been here 44 years and this is the first time I have seen anything like this.” Mr Griffiths said: “It’s going to cost £300 or £400 to repair. The council said it’s their responsibility to cut the grass but maintaining the shelters is ours. We are looking for sponsorship. If not, we will have to try and raise the money ourselves.” Mr Jones said: “There are so many houses nearby, someone must have seen or heard something. We really hope, after reading this, someone will come forward and tell the police.” On August 14, the first football match of the season is scheduled at the ground. Mr Griffiths said: “We have about 14 teams playing here from the ages of six to 18. If the shelters aren’t ready in time we will have to play the games away. “It would be embarrassing to bring teams up here with the dugouts like they are. It’s the only facility the kids have got up here and it’s being abused. It’s really frustrating and annoying for us. All we want to do is the best for the children in the area, but when this happens, it’s really disheartening.” A borough council spokesman said: “Maesteg Park Football Club recently returned the lease for the field to Bridgend County Borough Council, so it is currently classed as a public playing field, not a private club. “While the council has repaired fencing around the field on numerous occasions during both the current and previous seasons, the club sought permission to install shelters at their own expense. The repair and maintenance of the shelters is a requirement of the league that the club competes in.” Police have stepped up patrols.
22nd July 2009
Neath v Merthyr friendly off on FA advice
The Friday night friendly between Neath and Merthyr Tydfil at The Gnoll has been called off. The decision has been made following advice from the FA who are unhappy with the licence granted to the Supporters Trust to run Merthyr while the club is in administration. A new document is being produced and is expected to be sanctioned early next week. In the meantime however the FA have advised the Football Association of Wales not to sanction any fixtures involving Merthyr until the new agreement is signed. The friendly was expected to attract a large crowd due to the number of former Merthyr players currently playing for Neath.
22nd July 2009
Name change for WL champions to be confirmed
Aberaman Athletic are expected to be known as Aberdare FC by the weekend. The Welsh League champions have applied to the Football Association of Wales to change their name ahead of the new season and the request is due to be discussed in the headquarters of the FAW in Cardiff this week. The club have recently appointed Mattie Davies as manager as they attempt to retain their league title despite losing former manager and main sponsor David Morgan during the summer. The club have also lost the services of a number of players including goalkeeper Neil Collins to Bridgend Town and striker Richard Ryan who has returned to Goytre United.
22nd July 2009
Old Gold edge past Pennock’s young Swans
Carmarthen Town fielded three new signings on Tuesday as they defeated a young Swansea City XI. Steve Williams, Craig Hanford and Sam O’Sullivan all made their Richmond Park debuts as goals from Craig Hughes and O’Sullivan earned Deryn Brace’s side a 2-
22nd July 2009
Changes confirmed to Lido pre-
Saturday 25th July Away Aberystwyth
Tuesday 28th July Away Corus Steel
Saturday 1st August Away Trefelin
Tuesday 4th August Away Haverfordwest
Friday 7th August Away Pontyclun
Sunday 9th August Home Neath 3:PM
20th July 2009
Margetson could make unexpected Cardiff comeback
Port Talbot-
20th July 2009
Yellow is the new black for the men in black
Match officials in the Principality Welsh Premier League will wear a new yellow kit from the start of the season. The league had issued a pale blue kit last season but due to a number of colour clashes arising the majority of officials chose to wear a traditional black kit instead. The decision has now been made to issue match officials with a new yellow kit from suppliers Legea and this will become the standard for the Principality Welsh Premier League from next season.
19th July 2009
Casey on target in dream Swans debut
Port Talbot youngster Casey Thomas scored on his Swansea City debut against FC Twente on Saturday. The friendly against Steve McLaren’s Dutch team at The Liberty Stadium was new manager Paulo Sousa’s first home match but it was second half substitute Casey Thomas who grabbed the headlines with a dream debut. Gorka Pintado had handed Swansea City the lead early in the second half before a defensive mix up allowed Twente to equalise. Thomas then restored the lead within a minute with a close range header and in injury time won the penalty that allowed Pintado to score his second of the game and earn the Swans a 3-
17th July 2009
Bowen and Waters make Aberystwyth move
Aberystwyth Town manager Brian Coyne has completed the signing two Port Talbot-
16th July 2009
Live game confirmed for opening day
The match between Rhyl and Carmarthen on the opening day of the season will be shown live on S4C. The decision to televise the game is a further boost for the Principality Welsh Premier League following on from the live coverage of both Rhyl and Llanelli’s home games in Europe. The match takes place on Saturday, 15th August with kick off now moved back to 5.15pm to accommodate the camera’s.
15th July 2009
Goytre sign experienced strike duo
Strikers Richard French and Richard Ryan have signed for Welsh League Goytre United. The move for French was first announced on www.porttalbottown.co.uk back on the 20th June and he has now completed the switch from Neath while Ryan returns to the club having only left to join Aberaman during the January transfer window. The duo will be a vital boost for Goytre who have lost the services of Daniel Thomas and Robbie Walters to Port Talbot Town and Haverfordwest County respectively over the summer as they look to win back the Welsh League title that Aberaman won last season.
15th July 2009
Welsh Premier return for Port Talbot referees
The Port Talbot Referee’s Society has confirmed that two members will retain their Welsh Premier place. Gareth Ayres and Paul Fisher both passed the required fitness tests on Sunday and will again officiate in the Principality Welsh Premier League this season. Ryan Thomas is also expected to retain his place following his fitness test scheduled for September. Ayres also received a second boost with confirmation that he will run the line in Swansea City’s opening pre-
15th July 2009
Martyrs round off long summer with edge over Exiles
Merthyr Tydfil recorded a win for their hard-
15th July 2009
Three new player boost for Aberaman
Aberaman Athletic manager Mattie Davies has completed the signing of three new players. Joining the club under the new era of Davies and his assistant Adam Moore are Lee Williams who joins the club from Bettws, experienced midfielder Samir Misbah from Dinas Powys and returning to the club from Clevedon Town is striker Jonathan Kift who only left in the January transfer window to join the English pyramid. The club are continuing to look to strengthen their squad and are expected to announce additional new signings shortly.
14th July 2009
Port Talbot Swan O’Leary offered Charlton trial
Kristian O’Leary is to join Charlton Athletic on trial following the expiry of his contract at Swansea City. Port Talbot based O’Leary first signed professional terms with Swansea City in 1995 and has been through the good and bad times at his local club. Chances have been limited in recent seasons however and the midfielder made just one appearance as a substitute last season in the FA Cup match win over Histon. A regular member of Colin Pascoe’s reserve team at the club, O’Leary has been an important figure in helping develop a number of the clubs youngsters but appears set to leave the Liberty Stadium in order to extend his career in the Football League. O’Leary joined Cheltenham Town on-
14th July 2009
Europa heroes return to Stebo for Friday friendly
Following a memorable UEFA Europa League tie against Motherwell, Llanelli return to action at Stebonheath on Friday. The Reds played the home leg of their Europa League match against the Scottish Premier League side at Parc-
12th July 2009
Bridge Meadow Stadium boost for County
Haverforwest County are close to completing the building of their new stand to boost their capacity to 1000 seats. Regarded as the best playing surface in the Principality Welsh Premier League, the club now have a stadium to match with the construction of the new stand on the former terraced area of the ground. The new stand means that all five South Wales clubs in the Welsh Premier League are able to host UEFA matches.
12th July 2009
Fry to make early Seven return following cup draw
New Briton Ferry Llansawel manager Julian Fry will return to his old club in the Welsh Cup. The preliminary round draw as handed the newly merged club an away match at Seven Sisters, the club that Fry left to take over at Briton Ferry Llansawel. The match will take place on Saturday, 15th August. Meanwhile Fry has been busy building his squad over the summer and the club are expected to announce a number of signings before the start of the season.
Click here for the full Welsh Cup draw
12th July 2009
Third name change planned for Aberaman
Aberaman have applied to the FAW to change their name to AFC Aberdare. The club won the MacWhirter Welsh Football League under the name of ENTO Aberaman last season but reverted back to Aberaman Athletic when their sponsorship agreement with ENTO came to a close. The club originally applied to change their name to Aberdare Town but were refused due to legal formalities according the clubs official website. The club are now awaiting confirmation that they can play under the title of AFC Aberdare from next season.
12th July 2009
Tucker takes former Welsh Premier duo on trial
Clevedon Town manager Nicky Tucker has offered trials to two former Welsh Premier. The Cardiff-
10th July 2009
Bevan set to make Haverfordwest switch
Exclusive! Defender Lee Bevan is expected to sign for Haverfordwest County after leaving Neath. The highly-
10th July 2009
Hancock returns to Neath in place of departing Bevan
Defender Liam Hancock has returned to Neath to further strengthen manager Andy Dyer’s squad. The central defender made his name at the old BP Llandarcy club (now known as Neath) in the Welsh League before a move to Port Talbot Town in 2003. An impressive two seasons followed but Hancock returned to Neath in 2005 before returning to the Welsh Premier League in 2006 with Carmarthen Town and became an important player in Mark Jones squad at Richmond Park. Hancock now returns to a much more developed Neath club then he previously left behind and replaces departing youngster Lee Bevan who leaves the club on bad terms. Bevan suffered a serious injury playing for Neath and the club invested heavily in his rehabilitation, Bevan however stalled on a new contract much to the disgust of Dyer and has not agreed new terms. “We are delighted to announce the signing of Liam Hancock from Carmarthen Town,” said Dyer. “It is a welcome return to Neath for Liam who left us a couple of years ago after playing in our Welsh League Championship team. At that time we nurtured the young Lee Bevan from our Youth team to fill Liam's shoes and as it turns out Liam will now be replacing Lee, who has seen fit to leave the club under a very big cloud. This is the final cog, it has taken a while because there were one or two things to sort out, but I more than delighted with the return of Liam to the club”. The signing completes a summer of heavy investment at Neath as they look to become serious challengers in the Welsh Premier League.
9th July 2009
Sutton double eases Well past Reds
Striker John Sutton scored twice for Motherwell on Thursday as the SPL side avoided an upset. Llanelli took a one goal lead into the 2nd leg UEFA Europa League match at Parc-
9th July 2009
Experienced Pridham makes Corus switch
Corus have completed the signing of experienced midfielder Chris Pridham from Welsh Premier side Neath. The former Barry Town, Haverfordwest County, Afan Lido and Port Talbot Town player has made close to 250 starts in the domestic top-
8th July 2009
Nitin puts the needle into Llanelli Star
Llanelli Chairman Nitin Parekh has hit out at local newspaper The Llanelli Star on the eve of their biggest night. The weekly paper headlined with an article criticising the club over its ticking policy for the UEFA Europa League match against Motherwell on Thursday night despite the club working around the clock to generate interest from the people of the town to come out and support them in what is one of their biggest ever games. Llanelli take a 1-
8th July 2009
Controversial Cortez returns to Martyrs roots
Striker Cortez Belle has made a surprise return to troubled Merthyr Tydfil to complete a controversial football cycle. The move completes a rise and fall covered in controversy for the Coventry-
7th July 2009
Moore good news as Adam joins management team
Aberaman Athletic have appointed former Afan Lido and Cwmbran midfielder Adam Moore as assistant manager. Moore will link up with former Cwmbran Town teammate and newly appointed Aberaman manager Mattie Davies as the duo plan for the club to retain its Welsh League title. Davies was appointed last week following the resignation of David Morgan and his assistant Pip Edwards and the experienced striker has wasted no time in adding a well-
6th July 2009
Ticket sales concern for Reds over Europa tie
Llanelli have reported slow ticket sales ahead of Thursdays UEFA Europa League match against Motherwell. Despite taking a 1-
5th July 2009
Sgorio boost for Reds ahead of Thursday
Welsh television station S4C will cover the return match between Llanelli and Motherwell live on its Sgorio programme. The broadcaster had originally only intended to cover the UEFA Champions League match between Rhyl and Partizan Belgrade but following the historic victory by the Reds at Motherwell last week the decision has been to add the second leg to their programming. The news is another boost for the club and the Principality Welsh Premier League and continues the excellent coverage provided by S4C over the last few seasons. The match takes place at Parc-
3rd July 2009
County Premier challenge starts at Bishop’s Stortford
Newport County will start the new Blue Square South season at Bishop’s Stortford. Manager Dean Holdsworth has strengthened his squad over the summer with a number of new additions and the confidence to mount a promotion challenge to the Blue Square Premier has not been lost on the bookmakers who have confirmed Newport as one of the favourites to move up. Despite an indifferent start to his reign at the club, Holdsworth’s professionalism on and off the pitch has moulded County into serious contenders as they look to move to just one level off the Football League. Following the match at Bishop Stortford on the 8th of August, the team are home to Hampton & Richmond on Wednesday, 12th August before entertaining relegated Lewes at Spytty Park on Saturday, 15th August.
3rd July 2009
Striker Mattie Davies now has a new football goal
Former Cwmbran Town goalscorer Mattie Davies has a new aim in his football career. The forward has been named as the new manager of Aberaman Athletic and has stated his immediate intentions are to retain the Welsh League title and achieve what the club missed out on this season, promotion to the Principality Welsh Premier League. A legend in the Welsh Premier during his time at Cwmbran and Carmarthen, Davies is now looking ahead to his latest challenge, having achieved success at the club as a player in the championship winning campaign last year. “Ihave always wanted to go into coaching at the end of my playing days and its great to become manager,” said Davies in the Cynon Valley Leader. “I think I have a couple of years left in me yet though, so hopefully I can help out on the pitch as well. Defending our title will be our priority from the very first game of the season and we now have the facilities in place, so maybe we’ll be in the Welsh Premier next season.” Davies will also look to appoint his own backroom staff following coach Pip Edwards move to Cwmamman Institiute while at the same time retain and then build on his squad of players. “I’m hoping to keep hold of key players like Neil Collins and Mark Crutch and then strengthen across the board,” Davies added. One player expected to leave the club his midfielder Geraint Passmore who is in talks with Aberystwyth Town.
2nd July 2009
Jones scores historic winner for Reds and Welsh Prem
A goal from defender Stuart Jones was enough for Llanelli to defeat Scottish giants Motherwell on Thursday. The former Swansea City player scored the only goal of the game on 28 minutes as Llanelli claimed one of the most famous victories ever by a Welsh Premier League club in European competition. Although the tie is only halfway through, Llanelli will be brimming with confidence for the return leg at Parc-
2nd July 2009
Neath to open with Championship double
Neath have confirmed two high-
2nd July 2009
Trust backing puts Martyrs back on road to cup glory
Merthyr Tydfil will again compete in both the FA Trophy and FA Cup this season thanks to their supporters trust. The Save the Martyrs campaign has already gained the Supporters Trust control of the club during the administration period but due to the club accounts not being lodged at Companies House by the previous regime, the Football Association had indicated that the troubled club would be barred from their cup competitions this season. The debts and necessary fees have now been paid to both the FA and the FAW however from the funds held by the Trust and the club will again enter the prestigious competitions. In the FA Trophy Merthyr have been drawn at home to Marlow in the opening round while in the FA Cup they will take on either Taunton Town, Bishop Sutton or Bodmin Town away from home in the 1st qualifying round of the competition.
2nd July 2009
Morgan ready to kick on in Sousa era
Merthyr-
1st July 2009
Mariners trial for local Swans youngster Jones
Striker Chris Jones has joined Grimsby Town on trial after rejecting a new deal with Swansea City. The local forward impressed enough to break into the 1st Team squad at the Swans under then manager Kenny Jackett but struggled to make the same impression under Roberto Martinez and played the majority of his games for the club with the Reserves. A number of loan moves included a spell at Cambridge United and brief spell in Scotland with Hamilton Academicals but Jones has now decided to attempt to make a more substantial case for himself at Grimsby Town. Chris is better known in Port Talbot as the grandson of former Afan Lido physio Glyn.
1st July 2009
Brazil signs Dragons captain for County
Haverfordwest County have secured the signing of Barry Town captain Jamie Bradford. Manager Derek Brazil has been keen to strengthen his squad having lost the services of defenders Lee Jarman, Neil Thomas and Craig Hanford to Llanelli, Port Talbot Town and Carmarthen Town respectively and is delighted to have brought the Barry Town captain to the New Bridge Meadow. “I am proud that Jamie has decided to sign for us”, said Brazil. “He is a quality player who never gives less than 100%”. The club are expected to announce additional signings in the next couple of weeks while off the field work has started on the construction of their new stand that will take their capacity upto 1,000 seats.