History
FOOTBALL IN MERTHYR TYDFIL CELEBRATES 100 YEARS!
(Copyright Merthyr Tydfil FC & Southern Football League)
As Merthyr embark upon the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Town's first major Association Football Club, it is perhaps fitting that they are currently fighting it out amongst the Premier Division of The Southern Football League - now The Briitish Gas Business Football League of course.
That is because the bulk of those 100 years have witnessed the major club within the town as members of the famous old Competition and despite the desire of The Martyrs to once again reach the heights reached previously throughout different period's of it's history it has it's own special place within the competition that it is immensely proud of.
Indeed, there is no other club in the country with more Southern League Tities to it's name with Southampton coming closest to Merthyr's six Championships on five.
However, Merthyr can also boast a pre-war Football League history as well as a more recent Football Conference history and those heady days are once more the goal of a club that is now much more than just a first X1.
Over the past 3 years the club has built up two extremely successful youth sides and now boast an academy structure with teams of boys and girls wearing the town's colours from age 8.
Coupled with that, the Club became the first outside of the Full-time game to benefit from a new Football in the Community scheme operated by the FA and in April of 2007 appointed their first ever full-time Football in the Commnuity Officer in Dave Gough.
The pre-war years were all about Merthyr Town's membership of the Football League Third Division but sadly, after 10 years, the depression that severely hit the South Wales valleys led to them being relegated back into the Southern League in 1930 and shortly after to go out of business.
Football was revivied after the war, the present club being formed in 1945 and for the first 10 years becoming the major force in Non-League football. Just how Merthyr were not re-elected back into the Football League remains a mystery up to the present day but continual knock backs eventually led to the club losing it's domination of the part-time game.
Relative periods of mediocrity followed until the club rose once more in the late 1980's winning the Welsh FA Cup in 1987 and playing in the European Cup Winners Cup later in the same year. Successive Southern League titles saw Merthyr suddenly gain Conference status in 1989 and for six years Merthyr were proud members of the Non-League's games elite once more.
A top finish of 4th precluded relegation in 1995 and another period of membership in The Southern Football League and despite an almost immediate return the year after Merthyr have remained in the top Division of that competition since.
The Current owner, Wyn Holloway saved the club from extinction in 1996 and has since set about rebuilding on and off the field with ambitious plans to financially secure the long term future of the club. During the Summer of 2007 the club appointed Player Garry Shephard as Player Manager with popular ex-player Danny Carter as his Assistant.
A televised FA Cup tie with Walsall in November 2004 brought Merthyr to the country's notice once more albeit briefly, but success over the past two two seasons for the youth set up at the club is what will hopefully be the catalyst for success at first team level over the next few years.
Winning both League's and also the Welsh FA Youth Cup in 2007, Merthyr were also the last remaining youth side from a Non-League club left in the FA Youth Cup and last season won the British Gas Business League's inauguaral Youth Challenge Cup and some of that team have now progressed into the first team set-up.
It is now hoped that the success that has started to happen in the background will now filter through to the first team and enable Merthyr to sustain a Conference side once more. It would indeed be a fitting time with Centenary celebrations in full swing.
(Copyright Merthyr Tydfil FC & Southern Football League)
As Merthyr embark upon the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Town's first major Association Football Club, it is perhaps fitting that they are currently fighting it out amongst the Premier Division of The Southern Football League - now The Briitish Gas Business Football League of course.
That is because the bulk of those 100 years have witnessed the major club within the town as members of the famous old Competition and despite the desire of The Martyrs to once again reach the heights reached previously throughout different period's of it's history it has it's own special place within the competition that it is immensely proud of.
Indeed, there is no other club in the country with more Southern League Tities to it's name with Southampton coming closest to Merthyr's six Championships on five.
However, Merthyr can also boast a pre-war Football League history as well as a more recent Football Conference history and those heady days are once more the goal of a club that is now much more than just a first X1.
Over the past 3 years the club has built up two extremely successful youth sides and now boast an academy structure with teams of boys and girls wearing the town's colours from age 8.
Coupled with that, the Club became the first outside of the Full-time game to benefit from a new Football in the Community scheme operated by the FA and in April of 2007 appointed their first ever full-time Football in the Commnuity Officer in Dave Gough.
The pre-war years were all about Merthyr Town's membership of the Football League Third Division but sadly, after 10 years, the depression that severely hit the South Wales valleys led to them being relegated back into the Southern League in 1930 and shortly after to go out of business.
Football was revivied after the war, the present club being formed in 1945 and for the first 10 years becoming the major force in Non-League football. Just how Merthyr were not re-elected back into the Football League remains a mystery up to the present day but continual knock backs eventually led to the club losing it's domination of the part-time game.
Relative periods of mediocrity followed until the club rose once more in the late 1980's winning the Welsh FA Cup in 1987 and playing in the European Cup Winners Cup later in the same year. Successive Southern League titles saw Merthyr suddenly gain Conference status in 1989 and for six years Merthyr were proud members of the Non-League's games elite once more.
A top finish of 4th precluded relegation in 1995 and another period of membership in The Southern Football League and despite an almost immediate return the year after Merthyr have remained in the top Division of that competition since.
The Current owner, Wyn Holloway saved the club from extinction in 1996 and has since set about rebuilding on and off the field with ambitious plans to financially secure the long term future of the club. During the Summer of 2007 the club appointed Player Garry Shephard as Player Manager with popular ex-player Danny Carter as his Assistant.
A televised FA Cup tie with Walsall in November 2004 brought Merthyr to the country's notice once more albeit briefly, but success over the past two two seasons for the youth set up at the club is what will hopefully be the catalyst for success at first team level over the next few years.
Winning both League's and also the Welsh FA Youth Cup in 2007, Merthyr were also the last remaining youth side from a Non-League club left in the FA Youth Cup and last season won the British Gas Business League's inauguaral Youth Challenge Cup and some of that team have now progressed into the first team set-up.
It is now hoped that the success that has started to happen in the background will now filter through to the first team and enable Merthyr to sustain a Conference side once more. It would indeed be a fitting time with Centenary celebrations in full swing.
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