Jenner Park opened its gates for competitive football on September 6th, 1913, with a Southern League encounter between Barry AFC and Mid-Rhondda United.

The ground had been built specifically for football; a journalist of the time recalling how "supporters felt that without better facilities, the chances of the town having first-class football would be wiped out."

Originally, a Lombard Street location was considered. However, after successful talks between Barry AFC, President Cllr. C.B. Griffiths and Lady Jenner of Wenvoe Castle, work began on what is now Jenner Park.

The first half of 1913 saw a mighty effort by the people of Barry to ready the ground for the coming season.

The expense was great, but a fundraising campaign, kick-started by a healthy donation from Lady Jenner herself, was a significant boost in ensuring the ground remained on target for its September opening.

In March 1913, Cllr. Griffiths stated: "We seem to have attracted the interest of the townspeople and shall endeavour always to give them full value for money". The former proved to be an understatement, as local firms and tradesmen gave many hours of free labour to help build the ground from scratch.

With the season on the horizon, Jenner Park was taking shape; the ground being levelled, gates put in place on both Barry and Gladstone Road and a layer of ash placed under the excellent new playing surface for superior drainage.

Rival breweries Hancock’s and SA Brain provided donations for the construction of bath and changing facilities and the ground’s first grandstand respectively, while supporters contributed to buy goalposts, nets and other matchday equipment.

Local masons built the retaining walls, while local carpenters placed the timbers and erected the dressing rooms – each without asking a penny for their services.

A small army of painters also gave their time for no recompense, to add the finishing touches.

A remarkable spirit had engulfed the town in its new footballing venture: a ground fit for football had been built by the people of Barry, for the people of Barry.

With its amphitheatre-style layout, Jenner Park provided Barry football supporters with an excellent view of events on the pitch, in a century sometimes marred by events off it.

While the ensuing century would often be turbulent, it is a fitting tribute to those who built the ground some 100 years ago that Barry football continues; and continues at Jenner Park.

Here is a timeline of some of the more notable events in 100 years of Jenner Park -

September 1913 - Ralph Isherwood scores the first competitive goal at Jenner Park, a mere three minutes into the season's curtain-raiser between Barry AFC and Mid-Rhondda United.

April 1918 - US troops based at Barry Docks play a Barry team in a baseball match, watched by what was described at the time as an "enormous crowd". The Americans, who were welcomed onto the Jenner Park turf by a great cheer, were narrowly victorious.

May 1918 - A Barry District Select XI play Cardiff Ladies at football. The District XI, handicapped by having their hands tied behind their backs for the entire match, are defeated 5-4. All funds raised are donated to the Evening Standard Prisoner of War Fund.

April 1920 - Due to the "stench of ordure and street refuse being tipped near the eastern side of the ground, spectators watching Barry AFC play Bargoed were forced to vacate the grandstand and beat a hasty retreat to other parts of the ground.

June 1922 - The ground, for the first time, held a race meeting ...of whippets! The race day was held to help raise funds and was deemed to be a great success. Over 80 dogs were entered in a single race alone.

September 1927 - The famous Jack brothers (Ross & David) and Barry-born Bill Jennings (an FA Cup winner) feature for Bolton Wanderers in a friendly at Jenner Park, as part of a deal that took Arthur Doncaster from Barry AFC to Bolton. The Trotters win 4-1.

July 1928 - An open air fundraiser is held at Jenner Park to raise money for Barry AFC, who had been hit hard by the effects of the Great Depression. Activities included a pulse-racing Ankle Beauty Competition! In addition, a penalty shootout took place involving Barry's Bill Bowen and fellow goalkeepers Len Evans and Tom Farqhuarson, of Cardiff City's FA Cup Final team.

October 1930 - On October 11th, the Last Post was played at Jenner Park in memory of the R101 Airship disaster. During the ceremony, which included a 2-minute silence, a flock of several hundred birds flew low over in the ground, prompting one commentator to reflect that the eerie scene "was as if the birds were paying their last respects (to the dead and injured) from the air".

August 1932 - Greyhound racing is approved for Jenner Park. Interestingly, the Welsh Greyhound Association, became owners of the ground briefly in the years just after World War Two ended.

January 1933 - Ground capacity is increased to a whopping 15,000 for the Welsh Cup 7th Round tie between Barry AFC and Cardiff City. Bad weather though kept the crowd down to 9,000.

October 1934 - A large fire ruins the grandstand just days before Barry AFC was due to host Northampton Town in the FA Cup. The game went ahead, watched by a crowd of over 5,000, with the Cobblers advancing to the Second Round 1-0.

March 1947 - Barry Town and Gillingham contest an incredible 6-6 draw at Jenner Park in the Southern League. The home side had at one stage been 5-0 down.

November 1949 - The first floodlit football match takes place at Jenner Park, as Barry Town are beaten 3-1 by Newport County. The ground was one of the first in the country to dabble with floodlighting.

May 1957- Wales International Len Allchurch scores twice for a Select XI which beat a Barry Town XI 7-1 at Jenner Park in a testimonial match for the club's centre-half Bill Bellas.

July 1960 - A 'Miss Jenner Park' was held competition in the summer of 1960: the winner earning a Silver Cup for her efforts, whilst the second and third placed young ladies collected £3 and £2 vouchers respectively.

November 1960 - The first plans for a new, six-lane cinder-based athletics track are mooted. Athletic events would be commonplace at Jenner Park in years to follow.

November 1961 - Barry Town and Queen's Park Rangers played out a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup, in front of 7,000 spectators.

November 1974 - The sadly-departed Jeff Astle of West Bromwich Albion and England fame, nets for Dunstable in a Southern League win over Barry Town at Jenner Park.

November 1984 - Reading score a late winner to beat Barry Town in the FA Cup; the last time an FA Cup First Round match would be played at the ground.

May 1986 - The new synthetic athletics track is officially opened, replacing its cinder predecessor; one of the first major events is the Barry 40 ultra-marathon, a gruelling 161-lap race which continues at the ground to this day.

January 1990 - The decade begins with a new-look Jenner Park; bolstered by a new grandstand on the west side of the ground.

May 1996 - Resurfacing work begins on the Jenner Park pitch, with Barry Town officials on the lookout for an elephant said to be buried under the placing surface after a circus held at the ground many years prior.

September 1996 - Temporary seating and a brand new second stand increases the Jenner Park capacity to 6,500 for the visit of Aberdeen in the UEFA Cup. Manchester United would visit the following month for Matthew Holtham's Memorial Match.

July 1998 - Dynamo Kiev would make the second of two visits to Jenner Park, with Andriy Shevchenko and friends defeating Barry Town in the UEFA Champions League.

April 2001 - A cup tie between Barry Town and TNS is controversially abandoned at half-time in extra-time, due to torrential rain and a waterlogged pitch. The replayed match weeks later again goes to extra-time.

August 2001 - Barry Town beat FC Porto 3-1 at Jenner Park, ensuring perhaps the most famous result in the ground's 100 years.

October 2002 - The Italy national team train at Jenner Park ahead of their memorable European Championship qualifier against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

July 2013 - A near-capacity crowd watch Barry Town United lead a Cardiff City side at the break, before going down to a 3-2 defeat.

Barry Town United AFC