Dial M for Merthyr

I'm hoping to keep everyone up to date with the standard of motor coach tranport for those lucky visiting teams arriving at the Lyn Jones Gates during the season, and so to the first league table of the current campaign; Bedford - a nice orange coach, with nice leather seats, Sky TV also on board so they could grab a quick glimpse of Y Clwb Pel Droed on S4C before they headed over the bridge Bashley - non-descript but they steal 2nd place with their classy "Pride of the New Forest" bus plaque Tiverton - unimpressive, can't remember it to be honest, which is a bit of a drawback for a definitive review More to follow - will Nuneaton be able to shine on arrival? Can Bedford be knocked off the top of the table? We can envisage this being the new crowd-pleaser at Penydarren Park, crowds thronging the Dai Martin Drive to catch a first glimpse of the away team charabanc, extra stewards being required, copies of "Bus Monthly" being on sale in the Club Shop, or do we...

Dial M For Merthyr is delighted to announce that Mr. Colin Mewett will be available to the media on Saturday 5th September following his appearance to cut the ribbon to re-open the Colin the Monk Stand at Penydarren Park prior to the Nuneaton Town match. Colin will be happy to take questions on football stadium architecture, the relevance of Shalespeare to current football programmes' content and the necessity of stocking Rhymney Bitter in the Candac Suite but is unable to comment on Burnley's great start to the season.

It seems the football world is getting rather hot under the collar with the current spate of players indulging in a bit of simulation, in other words diving. Now you cannot fail to have seen the footage of the Eduardo penalty incident for Arsenal against Celtic last week, this has sparked the usual backpage controversy as pundits from all aspects of the media try to have their say without upsetting anyone from within the game, did he dive? Do we care? Or to be honest, would we care if our player dived for us? Of course for all Merthyr fans of a certain generation this is a moot point because we have seen the greatest proponent of the fine art of simulation in the shape of Chris "The Legend" Williams. The Legend joined us from Bridgend Town I think and was an instant hit with the Penydarren Park faithful, a decent goalscorer who pitched in with a dozen or so goals a season but it was for the dark arts that he was most admired. And let no-one tell you different, it was an art f...

There are few days in life that echo down the years, today was one of them. Our Supporters' Trust made true on their promise to protect the club from the never ending procession of winding-up orders issued against it. The last few weeks have seen the Trust's legal representatives defer insolvency, keep us in the FA Cup and call "time out" on the continued stagnation of our proud club. We now look with hope to the future. The work starts here. The supporters of Merthyr Tydfil FC have acted on its behalf and will continue to do so. Keep on, keepin' on!

By Ian Youngs Music reporter, BBC News Pete Doherty, his former bandmate Carl Barat and ex-Creation Records boss Alan McGee are appearing in a new comedy about the world of rock 'n' roll. Svengali is earning a cult following on YouTube after McGee, who signed Oasis and Primal Scream, agreed to enlist in some of his famous friends. Barat plays himself in the new episode, with Doherty lined up for the next one. Noel Gallagher is next on the list of stars to ask. McGee said: "Anything is possible. We know everybody." The show was conceived by Shameless actor (and Dial M's very own) Jonathan Owen, who plays the manger of a hopeless new rock band called the Premature Congratulations. He is trying to get them a record deal and wants to persuade Doherty and Barat to reform the Libertines so his band can support them. Jonathan Owen plays struggling rock band manager Dixie. "It's a parody of the world of rock 'n' roll," Owen said. "But you can...

Jon Owen, the fanzine's very own Taffy Fox, has produced a further two episodes of the Svengali series for your enjoyment; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G1fWap1drY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG7A0ubEsYM

Congratulations to Nick and the lads from Watch the Bluebirds Fly Fanzine - 20 years and still going, the current issue (No. 65) is a return to form for the Abercynon based publication. Now available on the terraces at Ninian Park.

Thanks to everyone who bought a fanzine today, it was great to see that Dial M For Merthyr remains a favourite amongst the supporters. So far we have raised £58.50 through the first day of sales, this profit will go towards the Players Travel Fund. If anyone missed a copy of Issue 47 today, please contact us either via themartyrs.com forum or via funkysheep@dialmformerthyr.net On that subject, don't forget that the Trust is hosting a Quiz at the Cefn Club on Thursday 19th March starting at 7.30pm. All profits from this event will also go into the Players Travel Fund.

Staggering news - we said there would be no more Dial Ms in print, but as usual we couldn't resist once more day in the sun. Issue 47 goes on sale outside Penydarren Park before tomorrow's Merthyr game versus Brackley. Price 50p.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT9bumvQvN8 Dial M's Jon Owen stars as Dixie in the second episode of Svengali. Keep an eye out for Guardy who makes his acting debut. His texting in the pub scene is remeniscent of a young Al Pacino. Big things are expected of Guardy in the future.

At the pantheon that is Penydarren Park, Frank is this Martyr's nonpareil, As the faces changed, The destination changed, but Frank still remained, true, Season after season, Frank was at the fore, The sonorous terrace of Wales's greatest team, respectful even more, From fullback through to trainer, and all round cool cat, The Wank Bank will always salute, the true hero of Merthyr's proletariat

My favourite team is Merthyr They play in black & white They're in the Dr. Martens League This year they're pretty shite They've won the Welsh Cup three times and big crowds went to see They used to be quite good before Their best? Division Three! They don't win enough these days but it doesn't bother me I'll always love the Martyrs more than Linda Lusardi

I love you Merthyr, I love you more than the tides love the moon, Or Mickey loves Minnie and Pooh loves honey, I love your big green pitch and your grey concrete lumps, And your cool black and white strip, But no matter how green your pitch, How grey your concrete lumps, How cool your black and white strip, It's you that I love, When I saw you standing there, Me, Thirteen, You, Forty One, Smiling at me, I had come out of Strikers and you were just shining, A naked soul shining, And I knew I would just die if I didn't spend the rest of my life with you.

Poretta, You weren't too clever, But don't fret(ta), Now you're better

Sam Bowen, We're glad you're going, You're not as good as Cohen, or even Jason Bowen

The Dial M lads returned to Bergamo last week for the visit of Bologna, a few of the sites from 1987 where revisited including the stables area where the buses from Como were coralled before the match, the hotel at the rail station where the Bar Boys stayed and also the Hotel Excelsior San Marco where the team stayed and where the iconic rooftop shot of Georgie and Wayne Punk was taken. A return trip is planned soon, details will be posted.

Jon Owen, the Taffy Fox of Dial M fame, has unveiled his latest short. It's well worth a view; http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=F-b1ZuLwYGs

This is like your Birthday, Christmas and the day you lost your virginity all rolled into one. Here's Issues 13 and a half, 14, 15 and 16 all in one post. http://content.yudu.com/Library/A12mjt/DialMIssue13andahalf/resources/index.htm http://content.yudu.com/Library/A12mjv/DialMIssue14/resources/index.htm http://content.yudu.com/Library/A12mjw/DialMIssue15/resources/index.htm http://content.yudu.com/Library/A12mjx/DialMIssue16/resources/index.htm ALL FOR FREE.... Whoo Hooo!!!!

Dial M For Merthyr continues to receive the best titles of the fanzine world and if you fancy a sample read of our colleagues in the zine world then why not pick up a free copy of an issue in the club shop from the Tiverton match on 27th January. We currently have the latest issues of; When Saturday Comes, the half-decent football magazine Leyton Orientear - Leyton Orient The Thin Blue Line - Cardiff City The Popular Stand - Doncaster Rovers A Load of Bull - Wolverhampton Wanderers The City Gent - Bradford City The next issue of Dial M For Merthyr is in the production stage.

The San Fransisco Martyr contacted Dial M today with some great moments of past Martyr magic. Take it away Spic......... So here’s my list of the top 10 Merthyr games that I have attended. Some choices are obvious, others a little more esoteric, but all are games that have stuck in my head for various reasons. I make no apologies that the bulk of the games are drawn from the late 1980s and early 1990s. This of course, is because I later became an expat and martyr fan in exile. Coincidentally we got crap again around this point in time as well….. 1. Merthyr vs Atalanta Won 2-1 European Cup Winners Cup, 1987 The obvious choice – the Sgt Pepper of the survey. The strangest thing about this game isn’t that we beat a top draw Italian side containing the majestic, Swedish footballer of the year Glenn Stromberg. The strange thing is that it didn’t seem like a surprise to me. For a week Merthyr was the centre of the universe. Ceri Williams was on St and Greavsie tarmaccing (check THAT o...

Dial M For Merthyr believes its time for the current club to follow the lead of the pioneers of 1908 and consider a change of sport at Penydarren Park. A bold move maybe, but with the current cold weather becoming normal for this time of year its becoming increasingly obvious that other forms of entertainment are needed at PP to keep the turnstiles turning and the bank account healthy. Our solution? Schedule all matches away for January. Hire the local fire brigade to take a few thousand gallons of water from the Taff, after carefully extracting any neglected shopping trolleys, and flood Penydarren Park. Allow mother nature to do her work. Ice. Its so obvious really, we welcome the birth of the town’s new ice hockey team. We just need a snappy name now. The Merthyr White Socks anyone? Wolvesy

The Tourist Trap Dial M for Merthyr is happy to finally release the news that Historical Tours around Merthyr will begin in the close season (no, not annually in October) so from May onwards tourists will be able to discover the hidden relationship between Merthyr Tydfil Football Club and its immediate surroundings. Tours will start from the famous "Dai Martin" Gates at Penydarren Park with a designated guide allocated to each group, training in spin & propaganda has been undertaken by Dial M for Merthyr volunteers and already we have an expert at hand to guide the innocent visitors around our fair borough, unfortunately his name is Hulby but no matter the size of the party they'll be able to hear his wise words as they wander the avenues and boulevards of the Pearl of the Valleys, in fact they'll be able to follow the script in Thomastown with a decent westerly breeze. But what's the tour entail I hear you ask? It'll be an audacious journey through the hi...

And to celebrate here are two of Suntan Sammy's best poems from Issue 46; Craig Stiens, your lorry is white and mean, just like the team, Llandarcy you get seen - or sometimes, even Tonna Keddle, When you back pedal, Don't let that winger, meddle, with the ball Next Issue out in early February if we get enough articles, keep on keepin' on!