Dial M for Merthyr

I recently saw online that old chestnut of “it’s not just a kit it’s our skin, it’s not just a stadium it’s our home, it’s not just a club it’s a way of life” etc. I had heard it several times but I don’t think I had ever realised how true it was. I was at a home game with my usual crew in the same old spot on the terrace, waiting to see which end we’d be attacking first when I was so engrossed in a conversation that I had a surprise when the teams started walking out. It was as if I had forgotten there was a football match about to be played, forgotten that I was at a football ground. That’s what Penydarren Park has come to mean to me, that it is no longer solely a football pitch with some covered areas to sit or stand; it is a home, a home away from home. No longer is it just some bricks and mortar I visit to watch sport, but a social hub I can build my life around. I probably would not have met some of my closest friends if it were not Merthyr Town FC, and I certainly would not ha

My other team play in a monochrome kit too. The Oakland Raiders. The NFL team. I’ve supported them since I was a kid too, but unlike the Martyr’s I never got to see them play live. Then three years ago they played at Wembley in one of the annual International Series games. So that day, Myself and Chairman Mao made a trip to London to see the game. The team were awful back then starting the season with ten straight defeats. So it was no surprise to see them lose that day and fire the Coach during the flight back. The Raiders have one of the most colourful stories of any American Football franchise, but they have been pretty dire since the 80s. Despite that 10 loss start to the season the players they signed that season were pretty good and added to that a few older heads the team started the 2016 season back in September very much on the up. They would go on to finish the season with a 12-4  record and were it not for a broken leg to their starting quarterback in one of the fi

Being the football connoisseurs that we are at Dial M for Merthyr and fans of the beautiful game  we have seen some interesting use of substitutes in recent seasons following the Martyrs on our quest for champions league football We have even seen players subbed after 20 minutes this season and of course many of us have even seen subs being er......subbed.  Thankfully on our recent trip to St Neots the gaffa got it right and 10 minutes into the second half with Merthyr losing 2-1 Gavin brought on three players which had an immediate impact and totally changed the game, Tancock, Prosser, and Jenkins making way for Bull, Klopp and Patten. Straightaway the impact was evident and saw Merthyr taking the game to the hosts, absolute scenes at the end as we snatched two late goals to grab a 2-3 away win. The hosts seems to like the you've only got one song as we urged the lads forward in regards to our obligatory "C'mon Merthyr " chant. But as the ref blew the final whistle

One of the initial tasks given to Steve Lloyd, who was appointed as the very first Business Development Manager by the Board, was to seek ways to generate future income streams to make the club self sustainable. Steve eventually moved on to work for the FAW but he was responsible for laying the foundations of a long term legacy. Just 48 hours after returning from Toulouse following the completion of our group games at Euro2016, along with all eligible adult members of the population we were able to vote in the EU referendum. Perhaps we should be eternally grateful that former Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osbourne, was not in control of the financial situation at Penydarren Park. After months of predicting that the vote to leave the European Union would lunge the UK into a deep immediate recession, see an extra half a million without employment, lead to wages falling and income tax increasing, and in time make each British family £4,300 worse off, and that this nightmare sc

You may recall that two of the current Board of Merthyr Town FC Directors resigned recently. I was one of that duo and despite calls on Facebook, Twitter and that graveyard of a Forum, we didn’t say a word as there was no need to make a public announcement as our reasons are many, mundane and personal. First of all there is no major crisis at the club so if you’re looking for some drama then try Broadchurch. It must be said that being a Director of your Football Club is pretty cool and it was an honour and a privilege to be elected by my fellow fans to represent them on the Board. However as soon as I joined the Board, the direction of the Club was already moving towards a more corporate entity. As the new facility (is there a name yet for the complete building?) grew so did the external stakeholders’ requirement for a more “professional” governance of the new money-making environment soon to be opened at Penydarren Park. The Board had become little more than an Audit committee t

The 50th issue of Dial M For Merthyr, now that’s an achievement. I turn 50 in August, now that’s a worry. Let me introduce myself I’m Bryan James. I was one of the original contributors to the fanzine, writing “Big Bryan’s Bopping Boogie Column” in which I reviewed music, gigs etc as well as writing some other stuff. Sneaking into offices, using the photocopying machines and hand stapling the early issues was all great fun. It was the dawn of the fanzine. The age of ordinary people putting their opinions into print. It was exciting, liberating and sometimes it got us into hot water but it was never dull. I became part of the Dial M For Merthyr football team that started off playing matches against other fanzines and then progressed onto playing in the Rhymney Valley Sunday Football League. I was NEVER a footballer. I was a rugby player who had an injury that stopped me playing at a young age. My primary role was to growl a lot at our opponents (and sometimes my team mates), to ge