Dial M for Merthyr

This relegation battle thing could go all the way to the wire, which is quite tiresome to be honest, we face the possibility of returning from whence we came. We spent about 17 years in the Southern League North, then Midland, toiling away quietly in what was even then a decent non-league ground. Penydarren Park had the small seated stand with the infamous but smaller Wank Bank opposite for the serious Martyrs fans. The big grass bank at the Theatre End was where I spent my Saturday afternoons either watching the Southern League boys under Dougie Rosser or the reserves in the Welsh League. Opposite at the Chapel End was the open car park where Nuneaton fans once threw me over the fence behind the goals. In those days there would always be a football match going alongside the real thing. Way up at the back of the bank would be about a dozen boys playing away whilst the drama unfolded on the pitch, to be honest the boys match was often better than the main fayre. Visitors to the Park i...

14 th  September 1999 - the day Roger Gibbins, as soon as he stepped onto the team bus after the game away to Newtown in the FAW cup, should have been sacked as manager of Merthyr Tydfil FC. Basically the performance at Latham Park that evening was shocking. A 1-0 defeat against a Newtown side who, on the night were the better team even though they played most of the game with ten men and the majority of the second half with nine players. That was bad shit. It was also evident from that match how totally inept Haydn Fleming was as a 'footballer'; this guy was a professional once, he's now with Maesteg Parc. Enough said I think. But the big pisser of the night was the non-appearance of the Merthyr players & officials in the Newtown clubhouse after the game. The only excuse I can think of on their behalf is that they were embarrassed that they had been outplayed, outfought & were found wanting tactically against a LOW side. If Gibbo had any bollocks at all he would h...

Where's my f**king bed? We were out, in fact we'd been out since we'd lost in Croatia the previous October - Now that was a trip!!!. But it was nothing new, Wales were nearly always out, come the last game of the group. Belgium on the other hand had won away in Zagreb three days before therefore qualifying for the finals in Brazil. So we knew that there would be a party in Brussels, little did we know it would be us celebrating at the full time whistle. We'd booked the trip months in advance and the planning committee had done some sterling work. A Sunday morning departure from The Pearl on the 11.38 from Platform one, would be a great start to my £96 all in four day beano to Flanders field. On the train I was the elder statesman, being joined by the junior Dial M posse of The Flipper, Lager and Terret. Moppy was already up in Landan and Richie Will had to join us the next morning as he had an afternoon shift to skilfully negotiate pre-trip. Talk on the train was...

One of the most colourful Chairman of Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was Maldwyn Davies. A local born Man, he did not play himself, but his elder Brother, Stan, was a member of the famous Merthyr team, that played in front of huge crowds  in the late 1940/50's. After a short period on the Board of Directors, he became chairman, and also Manager of the Club in 1971, but the playing record of the Club deteriorated, and he signed the great John Charles as Manager, paying his wages himself. Maldwyn owned three very successful Bingo Halls throughout South Wales, when Bingo was a very popular pastime. He was a most generous man, and built a Social Club on the Ground, calling it "The Martyrs Club ", and provided the transport of the Club, all at his own expense. The Football Club at this time were in serious financial trouble, and he paid the entire wages of the Club for a whole season, without any restrictions on the Club. Without any doubt, were it not f...

Last Saturday (29-Jan) the Martyrs travelled to Lincolnshire to meet the DML league leaders Boston United. Today's fixture, at home to Burton Albion, will be the first game MTFC will have played since the 4-1 trouncing at York Sheet. But do not be too disheartened, my friend, last Saturday was not as bad as the scoreline suggests. For the DMFM crew this was the away fixture of the season. League leaders at their excellent York Sheet home coupled with the prospect of a major Saturday night SESH in Peterboro' afterwards. Quiet roads and some manic driving from Dai Jizz softened the journey up. Nottingham was reached in just over two hours but it took another 2 hours to get to Boston from this point, mainly due to the various tractors/combine harvesters/road sweepers that we got stuck behind on the A~2. Boston was reached at around midday. It was good to see another car full (Julie Martin's gang) arrive just after us as, due to a lack of numbers, the Supporters club were unab...