Dial M for Merthyr

The idea to name the roundabouts in Merthyr Tydfil after Welsh football heroes from the town is a great idea and we hope that the Borough Council will support the idea emanating from the football club. Whoever thought up the idea deserves a medal for grasping the opportunity of celebrating the Welsh football team in this their greatest year but also twisting it to promote the local players who have worn that red (and not grey) shirt that represents our nation on the worldwide stage. So who should be commemorated on the thoroughfares of the Pearl and also where? Gordon Davies (Penydarren) Dai Astley (Gwernllwyn) Steve Jenkins (the roundabout outside Trefechan shops of course) Rhys Williams (Abercanaid) Moses Russell (Dowlais Top A465) Bryn Jones (Dowlais flats) Ivor Jones (Penyard) Charlie Jones (Troedyrhiw) Gavin Williams (Pentrebach/Hoovers) Jason Bowen (Gurnos) Kath Morgan (Twynyrodyn slip road) Brian Law (the new bus station?) Mark Pemb...

The Hospital Cup used to be a big deal in Merthyr Tydfil between the wars. I’m not really sure of the rationale behind the tournament or even the teams that competed but it was a fine trophy that Merthyr Town won on a few occasions. I got to thinking about this old competition during a recent weekend break in Cornwall where a few of the local clubs play in a pre-season charity tournament called the Brian Biggin Cup which last season raised over £1,000 for Help for Heroes. I watched Newquay win 5-1 at Perranporth’s ground in the competition which was well supported whilst the game itself was competitive. So could we do the same in the Taff valley? A pre-season competition based on our artificial surface at Penydarren Park over the duration or perhaps a week in mid-July to raise money for Prince Charles Hospital. 8 teams; 2 groups of 4, culminating in a Final. As for clubs to join Merthyr Town, well the obvious ones would be Penydarren BC, Merthyr Saints, Aberfan SDC and Trehar...

Amberleigh House has finally been demolished. It was an island of decay in our sea of revitalised commerce for a while but now the final remnants of that mythical pleasure palace Strikers have disappeared into history. Many of you will remember the place as the Jubilee Club, one of the first commercial avenues explored by the good burghers of Park Terrace back in the 70s. It was part of my youth, cans of Top Deck and bags of crisps after home games with my Dad who probably had an Allbright. The clubhouse was basic but it belonged to us and it was the Football Club, the darts teams have kept that moniker ever since those early days, after all it does what it says on the tin. This is about football. Pop and crisps post-match and if I was lucky then we’d still be there when the Football Echo was delivered which gave me a chance to analyse the day’s results and update the league tables for my Dad. It was a safe environment but in the old sense that everyone knew each other so the la...

Great to see so many Merthyr Town fans in France. We know how to party in Merthyr and we're bringing it to France this summer.

Merthyr Town is a fan owned co-operative as everyone knows. We’re registered as a Community Sports Club in effect. We’ve visited this idea before in the pages of the fanzine but should we look to adopt a more continental approach to how we use Penydarren Park for the future? In essence we’re talking about becoming a sports club rather than solely concentrating on football. Clubs throughout Europe have a wider portfolio of activities available to their members and it’s true from Barcelona to Istanbul via Stockholm. The opportunities for members can be varied and eclectic and most would be out of our scope due to both capacity and facilities but should we be looking to attract other sports or hobbies to Penydarren Park to further enhance our position as the best community venue in the Valleys? If we use Galatasaray as an example, we’re not expecting to provide motorsport, water polo or swimming along Park Terrace but could we not use the new facility (why don’t we have a name for ...

Would you play petanque for Merthyr Town FC if we built a piste at Penydarren Park? Theatre End would be perfect if you know where it is. We could even play at the above piste one day against Hammarby FK in Stockholm.

We all know that Saturday feeling, something experienced by football fans up and down the country in a very different but at the same time in an all so familiar way. Whether it’s a flutter or two in the betting shop before heading to the club to see the lads before a home game or waking up early and grabbing the cans before a trip to an English town which you previously had no knowledge of to represent your town and its people in some sort of battle. Well, this was the usual routine for me season after season, until deciding to move to University in deep mid Wales, almost two years ago. After two years in the seaside town of Aberystwyth and meeting people from all over Cymru, and not forgetting the numerous nights out in Aber and even a few in Bangor and Caernarfon, it is hard to argue with the popular belief that “university is the best years of your life.” But, if there is one thing in life that gets worse after moving to uni, then it’s the Saturday. A day that has always se...

To be honest it's been a tedious season for me. Endless chatter about the new clubhouse. Delays. A different pre-match countdown to each game. The Grawen, The Park View, The Winchester and even the Express on one grim afternoon. You tend to forget how much of a routine watching the Martyrs becomes over the years, people have their own journey to Penydarren Park especially on a Saturday. A bag of cockles, the Morning Star and a Lucky 15 on the horses is my starting point but this campaign I've not had the Candac as a destination. True, I've had a few decent pints in the Winch, enjoyed the juke box in the Park View and fielded questions in the Grawen but it's not the same as the comfort of our own clubhouse. Have I mentioned the delays yet? The gallows humour that runs beneath the surface of every conversation in Merthyr emerged every weekend. The lack of information on the project a constant source of frustration to supporters who had bought into the fan-owned philosophy...

Mickey Carter at Barry Town. Everyone in that pic bar two is probably from Merthyr.

Matthew Davies has done a great job on the 1987 story but let's not allow him to rest on his laurels, hey mate what about the story of the 1990 4-1 win at Ninian Park? Webley was after all white hot and of course he destroyed the city. Sanderson flying on the wing. Russ the bus nipping in with a goal. It's gold dust. Altogether now, "We can see you sneaking out!"