Introduction
- While I'm still researching the history of the club it's with some confidence that I can establish the club was formed in 1910. I can't find any evidence that the club was active in any of the local leagues until the joined the Swansea & District league for 1910-11. However, the Aberdare Leader reports a friendly fixture for Saturday 26th March 1910 when Aberpergwm won by two goals to nil against Llwydcoed. Many non-league clubs were formed during this period, often to share a neutral venue for friendly games but since Aberpergwm had secured home facilities they were now preparing for league football.
Aberpergwm
- I understand that the club was formed from the workforce of the Aberpergwm mines. The Williams family of the Aberpergwm Estate owned the colliery and the club have since adopted - by kind permission - the Aberpergwm Court of Arms as the club badge.
- The club was then based at the Lamb & Flag hotel, with changing facilities on Chain Walk, directly behind the now Post Office with the playing field opposite, alongside the old canal.
South Wales League
- While the club joined the Swansea League for 1910-11 it appears they joined the South Wales League just the following season, until the outbreak of World War I - from 1914 to 1918.
- The South Wales League predated the Aberdare League and stretched from the Cynon Valley down into Cardiff. Some interesting reading from that period when the Aberdare League complained, through the Aberdare Leader, that the local mining industry refused to allow each shift the time to make kick off. So after just a few seasons the league folded but for those who could raise a team they again merged with the South Wales League. Perhaps with better working conditions the Aberdare League later reformed during the Twenties. For many years each district also held a Thursday League for the shops would have closed on Thursday but to trade all day on Saturday. Nowadays the leagues have become much more localised and we take for granted how we travel to away games. But for the players of this period and for many more years, they would have had to rely on the train service. The G.W.R. may have had better time keeping but they were not immune to strikes so any matches would have been postponed.
- Although all league football was suspended during the war many clubs were still active where we can imagine those players still worked in the heavy industries of coal and steel. It was during the war that we can first record any success when the club won the Onllwyn Open Challenge Cup in 1917-18, defeating Hirwaun by three goals to nil.
- Some fascinating reading when the story is told, that directly after the presentation they fought a pitched battle until the cup was battered beyond repair. I understand the evidence now rests at the Glynneath Rugby clubhouse. However, hostilities were suspended the following week when Aberpergwm again beat Hirwaun by one goal to nil in a charity match for the Soldiers & Sailors Fund.
Swansea & District League
- When league football resumed for 1919-20 Aberpergwm entered the Swansea & District League and won promotion as Champions from division two. Although the league then consisted of six divisions clubs were offered entry to the league matching their status. They also won the Onllwyn Open Challenge Cup for a second time and semi-finalists for the Swansea Senior Cup.
- The club touched further success throughout the Twenties when they first reached the final of the Swansea Senior Cup in 1921-22 and again for 1926-27. For that season they also reached the semi-final of the West Wales Cup then lost to Hirwaun Corries by one goal to nil in another area Challenge Cup Final.
- Champions & West Wales Amateur Cup Winners 1927-28
- From match reports I understand that many league games attracted sizeable crowds with cup finals recording anything from a thousand to three thousand spectators. Although Glynneath was just a small mining village then perhaps with some finance they were now attracting many players from around the district. With the club offering such ambition they were finally rewarded with due success when they were crowned as Champions of the Swansea & District League. They also won the West Wales Cup beating Skewen by four goals to two in the final. That same year they reached the semi-final of the South Wales & Monmouthshire Junior Cup, losing to Merthyr Rechabites by one goal to nil after a second replay.
- I have to remind that I'm still researching but for some reason it appears the club disappeared from the Swansea League for 1932-33. Some confusion since they played in the Neath League but returned to division one, Swansea League, just the following season.
- From hearsay, this story to tell that some of the Aberpergwm players were not so impressed by some of the referee's decisions so gave him an early bath in the canal that run alongside the pitch. However an amusing story - if not for the ref - then I don't know if there's any truth to this tale but it could account for the club being suspended from the Swansea League. Returning to the Swansea league they reached the semi-final of the Swansea Senior Cup in 1933-34.
- Champions & West Wales Amateur Cup Winners 1934-35
- Glynneath Welfare were top of the league for much of the season but the championship wasn't claimed until the following year. It was decided that Glynneath Welfare and Alexandra should meet in a play-off to decide the title.
- The game was set at Skewen on October 18th 1935. When Alexandra led by four goals to one with just fifteen minutes remaining, it looked as if the title had been won. But Glynneath Welfare forced a reply with three goals from Cyril Weaver and another from Sid Type.
- The second date was set for the Vetch Field on January 2nd 1936 when the Championship was finally claimed by Glynneath Welfare, thus repeating the double of 1927-28. With some frustration the Evening Post just reports the half-time score with Glynneath Welfare ahead by one goal to nil through Cyril Weaver. However, although I don't have the final result the Post later printed a team photo proclaiming Glynneath as champions.
- For the West Wales Cup the team disposed of three Welsh league clubs to reach the final. They drew Milford Athletic at home in the semi-final but with no score few gave any hope for the replay. With over a hundred supporters following the team they won the return game by two goals to one. Willie Phillips & D. R. Evans netting the goals for Glynneath.
- The Royal Fusiliers had been the cup holders but in the final at the Vetch Field Swansea, Glynneath won the game by three goals to two with Cyril Weaver scoring a hat trick.
- Just for the record: P 33 W 28 D 2 L 3 (excluding the two games for the title decider).
- When they entered the Welsh League for 1936-37 I don't know if they later returned to the Swansea League.
Welsh League Football
- No doubt the club could have enjoyed further success in the Swansea League but with some ambition the club first entered the Welsh League in 1922-23. They finished the season as runners-up, just missing out on promotion to division one but I've yet to confirm, as I suspect, they continued to play in the Welsh League for another two seasons. But for their first season in the Welsh League it's interesting to see that there were no other clubs from the Neath district.
- Again, from the Swansea League they were accepted into the Welsh League from 1936-37 but although they competed at this level on the field the club struggled financially and just after two seasons they opted to join the Neath league. Then finally, after amalgamating with Melyncourt Corries of the Neath League, they entered Division Two in 1957-58 until they were relegated back into the Neath League for 1963-64.
Glynneath Welfare
- The Miner's Welfare Hall was opened at the beginning of the decade but although the club had already moved to the new facilities it wasn't until 1933-34 when they changed from Aberpergwm to Glynneath Welfare.
- The first competative game played on the new Welfare field was on September 10th 1932. They beat Colbren by four goals to two in a Neath League match with Viv Woodward getting the first goal. Both Viv Woodward and Willie Phillips scored two goals each.
- The land was also developed to include a bowling pavilion and tennis court. Although the club has long since become independent, they still continue to play at the Welfare field and the pavilion has recently been rebuilt to include new changing facilities for the football club.
- While some of this land has been developed to include the Glynneath library I understand that the Aberpergwm Estate donated this land to the people of Glynneath for recreation only. Therefore, I believe this land can't be sold for private or commercial use so ensuring these facilities for generations to come.
Neath & District League
- When the Neath League was formed in 1931-32 many of the established clubs throughout the district chose to remain in the Swansea League.
- Champions & Cup Winners 1932-33
- Some clubs offered a second team to the Neath league but when Aberpergwm entered the league for the first time in 1932-33 they almost claimed the Treble, as Champions, League Cup Winners then Open Challenge Cup Finalists.
- The club returned to the Swansea League for the following season but retained a second team in the Neath League. They finished the season in joint second but the club also won the Neath Open Challenge Cup. I don't know which team won that trophy since the competition would have been open to both teams but for my records I give credit to the first team.
- However, there was some dispute when Neath G.E.M. won both cup competitions the previous season having fielded their strongest team from the Swansea League. But when Garthmoor first won the Open Challenge Cup in 1934-35 they fielded the Neath League team in good faith, when competition rules would have allowed otherwise.
- While the first team ventured to the Welsh League the club entered a junior team to the Intermediate division of the Neath League for 1937-38. But when the club resigned from the Welsh League the following season the two teams combined to enter a useful side in the Senior Neath League and won the Championship for a second time that decade.
- With the outbreak of World War II on September 3rd 1939 Neath league football was suspended but then resumed, during the war, from 1943-44. Glynneath Welfare reached the final of the League Cup then West Wales Cup finalists for 1942-43 and again for 1945-46. For the late Forties I suspect that the club still offered a team in the Swansea League but from 1950-51 the club disbanded for three seasons. I can't offer any reason but when the club reformed for 1953-54 they directly won promotion as Champions to division one. Melyncourt Corries won the Neath League championship for three years running but when Glynneath finished second in 1956-57 the clubs combined and entered the Welsh League the following season.
- With the club relegated from the Welsh League the failed to retain many of those players and were duly relegated from division one. For many years the club struggled in the lower divisions until the late Seventies when they won promotion to the Premiere. However, having finished third for two seasons the first team resigned from the league, it appears someone hadn't done their homework. I understand the club fielded a weakened team for the final match of the season, then having lost that game they later realised a win would have given them the title. Some lay blame to the Neath League, so they entered the Aberdare League but for one season only with many of those players then signing for Welsh League clubs.
Glynneath Town A.F.C.
- Treble Winners 1984-85
- The second team remained in the Neath League but again with two teams in the Neath League for 1984-85 the club changed name to Glynneath Town A.F.C. As if to celebrate the club recorded their finest achievement in recent history when the won the treble of Division One Champions, Division One Cup Winners and League Cup Winners. They were the first 'Treble Winners' from outside the Premiere and this has only been matched, or perhaps bettered, when
A.F.C. Caewern won the Treble in 2001-02 from the second division.
- The following season the club claimed the Premiere Cup but once again many of those players signed for Welsh League football. The club has since remained playing in the top two divisions of the Neath League but it's the second team that has claimed most success.
Club Records
- With the first team playing in the Premiere for 1985-86 they drew Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen in the League Cup and won that game by twenty-three goals to nil. Perhaps not so surprising since that team finished bottom of division four after losing all 28 games and conceding 137 goals. From my research I've yet to see a higher score so perhaps we should claim as a club record and perhaps another club record when Kevin Doherty scored nine goals from that match.
Some details likely to change with further research, Ernie - February 2008.
If you have any information relating to Glynneath Town please Email: Alan Ahearn
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