Taffs Well FC - Taffs Well Fixtures, Results and Player Statistics

Every new season opens with hope renewed but, just like the exalted Premier League in England, a hard core of sides tend to dominate and for much the same reasons. Money talks at all levels of the game and the Welsh League is no exception.

Just having money is not enough: you have to know what to do with it.

If a rich individual turns up on your doorstep offering you wealth beyond the dreams of avarice, what are you going to do? Ask Pontypridd, ask Grange Quins. I take no pleasure in seeing previously successful sides fall on hard times although there is an element of natural selection in the rise and fall of football clubs: witness the declines of Pontllanfraith, Ebbw Vale, Abergavenny Thursdays, Brecon Corries, Ferndale, Aberdare or Tredomen and many others.

The summer has seen a variety of problems for UWIC, Cwmbran and Treharris with the sad relegation of Morriston from the Welsh League at the end of last season. Bridgend Town have sold their ground for redevelopment and are currently searching for a site to develop into a new home. In the mean time, they will be playing just up the road from Taff’s Well at the University of Glamorgan; clearly this is not the best news for us, especially given their financial resources that far exceed ours. I expect that they will be one of the strongest sides in the division.

Goytre United won the League title last season and played the most fluent and destructive attacking football I saw. Goytre flourished with a small squad but the players were all top quality at this level and they had the capacity to turn defence into attack in an instant. Goytre scored goals too and for this reason I expect them to be in the running as they have added Robbie Walters from Bryntirion to their striking options. The team is well-managed by Andrew Radford and the club has a good ground and is strong behind the scenes.

Dinas Powys was a club in the chase last season before finishing as runners-up. They too have a shrewd manager, Mark Jones, and The Murch is always a difficult place to go but I think they will find it hard to finish as high in the forthcoming campaign.

One of our strongest clubs is Ton Pentre and Kevin Richards, disappointed by a third-placed finish, has revamped his squad but must be disappointed to lose Jonathan Kift. Andrew Pearson and the inventive Alyn Jones will still pose a threat and there are a number of excellent young players in Ton’s squad.

Dave Morgan has poured his heart and his money into taking ENTO Aberaman up into the Welsh Premier League. Work has been done on the ground since last season and no doubt Dave will have strengthened his squad significantly. Having a goal scorer of the quality and experience of a Chris Summers or a Mattie Davies means they should do well again and they will continue to be hard to beat.

One of the big questions of the new season is can Bryntirion repeat last year’s strong showing? The loss of top striker, Robbie Walters, is a blow but Francis Ford is a shrewd manager who knows how to juggle his resources. The club is one of the big success stories of the last few years and has a well-appointed clubhouse, two pitches and is well-run. Although the ground gets very heavy in the winter Bryntirion is an outfit that tries hard to play football regardless and they should consolidate with another top six finish and will hope to go one better and win the cup.

Afan Lido ground to a halt somewhat towards the end of last season and that is often the sign of a side with too many young players. The set-up at the Lido is of Welsh Premier standard and with Craig Duggan a highly ambitious as well as a talented manager and the club stronger than last season, I expect them to be challenging for the top spot. With the outstanding Ian Turner joining Duggan from his former club, Goytre, the Lido have snatched one of the Welsh League’s best players – they will definitely be ones to watch.

It is disappointing that Lewis Sommers has left Welsh football to play over the border with Cinderford Town taking his defensive fellow giant, Daniel Heath with him and I expect Newport YMCA to suffer as a result. In fact all of Gwent’s sides will find it hard to mount a challenge between them. Caerleon will be hard to beat but may well finish in mid table again; Caldicot Town and Croesyceiliog may well be with them though Croesyceiliog will be stronger for Jody Jenkins being available more regularly. Cwmbran Town’s experiment with imported players was not a success and so their fortunes will depend more on locally-based players so it is too early to see them challenging for honours.

Cambrian and Clydach enjoyed a good first season at this level and fielded a well-balanced side who played some attractive football and they will trouble a few teams who consider themselves big guns; they are progressing well on and off the field of play. Pontardawe will need to improve greatly on last season and seemed to have problems breaking down opponents. In an area with so many teams competing for players they need to improve their ground and the facilities it offers if they are to bring back the players to return them to the glory days.

Of the three promoted sides, one would expect the champions to be the best bet and Bettws will hope to surprise a few teams and will start the season full of confidence. Barry Town are one of the giants of the Welsh non-league scene recently fallen on hard times. The club is currently up for sale with little prospect of a buyer in the short term so much depends upon Stuart Lovering’s capacity for generating cash to support the side and I find it hard to see them doing much more than surviving. Cardiff Corries will compete but this will be a season of consolidation as many of the club’s players adjust to the demands of the higher level. Survival for all three will be the first objective.

What about Taff’s Well, you might well ask? Another mid table finish would be success with an even younger squad than last year though we will surprise a few teams with the quality of our play. We hope to score more and concede less – doesn’t everybody? Our team will be well-coached with Adam Moore, Barrie Hughes and David Gough working hard through pre-season to develop the team. We cannot buy success so we must go down the youth development route. Many of the players we hoped to sign have demonstrated unrealistic expectations and so will go elsewhere. There have been some real bonuses in players who have signed.

My top tips are Afan Lido as champions with Goytre as runners up at the end of a hard-fought championship. I expect Bridgend, Bryntirion and Ton Pentre to do well in the cups, Bettws to be top of the promoted sides and Dinas Powys and Aberaman to run out of steam in the run in. I don’t want anyone to be relegated but that is clearly not realistic but I refuse to put any club down before they have had the chance to battle things out for themselves – who knows what fighting qualities teams have in adversity? I hope everyone does their best to prove me wrong except Afan Lido who I expect will do their best to prove me right.

Frank Terrell