OUR TEAMS
One of our main aims at Taffs Well AFC is to provide a professional yet fun football environment for players of all ages.
For this reason we currently have a number of teams, ranging from under 10's to over 45s.
Below you can find out everything you need to know on all our teams and all who play in them.
1st Team - Welsh League Division 1
Although one of our aims is to promote a professional and fun environment for football across all ages our 'bread and butter' and if you like, tip of the sword is our first team.
The clubs long-term dream is to gain promotion into the Welsh Premier League, just one more promotion would get us there. However as with most clubs our primary concern is consolidating our position in the 1st division, something we feel we are more than capable of on all fronts, both on and off the pitch.
We are more confident than ever of doing so this season due to the promotion of Mark Sampson into the 1st team managers role assisted by ex-professional Keith Knott and clubman Liam Edwards. We are confident Marks coaching qualifications can take the club forwards in what is an exciting time for the club.
Below is our first team squad photo as well as links to each players personal profile giving an in-depth insight into the players driving us onwards and upwards.
- view our first team player profiles
Reserve Team - South Wales Amateur League
To be successful in modern day football, clubs these days need bigger squads. For this reason we have our own pool of reserve players. Our reserve team currently compete in the South Wales Amateur League, a tough competition in its own right.
The team, managed by ex Taffs Well forward Alex Marchant are looking to take the team onwards and upwards to compete at the top end of the table following the promotion of a number of youth players into the senior reserves.
The standard of football at this level provides a good basis for our first team players to regain fitness after injury or perhaps re-capture lost form.
The goal of the reserve management team is to prepare players both on and off the field should they be called upon by our 1st's at any time.
Each and every reserve team player is given the opportunity to develop as a footballer, those who excel are regularly promoted to travel with the 1st team to stake a place of their own.- view our reserve team player profiles
Youth Team - Welsh Youth League East Division
All successful clubs have a good youth policy. Led by manager Dan Tanhai and his assistant Craig Sampson, the club now have in place firm foundations on which to build the Wellmens next generation.
Already this season many of our youth team players have been promoted to both the senior reserves and in some cases also the first team. The team are competing in the Welsh League Youth division, the perfect preparation for life in the senior Welsh League, hopefully allowing our younger players to gain invaluable experience at this level.
We are always interested in new youth products, for information on our youth team setup should you be interested in getting involved contact one of the management via our contact us page.- view our youth team player profiles
Vets Team(s) - Welsh Veterans League
Taff's Well Veterans play games on Sundays and occasionally midweek under floodlights. The Veterans section features two teams: Over 40s and Over 45s. The Over 40s started in October 1993 with a fixture against Swansea Boys Club in the Umbro Veterans competition and, despite losing 1-2, continue to this day.
The team has reached the Quarter Finals five times, the Semi Finals four times and the Final twice, both defeats: losing 0-1 to Preston side, Latham and Burscough in 1996-97 at Rushden and Diamonds; and 1-5 to a team full of ex-professionals, Sheffield Brunsmeer at Stockport County’s Edgeley Park in 2002-03.
Last year saw the inaugural season of a Welsh Veterans competition organised very professionally by former Taff’s Well coach, John Herniman. The club only entered the Over 40s as our priority is very much success in "Europe" in the Umbro Cup and we found it difficult completing all of our fixtures due partly to the weather. We shall have to try again this coming season.
In spite of a host of ex-professionals in the ranks, the Over 40s has under-achieved in recent seasons so will be going for the trophy with all guns blazing this season. A squad that includes Roger Gibbins, Paul Sanderson, Cohen Griffith, Mark Bird, Nick Lukaris, Rob Miller, Steve O’Kelly and goalkeeper, Nigel Williams should be hard to beat.
The team’s fortunes were hampered last season by losing playmaker, Jon Morgan to a career-threatening injury in a pre-season warm-up and then discovering the shattering news that Tarki Micallef would be unavailable due to cancer. The good news is that Jon’s rehabilitation is coming along and that Tarki is coping with his treatment and hopes to make a come-back in about a year.
We all wish them wellThe Over 45s won the Umbro Cup at Kettering Town’s ground beating Siemans FC from the Nottingham area 1-0 in the Final two years ago but went out to Barnstaple Town in extra time at the Semi Final stage last year despite having beaten the same opponents twice earlier in the group stages. Sad news was the announcement by longest-serving player, John Convery, aged 63 that it would be his last game. Not a bad career and John had the honour of lifting the trophy as captain at Kettering – thanks for everything, John.- view our veteran teams player profiles