Sue and I very much enjoy following the English Premier League on the streaming service Fubo. My team is Arsenal and Sue’s team is Bournemouth. Living in Cochrane we’ve started to go and watch Cavalry FC at ATCO field in Spruce Meadows. Recently I came back from a visit to the UK and during the trip I visited my son Calum who lives in Cardiff.
On the final day of the trip Calum had to work in the city so I decided to jump on a train and visit Merthry Tydfil, an hour north of Cardiff. A little background to the town. Nestled in the heart of the South Wales valleys, MerthyrTydfil is steeped in history. From humble beginnings as a small agricultural hamlet, the town enjoyed a period as the ‘Iron Capital of the World’ before being forced to rebuild its fortunes and identity following the demise of the coal and steel industries. However, Merthyr Tydfil rallied to improve its fortunes. A concerted effort to attract retailers to the town has led to a retail boom, and people from around South Wales now visit the area to shop.
Getting off the train I started to explore and spotted a sign: Merthry Tydfil FC (Football Club). With my love of the game this was something I had to check out. Walking up to Penydarren Park I met two gentlemen who asked me if they could help. I explained that I was interested in the club and was it possible to look around. One of them said that his name was Les Barlow, Chairman of Merthyr Town FC (new name) and he would be happy to give me a tour. For the next hour Les showed me the players change rooms, boardroom, bars, hospitality suites and the history and awards room.
One of the highlights for the club was in 1987. The club had won the Welsh Cup and that had given it the right to compete in the European Cup Winners Cup. The draw paired the Martyrs (the club nickname) with the Italian side Atlalanta. On September 20th Merthyr shocked the football world by beating Atlalanta by two goals to one. Although the adventure ended a fortnight later with a narrow 2-0 defeat in Italy, the name Merthyr Tydfil was well and truly on the football map. I thanked Les for the tour and headed outside to visit The Martyrs Memorial Garden overlooking the ground. This is in memory of players and supporters who loved their team.
Sue and I plan to visit Calum in March of next year and, checking the fixture list, I think it’s going to include a visit to Merthyr Town FC to catch a game.
© 2024 Martin Parnell
