19th
September 2015
Rhayader Town 0 Holyhead
Hotspur 4 (Cymru Alliance)
As I threw the curtains wide at the Boars Head, it was
a misty morning in Carmarthen, but the bacon was cooking, and in fairness, only
the slightest traces of any form of hangover seemed to be in the air. It was
almost time to bid a fond farewell to West Wales, and head up through the
mountains to Mid Wales, to the picturesque market town of Rhayader.
Any sort of journey through Wales will invariably be a
scenic one, perhaps sections of the M4 and the A55 excepted, and the run up to
Rhayder was indeed beautiful. This is of course the double edged sword that is
in effect the Welsh Premier League, because as much as journies between the
grounds are lovely from an aesthetic point of view, in terms of the time taken
for the distance travelled, it really could not be any worse. It took me nearly
an hour and three quarters to drive just over 50 miles to Rhayader, but the
section between Llandovery and Llanwrtyd Wells alone made it worth the journey,
simply spectacular views across the valleys towards Sugar Loaf mountain.
Once in Rhayader I was early, inevitably, so having
parked the car up at the ground I had a little wander into the town itself. It
was a busy place, with the focal point being the monument on the crossroads in
the centre. Not much shopping wise could be done, I guess if you want anything
of any note then off to Newtown or Llandrindod Wells you must go, just the
essentials really in Rhayader.
Talking of essentials, the pubs were open, and I
settled for the GBG listed Cornhill Hotel, where a lengthy perusal of the sports
pages of the local paper (The County Times) told me all I needed to know about
current affairs in the Mid Wales footballing World, it put many local papers to
shame really.
With kick off an hour away, it was time to embark on
the final journey of a quest that started back in August 2008 when I discovered
my first game in the Cymru Alliance, on that occasion it was at Gresford
Athletic. I probably thought at the time it wouldn’t take me too long to polish
it off, and I guess each year new teams come in that need visiting, but this
time, seven and a half years later, for the first time ever I can say I’ve done
it!
And boy, I didn’t half save the best until last!
A combination of a traditional old football ground,
with good yet rustic facilities, along with spectacular views of the mountains,
meant this was a place that is a real must for any football ground enthusiast.
I simply loved it. The clubhouse was somewhat antiquated and the beer was in cans
only, they did no hot food, but that didn’t really matter to me. The old stand
backed onto the tight dressing rooms, while another smaller seated stand sat
behind the goal, some distance from the pitch.
The two other sides were hemmed in tightly by tall
trees, and it was over the top of these trees that the stunning vista of the
mountains could be observed. Rhayader are nicknamed the Red Kites, thanks to
the fact that the town is now well known for it’s Red Kite feeding station, and
as an added bonus, just after half time, numerous birds of this type could be
seen hovering above the ground. While not the biggest of birds, as they hovered
in the sky, they did look pretty special.
The game was very good. Rhayader for an hour were the
equal of Holyhead, but when you are bottom of the league things simply don’t
happen for you. Despite all of their first half possession, it was the visitors
who went in with a 1-0 lead thanks to a great strike from the edge of the box.
Both sides had a player sent off early in the second
period for a ‘rutting’ incident, which seemed to go against Rhayader because at
this point they had the lions share of play again, and looked likely to grab an
equaliser. But the player they lost, Asa Hamilton, was the man most threatening
for the hosts, and with his departure (and he didn’t go quietly), went any semblance of a goal.
Holyhead got a second, and then quickly got two more to
seal an emphatic victory. It wasn’t a 4-0 game, but sadly for Rhayader, while
they played some decent stuff, they definitely lacked something in front of
goal. Hamilton looked like he could make a difference, but he was too
distracted by the various battles he was involved in. That ultimately resulted
in his red card.
I hope Rhayader survive, I chatted to the Treasurer who
was working the tea bar, he told me that they had increased the ‘expenses’
budget this season to try and attract players from slightly further afield to
keep them in the league. And therein lies the problem for Mid Wales clubs, and perhaps
explains why last season both Llanidloes and Llandrindod went down, with
Rhayader only just surviving. The towns themselves are so small, and travelling
time from the greater areas of population is significant, so attracting the
better players to travel and play for you is going to cost money. Hamilton for
example, was travelling from Wrexham, which is an hour and three quarters away,
it’s a long way to go, especially when he has a significant number of clubs on
his doorstep, mind you, they’re probably all sick of him!
So that was it, a champagne job, I’ve now completed
leagues in three Countries (England, Ireland and Wales), with a fourth due next
month (Northern Ireland). I have to say though, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of
visiting Wales, just a case now of seeing who else comes into the league at the
end of the season...if no one does, I’ll just have to find a new league to have
a crack at.
The Mid Wales League anyone?
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