Thursday 14 May 2020

Retro - Rhayader Town 0 Holyhead Hotspur 4 (Cymru Alliance - 2015-16)


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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