Mythbusting

Pontypridd United  0  Connahs Quay Nomads  5

Cymru Premier League

Admission / Programme - £7 / £3

It has to be said there was a little bit of kerfuffle at the end of last season when it came to the Cymru South League.

The league title was won by Llantwit Major, but, the hazardous process of licencing bit them on the bottom and they failed to be awarded the coveted Tier 1 Licence, probably due to filling the form in using the wrong colour pen or something. As a result, the runners up, who were Pontypridd Town, who did use the correct colour pen, were given a licence and were duly promoted.

Much sympathy came Llantwit’s way, but what I struggled to understand was why so much bitterness was being aimed at Pontypridd. I mean, they were the next best placed side, and they couldn’t be blamed for Llantwit’s failings, so what exactly had they done wrong?

Ok, so I had a dig around and it seems one or two people were getting a bit emotional about the clubs journey and the way they had managed to work their way to the top table. Story wise, the club were formed in 1992 following a merger between Pontypridd Sports & Social Club and another local club, Ynysbwl (don’t ask me, I wouldn’t know where to start pronouncing that one).

The club nearly went belly up in 2008, but the intervention of a businessman saw them saved, and over the years they worked their way through what at the time was the Welsh Football League. With eyes on the top division in the South (Step 2), it was clear the clubs ground at Ynysangharad Park (nope, not that one either) wasn’t up to scratch.

A deal was struck with the University of South Wales to play at a shiny new facility on the Treforest Industrial Estate, but at the point where they finished in a promotion place, the Step 2 facility that they were planning to move to at Treforest wasn’t ready, so they had to find somewhere else to play which they did down the road at Cardiff Athletics Stadium, but after half a season the pitch was shot so they ended up going to Aberdare Town.

They became founder members of the Cymru South when Wales was restructured, eventually moving into the Step 1 standard facility at Treforest, and of course, got promoted, renaming themselves Pontypridd United.

So why the bitterness? I think there was a sense that people thought the club were no longer a local football club for local people, but an entity that was doing whatever it took to make it to the Cymru Premier, even if that meant moving out of town. All this in a town that is absolutely not a football town, we are talking Rugby Union first and always when it comes to Pontypridd. I did read some extreme comments about it having shades of a heavily backed franchise, but I’m not sure just how justified those comments might be.

Anyroad up, as we say in these parts, as they were now top tier they were on the hit list for myself and Steve, so with a convenient Sunday afternoon opportunity on the radar, I decided to take the wheel and make the trip over the border to our World Cup counterparts.

The journey down was a steady one, and I do enjoy the trip down via Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth. Eventually we joined the M4 at Newport and carried on to the West of Cardiff before the short journey North to the edges of Pontypridd. The ground is as you would imagine, at the back of a huge industrial estate, located within the grounds of the University sports park.

Once parked up near the entrance you head up the hill and immediately on the left is the bar and cafeteria complex. I have to say, it was at this point that your first impressions of the club are nothing other than positive. Everyone bedecked in club colours (noting our early arrival) was nothing other than friendly and helpful. At least three club officials came over to introduce themselves and enquire about our journey, and no one could do enough for you in terms of help and information.

Things like this go a long way, and given what I’d read about the club at the start of the season, it completely dispelled any myths that this was anything other than a very welcoming, well run and family orientated club, with a plethora of teams under it’s umbrella. In fact straight after the game finished, the ladies team were due to kick off against Cardiff City.

The football ground itself is a short walk from the bar, and having purchased a ticket at a desk, you head up into what is effectively a cage. The players change in the Uni buildings and walk up a path to the pitch, while to the side of where the players enter are two Atcost style seated stands. A further larger version with a tarpaulin roof sits behind the South goal, while the remainder of the ground is hard standing.

It has a 4g pitch, and it was a good job because the rain came down and it was incessant for the entirety of the game. The crowd of around 250 were treated to a disappointing performance by the home side as high flying Connahs Quay Nomads were comfortably the better team in all departments.

The first half was a defensive disaster as far as Pomtypridd were concerned. The opening goal came after fifteen minutes thanks to John Disney, then within five minutes the experienced Mike Wilde made it 2-0. Mikes Hayes scored a further two more to leave the score 4-0 at half time, and in truth it was more than a fair reflection of the first forty five minutes.

The second half wasn’t quite the disaster the first half was for Pontypridd but a fifth goal came in the 75^th minute from Callum Morris. In the end though, it had been a comprehensive drubbing, and a relatively straightforward afternoon for the boys from North Wales who had travelled down the night before.

You did feel for Pontypridd somewhat as they endeavour to find their feet in the top flight, it has been a bit of a struggle so far, but the learning curve is indeed a steep one, and one that sides from the South of the Country seem to find that bit tougher than those from the North.

As the rain continued to pour we elected to travel back via Merthyr Tydfil and Abergavenny, and on reflection, this was definitely a case of don’t believe everything that you read. I would absolutely recommend a visit to Pontypridd United to anyone, this is a club that seems to be doing so much to get football on the map in the town, what has gone before to get to this point might be a debating point, but it’s all about looking forward, not back.