Since Wrexham’s promotion from the national league in 2023, there is only one football club that plays in Wales but competes in the English Non League football pyramid. Meet Merthyr Town FC.
Year Founded: 2010
Nickname: The Martyrs
Stadium: Penydarren Park
Capacity: 4000
Manager: Paul Michael
League: Southern League Premier Division south (Step 3)
Origins
Despite the club in its current form only being incorporated in 2010, a football club has played in the Town of Merthyr for over 110 years. Merthyr Town was originally founded in 1908, where they competed in the football league.
However with that club folding and ceasing playing in 1934, it was then not until 1945 when football would once again be brought to Merthyr through the club Merthyr Tidfil FC.
High points
Throughout the next decades, Merthyr would go on to find relative levels of success, reaching the second round of the FA Cup on no less than five occasions, in 1946, 1954, 1973, 1979 and 1990.
The clubs high points would come in the late 1980s and early 1990s, where the team competed in the Football Conference, todays National League and the 5th tier of English Football. This led to them recording their highest ever league finish of 4th in the Football Conference in the 1991-1992 season.
This was a highly successful period, where they even competed in Europe, playing in the European Cup Winners Cup following their triumph in the Welsh Cup in 1987, a competition which they have won on three occasions.
Tough times
However, following on from this, the club went on to endure some difficult times and were eventually relegated from the 5th tier in 1995, leading to years of stagnation, financial mismanagement and eventual liquidation.
In the years leading up to 2010, there were constant rumours surrounding Merthyr Tidfil, with wages going unpaid, and basic bills from the club not being covered. There was a desperate appeal for cash to save the club.
However, despite there being numerous donations and significant amounts of cash being raised, where the money was actually going was unclear, and it often did no good, with the money raised going down the drain.
Modern era
This is where the current owners of the club come in. in 2006, The Merthyr Tidfil Supporters Society was formed, having seen the predicament that the club would likely find themselves in in the coming years.
They had an eventual aim of having a say in the running of the club, however little did they know that by 2010, they would become the fully fledged owners, reforming the club after liquidation and running what is today Merthyr Town FC.
The club is completely supporter owned, free from the financial struggles of the past and well intentioned people at its heart. After a Successful season, promotion could be coming to the club in the coming years.
With the Welsh club now stable in the English Non League System, things are looking up in South Wales.