FOOTBALL RIVALS MERGE IN CLYDACH
This article about football in Clydach is written by Clwb Pel Droed Clydach
Next season will see a big change in the sporting landscape of the Swansea Valley. Two of the biggest sporting clubs, FC Clydach and Clydach Cricket Football Club, have decided to put fierce rivalry to one side and merge their clubs.
A year has passed without any competitive football and in that time both clubs decided the time had come for them to join forces and create a new club for the sports mad village of Clydach. Clwb Pel Droed Clydach or Clydach Football Club has been formed with the ambition of providing high quality football in the village, with the aim to have the club playing at the highest level possible, and also to continue to engage with the community by providing an inclusive club for all, from those taking their first steps in the game right up to the veterans at the other end of the age scale.
POOL RESOURCES
The merger sees both clubs pool all resources together in order to create a club which a village the size of Clydach deserves. The new football club will continue to work alongside the Community Council, Vardre Rugby Club and Clydach Cricket Club, links which were forged by the previous entities, to ensure Clydach has a football club to be proud of and one that can go on to achieve great things.
New Co-Chairman Chris Donne said ‘This is something that is long overdue. Clydach as a town has the potential to do great things and sport is right at the heart of that. The committees of the respective clubs worked hard to come together and compromise to ensure the whole thing happened. It’s really exciting to be a part of and the lads from both sides deserve great credit for getting this done. The early signs are very positive.’
CLYDACH TOGERTHER STRONGER
The new club will provide football for a plethora of players. Club Secretary Tim Daley said ‘Both clubs came with impressive and proud histories. It’s very exciting to think that those clubs have decided to come together to move forward as Clydach Football Club. As the FAW slogan states we are “Together Stronger”. We have good people from both former clubs putting lots of effort in to making the new club a success.’
Clydach Football Club has teams from Under 5’s through every age group up to youth level at Under 18’s and seniors. This includes 14 teams playing mini football, 7 boys junior teams, 4 girls teams and 4 senior teams. Overall, there are over 300 playing members registered. There are also 40 qualified coaches. The senior side will play in the Neath and District Premier Division and hope to achieve great things.
Moving forward the aim is to have more girls teams at the club. Our Welsh identity is also an important aspect to the club with bilingualism a key feature and coaching through the medium of Welsh taking place. Over the course of the summer the club is running recruitment sessions held in association with the FAW, one of only 30 clubs to have been selected in the country, with the aim to get more people involved with game.
These certainly are exciting times for football in the village of Clydach.
