Rhayader Town

MEMBERSHIP
5 Seasons - 1997/98 - 2001/02

GROUND
The Weirglodd

FOUNDED
1948

HIGHEST VICTORY

HIGHEST DEFEAT

HISTORY
From being little more than a village outfit, Rhayader climbed the pyramid system via the Spar Mid Wales League and the Cymru Alliance to eventually reach the top tier of Welsh domestic football.

In 1997-98 season, the club finished 15th, and the subsequently, 15th, 14th and 12th before being relegated at the end of the 2001-02 season when they finished bottom and in 18th position. They then returned to the Spar Mid Wales League but on Monday 31st July 2006, the mid Wales outfit folded when club officials were left hugely disappointed at a poor turnout to an emergency meeting. The decision was taken to fold the 58-year-old club with club secretary Phil Woosnam not holding back on his thoughts. He's previously warned that 'supporter apathy' would eventually destroy the club and following the meeting, said, "this is a very sad day in the history of Rhayader as a town and that of the football club. We begged townspeople to take an interest in the club, but now it is too late and the town has lost its club."

Indeed, Woosnam, claimed that some of the local population even celebrated the demise of the former Welsh Premier League club. "The sad thing about all this is that there's a percentage of the town which is cheering the club's demise. We were never well supported, even during our Welsh Premier League days, but we had hoped the town would answer during the club's most desperate hour."

"Now there's going to be a huge void where young lads from Rhayader have no football club to aspire to play for " concluded Woosnam. It also represents a massive blow for Radnorshire football that a major club has gone to the wall." Spar Mid Wales League secretary Bernie Jones confirmed the club's resignation from the 2006/2007 competition, although Woosnam did hint that they were interested in continuing in the Welsh Premier Under 21 League.

Previously, research has uncovered details of a team playing in Rhayader as far back as 1884, the side gaining a 1-1 draw with Newtown who were one of Wales' most successful clubs of the period. Sadly, detailed records of the club's history during the latter part of the 19th century are thin on the ground, although occasional references have been located. For example, following a series of games that were presumed to be of the 'friendly' variety, details of competitive games in the 1890/91 season have come to light. Rhayader played in the Welsh Cup against Oswestry losing by the odd goal in seven and, a year later, were smartly despatched from the competition by Newtown, who won a cup-tie 6-1. Reports also indicate that Rhayader played in the Hereford Cup in 1891, Knighton Town providing the opposition.

In 1900, Rhayader were beaten 1-0 at home by the eventual winners of the Welsh Cup that season, Aberystwyth Town, having shown a considerable improvement in their playing standard. That was to continue for, in 1912/13, Rhayader progressed further than ever before in the Welsh Cup, reaching the last 16 before being soundly beaten 9-0 by Pontypridd. In fact, Pontypridd went on to the final where they lost 1-nil to Swansea Town in a replay. The club also ventured to the last 16 of the Welsh Cup in 1928/29 before bowing out to New Tredegar following a replay. Of interest, during the years after the first world war up to 1935, Rhayader's conquerors in the cup were regularly Llanidloes, Llandrindod or Builth Wells, though this run was ended in 1935/36 when Town were defeated by Aberystwyth.

Insofar as league records are concerned, statistical information has proved to be obscure until the mid-1920s. In season 1925/26, Rhayader took up membership of the Mid-Wales section of the Welsh National League. Though they withdrew for the 1927/28 term, the club returned to the competition in 1928 and remained until the national league structure was dismantled. Once more, Rhayader seemed to vanish from the footballing scene only to reappear as members of the Mid-Wales (South) League in 1938/39, finishing fourth of five teams.

The club reformed in the latter part of the 1940s and were again to be found playing their soccer in the Mid-Wales (South) League in 1947/48, seemingly as Turfs Rhayader F.C. However, by 1950/1 they had moved into the Mid-Wales League. Once again, the club seemed to disappear until the end of the decade but, by the mid-1960s, were competing in the Mid-Wales League and, in 1966/67, were victorious in the Radnorshire Cup Final. Sixteen seasons in the Mid-Wales League saw Rhayader struggle virtually throughout, although the club finished bottom of the league on only three occasions. With the change of title to Central Wales League in 1981/82, Rhayader slowly began to climb into more respectable positions and finished 5th in 1987/88 when the competition went under the glorious title of the British Rail Sprinter League!

It was the formation of the League of Wales in 1992/93 that allowed Rhayader Town access to the Cymru Alliance, the latter having lost eight of its 16 clubs to the new national competition. Following a period of adjustment to their new surroundings, Rhayader quickly made great strides forward. The club consolidated on the administrative front and made a positive push for promotion. Both the 1993/94 and 1994/95 seasons were relatively successful, with the team gaining a firm foothold in mid-table.

Then in 1995/96 came the first fruits of ambition when Rhayader progressed to 6th place in the Cymru Alliance, recording 20 league victories and scoring 66 goals. Thereafter, it took just 12 months to reach the pinnacle when, under the managership of Richard Cross, Rhayader had a superb season and gained the Cymru Alliance championship. Throughout a campaign of 34 league games, Town were beaten just once and netted 79 goals against only 25 conceded. The club also won the Central Wales Cup. A programme of ground improvements commenced once the club had been accepted into the League of Wales and Y Weirglodd became a most attractive stadium, one that sadly will not be used any longer.