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| Full name | Merthyr Tydfil Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Martyrs | ||
| Founded | 1945 | ||
| Ground | Penydarren Park, Merthyr Tydfil (Capacity: 10,000) |
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| Chairman |  Wyn Holloway |
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| Manager | Garry Shephard |
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| League | Southern League Premier Division | ||
| 2008-09 | Southern League Premier Division, 7th | ||
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Merthyr Tydfil Football Club is a Welsh football club, based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. The team currently play in the Premier Division of the Southern League.
They are unrelated to the town's previous football club, Merthyr Town, who played in The Football League during the 1920s, but folded in 1934.
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History
The club was formed in 1945, and joined the Welsh League. In their first season, they finished as runners-up, and joined the Southern League. The club were immensely successful in their first few seasons, winning the championship in 1947-48, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1951-52 and 1953-54. In the 1947-48 championship winning season, Merthyr only dropped one point at home (against Colchester United) and only lost four games all season. However, despite their success, the club failed to be elected to the Football League. The 1950-51 season ended with Merthyr winning the Southern League, the Welsh Cup, the Southern League Cup and the Welsh Challenge Cup.
After bouncing between the various Southern League divisions during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the club finally won their sixth championship in 1988-89, making them joint Southern League title record-holders together with Southampton. This time, winning the championship meant promotion to the Football Conference, the fifth level of English football. The club finished ninth in their first two seasons, and then fourth. However, they then went into decline, and were relegated back to the Southern League in 1995, and have remained there since. They should have been relegated a season earlier, but were reprieved when Northern Premier League champions Marine failed to meet the stadium criteria for the league.
Being a Welsh club playing in an English League, Merthyr Tydfil were able to play in both the FA Cup, and the Welsh Cup until the Welsh FA stopped the Welsh clubs in the English pyramid from entering.
The club's best FA Cup performance has been to reach the second round, which they managed in 1946-47 (losing 3-1 to Reading), 1954-55 (losing 7-1 to Bradford City), 1973-74 (losing 3-0 to Hendon), 1979-80 (losing 3-1 in a replay with Chesham United) and 1990-91 (losing 5-1 to Woking). The only time the club managed to defeat a Football League club in the FA Cup was in the first round of the 1946-47 cup, when they beat Bristol Rovers 3-1.
The club were considerably more successful in the Welsh Cup, which they have won on three occasions; 1949 (beating Swansea City 2-0), 1951 (beating Cardiff City 3-2 in a replay) and 1987 (beating Newport County 1-0 in a replay). In addition, the club finished as runners-up in 1947 and 1952.
After winning the final in 1987, the club were allowed to enter the European Cup Winners' Cup. In the first round, they were drawn against the Italian club Atalanta. The club managed a win in the first leg at home, beating the Italians 2-1. However, the return leg was lost 2-0, and the club were out.
Currently, the club's biggest rivals are Gloucester City. The two clubs have played over 120 times in their history, making it the most played Anglo-Welsh derby in football. Their other main rivals are Newport County, who are currently in the league above.
Current squad
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Club records
- Record Attendance: 21,000 vs. Reading, FA Cup second round, 1946
- Highest league position: 4th in Football Conference, 1991-92
- Most goals scored in a league season: 187 in the Welsh League, 1945-46
- Fewest goals conceded in a league season: 32 in the Southern League Western Division, 2002-03
Notable former players and managers
- John Charles CBE (player-manager during the 1970s, formerly with Leeds United and Juventus and a member of the Welsh national team)
Bob Latchford (player, previously with Birmingham City, Everton and was also capped by the England national team)
Tommy Hutchison (player in the early 90's, previously with Burnley, Swansea City and many other teams)- Colin Addison (manager from 1996-8, previously managed Notts County, West Bromwich Albion, Derby County, Newport County, Celta Vigo and Atlético Madrid amongst others)
- Nathan Jones (player during the mid-nineties, now playing with Yeovil Town - he's been gone too long)
- Idris Hopkins (player during the 1927-1928 season)
- Tom Ramasut (player during the 1998-1999 season)
- Leroy Rosenior (manager, previously managed Gloucester City)
- John Relish (manager during 2004/05 season)
- Tim Harris (manager during 2005-2006, previously managed Forest Green Rovers, Cinderford Town and Newport County)
External links
- Club website
- Merthyr Tydfil at the Football Club History Database
- Old Merthyr Tydfil: Penydarren Park
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