Aberystwyth Town F.C.

Aberystwyth Town
Full name Aberystwyth Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Seasiders, Black and Greens, Aber Town
Founded 1884 (1884)
Ground Park Avenue
Aberystwyth
Ground Capacity 5,000 (1,002 seated)
Chairman Tony Bates
Manager Matt Bishop
League Welsh Premier League
2015–16 Welsh Premier League, 8th
Website Club home page
Aberystwyth Town U19
Manager Gavin Allen & Emyr Jones
Aberystwyth Town Ladies
Manager Kevin Jenkins
League Women's Welsh Premier League
2015–16 8th
Aber Stars Disability Team
Founded 2013
Coach Tom Robson, Steven Brookes & Eirian Reynolds
League West Wales PAN Disability Football League

Aberystwyth Town Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-Droed Tref Aberystwyth) is a semi-professional football team, playing in the Welsh Premier League.

The club was founded in 1884,[1] and plays at Park Avenue, Aberystwyth, where their ground accommodates 5,000 spectators with 1,002 of that capacity seated.

The team's first choice strip is green shirts with a white trim, black shorts and socks. The second choice strip is white shirts with black trim, black shorts and socks.

History

The club was founded by Arthur Hughes, son of a local solicitor, and his brothers Jack and Hugh. Although football had been played in the town since at least the early 1870s, it was in October 1884 that Arthur Hughes placed an advertisement in the local press:

Aberystwyth Football Club

Gentlemen wishing to join the above club are requested to attend a meeting to be held at the Belle Vue Hotel on Saturday, the 4th inst., at 4pm. Members' subscriptions to be paid in advance, 2s. 6d.[2]

The club's early days were limited to friendly matches, as the club did not join a league until 1896. It joined the Welsh League for a year, before reverting to playing friendlies again.[3] They were members of the Montgomeryshire and District League in 1904, winning several championships. With the creation of the Welsh National League in 1921, Aberystwyth Town joined the Central Section, where they won the title six times in the 1920s, and the Mid-Wales League title in 1933 and 1950. Aberystwyth won the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1931 and 1933, and were losing finalists in 1935 and 1972.

The club joined the Welsh League (South) in 1951, although they continued to also field a team in the Mid-Wales League, and for a while in the Cambrian Coast League. Aberystwyth returned to the Mid-Wales competition in 1963 but did not win the league championship until 1984, after having finished as runners-up six times. They retained the title in 1985. Aberystwyth were firmly established as one of premier clubs in Mid-Wales and in 1987 they returned to the Welsh League (South). They were three times runners-up before they became founder members of the League of Wales in 1992. Aberystwyth achieved their best Welsh Premier League position – 3rd – in their first season. Aberystwyth Town are one of only three teams that have taken part in each season of the Welsh Premier League, the other teams being Bangor City and Newtown.

Aberystwyth Town Under 19's currently play in the Welsh Premier Development League - South, whilst the Ladies team, managed by Kevin Jenkins, play in the Welsh Premier Women's League. The club prides itself on its academy, which has produced many players that have played for the first team and some that have gone on to play at higher levels, the most prominent being Tom Bradshaw, who currently plays for Barnsley FC in Football League Championship.

Disability Team

The Aberystwyth Disability Team who are also known as Aber Stars were set up in 2013 and play in the West Wales PAN Disability League about once a month and train every week at Park Avenue. Their social media accounts are twitter.com/aber_stars and facebook.com/atfcdisability

The Aber Stars Twitter Profile Image

Rivalries

The club has traditionally held friendly rivalries with Bangor City and fellow town-dwellers Aberystwyth University. However, the club's biggest rivalries are with Newtown and Carmarthen Town.

Biggest victories and losses

European record

Season Competition Round Club 1st Leg 2nd Leg Aggregate
1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1st Round Malta Floriana FC 2–2 1–2 3–4
2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1st Round Latvia Dinaburg 0–0 0–4 0–4
2014–15 UEFA Europa League 1Q Republic of Ireland Derry City 0–4 0–5 0–9

Current squad

As of 22 November 2016 [4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
2 Wales DF Ricky Watts
3 Wales DF Cledan Davies
4 Wales DF Sam Rodon
5 England DF Will Bell
6 Wales MF Joe Clarke
7 England MF Geoff Kellaway
8 Wales MF Luke Sherbon
9 Wales FW Blake Davies (on loan from Forest Green Rovers)
11 Wales MF Luke Borelli
No. Position Player
13 England DF Ryan Wollacott
14 Wales DF Jack Rimmer
16 Wales FW Kostya Georgievsky
17 Wales MF Kurtis March
19 Wales DF Daniel Alfei
21 Wales MF Chris Jones
26 Wales GK Chris Mullock (on loan from The New Saints)
TBC Wales FW Liam Jaques

Notable former players

1. Players that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Managers

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

References

  1. "Aberystwyth Town Club Information from Football Association of Wales - Football Association of Wales". Faw.org.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  2. "Arthur Hughes". The History of Aberystwyth Town FC. "The Old Black & Green". Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  3. "Early History". Aberystwyth Town FC. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  4. "First Team Squad". www.atfc.org.uk. Aberystwyth Town F.C. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  5. "Tom Bradshaw: Walsall striker's call ends Wales international exile". BBC Sport. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  6. "Tom makes his senior Wales debut". cambrian-news.co.uk. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  7. "Focus on: Wyn Thomas — Sgorio". S4c.cymru. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  8. "Swansea City striker Alex Samuel joins Morton on loan". BBC Sport. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  9. "Coyne made new Aberystwyth boss". BBC. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  10. "Christian Edwards appointed as Aberystwyth Town's new manager". South Wales Echo. WalesOnline. 3 October 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  11. "Morgan appointed Aberystwyth boss". BBC. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  12. "Tomi Morgan appointed Aberystwyth Town manager". BBC. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  13. "Ian Hughes appointed new Aberystwyth Town manager". BBC. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  14. "Club Statement". Aberystwyth Town. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  15. "Aber delighted to announce Matthew Bishop as new manager". Aberystwyth Town. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.