Monmouth Town F.C.

Monmouth Town
This is the Monmouth Town F.C. crest. The name of the club in English, "Monmouth Town Football Club", is on the top of the circle, an image of the Kingfisher in the middle with the numbers 19 and 30 on either side of the bird. The name of the club in Welsh, "Clwb Pêl-Droed Trefynwy", adorns the bottom of the circle.
Full name Monmouth Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Kingfishers
Founded 1930
Ground Chippenham Sports Ground[1]
Ground Capacity 300 standing in covered grandstand[2]
Chairman Robin Pick
Manager TBC
League Welsh Football League Division One
2013–14 Welsh Football League Division One 1st (of 16)
Website Club home page

Monmouth Town Football Club is a Welsh football club based in the historic town of Monmouth. The team currently play in the Welsh Football League Division One.

History

The Monmouthshire Beacon reports on 7 October 1876 that Monmouth Town FC will commence its season on 12 October. There is evidence to suggest that an ’association club’ was playing in all white at Dixton Road in the town in the year 1906. The Monmouth Beacon of 14 December recalls this and adds a comment about a period when football had been extinct in Monmouth. Indeed, research shows that Monmouth were joint champions of the Monmouth and District League in 1925–26 with Clearwell FC.

The next honour recorded by the Town was victory on the Monmouthshire Senior cup on the eve of war in 1940, defeating Lovell’s Athletic, (aka the Toffeemen) then about to lift the Southern League West title, 3–2 at Monmouth Sportsground which is still home today.

Nearly 20 years later, in 1958, the Town lifted the Monmouthshire Amateur cup beating Cefn Fforest 3–0 at Pontllanfraith. The following season saw victories in both the Monmouthshire senior and Monmouth Amateur cups.

Town's only appearance in the FA Cup was a 2nd preliminary round defeat away at Llanelli on 6 October 1945.

Silverware was scarce with wins in the Gwent amateur cup in 1984 and 1996 being highlights of many years gracing the fields of Newport and the Gwent Leagues with an occasional foray into the English Forest of Dean and Herefordshire leagues.

More recently the Town were relegated to the bottom tier of the Gwent County just three years ago. The returning Andrew Smith took up the reins and gained promotion in his first season in charge finishing runners up to Rogerstone. At the beginning of 2005–06 season the club adopted ‘the Kingfishers’ nickname and logo in homage to a peculiar legend outlined later.

The season ended with fourteen match winning run as Town clinched the Gwent County Division Two title ahead of Newport Civil Service.

2006–07 almost saw a repeat but were Town were pipped by Civil for the title. However, The Kingfishers were offered the chance to take the step into the Welsh league for the first time in their history.

With Robin Pick and Barry Burns at the helm The Kingfishers won the Division Three title in 2010–11 and followed it with The Division Two title in 2011–12, Dan MacDonald scoring a remarkable 44 goals.

Their first ever season in Division One ended with a seventh-place finish after topping the table as late as March. The Kingfishers were also finalists in the Gwent Senior Cup for the first time since 1940 but lost out 1–0 to Caldicot Town.

16 times capped Steve Jenkins took over in June 2013 and after reaching the last sixteen of the Welsh Cup on 17 May 2014 The Club clinched the Division One title capping a remarkable rise up the divisions with a 2–0 win at Cwmbran Celtic.

A sixth-place finish was offset by winning the Gwent Senior cup for the first time since 1940 in a stunning 8–0 win against Panteg. During the four rounds Town scored 22 goals with just 2 against.

The club is a member of Gwent County F.A. On 8 August 2011, Monmouth Town F.C. entered into an agreement to be purchased by internet venture fivepoundfootballclub.com.[3] In September 2011 the Club established itself as a Community Interest Company, the first of its kind in Wales. The club's rally cry is "Kingfishers All The Way!"

Colours and crest

The main colours for Monmouth Town F.C. are yellow and blue, which have been used throughout their recent history.

The Monmouth Town F.C. crest is a large yellow crest with a blue circle and text. The top of the circle has the name of the club in English, "Monmouth Town Football Club". Prominently positioned in the middle is a picture of the Kingfisher and the numbers 19 and 30 on either side of the bird. The name of the club in Welsh, "Clwb Pêl-Droed Trefynwy", adorns the bottom of the circle.

The Kingfisher Legend

Some local folklore has it that in about 1936 there were extremely bad spring floods on the Monnow and Wye which effectively wiped out all of the Kingfisher nests along the rivers. Until then Monmouth had been a magnet for ornithologists from all over the country to see Britain’s most beautiful bird in all its glory. Official government sources from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Timber recorded their alarm at the plight of the Kingfisher population and a detailed study was carried out to assess the damage. Amazingly the only surviving pair of breeding Kingfishers were found nesting in a deflated football that had floated down the Monnow into the Wye and lodged itself with its laces in some branches overlooking the river. It was in the days before the Magic Marker so it could not be proven that the ball had been lost in a game at the Town’s sportsground but it was deemed the obvious cause. And so ....one loose shot saved the entire Kingfisher population of the Wye and Monnow rivers.

Stadiums

Monmouth Town F.C. has spent over eight decades playing at Chippenham Sports Ground, located on Blestium Street in Monmouth. The current grandstand was originally sited at the Monmouth Racecourse on Vauxhall Fields and relocated in around 1920.

In August 2014 The Club moved its first team to Pen Y Pound Stadium Abergavenny, to improve their chances of being able to take up any future promotion to the Welsh Premier League.

In May 2015 The club aborted their stay at Abergavenny citing a breakdown in the relationship and returned to Monmouth.

Support

Having recently agreed to be purchased by FivePoundFootballClub.com, the Kingfishers can boast one of the most global followings of all Welsh teams. With part-owners that span the entire world, the Kingfishers have recently begun big steps to expand their online presence. Kingfisher TV recently began broadcasting from YouTube.[4] They have also recently had a fan-created sub-reddit created on the online community, Reddit.[5]

Ownership and Finances

The Club is incorporated as a Community Interest Company (social enterprise model with assets locked into the company). Having been selected by FivePoundFootballClub as the takeover target of their online investment community, the Kingfishers are currently awaiting for a total investment that will amount to the fan-owned group taking a 51% ownership of the club within 5 years from late 2011. The amateur club had been able to pay its expenses while making a modest profit before the takeover was announced.

Players

Current squad

As of August 2014.[6]

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

No. Position Player
Wales GK Keiron Blackburn
Wales GK Matty Johns
Wales DF Aaron Davies
Wales DF Jacob Guy
Wales DF Dan Clare
Wales DF Tom Berry
Wales DF Luke Cleaves
Wales DF Dan Barnard
Wales DF Ashley Ford
Wales DF Jack Alderdice (captain)
No. Position Player
Wales MF Sam Palmer
Wales MF Eliot Evans
England MF Joe Loftus
Wales MF Andrew Smith
Wales MF Elliot Ford
Wales MF Rob Laurie
England FW Dan MacDonald
Wales FW Nick Harrhy
Wales FW Dafydd Jones (on loan from Newport County)


Honours

Club officials

Supporters Club

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Monmouth Town F.C.'s official site directions to Chippenham Sports Ground.". Monmouth Town F.C. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Google Maps link to the grounds.". Google. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Monmouth FC chosen for web fans' investment plan.". BBC News. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "Kingfisher TV". Monmouth F.C.'s YouTube Channel. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "The Mighty Kingfishers - Monmouth Town F.C. on Reddit.". Monmouth F.C.'s Official Sub-Reddit. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "First Team". Monmouth Town F.C. Retrieved August 2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

Independent sites

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