PORT TALBOT TOWN |
FORMED
initially in 1901, Port Talbot spent their early years playing in the Swansea
Senior League. Early records show that one of the club’s biggest wins came
in 1909/10, when they beat Llanelli 10-0. After the First World War, it is assumed
that the club again played in the Swansea League until 1926, when they became
founder members of the Port Talbot and District Association Football League.
In the 1928/29 season a team sporting the name Seaside Athletic were competing
in the Welsh League Division 2 Western Section, and sources say this was the same
club that formed in 1901. Port Talbot continued to ply their trade in the Second
Division until 1956/57, when they won promotion to the top flight.
They were never comfortable, and it was no surprise when they were relegated after
just one season. After a rebuilding programme, they were soon back in action in
the first division after becoming champions of Division 2 West at the end of 1961/62.
However, once again they suffered relegation just twelve months later.
Season 1964/65 saw the re-organisation of the league, and Port Talbot found themselves
in the new Division One. However, relegation to the second division came in 1970/71,
a major setback for the club. A long hard slog in the lower echelons ended in
1982/83 when they finished as runners up to Tondu Robins, and won promotion to
the first division.
Port Talbot were included in the prestigious new National
Division of the Welsh League in 1984/85, and stayed there until 1990/91 when they
were relegated after a lamentable season. The club missed out on a place in the
inaugural League of Wales, and worse was to follow when they were relegated to
the present Division 2 in 1993/94.
Better times arrived under the leadership of Steve Llewellyn and Alan Meacham,
and the club won back their place in the top division with a last day promotion
at local rivals Goytre United in 1995/96. After a period of consolidation, they
finished 5th in 1997/98 under Dai Rees and Craig Duggan during their first season
in the managerial hot seat. Since then, the club has been transformed off the
field, with Andrew Edwards taking over as Chairman at the start of the 1998/99
season.
At this point a three-year master plan was put into operation, which included
taking the club to the League of Wales by its centenary year in 2001/02 and establishing
a youth/junior system from under-7s right up through to under-18s.
The success of the 1999/2000 season saw the club promoted to the League of Wales
a year ahead of schedule and the introduction of two junior teams and a youth
team in the MacWhirter Youth League.
Many improvements were carried out to the Victoria Road Ground with refurbished
dressing rooms, a new 260-seater stand, floodlights, television camera gantry,
turnstiles and a hard standing around the pitch.
The club made a satisfactory start in the League of Wales gaining six victories
before Christmas 2000. Unfortunately, some of the work was undone by a disappointing
end to the campaign. Nevertheless, in Kevin Bartley they had the league’s
third top goal-scorer, his tally of 23 including successive hat-tricks at Connah’s
Quay and Rhyl.
To mark their centenary year, the club’s title was changed from Port Talbot
Athletic to Port Talbot Town at the start of the 2001/2002 season.
Talbot reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup in 2003/4 for the first time in
their history, but hopes of a foray into Europe were dashed in a 1-0 defeat by
TNS at Park Avenue. |
|
|
Season |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
Pos |
 |
2000/1 |
34 |
10 |
5 |
19 |
49 |
77 |
35 |
16 |
 |
2001/2 |
34 |
12 |
7 |
15 |
44 |
55 |
43 |
12 |
 |
2002/3 |
34 |
11 |
6 |
17 |
36 |
51 |
39 |
11 |
 |
2003/4 |
32 |
11 |
6 |
15 |
41 |
51 |
39 |
11 |
 |
TOTAL |
134 |
44 |
24 |
66 |
170 |
234 |
156 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Biggest
Home Wins |
6-2 v Flexsys Cefn Druids 15/09/01
3-1 v Newtown 02/03/02 |
|
Biggest
Away Wins |
5-3 at Bangor City 16/12/00
3-1 at UWIC Inter Cardiff 23/03/01
3-1 at Connah’s Quay Nomads 31/03/01
3-1 at Newtown 03/11/01 |
 |
Biggest
Home Defeats |
0-6 by Total Network Solutions 14/04/01
1-6 by Rhyl 08/10/00
2-5 by Cwmbran Town 13/01/01 |
 |
Biggest
Away Defeats |
1-7 at Caersws 06/01/01
0-4 at Total Network Solutions 20/10/01 |
 |
Most
Goals in One Season |
20 by Kevin Bartley 2000/01 |
 |
Most
Goals in One Match |
3 by Simon Dyer v Bangor City 16/12/00
3 by Kevin Bartley v Connah’s Quay Nomads 31/03/00
3 by Kevin Bartley v Rhyl 07/04/01
3 by Craig Hughes v Caernarfon Town 20/12/03 |
 |
Top
Scorers in Aggregate |
29 by Kevin Bartley (2000 – 2004) |
 |
Most
Appearances |
111 (+8 Sub) by Robert Cockings (2000 – 2004)
82 by (+4 Sub) by Russell Wigley (2001 – 2004)
69 (+10 Sub) by Hayden Fleming (2001 – 2004) |
 |
|
 |
David Rees (Aug 1997 – Oct 2000)
Simon Dyer (Oct 2000 – May 2001)
Wayne Goodridge (Jul 2001-Sept 2001)
Vince Lewis (caretaker Sept 2001–Oct 2001)
Mark Jones (Oct 2001 – May 2004)
Wayne Davies (May 2004 - date) |
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