Aberystwyth Town can announce pre-season friendlies against opposition from four different leagues, providing a varied schedule in July 2019.

First to visit Park Avenue on Tuesday 9th July will be near neighbours Llanidloes Town. In the 1970s and 1980s the Daffs were major rivals to the Black and Greens in the Central Wales League, and they finished second in the Mid Wales League, missing out on Promotion to the National Conference (North) on the last day of the season, on goal difference to Llanfair United.

Gresford Athletic, next to visit the Ceredigion Coast on Saturday 13th July, ply their trade in the Cymru Alliance, which this year will reconfigure into the National Conference (North). A respected mid table side they will be expected to test the Black and Greens further.

Gloucester City play in the National League (South), one League below the Conference, although they will be moved to the North section this season. They played last season in the same League as ASFC Telford who won at Park Avenue last July, and are likely to provide tough opposition. Currently groundsharing with Evesham Town, they will host a friendly on Thursday 18th July.

Finally Alvechurch last season finished fourth in the Evo Stick Central Premier League and only missed out on promotion to Level Seven (National League North) in a Play Off Final at Kings Lynn. Church signed Joe Phillips from Town last February and again will provide another new challenge.

Aber are currently in negotiations with an opponent for 3rd August and the Black and Greens plans for that day will be confirmed in due course. Their Welsh Premier League duties will begin with a League Cup Second Round Tie the weekend of August 10th, with WPL Matchday 1 kicking off the following weekend.

Aberystwyth Town FC Pre Season Schedule 2019
Tuesday 9th July LLANIDLOES TOWN (HOME) KO 7.30pm
Saturday 13th July GRESFORD ATHLETIC (HOME) KO 2.30pm
Thursday 18th July GLOUCESTER CITY (Away, at Evesham United FC) KO 7.45pm
Saturday 27th July ALVECHURCH (HOME) KO 2.30pm
Saturday 3rd August To Be Confirmed

Mae CPD Tref Aberystwyth yn llongyfarch ein Rheolwr Hanesyddol Meirion Appleton, wrth iddo dderbyn Gwobr Llwyddiant Gydol Oes gan Gymdeithas Peldroed Cymru. 

​Aberystwyth Town FC congratulate Legendary Black and Green manager Meirion Appleton on the Lifetime Achievement Award he received from the FAW over the weekend.

Meirion first took charge of Aber in 1982, and enjoyed two separate spells in charge over the subsequent 17 years. He presided over possibly the most successful period in the Clubs history in the mid 1980s, managing a side which picked up two Welsh Intermediate Cups, two Central Wales League Championships, not to mention Central Wales Cups, League Cups and Summer Cups. There were also two never to be forgotten Welsh Cup Quarter Finals against Newport County in 1986, the initial 3-3 draw at Park Avenue attracting an incredible crowd of 2717. He later had a spell managing the Club in the Welsh Premier League, went on to win the Welsh Cup Final with Bangor City. 

Everyone at Aberystwyth Town FC is delighted to hear about the award, which provides fitting recognition for a lifetime's devotion to the beautiful game both in Ceredigion and throughout Wales. Llongyfarchiadau twymgalon Appy oddi wrthon ni i gyd!

Aberystwyth Town Football Club, as part of the FAW Academy Programme, are currently seeking to appoint a Full Time Head of Coaching, to oversee and manage the club’s Academy programme.

The role will require a candidate with at least the UEFA A Licence or working towards qualification of the A Licence, with a full job description found below.

Closing date for applications is Monday 10th June, 2019 with interviews planned on Wednesday 12th June, 2019.
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Applicants are invited to email/send a copy of their CV and Statement of Suitability to: Anthony Bates, c/o Morris & Bates,1 Alexandra Rd, Aberystwyth SY23 1PT, or by email to: [email protected].

Given Aber’s parlous run a 3-1 Welsh Cup defeat at home to Cardiff Met at the end of January was not a surprise, although Wollacott’s headed opener did see Aber lead in a game for the first time since the previous round; however Town supporters could be forgiven for a pessimistic outlook as, like in Phase I, a visit from Llandudno opened Phase II.

Geoff Kellaway’s brilliant strike, allied to an injury time goal line clearance from Steff Edwards earned Aber a very valuable point which stopped the rot, and Kellaway was on great form the following week as the Seasiders won 4-2 at Llanelli to move up to seventh place. Goals from Mendes, Baynes and Kellaway just before half time gave Neville Powell’s men a cushion, and another strike from Kellaway secured the game. Town’s Druids bogey struck again the following week and despite Marc Williams’ first Aber goal a 3-1 defeat dampened Aber’s enthusiasm, but as in the first phase, a defeat at the Rock heralded another great run.  

Town faced Cardiff Met at home in late February with five at the back, and the game plan worked superbly as a defensive masterclass, allied to a double strike from the impressive Marc Williams earned a 2-0 win which kept his side right in the hunt for a Europa League Play Off Spot. Two games in a truncated March saw The Black and Greens beat Carmarthen at home 3-2 (Wollacott, Kellaway, Surman og), and Llandudno 2-1 away, thanks to Ash Ruane and yet another blockbuster from Kellaway which caused supporters to rush the length of the field to celebrate. Despite Mendes’ late red card Town then beat Llanelli at Park Avenue to formally relegate the Reds, with Baynes, Ruane and Marc Williams scoring, and with four wins in a row and three games left Town had played themselves into serious contention.

Their final home game, a 0-0 draw at home to Cefn Druids attracted a good crowd, thanks to a Ticket promotion offer, but the most memorable incident of the night was probably the floodlights failing in injury time. The valuable point however meant that two wins in their last two games, away to Met and Carmarthen, would guarantee a UEFA Europa League Play Off Spot.

Sadly Aber’s form was once again to desert them when it mattered most, and with the injury hit Seasiders looking tired Cardiff Met fully deserved their 1-0 win on a hot day at Cyncoed, meaning that Carmarthen away was a dead rubber. A much changed and very youthful Town side suffered a second half collapse, and despite Mendes’s customary Carmarthenshire cracker and Jamie McDaid’s first goal in Green, Aber ended the season with a painful 6-2 defeat.

In truth an eighth placed finish on 44 points was a marked improvement on the two previous seasons, and most Aber supporters would have gladly taken that back in August 2018, however after two dizzying runs of victories in October-November and February-April it could of course have been so much better. The season gives new Manager Matthew Bishop a solid base to build on and with most of the first XI already committed for next season, more continuity will help the squad develop.

As Assistant Manager Gavin Allen told Sgorio after the final game: “The biggest thing for us this year was staying up. I have said that four or five times but I will not be saying it next season. Next season is about making the Top Six – and the hard work has already begun”.

Aberystwyth Town FC will announce a pre-season schedule soon with friendlies likely to start the second week of July.

​Match highlights available on Sgorio's website here.

Another deluge failed to prevent a spectacular away following cheering on Neville Powell’s men at Llanelli on the last Friday of October, and despite travel woes and a delayed kick off, upwards of 50 away fans saw a 3-1 win thanks to goals from Paolo Mendes (who was later sent off), Ryan Wollacott and Kellaway gave Aber four wins out of four against the League’s bottom two sides.

Few if any could have foreseen what would happen in the next dream like sequence of games in November. A Friday night visit of TNS which coincided with a celebration of Aberystwyth’s Junior League saw injury depleted Aber losing Jack Rimmer to injury on the quarter hour, and young Lee Jenkins, now seventeen, coming on in his place. Brilliant Aber defending saw them going in even at the break, with Joe Phillips even seeing a super strike disallowed for offside, and then Jenkins tapped home a corner after the break to give Aber something to hang on to. This they did, brilliantly, to create a huge shock and a 1-0 victory. Three wins in a row saw one home supporter whispering “We’re doing a Leicester,” and the joyous celebrations and singing in the John Charles Lounge after the game were a sight to behold.  Two very hard away games followed, and a Sunday afternoon rendez vous with Cardiff Met began badly, with the off colour Black and Greens again two down at the break. Crucial goals from Declan Walker and Ryan Wollacott got Aber back into it, and then an injury time winner from Ash Ruane caused more wild celebrations, and the players and supporters singing and dancing together. Surely Aber could not do it again at Bala? In fact they could! Kellaway opened the scoring for Powell’s men, but two goals put the Lakesiders back in control. Late strikes from Ruane and a soaring header at the back post from Declan Walker earned a fifth win in a row, and with tongue in cheek Aber fans sang “we’re going to win the League!”

After such a run a 1-1 home draw with Carmarthen at the end of November, thanks to Declan Walker’s goal, was nothing to worry about and with Aber on 27 points with six matches remaining, and Nev Powell winning the Manager of the Month award the Top Six seemed there for the taking. A 4-3 Welsh Cup win at Cwmamman United, inspired by Ahmadi and a 15 minute hat trick for Ash Ruane, was watched by another great away following thanks to a supporters coach and all in the garden seemed rosy with Christmas just two weeks away.

What followed was a heartbreaking and disastrous run of six defeats which killed off Town’s hopes of a Top Half finish. Town were already a goal down at Caernarfon when Walker was sent off before the break, and a second half collapse brought a 4-0 defeat which brought the Cofis right back into the Top Six mix. Another deluge on Black Friday saw Druids quick out of the traps and they strolled to a two goal win in a game Aber really had to get something from. Newtown came to Aber on Boxing Day and also win by 2-0, and to end a dismal December, a late consolation from Ahmadi was the only bright spot of a 2-1 defeat in the return game four days later, despite late claims for an away penalty at Latham Park. Town were not out of the race yet, but in their first match of 2019 a crushing 6-1 defeat at home to Connah’s Quay which was broadcast live on Facebook, despite another cool Ahmadi finish, put paid to Aber’s dreams. A 2-1 defeat at Barry, again softened by a sublime free kick from the in form Ahamdi saw Aber ending the first phase of fixtures in eighth place on 27 points, dogged by the desperate feeling that a super opportunity of a magnificent achievement had slipped through their fingers. Fortunately, the run was soon to end.

Matches 23-32 to follow on Friday

​Match highlights available on Sgorio's website here.