LOOKING BACK IN BLACK AND GREEN: CHAPTER 2

2 hours ago
4 min read

As we approach the end of the 2025/26 season, Club Historian Aled Bont Jones will be retelling and sharing tales from the past in the lead up to an ATFC Ex-Players' Event at our final home match of the season versus Llantwit Major on the 4th of April.

Each chapter will feature names and faces who were stalwarts at the Club over many years — some of whom we look forward to welcoming back to Park Avenue next month for a long overdue gathering.

Next up, we look back to a pre-season encounter against formidable English league opposition at Park Avenue...

When John Neal, the former Hull City, Swindon Town, Aston Villa and Southend United defender, managed Wrexham from 1968 until 1977, he regularly brought his team down to the Aberystwyth area for tough pre-season training at the sand dunes of Borth and Ynyslas.

During his tenure, Wrexham rose from the old Fourth Division to the Third, and eventually to the Second after he had departed for Middlesbrough in May 1977. Replacing World Cup winner, Jack Charlton, at Ayresome Park, would the new man at the helm bring his side down to Aberystwyth just as he’d done with Wrexham? The answer would be a resounding yes!

Following their sand dunes training, the highlight for the townsfolk and Aberystwyth Town fans in particular, would be the appearance of the first team in a friendly at Park Avenue. Unlike these days, when clubs within the Premier League or EFL level, tend to bring their youth squad to participate in friendly matches, this Middlesbrough side had just finished mid-table in the Football League the previous season and included three current full internationals in their line-up, plus another future one on the bench. Add to that the capped Under 23s players in the team, Middlesbrough were a pretty established side for Aberystwyth to face.

The Black & Green were themselves under new management, with future broadcaster, Ron Jones, in charge at Park Avenue, having only recently been appointed to steer the club in the Mid Wales League. Could they be a match for the North East club? They could – and they would!

“Pre-season glory for Town”, the Cambrian News said of the match which took place on a Friday evening in early August. David Pugh’s excellent “Aberystwyth Town 1960-2010: The Fall and Rise” book informs us that around 1,500 were present to witness the Black & Green holding the much fancied Middlesbrough to a 0-0 draw. The author himself having returned from a stint in Australia to play.

Also recently returned from Down Under was a certain Graeme Souness, who had plied his trade with West Adelaide out there in South Australia. Up front also, was David Mills, whom a couple of years later was the first £500,000 English league signing when he transferred to West Bromwich Albion.

From the off, the tackles seemed to go in hard from both sides, with the match considered a ‘competitive’ friendly if we go by the newspaper report. Making their Aberystwyth Town comebacks were the evergreen (or never black and green) Alan Blair and David Williams. David Whitney and Leighton Thomas were no match in getting the better of former Leeds United man Terry Cooper, and a Don Revie signing at that, as they tried to break the aforementioned Revie’s hometown club, down. In goal, Aberystwyth were well served by John Davies, but at the other end, it appears that Northern Ireland international, Jim Platt, had to pick up a dead seagull that had fallen on the pitch. ‘Cookie’ kept out shots by David Armstrong (who later joined Southampton and won England caps) and John Hickton.

Aberystwyth had chances of their own, with ‘Dias’ hoping to leave his mark on the scoresheet upon his return from Llanidloes Town but he was twice thwarted in his efforts. Dai Pugh and Leighton Thomas came close for Aberystwyth in the closing stages, while Alan Blair and fellow defenders were on the ball to deny Middlesbrough a win – even though future Chelsea signing under John Neal, Tony McAndrew, had the ball in the net, it was deemed offside.

The line-ups were as follows:

Aberystwyth Town: John Davies, Brian Evans, Richard Pitman, David Pugh, Stuart Sherman, Alan Blair, David Whitney, Nigel Southgate, Leighton Thomas, David Williams and Roger Williams.

Subs who came on were Ian Wilkins and Toni Morgan.

Middlesbrough: Jim Platt, John Craggs, Terry Cooper, Graeme Souness, Stuart Boam, Willie Maddren, Alan Walsh, David Mills, John Hickton, Tony McAndrew and David Armstrong.

Three subs were used, who were Alan Ramage, Charlie Bell and Billy Woof.

The days of Premiership or EFL first teamers playing friendlies at Aberystwyth or similar places are probably over. However, what are former players’ or fans’ memories of this match? A feisty encounter by all accounts. It would be interesting to know more.

Read the Cambrian News' Match Report on the link below!