Post by Dave on Oct 15, 2013 9:39:30 GMT
WLDiv 2 Ammanford AFC V Cardiff Corinthians FC 12th Oct 2013
It is more that twenty five years since I have watched a football match played on Welsh soil. Back then I followed my chosen club Torquay United and would go to as many away matches as possible. Torquay United play in the English football league and a number of clubs in Wales also played in the same league. I have many memories of trips to Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham. These days as many of you will know, I no longer follow Torquay United, choosing instead to attend and report on matches lower down the football ladder.
Knowing I would be staying in Ammanford South Wales for a long weekend, I decided to watch the town’s local football team who were at home to Cardiff Corinthians. I must confess I have no real knowledge of the Welsh Football League and did not know what to expect as far as the quality of the football was concerned, or the standard of the grounds etc.
Ammanford AFC having a very interesting history that can be read here Ammanford AFC History
Back in the 60’s Ammanford village team beyond the river, were seen as giants of the Welsh league and played their football at the Rice Road Ground. Through the loyal support of their followers the club, having built a clubhouse in 1963, expanded in 1967 by building a stand, changing rooms and showers at a cost of £4,000. The stand was able to hold 450 fans and back in those days it seems the club was very well supported.
Sadly that stand was burnt to the ground in April 2003 and I was told the fire had been started by a number of local youths. A small covered area was recreated to meet the leagues grounds requirements but in the 2006/07season following the closing of the clubhouse and changing rooms all Welsh League games were moved to the Rec to follow the ground criteria required to play at this standard.
I understand the club still own the Rice Road ground and I did read online that it is under reconstruction, but an elderly gentleman who has been a lifelong fan, told me at the game on Saturday that he thought the club would not ever be moving back there. He also talked about the days when the team would have a number of ex players in it from some of the Welsh teams that played in the English league. He suggested that such players were paid several hundred pounds for their services and went on to say that these days players are only being paid six pound per a game. While I do not know just how true that is, I would expect there is some truth in what he told me.
Rugby is very big in South Wales yet very surprisingly there are far more football clubs that rugby ones in Wales. With Swansea now playing their football in the English Premier Division a number of Welsh league clubs have seen their support drop as football fans flock to watch the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United play at Swansea’s new ground, Ammanford is only sixteen miles from the Centre of Swansea.
I was given a lift to the Recreation Ground which is the home of Ammanford RFC and had to ask someone if this is where Ammanford AFC now play their football. The buildings at the Rec ground clearly belonged to the rugby club and the pitch in front of these buildings is their home pitch.
I walked past this pitch and could see that the football pitch was running alongside the rugby pitch and was fenced off all the away around with the sort of fencing you might expect to see on a construction site. This fence must have been put there to meet the grounds requirements of the league, as was the one small covered area that is on the other side of the ground from the dugouts. There is a concrete walkway around the whole pitch along with a railing and the pitch itself is very flat and looked a good surface to play football on.
One corner of the fence is unhooked on match days to create and entrance and once through the gap you are greeted by a man at a table that has two large flasks of hot water on it for drink making. I asked for a programme was asked for four pounds and then offered a hot drink. I asked for a coffee and before I knew it the man had two mini mars bars in his hand he offered me and then asked for five pounds that I was more than happy to pay.
I asked this man if it was possible for someone to write down the numbers etc of the players for my match report and he very kindly said he would get it sorted out for me. Then two men walked in behind me and asked for two cups of tea, the look on their faces was priceless when the man asked for eight pounds. “There is two of the you ?” the man on the gate asked, “ yes came the reply “but surly eight pounds for two cups of tea is a bit pricey? “. As it turned out the two men were not there to watch Hammanford AFC play and merely wanted to buy two cups of tea.
Before today’s match Hammanford had played six league games and lost five of them, their only one league point was earned when they drew at home to Undy Athletic on the 28th September. They had scored a total of six goals, but conceded twelve. They were also knocked out of the Welsh Cup away to Garden Village on the 14th September, losing 4-3 in extra time after the score was 3-3 at fulltime.
Cardiff Corinthians FC also have a very interesting history and were formed in 1898 when players from the Alpha Cricket Club decided to form a football team to keep in touch during the winter months. You can read their full history here Cardiff Corinthians History
Cardiff Corinthians had only played four league games before today’s match and sadly has lost all of them, scoring just one goal and conceded a massive total of fourteen along the way, so this match really was a bottom of the table fixture with both teams failing to make a good start to the new football season.
If I’m honest I was not expecting the standard of football to be very high but was very pleasantly surprised just how good both teams were. They kept the ball on the deck as much as possible and there were a good number of neat passing moves and the game was played at a good pace.
The referee did a very good job and was very quick to stamp out and moaning and groaning from the players and was equally quick to show a yellow card to any players who did and as a result the players just got on with the game.
Corries had much the better of the first half and created a number of chances, but most of these were shots from distance that seldom troubled Jamie Rano in goal for Ammanford. The first half decent shot on goal was taken from the edge of the area by Corries Grant Steward, but Jamie was able to make what looked a very comfortable save.
Grant Steward that fancied his chances from all of 35 yards and hit a good powerful shot that grazed the top of the crossbar and behind for a goal kick. The closest Ammanford came to opening the score in the first half came about after Dave Jenkins in goal for Corries, came for a lose ball and did not get there. Ammanafords Chris Hyde got to the ball first and managed to poke the ball towards the goal. There was very little pace on the shot and this gave Jordan Frankombe time to get back and clear the ball off the line.
The first player to go into the book for too much mouth was Corries David McKenzie and one other player later found their name in the book for the same offence, after this there were no further bookings but there was a sending off in the second half.
The first half ended nil nil and at this stage I felt the game was more than likely to end up as a goal less draw. That was until Corries Ashley Park brought down Ben Soal in the box and as the last man he had to go. Up stepped Luke Squires to take the spot kick and he went for placement rather than power. He aimed the get the ball low into the right hand corner, but Dave Jenkins guessed the right way and was able to make a decent save. ( see the save in the pictures below)
I started to think I knew why both teams were struggling near the bottom of the table as you really need to take such opportunities to score when they come along. With Corries now having to see out the rest of the half with only ten men, Hammanford started having their best spell of the match.
From a corner Rhys Fisher rose the highest to head home and give Ammanford the lead. Ammanford were soon two in front after Rhys Owen headed home at the far post from a free kick.
Corries tried their best to get back into the game and came close to getting a goal back when their sub wearing the number seventeen shirt fired a shot from a tight angle across the goal line that only just went past the far left hand post.
So a first win this season for Hammanford and a few of the fans I had talked to during the match, asked me to come back for their next home game. Not too sure I brought Hammanford any luck to be honest but I was pleased that the club finally got their first win.
After the match I went to look for the man who was on the gate and ended up in the dressing room area talking with a very nice young man Rhodri Jones who happens to be the clubs Vice- Chairman. He told me the club were very soon going to be producing a much better programme that will have more content in it and include such articles as the views from the manager. He offered to send one to me in the very near future and I in turn offered to send to the club all the match photos I took for use on their website. I will put up soon the match programme from the match I attended .
By the time I got back to my daughters home in Ammanford I received a nice email for the club and I will try and plan my next visit to Ammanford on a weekend the team are playing at home.
I really enjoyed my afternoon at the Rec and can’t thank all those who made me so welcome enough, best wishes for the rest of the season and hope to see you all again sometime later in the season.
