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Merthyr Saints A.F.C.

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Merthyr Saints
Full nameMerthyr Saints Football Club
Nickname(s)'The Saints'
Founded2000
GroundICI Rifle Ground, Merthyr Tydfil
Capacity1000 (100 seats)
ChairmanDean Powell
ManagerJordan Davies
LeagueSouth Wales Premier League Championship Division
2023–24South Wales Alliance League Championship, 8th of 11

Merthyr Saints F.C. are a Welsh football club from the town of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales.

Having previously played in the Welsh Football League the club are now in the South Wales Premier League Championship Division.

The club moto is ‘FORTIUS QUO FIDELIUS’ which translated means ‘Strength Through Loyalty’ and features on the club crest along with the dragon with five keys that represent the 5 Merthyr Saints.

Merthyr Saints F.C. - Brief History

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Merthyr Saints were elected to Division Three of the Welsh Football League in 1995, after winning the South Wales Amateur League for a third time playing under the name of Hoover Sports F.C. and sharing Penydarren Park with Merthyr Tydfil F.C.

Promotion to Welsh League Division Two was achieved at the first attempt with a third-place finish.

In 2000, Hoover Sports moved to the ICI Rifle Ground in Pant, just off the A465, the club raised £500,000 to upgrade facilities at the new ground and changed their name to Merthyr Saints F.C.

Merthyr Saints remained in Welsh League Division Two for ten successive seasons with the highest finishing place of fifth in 2003/04.

Merthyr Saints were relegated to Division Three at the end of the 2006–07 and in season 2008-09 were again relegated and back in the South Wales Amateur League for the following season.

At the conclusion of the 2009–10 season, despite finishing outside the Division One relegation positions, a restructure of the Welsh football League meant they were forced to drop into the South Wales Amateur League Division Two.

Currently Merthyr Saints best performance in the FAW Welsh Cup came during the 2011–12 season when progressing to the Third Round before losing 6–0 to Cymru Premier League side Bala Town at the ICI Rifle ground.

In season 2012-2013 Merthyr Saints were promoted as South Wales Amateur League Division Two Champions.

Further success followed in the 2014–15 season when Merthyr Saints finished runners-up in Division One and with the merge of the South Wales Amateur League and Senior League were placed in the South Wales Alliance League Premier Division.

In August 2022, the club announced the appointment of Jordan Davies as Merthyr Saints first team Manager.

A seven-year stay in the South Wales Alliance League Premier Division came to an end in 2022–23 after a difficult season that included a nine-point deduction.

Merthyr Saints now play in the South Wales Alliance League Championship Division.

Honours as Hoover Sports F.C.

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Season League Division Title
1971-72 Merthyr & District League Division One Champions
1972-73 South Wales Amateur League Division One Champions
1990-91 South Wales Amateur League Division One Champions
1993-94 Merthyr & District League Premier Division Champions
1994-95 South Wales Amateur League Division One Champions
1995-96 Welsh Football League Division Three Promoted

Honours as Merthyr Saints F.C.

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Season League Division Title
2012-13 South Wales Amateur League Division Two Champions
2014-15 South Wales Amateur League Division One Runners-Up

Club Colours

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Merthyr Saints play in a green shirt with white sleeves, green shorts with green and white socks, the changed colours are a white shirt, black shorts, and socks.

Club Officials

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Position Nation Name
President Wales Ron Jones
Chairman Wales Dean Powell
Secretary Wales Peter Toomey
Treasurer Wales Hywel Llewellyn

Coaching Staff

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Position Nation Name
Manager Wales Jordan Davies
Coach Wales Kerry Morgan
Coach Wales Luke Jones
Coach Wales Adam Price

Current squad

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As of 18 October 2023

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK Wales WAL Matthew Davies
DF Wales WAL Morgan Rowling
DF Wales WAL Kallum Hynes
DF Wales WAL Matthew Gudge
DF Wales WAL Devon Manning
DF Wales WAL Daniel Jones
DF Wales WAL Matthew Jones
MF Wales WAL Jack Carlick
MF Wales WAL Ben Davies
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Wales WAL Cory Thompson
MF Wales WAL Adam Thomas
MF Wales WAL Ben Thomas
FW Wales WAL Kamil Filarski
FW Wales WAL Matthew Hunt
FW Wales WAL Craig James
FW Wales WAL Jordan Thomas
FW Wales WAL Nathan Williams

Season-by-Season as Merthyr Saints F.C.

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Season League & Division Position Played Wins Draws Losses GD Points
2000-01 Welsh Football League - Division Two 10-16 30 12 3 15 -17 39
2001-02 Welsh Football League - Division Two 13-16 30 8 7 15 -19 31
2002-03 Welsh Football League - Division Two 14-18 34 11 5 18 -19 38
2003-04 Welsh Football League - Division Two 05-17 32 15 4 13 +2 49
2004-05 Welsh Football League - Division Two 10-18 34 12 4 18 -8 40
2005-06 Welsh Football League - Division Two 11-18 34 11 5 18 -20 38
2006-07 Welsh Football League - Division Two 15-18 34 9 6 19 -22 33
2007-08 Welsh Football League - Division Three 13-18 * 34 15 2 17 -11 37
2008-09 Welsh Football League - Division Three 18-18 * 34 4 2 28 -115 11
2009-10 South Wales Amateur League - Division One 13-16 30 10 5 15 -31 35
2010-11 South Wales Amateur League - Division Two 05-15 28 16 4 8 +31 52
2011-12 South Wales Amateur League - Division Two 05-16 30 19 4 7 +43 61
2012-13 South Wales Amateur League - Division Two 01-15 28 21 3 4 +51 66
2013-14 South Wales Amateur League - Division One 07-16 30 13 7 10 +13 46
2014-15 South Wales Amateur League - Division One 02-13 24 17 5 2 +43 56
2015-16 South Wales Alliance League – Premier 07-16 30 13 2 15 +1 41
2016-17 South Wales Alliance League – Premier 04-16 30 18 4 8 +31 58
2017-18 South Wales Alliance League – Premier 04-16 30 20 1 9 +36 61
2018-19 South Wales Alliance League – Premier 10-16 30 13 5 12 -3 44
2019-20 South Wales Alliance League – Premier 10-16 * 16 5 5 6 +5 20
2020-21 South Wales Alliance League – Premier 00-00 * 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021-22 South Wales Alliance League – Premier 08-16 30 15 2 13 +4 47
2022-23 South Wales Alliance League – Premier 14-15 * 28 3 1 24 -80 1
2023-24 South Wales Alliance League – Championship

2007–08, Ten-point deduction. *

2008–09, Three-point deduction. *

2019–20, Season curtailed due to coronavirus pandemic, league decided on points per game basis. *

2020–21, Football in Wales below Tier One cancelled for entire season due to COVID-19 regulations. *

2022–23, Nine-point deduction. *

FAW Welsh Cup

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Season Progress Opponents Venue Result
2007-08 Second Round Carmarthen Town Home 1-2
2008-09 Preliminary Round Pontyclun Home 0-9
2009-10 *
2010-11 *
2011-12 Third Round Bala Town Home 0-6
2012-13 First Qualifying Round Cwmamman United Home 0-2
2013-14 Second Qualifying Round Rhoose Away 1-5
2014-15 First Qualifying Round Cwmaman Institute Home 0-1
2015-16 *
2016-17 First Round Llandrindod Wells Home 2-3
2017-18 Second Qualifying Round Ammanford Away 2-5
2018-19 Second Qualifying Round Caldicot Town Away 0-2
2019-20 Second Qualifying Round Ynyshir Albions Away 1-3
2020-21 *
2021-22 Second Qualifying Round Penydarren BGC Home 0-3
2022-23 First Qualifying Round Treharris Athletic Away 0-11
2023-24 First Qualifying Round Aberfan Home 0-2

2009-10 & 2010–11, Did not compete. *

2015–16, Not Known. *

2020–21, No competition held due to the coronavirus pandemic. *

References

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