Latest news with #MerthyrTown
Wales Online
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
First glimpse of Brian Barry-Murphy's Cardiff City emerges as screaming instruction speaks volumes
First glimpse of Brian Barry-Murphy's Cardiff City emerges as screaming instruction speaks volumes The Bluebirds played a behind-closed-doors friendly against Merthyr Town before heading out to Spain Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy (Image: Cardiff City FC ) Cardiff City's pre-season really is in full flow now, with Brian Barry-Murphy stamping his ideas more clearly with each passing day. The players and coaching staff are about to begin their pre-season in earnest with two games out in Spain, against Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim FC and Southend United. However, before they hopped on a flight to Spain, they played a behind-closed-doors friendly in their first match under the new head coach. Here, we take a look at how things are progressing and how the squad is starting to take shape under the watch of the Irishman. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. Merthyr friendly The first actual game Cardiff played under Barry-Murphy was against non-League side Merthyr Town at the weekend. The Bluebirds took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly against newly-promoted National League North side the Martyrs, so the new head coach could get a closer look at how his charges are progressing. Cardiff claimed a very convincing win over the fellow Welsh side, as would be expected, in what would have hopefully been a useful exercise for Barry-Murphy and his staff. Article continues below In a short video put out by the club, the likes of Yousef Salech, Tanatswa Nyakuhwa and Luke Pearce are all seen getting on the score sheet, while Merthyr sources waxed lyrical about the performances of Rubin Colwill and Salech. How much can be read into these players' performances against such opposition is likely minimal, but it was heartening to see the vast majority of players involved, including those with transfer speculation supposedly hanging over them such as Alex Robertson and Salech himself. Fans who watched the minute-long clip were encouraged by the pace of the build-up play — something which has been heavily criticised at Cardiff in recent years — and sharpness and crispness of the passing and movement. Heavily involved, as is likely to be the case under Barry-Murphy, were ball-playing midfielders Joel Colwill, Eli King, Robertson, Rubin Colwill and, notably, Ryan Wintle. Wintle returns to the club, having played a prominent role in the Erol Bulut side which finished 12th in the Championship, before an apparent difference in opinion between the two parties saw the player moved on. Ryan Wintle of Cardiff City He sealed a move to Millwall, but in truth he played a bit-part role at The Den last season. However sources claim he has impressed the new coaching team and it would be no surprise to see him play a big part this season. Cardiff are devoid of leaders following the departures of Joe Ralls, Aaron Ramsey and Callum O'Dowda, but Wintle returns to bolster that department in some capacity. While I was unsuccessful in spotting a captain's arm band in that Merthyr Town clip, it would be little surprise to see the midfielder skipper the side on Wednesday night in Cardiff's first game in front of fans at the Pinatar Arena. Content cannot be displayed without consent Murcia training These players have something to prove after relegation, but make no mistake, Barry-Murphy will feel the same. Having garnered a reputation as one of the finest coaches in the country, he will want to convince everyone that his ability on the grass can be translated into winning football matches and, ultimately, titles or promotions. And even in the short training clip the club have posted of their first day of training, it's clear to see the sort of messages being conveyed and the high-octane football Barry-Murphy wants to implement. In one small-sided game, Rubin Colwill loses the ball and doesn't attempt to win it back quickly enough, which prompts a loud bark from his head coach. "Press it, Rubin! Press it, Rubin!" instructed Barry-Murphy. "Not dynamic enough on the turnover, press it!" Even the attention to detail when King, who is likely to enjoy Barry-Murphy's style of play, picked the ball up on the half turn before whipping it into space was evident. "Kingy, Kingy, Kingy, good body shape, let's go!" the head coach shouted encouragingly from the sideline. Another positive snippet was seeing Callum Robinson in full flow. The Republic of Ireland international did not partake in much of the pre-season schedule before meeting up with the squad in Murcia, however he was front and centre during much of the shooting drills, finding the back of the net with regularity. Callum Robinson in pre-season training (Image: Cardiff City FC ) The striker is someone who will be viewed as a big asset, especially in League One, a level he should be too good for, and if Cardiff have designs on forcing their way into the top two this season, someone with his skillset, experience and knowledge of where the back of the net is will be very useful. Article continues below Whether he is part of the squad of the game on Wednesday night or whether Barry-Murphy will opt to wait for Saturday's clash with Southend to give him a run-out remains to be seen. The only other senior players not on the pre-season trip are Perry Ng, who hurt his knee during the first day of pre-season training and is expected to be out for five weeks, thus missing the start of the season, and Jak Alnwick. Alnwick, it's understood, has suffered a back spasm and will be out for a couple of weeks. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Promoted Merthyr to compete in National League North
They are the football club proud to come from the south Wales valleys – but have been told they will be a 'northern' team next season. There were huge celebrations when community-owned Merthyr Town won the Southern Premier League South title. But it has been confirmed they will now play in the National League North next term – with 300-mile away trips to Darlington and South Shields among their away days in a regionalised division. In front of more than 3,000 fans at Penydarren Park last month, the part-time outfit sealed promotion to English football's sixth tier, their highest level in 30 years. The Martyrs had played in the Western and Southern Leagues since being reformed after Merthyr Tydfil's liquidation in 2010. And the club had been aware the potential make-up of the teams next season at sixth tier level – and the large contingent of teams from the south of England - could see them having to plan to head north. Three south of England sides, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet and Maidenhead, dropping out of the fifth-tier National League would have given organisers a headache in how to split clubs. The National League confirmed its allocations for the 2025-26 season on Thursday, although says those are subject to appeal. A Football Association spokesperson said: "We make every effort each season to allocate National League System [NLS] clubs to the most geographically suitable league possible. "The clubs are allocated to a league based on the step in the NLS that they will be playing in, and their location in the country. These allocations are subject to appeals. "Geographical suitability continues to play an important part in NLS allocations, and we always try to balance this against the number of teams in each division to ensure sporting integrity is maintained." 'Merthyr can go as far as people want' Merthyr Town owners vote against Cymru Premier move Merthyr are not alone in the anomaly: Oxford City, Hereford United and Bedford Town have also been placed in National League North, whose other new clubs include Robbie Savage's Macclesfield Town. The game at Hereford's Edgar Street will be Merthyr's shortest away day, with a 43-mile, one-way trip taking around an hour. But it will take fans – and players – as much as 12 hours on the road in a round-trip for their game at South Shields. At the time of their promotion, chairman Les Barlow said their placing would make "no difference" as they revelled in a season in which they enjoyed a 32-game unbeaten run. Merthyr won the Welsh Cup in 1987 and went on to upset Italian giants Atalanta in the following season's European Cup Winners' Cup. Last season, they turned down a lucrative offer from the Football Association of Wales to join the Welsh league system, a decision manager Paul Michael says was vindicated by their promotion.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Promoted Merthyr to compete in National League North
They are the football club proud to come from the south Wales valleys – but have been told they will be a 'northern' team next were huge celebrations when community-owned Merthyr Town won the Southern Premier League South it has been confirmed they will now play in the National League North next term – with 300-mile away trips to Darlington and South Shields among their away days in a regionalised front of more than 3,000 fans at Penydarren Park last month, the part-time outfit sealed promotion to English football's sixth tier, their highest level in 30 years. The Martyrs had played in the Western and Southern Leagues since being reformed after Merthyr Tydfil's liquidation in the club had been aware the potential make-up of the teams next season at sixth tier level – and the large contingent of teams from the south of England - could see them having to plan to head south of England sides, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet and Maidenhead, dropping out of the fifth-tier National League would have given organisers a headache in how to split National League confirmed its allocations for the 2025-26 season on Thursday, although says those are subject to appeal.A Football Association spokesperson said: "We make every effort each season to allocate National League System [NLS] clubs to the most geographically suitable league possible. "The clubs are allocated to a league based on the step in the NLS that they will be playing in, and their location in the country. These allocations are subject to appeals. "Geographical suitability continues to play an important part in NLS allocations, and we always try to balance this against the number of teams in each division to ensure sporting integrity is maintained." Merthyr are not alone in the anomaly: Oxford City, Hereford United and Bedford Town have also been placed in National League North, whose other new clubs include Robbie Savage's Macclesfield game at Hereford's Edgar Street will be Merthyr's shortest away day, with a 43-mile, one-way trip taking around an it will take fans – and players – as much as 12 hours on the road in a round-trip for their game at South the time of their promotion, chairman Les Barlow said their placing would make "no difference" as they revelled in a season in which they enjoyed a 32-game unbeaten won the Welsh Cup in 1987 and went on to upset Italian giants Atalanta in the following season's European Cup Winners' season, they turned down a lucrative offer from the Football Association of Wales to join the Welsh league system, a decision manager Paul Michael says was vindicated by their promotion.
The Independent
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Arsenal legend Ian Wright backs football club's shirt change for poignant reason
Former England striker Ian Wright has backed a road safety campaign that will see non-league Basingstoke Town's football shirts redesigned with a seatbelt motif. The one-off shirts will be worn for the club's home game against Merthyr Town on Saturday. Trading the usual three vertical blue stripes for a single diagonal blue stripe, the redesigned kit aims to highlight the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The campaign, organised by the AA Charitable Trust, will extend beyond the shirts to include "Buckle Up" messaging on perimeter boards, napkins, car park flags, and even beer mats at the Winklebury Football Complex stadium. Wright, 61, emphasised the life-saving potential of seatbelts: "Wearing a seat belt is the simplest thing you can do to protect yourself when you're in a car, no matter if you're driving or getting a lift. It reduces the risk of death in a crash by 50 per cent." Analysis by the AA Charitable Trust found 43 per cent of passengers aged 17-29 who died in crashes on Britain's roads between 2019 and 2023 were unbelted. The figure for passengers of all ages was 27 per cent. The analysis also found 29 per cent of young drivers who die in crashes are not wearing a seat belt, of which 95 per cent are male. AA Charitable Trust director Edmund King said: 'For any football club, young players are their most valuable assets and therefore ensuring they stay safe on the roads is vitally important. ' Research shows that teenagers are most at risk from serious injury as passengers or drivers when unbelted. 'Even on short journeys it's absolutely vital to wear your seat belt. 'We hope this initiative will inspire other clubs to consider backing our campaign and even switching their kits for a one-off match.' Drivers can be handed a £100 on-the-spot fixed penalty notice if they are caught not wearing a seat belt when they are supposed to. If the case goes to court they could be fined up to £500. The AA Charitable Trust has previously called for new drivers caught behind the wheel unbelted to be handed six penalty points, meaning they could lose their licence. Future of roads minister Lilian Greenwood said: 'This eye-catching campaign is a brilliant way to reach young people with a life-saving message. 'Buckling up takes seconds but cuts your risk of death in half. 'With so many young passengers still not wearing seat belts, this football partnership is exactly the kind of creative thinking we need to keep our young people safe. 'Our Think! Click campaign similarly reminds young drivers and passengers to belt up on every journey, and in every seat.' Basingstoke Town chairman Jack Miller said: 'The seat belt kit is a striking reminder of a simple action that saves lives, and we're proud to wear it. 'Hopefully, it sparks conversations and makes a lasting impact.'
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Ian Wright backs Basingstoke football club's seat belt shirts
A football club's match shirts have been redesigned to feature a seat belt motif as part of a road safety campaign backed by former England striker Ian Basingstoke Town will use the one-off shirts for its home match against Merthyr Town on of three vertical blue stripes, the new version has a single diagonal blue AA Charitable Trust, which has organised the stunt, will also display the message "Buckle Up" on perimeter boards, napkins, car park flags and beer mats for the game at the Winklebury Football Complex stadium. Wright, 61, who appears on The Overlap podcast, said: "Wearing a seat belt is the simplest thing you can do to protect yourself when you're in a car, no matter if you're driving or getting a lift."Analysis by the AA Charitable Trust found 43% of passengers aged 17-29 who died in crashes on Britain's roads between 2019 and 2023 were unbelted. The figure for passengers was 27%.The analysis also revealed 29% of young drivers who die in crashes are not wearing a seat belt, of which 95% are male. AA Charitable Trust director Edmund King said: "For any football club, young players are their most valuable assets and therefore ensuring they stay safe on the roads is vitally important."Research shows that teenagers are most at risk from serious injury as passengers or drivers when unbelted."Even on short journeys it's absolutely vital to wear your seat belt."Drivers face a £100 on-the-spot fixed penalty notice if they are caught not wearing a seat belt. If the case goes to court they could be fined up to £ AA Charitable Trust has previously called for new drivers caught behind the wheel unbelted to be handed six penalty points, meaning they could lose their Town chairman Jack Miller said: "The seat belt kit is a striking reminder of a simple action that saves lives, and we're proud to wear it."Hopefully, it sparks conversations and makes a lasting impact." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
