CLUB HISTORY courtesy of the Football Club History Database

YNYSYBWL
1968-69   Welsh League Division Two Champions
1983-84   Placed in Division One on league re-organsiation
1988-89   Welsh League Division One runner-up
          Promoted to Premier Division
1990-91   Premier Division renamed Division One
1991      Ynysybwl changed name to Pontypridd-Ynysybwl
PONTYPRIDD-YNYSYBWL
1992      Pontypridd-Ynysybwl changed name to Pontypridd Town
PONTYPRIDD TOWN
1993-94   One point deducted
1996      Relegated to Division Two
1999      Relegated to Division Three
2001-02   Promoted to Division Two

SEASON    LEAGUE     P    W    D    L    F    A    P      POS

as Ynysybwl
1979-80   WELSH-2   38    1   10   27   36  107   12     20/20
1980-81   WELSH-2   38   10    5   23   49  104   25     17/20
1981-82   WELSH-2   32    7    2   23   35   96   23     15/17
1982-83   WELSH-2   32    8   10   14   45   59   34     12/17
1983-84   WELSH-1   36   11    6   19   49   85   39     11/19
1984-85   WELSH-1   32   13    5   14   63   73   44     10/17
1985-86   WELSH-1   30    6    8   16   45   69   26     12/16
1986-87   WELSH-1   34   16    9    9   72   55   57      5/18
1987-88   WELSH-1   34   14    7   13   73   68   49      9/18
1988-89   WELSH-1   34   21    6    7   82   43   69      2/18
1989-90   WELSH-P   34   18    5   11   67   56   59      5/18
1990-91   WELSH-1   32   10    9   13   40   44   39     11/17
as Pontypridd-Ynysybwl
1991-92   WELSH-1   32   15    4   13   57   53   49      6/17
as Pontypridd Town
1992-93   WELSH-1   26   14    9    3   53   23   51      3/14
1993-94   WELSH-1   34   15    8   11   53   43   52 *    5/18
1994-95   WELSH-1   36   16    2   18   67   58   50     11/19
1995-96   WELSH-1   34   12    7   15   58   73   43     11/18
1996-97   WELSH-2   30    9    4   17   46   71   31     11/16
1997-98   WELSH-2   30   10    2   18   41   85   32     12/16
1998-99   WELSH-2   30    4    1   25   43  111   13     16/16
1999-00   WELSH-3   28    6   10   12   54   62   28     12/15
2000-01   WELSH-3   30   10   10   10   40   47   40     10/16
2001-02   WELSH-3   34   20    9    5   77   32   69      3/18
2002-03   WELSH-2   34   12   15    7   62   41   51      7/18
2003-04   WELSH-2   32    8    5   19   39   58   29     15/17

Ynysybwl Football Club was formed in 1895 and competed with great success in the local Pontypridd league until 1967 when, after finishing runners up, they applied to step up to the Welsh League.

The team adapted well to the higher standard and narrowly missed out on promotion in their first season. However a year later they were crowned second division champions.

Unfortunately Ynysybwl didn’t make much impact in the first division and lasted only six seasons before relegation in 1974/75. Another fourteen years went by while Ynysybwl languished in the bottom division but a steady improvement eventually led to promotion again in 1988/89, when the team finished runners-up behind Garw Athletic.

This time Ynysybwl were stronger and missed out on successive promotions by only six points, eventually having to settle for fifth place. However off the pitch things weren’t so good and with the village club struggling to attract supporters and sponsors the committee decided to make a bold move and relocate a few miles down the road in the much bigger catchment area of Pontypridd.

Ynysybwl merged with local league team Pontypridd Sports & Social to form Pontypridd/Ynysybwl and arranged to play home games at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park from the 1991/92 season. The changes also brought some good fortune as a sixth place finish was enough to earn promotion to the top division for the first time in the club’s history, due to reorganisation of the Welsh League following the formation of the League of Wales.

The club changed its name again in 1992, now being named Pontypridd Town, and in 1992/93 enjoyed its highest ever league position, finishing in third place with just 3 defeats in 26 games. Fifth place was achieved in 1993/94, and eleventh in 1994/95, but 1995/96 brought mixed emotions.

With the help of the local council the club opened new changing rooms, installed floodlights and upgraded the stand at Ynysangharad Park, and a generous sponsorship deal allowed Pontypridd Town to sign three young professional players on loan from Cardiff City.

A memorable Welsh Cup run saw away wins against Llanwern (4-0), Newport YMCA (4-2) and Taff’s Well (1-0), before a home game against Anglesey based League of Wales team Cemaes Bay resulted in a memorable 1-0 win. Another League of Wales side Llansantffraid were the visitors in the quarter-finals but after Romano Bacchetta had given Pontypridd a half time lead, two goals from Tommy Morgan, including a last minute winner from a free kick, took the visitors through. Llansantffraid went on to win the cup final against Barry Town.

However, behind the scenes problems led to the manager, most of the players and some sponsors leaving the club after the Welsh Cup exit, and to cap it all after originally ending the season in eleventh place Pontypridd were deducted seven points by the league for fielding an ineligible player. This dropped us four places down the table and meant relegation to the second division.

Several managers and numerous players came and went as we hung on in the second division for three seasons before relegation back to the basement in 1998/99. We even looked in danger of dropping out of the Welsh League altogether after a terrible start to the 2000/01 season left us rooted to the bottom of the league with just three points from our first eight games.

But just when things were getting desperate the club was fortunate to obtain major financial backing, and the subsequent appointment of former Ynysybwl, Ton Pentre and Inter Cardiff star Brian Gibson as player/manager led to an influx of new players and an improvement in results which pulled us away from the bottom to mid table safety.

Expectations were high for 2001/02 and after a sometimes difficult campaign there was huge relief as Pontypridd Town won nine of their last twelve games to clinch third place, and promotion, by two points from Caldicot Town, after winning 2-0 at Pontlottyn in their final game.

After two seasons of consolidation in the second division, including a dramatic escape from relegation in the final game of last season ( 2003/04 ), Pontypridd Town hope to continue their improvement and challenge for promotion back to the Welsh League first division this season, with the long term aim being a place in the Welsh Premier League.

Copyright © 2004 Pontypridd Town Football Club