Carmarthen Town Association Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Tref Caerfyrddin) is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Carmarthen. The team play their home games at Richmond Park. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are gold and black.Formed in 1950, Carmarthen Town was elected into the Welsh Football League in 1953. Their first league honour came in 1959–60, with promotion from Division 2 West to the First Division of the Welsh League. Carmarthen Town's first trophy was the Welsh Football League Cup, which they won in the 1995–96 season. Since then the club have gone on to win the Welsh Cup once and the Welsh League Cup three times. They have also qualified for UEFA competitions on four occasions.
 | |||
| Full name | Carmarthen Town Association Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Hen AurOld Gold | ||
| Founded | 1950 | ||
| Ground | Richmond Park, Carmarthen | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 (1,000 seated) | ||
| President | Einsley Harris | ||
| Chairman | Anthony Parnell[1] | ||
| Manager | Mark Aizlewood | ||
| League | Cymru South | ||
| 2023–24 | Cymru South, 6th of 16 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
As of 2024[update] Carmarthen Town play in Cymru South and have never won a league title, despite having been in the top tier of Welsh football for 24 years until their relegation in the 2019–2020 season. The club had their highest finish in 2000–2001, with third place, which qualified them for European competition for the first time.
Stadium
From 1952 Carmarthen Town have played at Richmond Park in Carmarthen. The ground has been redeveloped over recent years into a small, modern and compact football stadium with a capacity of 3,000. The club's new Clay Shaw Butler Stand has a 1000-seat capacity which enabled Carmarthen Town to host the club's first home European fixture at the ground in July 2007 when they entertained Norwegian side SK Brann.
Supporters
In the 2012–13 season Carmarthen's average attendance was 296, placing them fourth out of twelve teams in the Cymru Premier. The highest league gate of the season came against Afan Lido FC with 213 spectators and the lowest, 167, against Airbus UK Broughton.[2]
Current squad
- As of 14 September 2023[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | FW |  WAL | Noah Daley |
| 12 | DF | WAL | Sam Parsons |
| 18 | GK | WAL | Lee Idzi |
| 19 | MF |  ITA | Jonathan Invernizzi |
| 20 | MF | WAL | Jordan Langley |
| 21 | MF | WAL | Bradley Gibbings |
| 22 | MF | WAL | Jac Walters |
| 29 | GK | WAL | Scott James |
| 32 | FW | WAL | Cameron Allen |
Club officials
- Senior club staff
- President: Einsley Harris
- Chairman: Chris Edwards
- Club Secretary & Football Administrator: Gareth Davies
- Press Officer: Rob Lloyd
- Social Media accounts: Joshua Edwards
- Tuck Shop Manager: Kath Edwards
- Bar Manager: Roger Hunt
- Coaching and medical staff
- Manager: Kristian O’leary
- Assistant Manager: Sean Cresser
- Coach: Craig Hanford
- Sports Therapist: Ryan Evans
- KitMan: Mark Hannington
Managerial history
The following managers have each been in charge of Carmarthen Town since the club gained promotion to the highest tier in Welsh football, the Cymru Premier, in 1996.
As of January 2014
| Name | Nationality | Period | Honours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | |||
| Wyndham Evans | Wales | January 1996 | October 1996 | Welsh Football League Cup Winner |
| John Mahoney | Wales | October 1996 | November 1998 | |
| Tomi Morgan | Wales | November 1998 | 24 September 2003[6] | Welsh Cup Runner-up, Highest League position: 3rd place 2000–01 |
| Andrew York | Wales | 24 September 2003[6] | May 2004 | Welsh League Cup Runner-up |
| Mark Jones | Wales | 12 May 2004[7] | 22 May 2007[8] | Welsh Cup Winner, Welsh Cup Runner-up, Welsh League Cup Winner |
| Deryn Brace | Wales | 23 May 2007[8] | 8 June 2010[9][10] | |
| Tomi Morgan | Wales | 8 June 2010[9] | 5 December 2011[11] | |
| Neil Smothers | Wales | 5 December 2011[11] | 7 January 2012[12] | |
| Mark Aizlewood | Wales | 7 January 2012[12] | 5 February 2018[13] | Welsh League Cup Winner (2): 2012–13, 2013–14 |
| Neil Smoothers (Interim Manager) | Wales | February 2018 | May 2018 | |
| Neil Smoothers | Wales | May 2018[14] | October 2019[15] | |
| Danny Thomas (Caretaker Manager) | Wales | October 2019[16] | November 2019 | |
| Kristian O'Leary | Wales | November 2019 | ||
Honours
- As of 10 January 2014.[17]
The Welsh Football League
- Welsh second tier (currently Welsh Football League Division One)
- Winners (1): 1995–96
- Welsh third tier (currently Welsh Football League Division Two)
- Winners (1): 1959–60
Domestic Cup Competition
- Welsh Cup:
- Winners (1): 2006–07
- Runners-up (2): 1998–99, 2004–05
- Cymru Premier Cup:
- Welsh Football League Cup
- Winners (1): 1995–96
- West Wales Senior Cup:
- Winners (1): 2004
- Runners-up (2): 2003, 2006
European Competition
Records
- As of 3 August 2013.[18]
Record wins
- Record league win: 9–1 against UWIC Inter Cardiff, 21 October 2000
- Record league home win:
- 9–1 against UWIC Inter Cardiff, 21 October 2000
- 8–0 against Cardiff Grange Quins, 10 December 2005
- 8–0 against Connah's Quay Nomads, 8 December 2007
- Record league away win: 7–1 against Caersws, 6 October 2006
Record defeats
- Record league defeat: 0–8 against The New Saints, 29 March 2009
- Record league home defeat:
- 1–5 against Bangor City, 7 December 1996
- 0–4 against Aberystwyth Town, 26 February 1997
- 0–4 against Ton Pentre, 4 September 1996
- 0–6 against Haverfordwest County, 8 December 2000
- Record league away defeat: 8–0 at The New Saints, 29 March 2009
Player records
- Most goals in season:
- 18 by Danny Thomas in 2007–08
- 18 by Richard Parker in 1999-00
- Most goals in match: 5 by Tim Hicks against Connah's Quay Nomads, 8 December 2007
- Club top scorer: 56 by Danny Thomas from 116 appearances (+41 substitute appearances)
- Most club appearances: 199 (+12 substitute appearance) by Paul Fowler
European record
- Record European win: 5–1 against Longford Town, 28 July 2005
- Record European defeat: 0–8 against SK Brann, 19 July 2007
- Carmarthen Town's scores are given first in all scorelines.
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | First round |  AIK | 0–0 | 0–3 | 0–3 | [19] |
| 2005–06 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round |  Longford Town | 5–1 | 0–2 | 5–3 | [20] |
| Second qualifying round |  FC Copenhagen | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | [20] | ||
| 2006 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | First round |  Tampere United | 1–3 | 0–5 | 1–8 | [21] |
| 2007–08 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round |  SK Brann | 0–8 | 3–6 | 3–14 | [22] |
See also
References
External links
- Official websites
- Official website
- Carmarthen Town at the Cymru Premier official website
- Carmarthen Town at the UEFA official website
- News sites
- Carmarthen Town at the unofficial Cymru Premier website
- Other