Merthyr Saints A.F.C.
| Full name | Merthyr Saints Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | 'The Saints' | |
| Founded | 2000 | |
| Ground | ICI Rifle Ground, Merthyr Tydfil | |
| Capacity | 1000 (100 seats) | |
| Chairman | Dean Powell | |
| Manager | Jordan Davies | |
| League | South Wales Premier League Championship Division | |
| 2023–24 | South Wales Alliance League Championship, 8th of 11 | |
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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
[edit]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.
[edit]| 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.
[edit]| 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
[edit]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
[edit]| Position | Nation | Name |
|---|---|---|
| President | 
|
Ron Jones |
| Chairman |
|
Dean Powell |
| Secretary |
|
Peter Toomey |
| Treasurer |
|
Hywel Llewellyn |
Coaching Staff
[edit]| Position | Nation | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Manager |
|
Jordan Davies |
| Coach |
|
Kerry Morgan |
| Coach |
|
Luke Jones |
| Coach |
|
Adam Price |
Current squad
[edit]- 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.
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Season-by-Season as Merthyr Saints F.C.
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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. *
