With Cwmbran celebrating its 70th anniversary this month, THOMAS MOODY looked at the sporting history of the town.
PROBABLY the most notable sporting sides in Cwmbran in the present day is Cwmbran Celtic. The club currently plays in the JD Cymru League South – the second tier of Welsh football.
At the time of the formation of Cwmbran New Town in 1949, Cwmbran Celtic football club had already existed for a quarter of a century, originally in the form of Catholic Young Men Society – established in 1925.
The club had temporarily disbanded during the Second World War, after which it was reformed and, in 1950-51, it won the Newport and District Division Two East title.
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Club historian John Stockwell detailed how, towards the end of the 1950s, the club again disbanded when national service call-ups decimated the playing squad, only for it to be re-formed in the early 1960s with the new name of Cwmbran Catholics.
In March 1969, the club was successful in its application to join the new 15-team Monmouthshire Premier League, where they would play against Newport County and Cwmbran Town.
This period of the club’s history was a stark contrast to what it is today.
(The Catholic Young Men's Society's 1950-51 Newport and District Division Two East and cup winners. Picture: Cwmbran Celtic.)
“Now our first team have about 20 balls and quite often one or two get lost,” said Mr Stockwell. “But back then they only had one ball for the whole club.
“The minutes from the 1968-69 season record that when a local club, Dock Grinding, folded they offered the club their kit and football.
“The kit was turned down, but ‘further enquiries were made about the ball.’
“That year, the committee even bought a large scoop to retrieve the balls from the river at Llanyravon.”
The club took up the more recognisable name of Cwmbran Celtic in 1972 after opening up membership to all denominations, and the following season they won the Gwent Amateur Cup and were runners-up in the Gwent Premier League.
(Cwmbran Celtic's 1972-73 Gwent Amateur Cup winners. Picture: Cwmbran Celtic.)
As the drainage at the club's ground in Cwmbran Park deteriorated the club sought a new home, and in 1996 was granted a lease by Torfaen Council to play on the grounds outside Cwmbran Stadium - which is their current ground, Celtic Park.
“When we moved in it was just a field next to Cwmbran Stadium,” said club stalwart Malcolm Jarrett. “Now it has changed beyond belief.”
Mr Jarrett also highlighted the club’s purchase of its social club during the 1977-78 season as a key point in its history.
(Cwmbran Celtic's 1970-71 Monmouthshire Senior Cup Winners. Picture: Cwmbran Celtic.)
“We made our first bid to get in to the Welsh League that season,” he said. “We kept getting turned down, as membership was voted on by the other clubs.
“You had to state you case in front of representatives of the other clubs, and they would vote whether to replace the bottom teams with new clubs – but no-one would ever vote out one of their own, as they knew it could be them in that situation the next year.”
“In 2005 the club qualified to play in the Third Division of the Welsh League,” said Mr Stockley. “Two promotions followed and in 2010 the club was in the Welsh League First Division.
“In 2019 the Football Association of Wales re-branded the top two tiers of the Pyramid set-up and this season Cwmbran Celtic are playing in the second tier, newly-named the JD Cymru League South.
“In 20 years the club had climbed five rungs of the Pyramid ladder to become the leading club in Gwent.”
Mr Stockwell highlighted Christian Doidge, who is currently playing up front for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian, as one of the club’s most successful players, having played for Celtic’s junior, youth and first teams.
Across the town is something of a fallen giant, with former League of Wales champions Cwmbran Town AFC having played in Europe as recently 2003-04.
The club were formed in 1951 – just after the designation of Cwmbran as a new town. The club was born after local side Whiteheads AFC disbanded, and after playing in junior leagues the club joined the Welsh League in 1960.
The club spent the majority of its history in the top division in Wales, but its real period of success was during the 1990s.
(Cwmbran Town AFC's Monmouthshire Challenge Cup winners in 1954-55.)
Mark Williams, youth chairman at Cwmbran Town AFC, said: “We moved into Cwmbran Stadium in 1969.
“We were the first winners of the League of Wales in 1992-93. The following season we played in the Champions League, playing Cork City.
“I was only young, but I went to the home game. We went 3-0 up early on, but Cork managed to get two goals back. Cork won the away leg 2-1 and went through on away goals.
“Cork lost in the next round to Galatasaray, who played Manchester United in the Second Round – so we weren’t too far away from playing them.”
The good times continued throughout the late 90s and early 2000s, with the club playing National Bucuresti of Romania in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and Scottish giants Celtic in the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup qualifying round, losing on both occasions.
(The Cwmbran Town AFC squad against Celtic.)
The home game against the Bhoys was switched to Cardiff's Ninian Park, and featured footballing icons Henrik Larsson and Mark Viduka and future Champions League winner Paul Lambert.
In 1994 a Manchester United side visited Cwmbran Stadium, and two years later a full Wales team, featuring Gary Speed and Mark Hughes, also played against the Torfaen side.
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“It was a great time for the club when we played Celtic in the cup and hosted Man United at Cwmbran Stadium,” said Mr Williams.
They also faced Andorra’s Nistru Otaci in the 2000 Intertoto Cup, and lost to Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava and Israel’s Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds in 2001 and 2003 respectively.
“In 1997 Tony Wilcox died,” said Mr Williams. “He could do no wrong here. He was manger for a long time.
“As soon as he died, each new manager wanted more and more money and the chairman had enough.
(Former Cwmbran Town AFC manager Tony Wilcox.)
“He pulled the plug and the players left.
“We put in our youth side, but they weren’t strong enough or experienced enough to keep us in the Welsh Premier.”
The team fell down the leagues, and currently play in Gwent County League Premier Division, the fifth tier of the Welsh football league. But this has meant the emphasis has now been placed on nurturing talent closer to home.
“Historically, the club is massive, but at the moment we are building from the bottom up, investing in youth instead of pumping money in,” said Mr Williams
“We are going from strength to strength at the moment. Ten years ago, we had two youth teams, we now have 14. This season, for the first time, we have a girls team too.
“We want to be a big club again. I believe in five years we will be in a much better position than we are now, just like how now we are in a better position than we were five years ago.”
(Cwmbran Town AFC youth chairman Mark Williams with the pennants from the club's Champions League games against Maccabi Haifa and Celtic.)
The club has seen a handful of players go on to achieve success elsewhere, the most notable of them being Wales international Danny Gabbidon. Other internationals to play for the club include Mark Aizlewood, goalkeeper Glyn Garner and former Cardiff City defender Jason Perry.
“Danny Gabbidon used to play for the club growing up, and his nephew now plays for us,” said Mr Williams. “Danny comes down and has watched the youth train a few times, and he gives the lads advice.
“It would be an honour if any of the lads coming through go on to play in the Welsh Premier League, or make it elsewhere.”
Switching disciplines, one of the oldest clubs in Cwmbran still in operation is Cwmbran RFC.
The rugby club, known then as Pontnewydd Wanderers, was formed in 1880 - the same year as the Welsh Rugby Union – pre-dating the designation of Cwmbran as a new town by more than half a century.
The club began to establish some of its recognisable features before the turn of the century, adopting their familiar black and white hooped shirts as Pontnewydd RFC in August 1892.
The end of the 1940s was a momentous time for not only Cwmbran as a town, but the club as well. In May 1947, the club secured the tenancy of its King's Head Ground.
(Cwmbran RFC's King's Head Ground. Picture: Mark Lewis.)
Chairman Dave Allison said: "Pontnewydd won the Monmouthshire League in 1955-56. That summer the club built its first changing rooms in the old stables behind the King's Head Hotel.
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"In 1958 the WRU set up its first coaching course and Laughton Smith was appointed as the club's first official coach."
It was during the 1960s the club began to become more recognisable to present day onlookers. The first lights were erected at the ground in 1960, and on May 16, 1961, the club changed its name from Pontnewydd RFC to Cwmbran RFC.
(The changing rooms and clubhouse at Cwmbran RFC. Picture: Mark Lewis.)
In October Cwmbran played for a trial period at the newly-constructed Cwmbran Stadium and later in the season played there against Abertillery to celebrate the installation of floodlights at the stadium.
The 1978-79 season saw the building of new changing rooms at the club’s King's Head ground, and to commemorate the opening of the changing rooms, the club hosted Pontypool RFC.
The next season, the club’s centenary year (1980-81) saw them achieve a string of high profile wins, with the second tier side Cwmbran RFC beating the first class sides Abertillery RFC, a Monmouthshire County side, and Newport RFC – a team filled with Welsh internationals and British Lion players on Cwmbran Stadium pitch – which club legend Alan Rainbow described as “the greatest win this club has known.”
Notable former players include internationals Mark Brown, Ian Gough and Ryan Howells.
The team now plays in the Specsavers National League Division Two East, having been relegated last year. The team is now focused on bringing through local players as part of its 'one club' ethos - fielding a team in every age group, and introducing a women's team this season.
The 'one club' ethos involves "every side playing in the same way, with the same kit and equipment and facilities right through the club," said Mr Allison.
This is part of a series of features marking the 70th anniversary of Cwmbran:
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