Ammanford AFC - Ammanford Recreation Ground

Ammanford AFC

Ammanford Recreation Ground

Manor Road

Ammanford

Carmarthenshire

SA18 3DY

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 1561

Friday 3rd July 2026

Ammanford 1-2 Baglan Dragons
Friendly

AMMANFORD FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Ammanford can trace its football history back to the early 20th century when they played in the Ammanford & District League. They were known under several different guises, with the first recorded match being played under the Ammanford Town name in 1908. Ammanford Thursdays were so-called because they could only play on Thursdays, their designated day off from work. Bettws or Bettwys Blackbirds was also used as a name; they played at Rice Street, just over a mile from their current home, where the old ground is still in situ. It was under the name of Bettws that they entered the Welsh League in 1952. They finished as runners-up in Division 2 West in 1958 to Llanelly before winning the title and promotion to Division 1  the following year. In 1960, they changed their name to Ammanford Town, suffering relegation back to Division 2 West in the first season under their new name. They won promotion back as runners-up to Chepstow Town in 1965 and then were Division 1 champions the following season. A long spell in the Premier Division followed with two runners-up spots in their first two seasons. The league was regionalised in 1989, with the club spending two seasons in the North Division before relegation, which saw them spend their final season under the old name in Division 1.

 Ammanford AFC was formed as a merger of Ammanford Town and Ammanford Athletic in 1992. They carried on in the Welsh League Division 1, now the second tier in Wales following the formation of the League of Wales (Cymru Premier). They spent four seasons here before relegation in 1996 but won promotion back in 1999. Another relegation came in 2002 and even dipped as low as Division 3 for the 2014/15 season. The resurgence started in 2018 with promotion following a 3rd place finish in Division 2. This was enough to be admitted to the newly-established Cymru South in 2019. Last season, expansion of the Cymru Premier meant that a 3rd-placed finish was good enough for promotion to the top tier for the first time since it went nationwide.

 The club played at Rice Street from their formation, initially using facilities at the Coopers Hotel, later the Coopers Arms, a pub which closed in 2021. A clubhouse was built in the 1940s, with an expansion and upgrade in 1963, and dressing rooms and a 450-seater stand a year later. Sadly, the facilities were destroyed by fire in 2003, with the club moving to its current home in 2006. Ammanford is located in Carmarthenshire and has a population of 5,500 or 8,200 for the wider area. The town of Ammanford is a relatively modern settlement. It was originally known as Cross Inn, named after an inn located where a number of roads converged. As the settlement expanded, prominent residents came to the view that its name should be changed since there were many other places named Cross Inn in Carmarthenshire alone. In 1880, several public meetings were held, and in November 1880 it was resolved that the name Ammanford (i.e. "Ford of the River Amman") be adopted. In 1925 the Ammanford Anthracite Strike took place, where anthracite miners took control of the town by force and violence for 10 days. 200 Glamorgan police were ambushed by strikers at Pontamman Bridge during the so-called 'Battle of Ammanford'.

MY VISIT

There were a few options on this Friday night, though fellow hopper Colin was keen on Ammanford as he was keen to complete the Welsh Premier League. This suited me, but I thought it would be a good idea to stop over and get Haverfordwest done. This was right on the southwestern tip of Wales, at least as far as football teams were concerned. The trip was nearly 500 miles all in, so it was worth doing the two at once. The accommodation was a bit sparse, but after much searching and deliberation, found a Premier Inn for £69. I'd rather have stayed within walking distance of the ground, and this led to us going back on ourselves, but it was the best I could do.

It was pleasant to be a passenger for once on the way back from Wales. I was dropped at ASDA where I popped in and got some cider and pizza. It was annoying to get to the checkout and discover that I had a surprise voucher for £5 off a £15 spend when I'd spent £10.50, but I couldn't be arsed to go back and get some other stuff. I was in by 7.15 and thinking of next week, looked at hotels for Friday near Ammanford. They'd jacked up their prices since I looked in the week and weren't especially well located, so I held off. I hadn't heard from Colin in days, so wasn't going to book something on his behalf that wasn't decent and cancellable. I had a few drinks before bed and went to sleep ten minutes into the England game, which they won 2-0. I awoke at 3.30 and watched some of the Argentina v Jordan game whilst I got ready for work. I listened to the Austria v Algeria game, which, with a draw, knocked Iran out of the World Cup. Algeria briefly took the lead at the end, but Austria equalised in the last minute, cutting short celebrations in Iran. It had shadows of the 1982 game where Austria and Germany conspired to knock Algeria out and put them both through. Work was a standard Sunday, 4.5 hours of bliss before the store opened and then chaos after. It was more pleasant on Monday with the big boss back at work, and I got my time off approved.

Thursday was a nice, pleasant day at work, albeit a bit busy. Friday was brutal misery, so packed and the system at work was far less efficient. I was so glad when 1 pm came, and I could leave. A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I suddenly felt energised out of my oppressive uniform. I met Colin, and we were on our way. It was a decent journey until we got to Bristol and then horrendous from there with 90 minutes delay. We got to the hotel at 5, and Colin was badgering me to help him book plane tickets, having invited himself on my trip to Dublin. He paid the price with his outbound ticket of £88 when I paid £44 on Tuesday, the same with the inbound at £31 as opposed to £14. I was glad of a rest and put off sorting the hotel for our trip until after football. For all the hassle he causes me, I had the double bed and booted him out into the single. We left at 6.15, and it was a beautiful scenic drive on very basic roads to Tesco. They had an excellent range of cider, so I stocked up, some for later, some for the fridge at home. It was a few minutes to the ground; I was glad when the traction control warning light on my car went out, having illuminated on the short drive from our hotel. I parked in the road opposite, and we walked across. Entry was an excellent £5, along with a friendly welcome. I made the rare decision to get a pin badge for £2 as I had a good feeling about the place.

 

Last season, the two sides finished 3rd and 14th respectively in the Cymru South table. The game was end-to-end, played in front of a crowd of around 70. Baglan Dragons took the lead on 31 minutes when a left-sided cross was bundled in from six yards. Not that Colin knew, as he'd fallen asleep again. The second half saw Ammanford have a couple of close chances before Baglan went 2-0 with a header on 79 minutes. The visitors also thumped the right-hand post with a shot on 83 minutes. With the last kick of the game, Ammanford lobbed home a consolation goal from the edge of the area to make it 1-2. From there, it was a 30-minute drive via the M4 to the hotel. We walked to ASDA as I wanted some ice cubes and it was only ten minutes from our room. I was pleased that my sweepstake team, Egypt, beat Australia on penalties. We were planning to watch the Argentina v Cape Verde game whilst I had a few drinks. It had been a good day, and I was very much looking forward to tomorrow.

THE GROUND 

AMMANFORD RECREATION GROUND is a solid ground for the level. There is a large stand, holding around 300, that is smart, modern and gives good views. The rest of the ground is open hard standing. The facilities are decent. A great range of merch, basic hot food plus a great range of sweets etc. There is also a bar on the way as they have a licence. The ground is nice and scenic, and there is plenty of parking. 

Treowen Stars - Bush Park

Treowen Stars FC 

Bush Park

Uplands

Newbridge

Newport 

NP11 3RH

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 1560

Saturday 27th June 2026

Treowen Stars 5-0 Taffs Well

Friendly

TREOWEN STARS FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Treowen Stars were formed in 1926 in the village of Treowen, Newbridge, in the Welsh Valleys. They played most of their early football in the Abertillery & District and West Monmouthshire Leagues. They were able to build up their facilities in the 1970s. The Monmouthshire League merged into the Gwent League in 1980, and by 1985, Treowen Stars were Division 3 champions. They then won Division 2 and Division 1 in consecutive seasons from 1990 until 1992.

After some ground improvements, they joined the Welsh League Division 3. It was a third successive title in 1993 and a fourth successive promotion in 1994 as they finished as runners-up to Taffs Well in Division 2. The club finished as high as 4th in 1997 & 1998, but gradually, results declined. They suffered consecutive relegations in 2001 & 2002 and dropped out of the league altogether in 2006. After four seasons in the Gwent League, they won the Division 1 title in 2010 to return to the Welsh League. They remained in the bottom tier until 2020, when all football was stopped due to the pandemic. When they finally got back, they found themselves in the newly established Ardal South East, at tier 3 of the Welsh football system. They won this division in 2025 and last season finished 9th in the Cymru South.

Treowen Stars have reached the last 32 of the Welsh Cup on four occasions. They reached the Welsh League Cup Final in 1994, losing to Barry Town. They put that right in 1998, with a 4–3 victory after extra time over BP Llandarcy, at Coychurch Road in Bridgend. Newbridge (Welsh: Trecelyn) is a town y in the county borough of Caerphilly. It lies within the historic boundaries of the county of Monmouthshire and has a population of around 6,500. Newbridge, as its name implies, was the name of land around the "new bridge" built across the Ebbw River towards the end of the 18th century. Newbridge was then a predominantly Welsh agrarian community of rural farms and sheep pasture with a low population.

Towards the end of the 18th century, Newbridge was established as a farming community around a new bridge across the Ebbw River. Like many towns in the area, it underwent a population explosion and socio-economic change with the arrival of coal mining in the 19th century. The mines attracted workers from the English West Country and West Midlands, Cornwall, Scotland, Mid Wales and further afield. The Celynen Collieries Workingmen's Institute and Memorial Hall together became, like many miners' institutes, the communal heart of the town. The local collieries enjoyed a reputation for highly skilled miners, a productive workforce and non-radical politics, and the community had thriving shops, churches, chapels and sports teams. Mining eventually ceased in the mid-1980s, after surviving the 1926 general strike, the 1930s Depression and post-war nationalisation, but became unsustainable following the UK miners' strike (1984-1985). The Institute became a drinking club.

Since the end of coal mining, new leisure facilities have been constructed in Newbridge. Residents have also reported the return to the area of birds such as herons, buzzards and kestrels. After some delays, the Ebbw Valley Railway, originally running from Ebbw Vale Parkway (as of 17 May 2015 extended to Ebbw Vale Town) to Cardiff Central railway station, opened in February 2008. Newbridge is one of 8 stations on the line. A bridge linking the main town of Newbridge with the school and leisure centre over the Ebbw River was completed at a cost of over £3 million and was opened by boxer Joe Calzaghe and his father, Enzo Calzaghe, in November 2009. Other famous people to have grown up in the town include Steve Strange, frontman of the New Romantic band Visage.

MY VISIT

Originally, I was planning on having another week off and starting my season in July. Colin was busy visiting family, and it might have been nice to start the season on Futbology terms for once, as you are unable to alter from July 1st, making the statistics disjointed. However, I was glad when Essex-based Richard offered Treowen Stars v Taffs Well. It probably would have cost over £50 on my own, but depending on passengers, it was either £33 or £22 with Richard. We also had Jake coming with us for sure, whilst Mick, Dan and some others were off on a long trip to Queen Of The South. A trip I'd have liked to have been on, but the car was full. I wasn't envying the early start that Dan would have on Sunday, with limited sleep. I assume that the others have jobs that allow them the luxury of a Sunday off.

My first Saturday off from football in two years saw me make a long-wanted trip to St Albans. The first bus to Hemel Hempstead was slightly late and a bumpy ride, but it was only £3. We passed through the pleasant village of Bovingdon, which I'll consider revisiting against Holmer Green if the date falls well. The second bus was late again and untracked. 90% of the people on their got freebies courtesy of their bus pass, again it was a reasonable £3 for the 45-minute journey, which was more like an hour with delays. Both St Albans pubs were disappointing due to a lack of quality control in the ciders. Award-winning The Mermaid had a pint of Hecks Dabinett for £5.30, whilst The Robin Hood had a pint of Celtic Marches Alice for £5.60. The former was the better, but both pubs deserved visiting for the effort. I was peckish, so I made my way to Hatfield via the 301 bus to get to Wetherspoons, The Harpfield Hall. This was an excellent Spoons. I had a pint of Black Dragon with a hot honey chicken bowl. A bus back to Hemel saw me revisit their Spoons before getting a bus home. A couple more drinks were had in the evening, and a walk was taken to Penn and back, where I bumped into an old mate. I was pretty bladdered by the time I got to bed at around 10.

 

Work-wise, it was the usual low reward for hard work, but I didn't mind that as the days flew by. The government does very little for low-paid workers, and Sundays can be absolutely horrible, but I like the people I work with as a rule, and I am guaranteed Saturdays off. After a marathon of World Cup games, either side of the excellent England 4-2 Croatia game, I'd mainly been just looking at the results as all the games I fancied were on at tricky times. Most delightful were Cape Verde, who had managed draws against Spain and Uruguay on their World Cup debut. The second game against Ghana was as dull as ditchwater, and there wasn't much else to write home about, with the results sadly predictable. The big event of the week was the release of the Wycombe fixtures, with the season slowly starting to cough into life, my planning accelerated. A last-minute European and UK trip was mooted for my birthday week, but it very much hinged on my getting time off. I was glad when Friday afternoon rolled around, and it was a pleasant walk down Wycombe for a couple of pints and a good portion of fish and chips for £11.49. I came back and had a few more, meaning that I got a good night's sleep despite the heat.

I woke around 5.30 and watched TV for a bit. After getting up and having some breakfast, I left just before 9. Richard had said he'd be there between 9 and 9.15, but I could see from Jake's tracking that he was running behind. He arrived at 9.30 and, like me, used the toilet before we set off. It was a bargain £22 for the journey, thanks to a full car, and Richard was amenable to my suggested Wetherspoons stop. The journey was pleasant, although there was a bit of a delay when we got near Newport on a part of the M4 that always seems stuffed. We parked in Asda and made our way to the Sirhowy Wetherspoons in Blackwood. There I had a Korean burger, wings, chips and a bottle of Aspalls for £10.52. A £2.74 pint of Strongbow saw me nice and relaxed, though it was disappointing not to see any Welsh cider on the menu. It was 10 minutes to the ground, street parking was fiddly due to the narrow roads, but it was a beautiful area as Wales always seems to be. It was a hell of a walk up the steps to the ground, it was a good job PuffPuff didn't attend, as I think it would have taken him a week to walk up to the pitch.

No admission fee was charged; this was a clash between Treowen Stars, who finished 9th in the Cymru South last season and Taffs Well, sporting a very nice shirt, who finished 14th in the Ardal South West. In lieu of the free entry, I purchased a well-presented programme for £2. It was a lethargic start, but Treowen took the lead on 28 minutes with a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner from just inside the area. They doubled the lead on 32 minutes through a penalty. The half-time break only lasted ten minutes before we were back underway. It was all one way traffic by now and Treowen blasted home a beauty into the top right corner from 20 yards on 57 minutes to make it 3-0. On 68 minutes, a low strike from the edge of the area made it four. On 71 minutes, a cross was swung in from the left and the ball was headed home from ten yards out, 5-0. That was it for goals, another wonderful day in Wales, just as it was at the beautiful Taffs Well in 2015. We were back in the car by 4, heading home to the bubonic plague that is an English Sunday, but not before a few drinks back home.

 

THE GROUND 

BUSH PARK is a decent venue. Like many Welsh grounds, there are no floodlights. There are two stands, one an old-fashioned proper stand along the side, which has an area at the side that looks like an old dugout and would suit wheelchairs if they could make it up the steps. There is a more modern metal stand behind the goal; this does at least have the club badge in it. All in all, around 150 seats are available. There are basic refreshments available in the ground. Down a considerable flight of steps, or up them to get into the ground is a bar and dressing rooms. There is a small car park, plus street parking. Public transport links are reasonable, with Newbridge station being around 20 minutes walk away.