Haverfordwest County - Bridge Meadow

The Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium

Bridge Meadow Lane

Sydney Rees Way

Haverfordwest

Pembrokeshire

SA61 2EX 

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 1562

Saturday 4th July 2026

Haverfordwest County 0-4 Hamilton Academical

Friendly

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1899 as Haverfordwest FC. They changed their name to Haverfordwest Town in 1901 and then Haverfordwest Athletic in 1936. They adopted their current name of Haverfordwest County in 1956. For many years, they played in local leagues such as the Pembrokeshire League. In 1936, they joined the Welsh Football League, a competition primarily based in the south of the country. They were in Division 1 at the start of the 1950s but suffered a drop to Division 2 West in 1954, spending two seasons here before they won the title in 1956. The top tier was renamed the Premier Division in 1964. In the mid 1970s, Haverfordwest became a yo-yo club between the Premier and Division 1, with them stabilising in the higher league at the start of the 1980s. They won the Premier Division in 1981 and then again in 1989, by which time it had been renamed the National Division.

 Haverfordwest County were founder members of the League of Wales in 1992 but only stayed for two seasons. Having accepted an offer which involved the redevelopment of their Bridge Meadow ground, and unable to find a suitable alternative ground of League of Wales standard, they resigned from the League in 1994. Three seasons were spent in the Welsh League with two runner-up spots to Briton Ferry Athletic and Carmarthen Town respectively, before they were champions in 1997. The club achieved the first of their record 3rd-place finishes in 2004. The 2010s saw a period of decline, with the majority of the decade spent back in the Welsh Football League. In 2018, they came close to promotion after finishing as runners-up to Llanelli. The following year saw the Cymru South established, with Haverfordwest winning promotion in their debut season. They finished as runners-up to Swansea University but went up as the champions failed to gain a licence to play in the Cymru Premier. They've been in the top tier ever since, finishing 3rd again in 2025.

In 2004, Haverfordwest County qualified for Europe via league position in the League of Wales and played in the UEFA Cup, losing over two legs 4–1 to Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar of Iceland. They qualified for the Europa League through the Welsh European playoffs in 2023, beating Macedonian outfit Shkëndija on penalties following a level scoreline across the two-legged tie. Their run came to an end when they were narrowly beaten over two legs by Faroe Islanders B36 Tórshavn in the 2nd Qualifying Round, with the 'home' legs played at the Cardiff City Stadium. Last season they played in the UEFA Conference League, losing to Maltese side Floriana. Domestic cup honours include two Welsh League Cups and seven West Wales Senior Cups.

Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire and has a population of just under 15,000. The location of the town is deliberate: it was the lowest bridging point of the Western Cleddau before the Cleddau Bridge opened in 1975. Haverfordwest is a market town, the county town of Pembrokeshire and an important road network hub between Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, Fishguard and St David's as a result of its position at the tidal limit of the Western Cleddau. The name of the town means "ford used by goats", from Old English hæfer ford. In local dialect, it is pronounced: "Harford". Another local team,  Merlins Bridge, play in the local Pembrokeshire League. Haverfordwest RFC, which formed in 1885, play rugby union at their Pembroke Road ground, and Haverfordwest Cricket Club play at Dale Road.

Haverfordwest has been English-speaking for centuries. South Pembrokeshire is known as 'Little England Beyond Wales', but because the markets traded with Welsh farmers in the north and east, there has always been a significant Welsh-speaking influence. The suburb of Prendergast seems to have originated as an extramural Welsh dormitory, dating from the times when all agricultural trade had to pass through the borough, and the fearful Normans before the destruction of Anglo-Norman power in 1136 tried to prevent Welshmen bearing arms from entering within the castle walls after nightfall. Famous people from Haverfordwest include the footballers Simon Davies and Mark Delaney.

MY VISIT

Haverfordwest was the one ground that I had needed to complete the Cymru Premier last season, what with Caernarfon sharing at Llandudno. Their homecoming, along with Ammanford's promotion to an expanded top tier, meant that I was back to a target of three for this season, but hopefully got Ammanford done as part of this trip. This was the most westerly ground by some distance as far as the top three tiers were concerned in south Wales. I had planned to go last season, offering to drive a car full of hoppers from Essex if they could get to me. However, PuffPuff turned it down on behalf of his crew, saying that he didn't want a late night with work in the morning. That didn't stop him doing several trips out of Stansted Airport with far later finishes, or lumbering other drivers with long trips as long as he was picked up and dropped off at his front door, whatever the detour for the poor driver. I had first become aware of Haverfordwest when watching them on S4C against B36 Torshavn in 2023. They were extremely hard done by some refereeing decisions, if I recall correctly. I do love watching the Welsh sides try and upset the odds in European games, and the Welsh broadcaster must be applauded for providing an English-language commentary on YouTube; in fact, covering the tie at all is great.

The previous evening was spent at our hotel; I felt better after a few drinks. I was cheering on Cape Verde, but Messi, being the genius that he is, got the early goal for Argentina. But Cape Verde had been the sensation of the World Cup and equalised. I was a few drinks deep by now and also tired from my 3.50 alarm. With the gorilla snoozing, I myself got into bed and watched a bit of the game. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, Argentina were leading 3-2. I watched the end; sadly, no more goals, but they'd given it a brilliant go. I awoke after a decent night's sleep at around 7.30. I looked for a decent twin room for our stay in Dublin, but nothing was available at a fair price. Colin was happy to share a double bed, but that was a no-no for me; the same with dormitories and places with bad reviews. That said, I'd have been happy to go on the piss and spend the night in the airport, but the flights were more expensive. This way of booking also ensured that Colin paid for his own room rather than owed me money.

I had a shower, and that made me feel a lot better. Colin didn't bother for some reason, just putting some deodorant on. We left at 9.40 with Colin sleeping the entire 25-minute trip to the Mardy Inn Wetherspoons in Gorseinon. This was number 528 for me and the usual breakfast muffin, black pudding and energy drink that I have when driving. Colin had forgotten how to use the app, so I had to help him order. Service was mixed, but the food was hot, and I was happy despite the absence of my favourite chilli sauce. After filling up with petrol, we then had a 70-minute drive to Haverfordwest with Google Maps messing up during the journey and dumping us in a retail park full of zombies. It was a short ten-minute drive to the car park on the other side of the ground. We were there at 12.15 and walked to the William Owen Spoons, with the journey taking longer with Colin navigating. It was a great place for steak pudding, chips and peas along with a pint of Black Dragon for around £10.50. From there it was to Poundland for drinks and other essentials and then the Sheep Shop for some local Pembrokeshire cider.

From there it was around ten minutes to the ground, a good atmosphere and a decent crowd along with £8 entry. Both sides had beautiful warm-up tops, but sober, I couldn't justify the £30 for something I'd never wear. I did get a pint of Cold River cider, excellent value at £3.70 and a sensible strength. Haverfordwest had by far the better of the opening quarter, but couldn't score. Later on in the first half, Hamilton had a good spell. The visitors took the lead on 39 minutes, a low drive from the edge of the box by Dom Thomas. It was 2-0 on 43 minutes, a looping shot over the keeper by Cammy Blues. The attendance was given as 459. Both sides had good spells and chances during the early stages of the second half. Hamilton made it 3-0 on 74 minutes, a ball from the left and a finish by Kyle McDonald. A couple of minutes later, Dom Thomas made it 4-0 with a low shot. That was how it stayed, but Haverfordwest were no way four goals worse than Hamilton. We rushed back to the car, and I drove home without a break as I wanted to drop Colin at the bus stop. A slow lorry held us up at the start, but we made up the time. I dropped Colin off at 7.35, ten minutes before his bus. The ungrateful sod left rubbish in my car and buggared off without even saying goodbye or thank you. Sometimes I wonder why I bother, but then he had made the trip half price - petrol, hotel and servicing worked out at £68 each for the two games, making it most affordable.

 

THE GROUND

BRIDGE MEADOW is a pleasant venue to watch a game. There is a brick-built stand which holds around 350, plus a metal stand on the other side holding around 150. The rest of the ground is open hard standing, and the scenery is very pleasant. There is a decent range of merch, but not many small, low-price items. The bar is excellent; for example, a pint of Cold River cider is £3.70. The food is similarly well-priced. For a better range, the pleasant town is 15-minutes walk away and had a decent Wetherspoons. Car parking is plentiful, and public transport links are good as Haverfordwest has a train station.

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.