Carmarthen Town club history

THE club was formed in 1948 and initially admitted to the Carmarthenshire Association Football League. The club’s present ground, Richmond Park, has been its home since 1952, a year before Carmarthen gained election to the Welsh League (Second Division West). After six seasons, promotion to the First Division was achieved (in 1959/60) although thereafter they failed to make any significant impact.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Carmarthen F.C. drifted along. Indeed, by the 1990s, they were still in the lower levels of the Welsh Football League, but the formation of the national competition in 1992/93 gave Carmarthen Town the necessary target for expansion on and off the pitch. This quickly culminated in promotion to the League of Wales in 1996 and proved to others what can be achieved with planning and desire.
Looking back at the club’s record in the Welsh League, there has been little to enthuse over, particularly since the early 1970s. Promotion from Division One to the Premier Division was missed by a mere three points in 1972/73 (Lewistown and Maesteg Park Athletic going up instead), yet within two years Carmarthen just escaped relegation, finishing in 15th position. The following season (1975/76), however, there was to be no escape and the club slipped into the relative oblivion of the Welsh League Division Two until the end of the decade.
Three seasons back in Division One (the middle one of the three Welsh Leagues operating at the time) saw Carmarthen twice finish 12th before further relegation (along with Aberaman and Pontyclun) in 1981/82 took them into the lower reaches for a lengthy period. Indeed, it was to be ten years before the club achieved promotion although they developed a penchant for finishing fifth - on no fewer than six occasions! Those seasons were not without statistical success as they produced 154 league victories and a total of 583 goals.

Club captain Mark Delaney went on to play for Cardiff City, Aston Villa and Wales

At last, in 1991/92, promotion was achieved, along with AFC Porth. That season, Carmarthen won 22 of their 32 league fixtures and in so doing conceded a mere nineteen goals. Indeed, it followed three relatively successful terms when the club had finished 5th, 6th and 5th once again and it was the tightening up of their defence that was the key to success in 1991/92. The previous season, for instance, Carmarthen conceded 38 goals more than in their promotion year.
Ironically, the re-titling of the Abacus (Welsh) League structure in 1992/93 meant that Carmarthen, though promoted, were still a Second Division side as the National Division had become Division One!
Only two years were spent at that particular level for, after finishing 5th (yes, once more) in 1992/93, Carmarthen achieved promotion to the top flight the following year, finishing third on the tails of Taffs Well and Treowen Stars. Of the three promoted clubs, it was Carmarthen Town that made the most impact on Division One. In their first season there, the Richmond Park side finished 3rd behind Briton Ferry Athletic (promoted to the League of Wales) and Haverfordwest County and won twenty of their 36 league games scoring 89 times in the process.
It was Carmarthen’s turn for glory just twelve months later, however. A superb season in 1995/96 ended with Carmarthen winning the league championship by six points from the unfortunate Haverfordwest County (who eventually made it back to the League of Wales in 1997). In the process, the team scored 101 goals, including nine at Brecon and seven at Risca and won 25 games against just two losses (inflicted by AFC Porth and Treowen Stars). For good measure, the club also won the Cyril Rogers (Welsh League) Cup.
Promotion to the League of Wales had been achieved and, after a season of consolidation, Carmarthen were early pacesetters in 1997/98. The club continues to be well-supported, last year’s average ‘gate’ of 442 per match being the third best in the national league, but slightly lower than the figure of 462 for the previous season. The club’s captain in 1997/98, Mark Delaney, joined Cardiff City, and quickly established a place for himself in the first team. His performances caught the eye of Aston Villa ‘boss John Gregory who took the player to Villa Park in March 1999, where he has rapidly matured into a Premiership regular. Three years ago, Mark progressed to the senior Welsh squad for the Euro 2000 match in Minsk against Belarus.
Carmarthen were managed by Tommy Morgan, who moved to Richmond Park in December 1998, following a brief reign as manager at Rhayader Town. Twelfth in the final standings in 1997/98, Carmarthen Town bettered that in 1998/99, finishing 9th in the table and missing out on a place in the F.A.W. Premier Cup on goal difference only. They can claim to have ended Barry Town’s long unbeaten away record in December 1998, however.
Carmarthen more than matched that feat by reaching the Welsh Cup final in May 1999, for the first time in the club’s history. Unfortunately, having taken the lead just minutes from the end of extra-time, Carmarthen allowed Inter Cable-Tel to equalise and go on to win a penalty shoot-out. Thus, a first tilt at European competition was agonisingly lost.

Carmarthen played AIK Stockholm in the InterToto Cup in 2001

Having just missed out on a top three finish three years ago, Carmarthen Town achieved that objective in 2000/01 to qualify for the UEFA Inter Toto Cup competition. Their opponents were the Swedish side AIK Stockholm, ten times winners of their national league championship. A highly creditable 0-0 draw was achieved in the ‘home’ leg (played at Aberystwyth) before the Swedes ran out 3-0 winners in the second match. Only four wins in the second half of 2001/2 saw Carmarthen Town slip to finish 10th in the final table, followed by a disappointing 15th in 2002/3.
The club parted company with manager Tomi Morgan and appointed young ex-Barry defender Andrew York as player boss. Results did not improve, although the club did reach the final of the league's challenge cup, only to be beaten 4-0 by Rhyl.
York resigned at the end of the season, to be replaced by Port Talbot manager Mark Jones and results showed an immediate improvement in the 2004/5 season with qualification for the Uefa Cup by reaching the Welsh Cup final and another appearance in the Challenge Cup final, against Rhyl once again.
Carmarthen qualified by Europe again in 2005/6 and reached the second qualifying round after defeating Irish outfit Longford 5-3 on aggregate.
League record
PPlayed WWon DDrawn LLost FGoals for AGoals against PtsPoints PosPosition
Managers
Wyndham Evans (1996 - Oct 1996)
John Mahoney (Oct 1996 - Nov 1998)
Tomi Morgan (Nov 1998 - Sep 2003)
Andrew York (Sept 2003 - May 2004)
Mark Jones (May 2004 - May 2007)
Deryn Brace (May 2007 - Jun 2010)
Tomi Morgan (Jun 2010 - to date)
Club histories and stats based on information compiled by David Rapson.