Rhayader Town and Castell Alun Colts are two of the record 284 clubs that will enter the Welsh Cup this season and they meet at The Weirglodd on Saturday, 25 July (KO 14:00) in the opening qualifying round.
“It’s a tough start and it’s an early start,” explained Rhayader Town manager Eifion Price to FAW.cymru earlier this week. “It’s almost non-stop, but we’ve had a good pre-season. We’ve got a very young side with the average age less than 25, so we’re trying to keep the boys together and build them into a bit of a group.”
Last season, Rhayader Town defeated Blaenau Ffestiniog Amateurs and CPD Llanerch-Y-Medd in the qualifying rounds of the competition before being eliminated in the 1st Round by Cefn Cribwr. However, it was back in 2000/01 that the club reached the quarter-final stage, losing to eventual finalists TNS.
Price’s side finished third in the MMP Central Wales League South last season, narrowly missing out on promotion to the Ardal Leagues. Opponents Castell Alun Colts also ply their trade in Tier 4. Based in Flintshire, the club compete in Division One of the North East Wales Football League.
“We’re very lucky to have a home tie but we expect a competitive game,” Price added. “We’ve still got lads away this time of year, so we are missing a few boys, but I’m sure they’ll be in the same position as us. It’s one of those where you try and get yourself over the line when things aren’t perfect.”
Manager Eifion Price has been goalkeeper at Rhayader Town for a number of years (DRL Photography)
Price has a long association with the club and was named player-manager two seasons ago. Now he intends to hang up the gloves and concentrate on his role from the touchline instead.
Meanwhile, his teenage son Tom scored 11 league goals for the side last season and highlights the exciting young talent on show at The Weirglodd ahead of the new campaign.
“Off the field the club is probably in the strongest position I’ve known it in the last 15 years,” added Price. “The chairman we have at the moment (Rhys Thomas) is fantastic. He puts in a lot of work and the funding he has brought in has made a big difference.”
Rhayader Town are a familiar name on the domestic circuit having spent five seasons in the top division between 1997 and 2002. They were the first club from the county of Radnorshire to compete at that level, but in 2006 the club folded and reformed a year later.
Their presence across multiple tiers of the domestic game offers a snapshot into the highs and lows that have shaped the ambitions of the club today.
“We also have a good committee, and we hold a lot of fundraising events, but for us it’s about spending money on facilities rather than players to future-proof the club,” Price said. “The local community and local businesses do support us, especially now that we have very much a local side.
“We want to get back to where we think the club should be. We finished third last season in what is a competitive league, and we probably need another couple of players. There are a lot of young players in this league looking for more experience, and we were very close last year to be fair.”
It was just over three years ago that the fortunes of the team were put into perspective when chairman Gareth Earp tragically lost his life in a road traffic accident at the age of just 43. An Inspector with Dyfed-Powys Police at the time, the event had a significant effect on the club and the local community.
However, his name lives on at Rhayader Town with the bar named in his honour, and also through his teenage son Theo, who joined the club last season from Caersws.
“Unfortunately, sometimes it takes an event like that for people to galvanise, and it definitely did that,” Price explained.
“For me it’s an honour to be the manager of the club. It comes with a responsibility because I was involved with the club when it was in the second tier and we were challenging at that level. So, there’s a great responsibility to try and deliver something here, and we will do our best to do that.
“It would be nice to have a crowd there on Saturday to get behind the lads. Hopefully we can get off on the right foot, make a good start and use that momentum as we head into the new season.”
