Even the most ardent JD Cymru South follower could be forgiven for not foreseeing Trethomas Bluebirds’ incredible start to the season.
The newly-promoted side headed into October proudly sitting top of the table, almost a third of the way through their debut JD Cymru South campaign.
Manager Mark Dunford, a well-travelled ex-player of the former Welsh League, has overseen Trethomas’ dramatic transition from Ardal League South East promotion hopefuls and into the second tier.
Dunford, who was initially appointed at the start of the 2020/21 Covid-hit season, helped lead the club to the Ardal Southern League Cup in his first full season. A successive fourth-place finish followed in the 2022/23 season, but this time there was silverware on the national stage, as the Bluebirds defeated Denbigh Town at Latham Park to lift the Dragon Signs Amateur Trophy for the first time in their history. That would prove to be the catalyst for their promotion-winning 2023/24 campaign.
Trethomas completed a dominant season, tallying 78 points and racking up 100 goals as they finished seven points clear at the top of the table, losing just twice all season.
“We pushed on again and achieved what we wanted to achieve,” said Dunford. “We worked hard in the background, we worked hard with the coaching staff and brought in a bit of experience with people like James Saddler and Lee Baldock and managed to keep hold of our key players and we were better equipped.
“We felt last season, it was going to be now or never and I think the Ardal South East last season was especially strong. We had our work cut out and it was an unbelievable achievement.”
That momentum has bode the team well, with the Bluebirds maintaining top spot in the JD Cymru South for the opening two months of this season before defeat to Carmarthen Town on Saturday saw them slip to third place. It was only their second loss in 10 league games this season.
So what is the secret for Trethomas’ ascendancy into the second tier? Dunford believes Trethomas’ relative success is built around stability and the club’s attention to detail in providing a good player experience.
“We try and attract people into our club by offering a good player experience rather than what resources we can maybe offer,” explains Dunford.
“The club and management have stayed the same, the principles and ideas around what we do have stayed the same – it’s about the players that come in to buy into that.
“There’s been an evolution around the playing squad, but the stability around the squad has been non-negotiable in all the things we do, our expectations and demands of the players and everything around it has been well-ingrained into our success.
“If you’d have asked me where do I think we’ll be after a third of the season, I’d probably would’ve said anywhere around mid-table would be pleasing. The aim when teams come up is usually to stay up because you’ve got to establish yourself.
“The league is as strong as it’s been and I speak to other managers, who are established in this division, and they say it’s the strongest Cymru South there’s been for a long time so I’m surprised where we are, but I’m not surprised by what the players have achieved and what they’re doing out on the pitch.
“Results and performances have been very good, they can play at this level. Some people are playing at this level for the first time but they’ve taken it in their stride. We’ve put in place what we want to do and try to execute that to the best of our ability and we see where that takes us in game. We’re learning all the time and the players have hit the ground running.”
While still adapting to life in the second tier, Trethomas’ promising start to the season has raised the question as to whether the club can go a step further, and realise a long-term dream to bring JD Cymru Premier football to Caerphilly County Borough.
“We have applied for Tier One licensing, the FAW have been really supportive,” confirmed Dunford. “We’re ambitious, the Chairman David Evans and our hard-working committee is ambitious and if we can make things happen we will, but we won’t put ourselves in a position where we can’t back that up and that goes down to our resources and budget.
“We’re doing what we do to the best of our ability and seeing where it takes us and if come March, we’re four or five points around the leaders or up around there, then the expectation changes.
“I can’t remember the last club from around this area to be in the Cymru Premier. It’s been crying out for it for such a long time. This area deserves Cymru Premier representation. The fact we’ve got the Cymru South in the borough is pretty big and we’ve been seeing some great crowds and shows there is interest in the area.
“We would love to be the team to make that breakthrough, whether we can make that happen, who knows?”
