Rhyl 1879 and Barry Town United will turn their attentions to the JD Welsh Cup on Saturday, 31 January when the two teams meet at the Hops & Barley Community Stadium (KO 14:00).
“We’re the underdogs but we’re at home and we know the capabilities of our players,” explained Rhyl chairman Tom Jamieson to FAW.cymru this week. “We’re trying to drive up local support to make some noise and get behind us because we know what an occasion this is going to be.”
The demise of four-time JD Welsh Cup winners Rhyl FC resulted in the formation of CPD Y Rhyl 1879 in 2020. Continued success has seen the club rise to the JD Cymru North while building strong foundations off the field to learn from the lessons of the past.
JD Welsh Cup
Preview all of the Quarter-Final ties
Jamieson has overseen the progress of the club since the very beginning.
“The journey started with a blank piece of paper,” he explained. “We didn’t have a ground, we didn’t have a team and we didn’t have a manager. We didn’t have anything. We’ve followed a plan for the last five years and we’ve achieved our goals through determination, a real desire and ambition.”
The club took a significant step forward in October 2024 by completing the purchase of Belle Vue, now called the Hops & Barley Community Stadium, with financial assistance to their own contribution coming from the UK Government through the Community Ownership Fund and the Football Association of Wales.
“We have the right people on the board and a great management committee along with our volunteers and supporters,” Jamieson added. “We’re now in the JD Cymru North and we have a thriving junior section at the club.
“We don’t get a lot of time to reflect because we want to keep pushing on, develop the stadium, get to the JD Cymru Premier and then eventually back into Europe.”
Opponents Barry Town United of the JD Cymru Premier are yet to concede a goal in the JD Welsh Cup this season, reaching the last eight with convincing victories over Aberystwyth Town (5-0), Llanelli Town (6-0) and Gresford Athletic (4-0).
Like Rhyl, their name holds a special place in the annals of the domestic game and is steeped in JD Welsh Cup history.
“We’ve still got supporters from the old Rhyl FC and the history of that club is still here,” said Jamieson. “All this week there’s excitement and hope, and it’s encouraging to see and hear the local press and local radio getting behind us.
“Five years ago, owning our stadium and being in the quarter-final of the JD Welsh Cup was just a dream, but now it’s a reality.”
Manager Paul Moore is in his first full season at the club following his appointment in November 2024, and guided Rhyl to the Lock Stock Ardal North West title as they achieved promotion to the JD Cymru North last season.
“Paul has brought a new set of eyes to North Wales football,” explained Jamieson. “When we first met him, you could see that he knew what he wanted. He said he would get us promoted and he delivered. He made some tough calls in the beginning, which I like in a manager.
“He’s not afraid to make tough decisions. He’s shown great man-management skills, and he has proven to us that we’ve invested in the right person. He only wants to do well for the club, and we have a very good working relationship.”
Ben Lightfoot has been one of the stand-out players for Rhyl in the JD Welsh Cup this season, scoring in all four rounds of the competition as the club claimed victories over CPD Pwllheli, Brickfield Rangers, Cwmbran Town and Porthmadog.
The 24-year-old arrived at the club last summer from the English pyramid has been an influential figure in their success. “He’s committed and has a real desire to move the team forward,” added Jamieson. “Off the pitch he’s a great lad too and one of the favourites with our supporters.
“His family travel all the way down from Wigan to watch our games. He loves the club as well, and it’s good to have that sort of player, because we have created something different at this club and players like Ben help people understand what our ethos is all about.”
Although the focus at Rhyl this week is very much on the JD Welsh Cup, there are plenty of other short and long-term ambitions for the club to achieve.
The challenge now is to continue to support the pace of progress at the club, and build on the success that is turning Jamieson’s 2020 blueprint into a potential powerhouse within the North Wales football circuit.
“Promotion last season meant that the expectations started rising again,” he explained. “It’s been a learning curve for everyone involved, but where we are now to where we have come from is a big achievement. There’s a lot of positiveness around the club at the moment, and that spreads through to our community.
“For example, we support the local food back and host different community events at the stadium. We have some really great sponsors and stakeholders who understand and appreciate what we are doing off the field as well, so things are definitely changing and moving forward.
CPD Y Rhyl chairman Tom Jamieson is a key figure behind the club’s success
“We’re looking to invest in a 3G pitch which would really drive that community benefit and create a real community hub. We’re also looking at what other clubs are doing and what they are achieving from it. We have some good people on board with some good creative ideas and it’s about how we bring it all together.
“There’s increased investment across Welsh football at the moment, including the Rob and Ryan effect at Wrexham. Why can’t there be a ‘Welcome to Sunny Rhyl’ as well? We’re always looking for new opportunities to take this club forward, and we have the ambition and the desire to really push on.”
