Port Talbot Town manager Richard Ryan was on best man duty at a wedding as his side defeated Trearddur Bay in the semi-final of the Dragon Signs Amateur Trophy, but will be back in the dugout for the final on Saturday as his side take on Penygraig United at Ynys Park, Trefelin (KO 17.15).
“I was kicking every ball and I turned my phone off in the end,” Ryan explained to FAW.cymru this week. “We went 1-0 up and all the texts were coming through and I thought ‘I can’t do this’!”
However, Ryan would have little to worry about as Aiden Chappell Smith put the side two goals ahead before Jordan Edwards scored his second of the game to seal a 3-1 victory against the side from the Ardal North West, and take Port Talbot Town to their first final since they were runners-up in the JD Welsh Cup in 2010.
Dragon Signs Amateur Trophy Final
The former striker took charge of a club that has always meant a lot to him and his family last summer following their relegation to the South Wales Premier League Premier Division (tier four).
“It’s been my biggest learning curve in football to be honest to you,” he explained. “Promotion would have been a bonus, but this year was all about reidentifying the club, reconnecting with the fanbase and putting the club back on the map.
“To be in two cup finals and to be on course for a top three or four finish in the league is a success, but once you get to a cup final, you always want to win.”
A 25-year wait for silverware
The club have also reached the final of the Hugh James SWFA Senior Cup this season, but it has been 25 years since silverware was last delivered at Victoria Road.
Current first team coach Robert Cockings was part of the side that achieved promotion to the JD Cymru Premier in 1999/2000 and lifted the Welsh League Cup in the process.
The club competed in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers in 2010/11, but losing their top-flight status in 2016 sparked a period of significant change both on and off the field.
Ryan was a youth team striker when Port Talbot Town made their debut in the domestic top-flight, and after being selected for the senior team, scored in that first season.
“I made my way into the first team and that’s where I sort of learnt my trade before I moved on,” he explained.
“My dad, Terry, stayed on as a supporter and a committee man and was there for the good times, but the way it’s gone over the last five or six years has been a tough watch for everyone who has an association with the club.”
This season has been something of a reset for the club on and off the field, and competing in the fourth tier has presented some unique and difficult challenges.
“Now we have an opportunity to change things,” Ryan added. “I have to praise people like Rhiannon (Reynolds – Chair) in particular for what she does behind the scenes.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but you can see the improvements, and hopefully that will get people interested in the club again and we can get back to where we belong.”
Comfortable victories over Bonymaen, Birchgrove Colts and Pontarddulais marked the start of this run to the Dragon Signs Amateur Trophy Final, but after beating Llangeinor 2-0, penalties were required to see off the challenge of Connah’s Quay Town and FC Cwmaman.
A semi-final against Trearddur Bay of the Ardal North West at Aberystwyth made the Steelmen the underdogs, but a 3-1 win was a real statement of intent.
“It’s a fantastic competition and I’ve really enjoyed it,” said Ryan. “It’s good to test yourself against teams from a higher league. We’ve done that and we’re in the final on merit. I’ll say exactly the same for Penygraig.
“Even though they’re a couple of leagues below us you don’t get to any final unless you’re a good team, especially not this competition, so credit to them as well. One of their players, Mark Crutch, is a good mate of mine and we played together at Aberaman back in the day. We joked in the earlier rounds that we might meet in the final.”
Family connection
Ryan enjoyed a very successful playing career in the Welsh domestic game, representing a number of clubs across the top divisions before moving into management with Trefelin BGC and Cambrian. His father Terry continued to follow Richard’s career closely until he sadly passed away in March 2022.
“He’s a big reason why I’m doing it,” Ryan explained. “I know my dad would have loved all of this. I know he’s watching down on what myself and the club are doing, and when my kids came onto the pitch after the quarter-final, it reminded me of him because I know he would have been on there with them.
“To be a manager is the next best thing to playing. Nothing beats playing, but being a manager is a close second, and when you get to do that at a club that you’ve got a real association with and feelings for, then it’s something else.
“We’ve got a really good group now, and I hope we we get over the line for everyone’s sake, but in particular, for my dad.”
A faded photo in the Victoria Road clubhouse is the sole reminder of the last time Port Talbot Town won a domestic trophy, but this is a new era for a club with over a century of history behind it and in desperate need for new heroes to emerge.
Ryan was the manager of Trefelin BGC when they made their way through the leagues and into the JD Cymru South, and he appears to be the perfect match for a club looking to embark on this new chapter. Victory on Saturday would provide the ideal foundation for the journey ahead.
“This club has been in Europe and has had three relegations, so we’re coming back from the dead,” he explained. “I always tell the boys to enjoy the journey. From my own experiences with Trefelin, in a way getting there and going up the leagues was better than the reality of actually getting there in the end.
“So go and enjoy the journey, the ups and downs, and hopefully then we can get back to where the club belongs. But we have to enjoy everything that comes along the way.”
