To say the last few years have been tough for Talycopa would be an understatement.
The club were originally part of the inaugural Genero Adran South lineup in 2021/22 but withdrew midway through the campaign. Now, they find themselves in the fourth tier.
For Cerys Grove, who joined the club when she was a youngster, she admits the last few years for the Swansea-based club have been tough, but they’re now stabilising themselves once again.
“I’ve been with the club since I was little, and when I was playing in the U15s, we were playing in the Adran South, and that was a big moment for us.
“Over the years, some of the girls have found a different path and have had to leave for various reasons like college, but we’ve rebuilt those foundations since then.
“We’re steadying ourselves, and while it has been a little quiet, we are starting to get back up to where we want to be.”
Despite a not so stellar start to this season, the Bute Energy Welsh Cup has provided a lot of joy for them.
A 12-0 win at home over Aberaman Ladies in the qualifying round saw them in the hat for the first round, where they drew Welsh footballing giants Swansea City – three-time winners of the competition.
“The girls were very hyped up after that win against Aberaman,” Grove explained.
“We were very happy with our performance. It was a good moment for our team especially to reach the first round. When we saw Swansea City come out of the hat, it was exciting, but we are also quite nervous, but that’s to be expected. We’re ready for the challenge however.”
While the phrase “magic of the cup” may be overused this day, this fixture sums up just how special and unique cup competitions can be.
This is a real David vs. Goliath fixture, and while Grove is aware of the difficulty of the game, she also thinks Talycopa can play without pressure and can hopefully put on a good show.
“It is helpful to be the underdog in this situation for sure. It’s going to be hard and it’s going to be a really tough challenge, but we want to go into it with open minds and leave everything on the field. We’ve got nothing to lose, and I think it will be a really good game.”
And as if this fixture needed any added spice, it is of course a local derby.
Plenty of the Talycopa girls are Swansea City fans, including Grove herself, and the chance to lineup against some of their heroes is a real pinch me moment.
“It has struck us just how big this game is going to be for the club. It is very surreal; it doesn’t actually feel real that we’re here and about to play Swansea City. The fact it is a derby does add to the excitement of it all too, but it also adds to the nervousness too a little.
“I’m very excited for Sunday, and we think there’s going to be a really big crowd for it, and I think that might just motivate us on the day.”
Whatever happens come Sunday evening, the game marks an important milestone in the history of Talycopa.
It’s a moment for them to realise how far they’ve come since those Adran South days, and Grove, along with everyone else involved in the club, cannot wait for kick-off.
“When we step out onto that pitch and lineup up against them for the first time, I think it will be a little overwhelming. The support that we’re going to get and everything that comes with it, it’s just going to be a huge moment for the club. As players, it shows how far we’ve come, and we’re going to be very proud to represent Talycopa on Sunday afternoon.”
