AFC Totton
VENUE: Penydarren Park, Park Terrace, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8RF
Book your place on the AFC Totton coach - leaving the Snows Stadium at 9:30am-sharp
The Straker's Bar will be open for Breakfast from 8:30am
Were it not for the untimely demise of Walton Casuals, who folded in June 2022 after failing to secure new financial investment, Saturday’s Isuzu FA Trophy 3rd Round Qualifying opponents Merthyr Town would have joined AFC Totton in the Southern League Div.1 South for the 2022/23 season.
Indeed, the first listings issued by the Southern League over the summer had The Martyrs as a Step 4 team, following their relegation from the Southern League Premier Division South as the result of a campaign that saw them finish 11 points adrift from safety with 6 wins and just 26 points from 42 matches, and in 21st position.
But while rock-bottom Wimborne Town were ultimately relegated, the administrative reshuffle required after Walton Casuals withdrew from the English League Pyramid meant the team from Merthyr Tydfil in Wales were given a reprieve – as were Cinderford Town, who had fallen to Step 5 following a heavy defeat in their Inter-Regional Promotion/Relegation Play-Off with Skelmersdale United, who now play their football in the Northern Premier League Division One West.
In addition to The Martyrs, Merthyr Town also go by the nicknames of The Romans and Red & Greens – a nod to the colours they wore when the club was originally formed in 1909. They were members of the Football League during the 1920s, when a league restructuring incorporated former Southern League teams into the new Third Division. After several seasons of lowly table positions, they were voted out of the Football League in 1930 and folded four years later.
In 1945, the team re-emerged as Merthyr Tydfil FC and went on to win six Southern League titles – equalling the record total set by Southampton – and three Welsh Cups, the last of which was in 1987 and led to them taking part in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup while English clubs were banned from European competition. They drew Italian Serie B club Atalanta in the 1st Round and won the first leg at home 1-0, before La Dea (The Goddess) responded with a 2-0 victory in the return leg.
Merthyr Tydfil reached the Football Conference (Step 1) in 1988/89, before a steady decline saw them drop back into the Southern League and, in 2010, eventually fold to be reformed again under the club’s previous name, Merthyr Town.
Manager Paul Michael raised eyebrows when he quit Southern League Premier Division side Yate Town in favour of The Martyrs over the summer, prior to them receiving their relegation reprieve, but with four wins from their first eight league matches of the new campaign, he has already brightened the mood at Penydarren Park.
This will be Merthyr’s first involvement in the FA Trophy this season, having received a bye directly into 3rd Round Qualifying. They are still going strong in the Emirates FA Cup, beating Truro City 5-2 in their 1st Round Qualifier before overcoming Cirencester Town in a replay with a 2-1 away win after a 1-1 draw in Wales in mid-September. Last weekend, Merthyr defeated National League North side Gloucester City with a 1-0 away win to reach 4th Round Qualifying. In their most recent league encounter, Merthyr trounced Winchester City 5-2 at home, with five different players getting on the scoresheet.
AFC Totton and Merthyr Tydfil met in an FA Cup 2nd Round Qualifier in September 2007, which ended in a 2-2 draw thanks to two goals from Michael Gosney. The replay at Testwood Park ended goalless, the tie eventually being decided by a penalty shoot-out that the Welshmen won 4-3.
The only Stags win we have on record against The Martyrs came in October 2012, when goals from Jonathan Davies, Richard Gillespie and Dave Allen took Totton to a 3-2 FA Cup 3rd Round Qualifying win. But since then, Merthyr Town have inflicted two heavy defeats upon The Stags, who suffered a 0-4 defeat in Wales and then a 1-5 thrashing at home in the league in 2014/15, despite Ellis White’s consolation goal.
WINNER: Jake Adams celebrates his late winning goal in the Isuzu FA Trophy 2nd Round Qualifying tie at home to Berkhamsted.
AFC Totton beat Slimbridge AFC, after a penalty shoot-out, and then Hertfordshire-based outfit Berkhamsted to reach this stage of a competition in which they defeated higher league opposition last season. And they come into this cup tie following a rest of 11 days since their last outing at Ringwood Town in the Southampton Senior Cup.
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
