Newport Fc

we will be playing Newport on Friday 27th July at Rodney Parade Kick Off 7.45

Tim Harris just confirmed it with me

SHEP

This friendly will provide the players with an excellent opportunity to experience the first class facilities that will be available at Rodney Parade, especially the quality of the (grass) playing surface!




Photos posted on Newport City Radio twitter feed.

Martyrs facing tough test against Newport
Celtic Sport

MERTHYR Town will face a tough test tomorrow night in readiness for the Southern League campaign when they travel to Newport County for a friendly. The game will start at Rodney Parade at 7.45pm.

The clash was confirmed with Martyrs boss Garry Shephard by County general manager Tim Harris, who was the Merthyr manager in 2005 when the club met Walsall in the first round proper of the FA Cup. Newport have given former Spurs player Justin Edinburgh a new contract but there have been problems at the club with the resignation of chairman Chris Blight. He complained that he had been subjected to some abusive phone calls from supporters.

Players for Merthyr to keep an eye on include defender Tony James, signed from Burton. A former Wales semi-professional, he started his career with Leicester, Jake Thompson, a midfielder signed from Forest Green, and striker Louis Jefferson, who has moved from Lincoln. Merthyr, with several newcomers lined up, will reshuffle the squad and will be without goalkeeper Joe Perry. The son of former Cardiff City star Jason, he has signed for Newport County, of The Blue Square Premier, as number two to Alan Julian, the former Brentford and Gillingham shot-stopper.

Former Martyr Ashley Morris, with Llanelli in recent seasons, was in goal in Merthyr’s first friendly, at Ton Pentre last week. And in the second half Giles Cutlan, formerly with Cwmbran Town, Cwmbran Celtic and Bristol Rovers, had a run out. Merthyr’s second goalkeeper from last season, Mike Ley, has also left the club as he is going to Bristol University.

Merthyr fans were disappointed to hear that influential midfielder Tareq Khalil, formerly of Cardiff City, Bournemouth and Dorchester, who broke his leg early last season, will not be fit to start the new campaign. Another midfield player, local boy Luke Jones, scored in the Ton Pentre friendly. He was released from Cardiff City at the end of last season.

Merthyr will launch the 2012-13 campaign with a trip to Swindon Super Marine who, coincidentally, were their last opponents as Merthyr Tydfil before that club was liquidated.

According to Newport's fans' Message Board, the Rodney Parade toilets are not very convenient!

Davies relishing old boys reunion
Andrew Penman (South Wales Argus)

MIKE Flynn won’t be the only returning hero when Newport County AFC host Merthyr Town at Rodney Parade tonight. The midfielder, who last played for the club in the 2000/01 season, is expected to make his second Exiles debut tonight having finally sealed his return to Newport yesterday. And, while the current County squad will be all new to Flynn, he will see plenty of familiar faces in the opposition line-up.

Merthyr player/manager Garry Shephard was a teammate at Spytty Park and his side is packed full of ex-County players. Ryan Dorrian and Andrew Thomas also played alongside Flynn and Kris Leek, Gary Colborne, Ryan Newman and Joe Leahy will all face their old club. But the chief attraction for County fans in the Merthyr team will be the chance to watch Nathan Davies play.

The 30-year-old midfielder known as ‘Mr Newport County’ played almost 400 games for the club between 1998 and 2010. He was released by then manager Dean Holdsworth at the end of the promotion-winning 2009-10 season after struggling to overcome a persistent ankle injury.

But having joined the Martyrs from Cirencester this summer he’s delighted to be facing the team he loves. “I’m fit and I’m looking forward to it,” said Davies. “It’ll be a bit strange playing against County but there’s a lot of us at Merthyr. Andrew Thomas was the first one who texted me to say the match had been arranged and we’ve been having a lot of banter about it with the gaffer (Garry Shephard) and Kris Leek. I still go to as many matches as I can and, even though the team has changed completely since I was there, it will be good to see Flynny and a few old faces in the crowd and behind the scenes. Hopefully I’ll get a good reception even if I am playing against County!”

Davies believes County are in for an exciting season at their new home. “They’ve signed a lot of good players this summer and got a great result the other night against Bristol Rovers so it could be a tough night for us,” he said. “I think the move to Rodney Parade is great for County because it’s right in the heart of the city and all the fans I’ve spoken to are very excited. Hopefully this season will be a big improvement on last year, which was a bit of a nightmare apart from Wembley. That was a great day, apart from the result, and the fans deserved it. I went down with 10 friends and it was incredible to see County running out at Wembley. A part of me did think ‘what could have been?’ if I’d still been there but I was pleased for all the lads who got to play.”

Tickets for tonight’s match are just £6 (£5 concessions) and children under-16 get in free.

Wandering wrote:Martyrs facing tough test against Newport
Celtic Sport

Players for Merthyr to keep an eye on include striker Louis Jefferson, who has moved from Lincoln.

Actually his name's Jefferson Louis - did quite a good job in his spell at Lincoln last season by all accounts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Louis