MERTHYR v Barry

Extremely bad decision by Shep and Danny to play majority of squad members today. We were simply second best in all departments.
To underestimate the rivalry and bragging rights is difficult to understand from a fans perspective.

Midweek friendlies against Welsh league sides, ha ha we played a welsh league side today.

Yeh, well then Merthyr's fringe players can try and match those Welsh League players. Most folk consider that the Western League Premier is about the same level as Div 1 of the MacWhirter Welsh League anyway!

We was crap and Barry more than deserved their victory today and good luck to them in the next round. We haven't been in the Welsh Cup for many years and we've had some great times in it in the past but the fact that we came into it in the preliminary round maybe shows that the FAW have little respect for us. If we'd beaten Cinderford as we should have done we could have been in Eastleigh today and playing Barry tomorrow and I don't think that we could have complained for playing our fringe players then.

As it was we played a weakened side anyway and were found out. I felt really sorry for Badger who in his second game didn't get a full ninety minutes. It must be difficult to play a game with only 1 previous game under your belt and he's a player who was one of our better ones last season. I think we need to be careful about playing midweek games against Welsh League sides as there's always the danger of picking up more injuries. Maybe we did make a mistake in not putting more of our regulars on the pitch today but a few of them did need a rest - Dozza for example who has run his legs off in recent games.

Had we progressed today it would have been another Saturday away from our league fixtures and I still think winning the league is our main priority. I we come back to PP on 22 October with 6 points in the bag from our games in Odd Down & Bishops Sutton then as far as I'm concerned all will be forgiven.

The club lost a chance of making money and I know they were hoping for a good run in some competition. Merthyr were placed in the preliminary round because of our pyramid position and we are considered to be below the Welsh Premiership.
I don't understand about players being rested. I worked five to six days a week and I was never told not to come in one day because I was being rested.
I take the point that midweek friendlies can bring injuries but so can any game!
The upshot is the anger demonstrated by the supporters after they saw a weakened side on the field for their £7, especially for some who had not been to P Park for a while and were enticed by the resumption of Merthyr v Barry rivalry. Will they return?
The sensible thing would have been to have fielded a decent side at the start, taken control and then ringing the changes if we were a couple of goals up.
When I saw that team take the pitch, my heart sank!

One or two comments only these so called fringe players are no better than some of the Merthyr lads playing for lower pyramid Welsh League sides wouldn't Mr Colvin and Mr Glassey for example have done a better job for us.Our Fans were silent granted but they had no encouragement from the players by their lay-back approach/Sheppy and Danny must see that there are many of our reserves just not good enough..............

There are better players around. But does anybody look at them and would they want to play for Merthyr?
The team yesterday showed very little urgency and these are not really reserves. We don't have a reserve team, so all those players are first-team squad members.
Did the board spell out to management beforehand the importance of WINNING that game, it being the last chance this season to make any extra cash, which is obviously needed?
The club had already been dumped out of two Cups and now it is just one win from six games, which have brought five goals.
it was difficult to see against Barry where the Merthyr goals were going to come from!
Barry Town are sixth from the bottom of the league with two wins, two draws, four defeats, only FIVE goals for and eight against. That about sums it up regarding Merthyr's display.

It amazes me that your priorities are wrong as regards to where the prime importance lies and that is promotion and no cup should come anywhere near that. If you look at our league matches all except the opening game of the season have been close games where the opportunity to give the rest of the first team squad a chance has been limited. The same applied to the FA Cup and the FA Vase. Due to the amount of games we've played we've only trained twice since the first week of the season due to midweek involvement. So pray tell me how and when these other members of the squad were likely to get an opportunity. Yes it's great to have a good cup run and win a cup but look at Birmingham last season-league cup winners and relegated to the championship.
If you want to see Merthyr end up like that then carry on moaning about everything. I believe the management team have done a good job so far with the development of the squad and should be left to carry on with the job. Critisism makes players and staff nervous and creates a lack of confidence in any team at any level. There wasn't any praise at all yesterday so you tell me how those lads are feeling right now, gutted to have lost, gutted to be slated by the fans and when you think about it that team hasn't played together that much whereas Barry have played together for the season so far and were far more settled and even they missed an awful lot of chances when you reflect on the game. There were good points and slowly but gradually they improved untill the three subs came on and made no impact on the game at all. I would have put Traylor on the left with Marcus on the right to open our game up with more options kept a sub spare as we almost lost two players after that with knocks. The width helps us get behind teams for the crosses or cutbacks which create more scoring opportunities. So come on people rally around and support the lads and give them a fair crack of the whip. They'll come good I'm sure and with training back to normal which will sharpen them up. Support the boys and make some noise. And Tim the Welsh league first division is a very competative league so Barry won't get it easy in that league believe me.

we've got every right to question and yes moan if we want.Many of us have followed the team for years through thick and thin and also dug into our pockets in the past and now,THAT WAS DISGUSTING YESTERDAY AND MANY OF THOSE PLAYERS ARE NOT UP TO THIS STANDARD...They might be great lads but there are better in my opinion around.My main concern was the lack of enthusiasm and committment(as it appeared)in the team.I would not name anyone it seemed general throughout the team and if that had been one of the top few Western Lg teams we would have got smashed..I only hope Danny and Shep with their great experiance can put things right.

Ripping a team apart isn't the answer. Be more constructive in your critisism and I sincerely hope those lads prove you wrong. Patience is needed with any new players in a new club to get used to the club and the way they play no matter how good the players coming in are. Not everybody is an instant success. Time will tell my friend and I hope they prove you wrong for football's sake.
I coached kids to hopefully one day become proffessional if possible or play in a top club in Wales
and long term boost Wales' chances of one day qualifying for one of the main competitions but support from all sources is what's required to help these players improve. Do you coach at all?

Royston Rogers wrote: if that had been one of the top few Western Lg teams we would have got smashed.

Well, if it had been we wouldn't have had that side out.

On the subject of whether players should be criticised, I think people feel entitled to do so when they know what certain players are capable of and can see that they're not performing to that capability. I can think of at least 6 that came into that category yesterday.

In the piece on the website: 'Shephard Rues Welsh Cup Team Selection' (http://www.merthyrtownfc.com/) Garry Shephard says of the fringe players in the team:
'We felt it was right that we gave them an opportunity yesterday to show what they can do'

The worrying thing yesterday was the standard of what they showed us.

Barry are not getting it easy in Div 1 of the Welsh League. They are fifth from bottom and don't pay their players!

I find that hard to believe as the majority of first division Welsh league teams pay their players.

re.wages that was a comment by the barry asst.manager,some good could come out of yesterday,s game if sheppy has commented on the poor performance of the fringe players and supporters are entitled to their opinions,i personally thought young jack howe had a good game but you have to agree some were left wanting yesterday.Now it is up to shep and danny to raise the spirits again and i a am sure they will.

Barry fan here. Had a great time yesterday for obvious reasons. But also because it was great to be back up Merthyr again, brought back great memories and it was an honour to play on that pitch again its been too long.

I went into the game not really knowing what to expect, despite our results and league position that some of you have pointed out we have been playing some cracking stuff so far and just haven't seemed to be able to score. Yesterday everything finally seemed to click. Weather or not you guys had a full team out or not, either way, I was proud of our lads and we deserved the win. But in the long run I’m just glad to see that both clubs are still in existence. It’s thanks to people like us that football matches like yesterday can still be played. On another note none of our players get paid as the committee that I am part of just cannot afford it. The money we raise goes toward paying the ground/light fees, training costs/equipment and kit. We have been lucky enough to have the same bunch of loyal and hard working lads for the past few seasons that just want to play football and play for Barry Town, without them we wouldn't be here now. Despite the performance from Merthyr yesterday I have no doubt that you guys will push on and do well this season. I've felt like that many a time over the past few years supporting my club. Great set up, great management and dedicated fans you have, and that you should be proud of. Results are necessary but not always the most important thing for clubs like Barry and Merthyr. I really look forward to playing you again soon, maybe we wont have to wait 6 years this time! All the best!

See you all soon, and keep on pushing in the league!

UP THE TOWN!

photographer wrote:I find that hard to believe as the majority of first division Welsh league teams pay their players.

I can confirm that Barry Town players do not get paid. No Barry Town player has been 'paid' in some years. Barry Town players do not even get their expenses paid for.

The current Chairman of the football club has stepped away from all responsibilities of running the football side, and so it has been left to the Barry Town Supporters' Committee to scrimp and save, beg and cajole for every penny we get.

The after-match meals are paid for by the BTSC, the pitch rent is paid for by the BTSC, and supporters sell lottery tickets, man the turnstiles, write the programme, print the programme, and everything else in between.

The players reward the supporters by their sheer commitment to the cause. That 'cause' is Barry Town and manager and talisman Gavin Chesterfield. Gavin Tweeted yesterday that the club "demands a lot" of the players, "but offers little." This is so true. However, what we do give is 100% passion, 100% commitment, and 90 minutes of as much noise and support as we can muster.

The experience of yesterday at Penydarren Park, playing at a great ground, and against a great club and historic club (don't beat yourselves up too much please), was hopefully - in some small way - payment in itself.

We have had a ropey start to the season, results wise. Performances have, frankly, been on a par with what we saw yesterday, but we have been hampered by sloppy finishing and bad luck (posts, bars, dodgy decisions).

I think someone mentioned the supporters earlier in this thread singing for 90 minutes during a 6-1 away thrashing to Welsh League Champions Bryntirion. True. We did. Our reward? 7 days later, in a quirk of fixture re-jigging, the same two sets of 11 met at Jenner Park in the reverse fixture and we battered them 6-0!

We have a set of players out there, compiled by Gavin, that want to play for the shirt and for Gavin. The club is currently up for sale. If we get a buyer, I'd like to think the players will be financially rewarded for their devotion to the cause. In the meantime - the fans will carry on showing their support in any way they can.

As for my experiences of the game itself - it was a proper occasion, a real event. I could not predict the scoreline beforehand. I was flicking between us winning 1-0, and losing 4-0! As it turned out, virtually everything we tocuhed yesterday turned to gold. We were very very good. I was surprised that there didn't seem to be more of a sense of occasion at Penydarren, because for us lot, it was the biggest game in a decade.

We were treated magnificently well yesterday, and most Merthyr fans I spoke to appeared to appreciate our presence there. I loved it. I can only wish Merthyr Town all the very best for the rest of the season. One or two of us have discussed coming up and having another look at you when we're not in action ourselves.

Before I go, I have to mention our manager one more time. I know he sees himself as simply one cog in a mechanism that keeps the club ticking over, but hear this, for those who aren't aware;

This time last year Gav left us to go to manage Welsh Premier League side Haverfordwest. We were gutted, but not one fan begrudged him the opportunity to better himself, and further his career. As it happened, that move didn't prove altogether successful. In the meantime, we survived relegation by the skin of our teeth come April.

Then the Chairman released a statement that he would no longer be funding the football club in any way, and it would be removed from the Welsh League if a buyer wasn't found by June. Our manager resigned. It was turmoil. In steps Gavin, meetings with supporters were arranged, meetings with the playing squad were arranged, and a campaign was launched to save the club.

That campaign is still on-going, and we desperately need financial backing for us to progress. This team can achieve great things, but we feel we're competing with our hands tied behind our backs. But anyway, I'd like to publically thank Gavin Chesterfield for basically saving us back in May, keeping the playing squad together with NO budget, and for giving the supporters days like yesterday.

Thanks Merthyr, you're going great in the League, and I hope you get a promotion at the end of it. And thanks for your great hospitality yesterday.

Cheers.

thanks very much indeed and we wish you all the best for your future you are indeed a credit to the welsh league.

Yes - thanks to the Barry fans for their comments. Like us they've gone through difficult times and at least we managed to get rid of our owner - they haven't and I hope they can succeed and move forward. Considering the rivalry we've had over the years it seems strange to see us supporting each other but that's what comes from supporters committed to their teams and united in bringing the good times back.

My weekend was partially salvaged by watching our youth team beat Cwmaman today 5-1. We scored some very good goals thanks to good football with incisive passing although the best goal of the game was Cwmaman's when they scored with a cracking shot from the edge of the box which would have beaten any keeper. It did cheer me up to see our young lads play so well and we've a couple of good ones If you're at a loose end - or even if you're not - I thoroughly recommend a visit to the Park to watch the young lads in action. As well as some good play you also get 100% commitment.

Nice to see Sheppy's apology on the website. He and Danny made a mistake and we need to move on and concentrate on picking up 6 points from our next 2 away games before we return to Penydarren Park in 3 weeks time.

Barry Town players and fans certainly made it an occasion for them. There wasn't the atmosphere that we used to have between Merthyr Tydfil and Barry Town fixtures, however. I think Merthyr seemed to think that Barry were the underdogs and a Merthyr win was on the cards!!
I know all the problems that Barry have had to just keep going. And from being top team in the then League of Wales and some memorable European jaunts, they slipped down as far as the Welsh League Division Two for a while. And, as stated, the club was nearly shut down in the summer.
The people running Barry deserve to be praised for their efforts and their fans got behind the team vocally yesterday. And it is true that Merthyr began to verbally abuse their team from early on.
All in all, Barry wanted to win and they did that in style.

Well as were out of all the cups (other than the Les Dawson - which I would field the u19s in) here is a solution for the players who are "kicking their heels only getting 20 minutes here and there". Release them. Our squad is now too big for a team that only has the league to concentrate on - don't forget we only have 34 game in the league too. I think we need no more than 15 in the squad, plus the youth team lads - Leahy and Ley, who are playing regularly on a sunday anyhow.

Some of the players we have are not worth the money they are getting and need to shape up or ship out. The drop in standard of Ryan Prosser is a massive worry. What has happened to our best player from last season? His performances for the last month have been terrible. What is also evident that since we lost Tariq we have little in the way of quality in the middle. Plenty of work and industry, but we lack that composure.

I was also disappointed that Shep, Danny or none of the players showed their faces in the bar after the game. There seems to be a bit of us and them being allowed to develop on a matchday - the manager needs to set the example and show his young squad the standards the club expects.

I've read Shep's appology and although I'm still annoyed (and it's now Monday) we need to draw a line under it all and let him do his job. I know he will be sincere and he will be hurting after the weekend's events. Roll on Saturday where I expect a backlash against Odd Down - hopefully they will be sick of the sight of us.

To reiterate what I said in an earler post, I think the trouble was not that we had some fringe players in the side on Saturday but that we had too many of them. We paid the penalty for underestimating Barry.

But I had no qualms about the team selection before the match, I fully expected the players would be good enough, knowing the capabilities of most of them, and expecting that Barry would be little better than Caerau were in the previous round. Well, I was wrong about that last part - and it seems I wasn't the only one to get it wrong.

There's no doubt we've missed Tareq Khalil badly, and we hadn't even got Matthew Harris to step into his place in midfield, but they were both missing from the run-in at the end of last season and we managed pretty well with Kris Leek and Dean Clarke in midfield. Well, we're now able to field Ryan Dorrian in Clarke's place alongside Leek, so we ought to be able to cope in midfield - the difference being, though, that due to other injuries we've rarely been able to play both Marcus Griffiths and Scott Armitage as the two wide players as worked so well last season.

But the team showed what they can do in the second half against Bitton last week. More of that and we should be OK.

Still absolutely fuming over events on Saturday and I wont bore you all with my thoughts and feelings about the whole situation other than we have all been let down massivley by the team selection and performance, I am still too annoyed to continue with any more....

So, see you all in Odd Down if your there

And, well done he Barry Town, all the best for the next round.

Fielding so many fringe players was a gamble that didn't pay off, but, given the Caerau result, was one that was worth taking. We already have two key players injured and one or two others seem to be carrying knocks so I wouldn't have wanted to risk more injuries. it would have been nice to progress in the Welsh Cup, but not as nice as converting all those league games we have in hand into points. It comes down to priorities in the end, so we have to accept the occasional setback, even the occasional shambles, move on and make sure that we the fans don't create unnecessary demoralisation in the team.

it looked as if traylor injured himself at half time he pulled up when going for a ball,if that was the case then bang goes the theory of saving players and they can get injured in training i think it was just a case of two many changes thats me finished on the barry debacle.

http://www.s4c.co.uk/sgorio/e_/merthyr-cwpan-cymru