Merthyr Town 1920

Youngatheart Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:48 am

Notes from the Merthyr Express

On 9^th October 1920 Merthyr Town played Watford at home in the 9th match of the club’s first season in the Football League, following the creation of the Third Division for the 1920/21 season. The creation of the new division was brought about by absorbing the whole of the Southern League Division One from the previous season.

Fourteen thousand supporters paid a total of just over £800 (£4,500 in today’s money) to watch Merthyr Town win the game 2-0, with goals from forwards Willie Walker and Godfrey. This maintained Merthyr’s unbeaten record in 5 home matches and kept their place in the top ten in the league. The game was summarised in the Express as a “hard and fast game with little to choose between the two teams, but still no-one could cavil (meaning – make petty or unnecessary objection) at the score of 2 goals to nil.

On the same day Ebbw Vale lost to Abertillery in the FA Cup.

The Welsh Division of the English Schools Association met to hold the draw for the knock out competition between the 9 Welsh towns represented with the Association. Merthyr were given a bye and would then meet the winners of Tredegar v Cardiff. The Express commented that “The trouble with the Merthyr League is that they can’t have Penydarren Park for these intertown matches because it is occupied every Saturday by the town club.”

Competing in the Merthyr Football league were the Merthyr Discharged Soldiers and Sailors AFC, who beat Troedyrhiw 2-1 the previous week.

There were 16 schools competing in the Merthyr District Schools Association Football Club – Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Vale, County, Dowlais, Mount Pleasant, Pant, Penydarren, Castle, Pentrebach, Aberfan, Treharris, Queens Rd, Georgetown, Gellifaelog and Treharris.

In nearby Penderyn two young men were taken to court for playing football in public place and fined 3 shillings.