Photos: Andy Evans
Words: Tom Reed
Merthyr Town FC fans have long memories and sing “Free potatoes for the workers” on the terraces at Penydarren Park, a song about a popular rising in 1831 in the Welsh Town.
They only have to look back to 2010, when their former club, Merthyr Tydfil FC, was liquidated, to take stock of their recent successes.
Last week, the fan-owned phoenix club Merthyr Town won the Southern Premier League South, meaning the outfit from the valleys will play National League North or South football next season.
A 3-0 win over Hungerford Town secured the title for the part-time team.
Crowds top 3,000 at the characterful Pendarren Park, and manager Paul Michael has said, “The Martyrs” have aspirations of playing in the EFL in the future.
Only this season, the Merthyr supporters voted against a move to the Cymru Premier (Welsh Premier League), with fans happy to take their chances in the English pyramid, which also includes Newport County, Wrexham, Cardiff, and Swansea.
Merthyr is known for its strong, unique fan culture, which, although proudly Welsh, promotes an “international Merthyrism.”
To understand that, you will need a few pints at Penydarren Park, one of the happiest places to watch football in Wales, in a league full of English teams.
