Merthyr Town FC launch Penydarren Park Pitch Fund

Merthyr Town FC has today confirm the setting up of a Penydarren Park Pitch Fund (PPPF) to help raise £5,000 to upgrade the current playing surface at our famous ground.



Penydarren Park was visited in November by inspectors from the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) as part of the Football Association of Wales's audit for possible international match venues.



The IOG team were very impressed with the work being undertaken by our Ron Walton but were happy to work with Ron to put together recommendations to improve and maintain the playing surface.

The levels across the pitch, particularly between the penalty boxes are poor and the pitch would benefit greatly from levelling to integrate these levels across the whole pitch.



The pitch is also becoming compacted around the goals and centre circle.



The topsoil should be de-compacted when ground conditions permit using a range of options including verti-draining and linear aeration.


The recommendations were costed at just over £5,000 therefore the club is seeking volunteers via the PPPF to set up events to raise new monies to achieve this goal.



The first event is on the evening Saturday 14th January when local band Future Sailors will be playing in the Candac Suite in support of the Penydarren Park Pitch Fund. Tickets are only £3.00 each and can be purchased from the Candac Suite or via Mark Evans on 07900671937.



Future events will include a children's sponsored bike ride around the Penydarren Park pitch, supporters cycling to our away match at Bristol Manor Farm on Easter Monday and David Powell sky-diving out of a plane in April.

Andrew Murphy will also run the Rotterdam marathon in April.

If you have any ideas for fundraisers please contact Merthyr Town FC.

Charity collection update

Merthyr Town FC would like to thank everyone who donated to the charity collection undertaken at Penydarren Park prior to match against Bristol Manor Farm yesterday. As a result of your kind donations we were able to forward £153.77 to the Llamau charity to continue their good work in our community.

Christmas Charity Collection at Merthyr Town FC

The Trust at Merthyr Town FC undertakes a charity bucket collection every Christmas period (weather permitting of course) for a local charity, this season it has been decided to support Llamau.



Llamau is a homeless charity delivering services to socially excluded, homeless and potentially homeless young people and vulnerable women in South Wales.



The word Llamau means steps, progression or threshold in old Welsh and their ultimate aim is to support people who use their services in making such positive steps.



They are particularly well known for engaging with those at risk - particularly care leavers, young offenders, those as risk of offending, victims of domestic abuse and people who have chaotic and disadvantaged lifestyles.



Merthyr Town FC recently helped in publicising Llamau's project to renovate and create a cyber cafe at the famous Flooks jewellers shop which has stood empty on Pontmorlais Circus for a few years now. Llamau won £60,000 in their heat of the Jubilee People's Millions which was run on the HTV Wales Evening News programme. The charity needs more funds though to continue its great local work. The Bling Cafe @ Flooks will be run, in a similar vein to Merthyr Town FC, as a social enterprise but by homeless young people, providing them with work experience, knowledge, self-confidence and motivation to go on and lead successful independent lives. It will contribute to the regeneration of Merthyr town centre and in particular the Pontmorlais area where of course Penydarren Park is situated.



Trust volunteers will be looking for donations for this excellent local charity before, during and after todays' match against Bristol Manor Farm, please give generously and show your continued support for our community partners.



For further information on Llamau please note the following link - http://www.llamau.org.uk/