Football Cinema Night launched

Merthyr Town FC will host a Football Cinema Night at the Railway Club in Merthyr Tydfil on Thursday 22nd July. The choice of film for the first of a summer season is the 1939 black & white classic The Arsenal Stadium Mystery. The film was one of the first to use football as a central theme and has cameo performances by some of the great players of the era such as Cliff Bastin, Eddie Hapgood and our own Bryn Jones.

This is another free event set up by the Community Team at Merthyr Town FC to maintain the club's presence in the town despite the current loss of Penydarren Park.

Next month's showing will be Another Sunday and Sweet FA.

We look forward to seeing football & film fans at the Railway Club on Thursday evening, don't forget the popcorn.

Merthyr Town FC - A Community Club

Martyrs to the Cause is delighted to advise that its members voted unanimously at the recent Public Meeting to adopt an amended constitution to ensure that Merthyr Town FC is registered as a Community Mutual Sports Club.

This will make Merthyr Town unique in Wales as a Football Club run democratically by its Members with its base directly in the Communities which it serves.

Another big step by the supporters of Merthyr Town as we fight to return to our spiritual home at Penydarren Park.

Public Meeting

The Martyrs to the Cause Trust Board has confirmed that they will host a public meeting at the Railway Club, Masonic Street, Merthyr Tydfil on Thursday 8th July at 7.00pm.

It is vital that all supporters of Merthyr Town AFC attend to hear the following items of information;

1. Current status of Penydarren Park
2. Season ticket information
3. Travel options & general information for Taffs Well
4. Members to vote to adopt new Constitution to change status from Trust to supporter-owned Football Club
5. Soccalot sales
6. Club membership drive

Thanks for your support!

Western Football League decision

Martyrs to the Cause is happy to announce that following a ground inspection of the Taffs Well FC facilities today the Western Football League has confirmed that Merthyr Town AFC will play in their First Division.

League fixtures start on 7th August.

Our closest away match will be at Almondsbury UWE (56 miles) and the furthest at Bridport (125 miles).

We know that all Merthyr fans are looking forward to visiting new grounds and making new friends during the season.

Up the Town!

Keep football at Penydarren Park campaign

It was a sad week for all Merthyr fans as Penydarren Park closed as a football venue for the foreseeable future however the fight to get the Martyrs back at our historic ground has only just begun with an on-line petition the latest way for all football fans to show their support for a swift return to Penydarren Park;

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/merthyrfootball/

A poster campaign is starting in the Heads of the Valleys area to remind everyone of the current plight of the stadium, posters can be downloaded from the Merthyr Town club website at;

http://www.merthyrtownfc.co.uk/

Items of memorabilia taken from the ground prior to its closure are available for display in local pubs & clubs, for example the signed shirt from the 2005 Walsall FA Cup is now on display in the Baili Glas pub in Twynyrodyn. If you know of a venue which can display securely an item from the Martyrs's past then please get in touch with the Trust.

Thanks for your continued support.

Merthyr Town

Merthyr Town were today elected members of the Western Football League for the 2010/11 season, our division placement will be decided following a ground inspection of Taffs Well FC where we will ground share for the season due to the loss of Penydarren Park at the moment.

Trust commits to fight to save Penydarren Park

The members of Martyrs to the Cause, the Supporters Trust at Merthyr Tydfil FC, committed themselves on Tuesday evening to fight to save both Club and Ground to preserve semi-professional football within the town.

The news from the Administrator that a development company has expressed an interest in the lease of the Penydarren Park ground was a severe set-back to the Supporters’ Trust which until a month ago was hopeful of gaining a further term at the famous stadium for a club to continue the town’s history of playing within the English pyramid structure.

The Trust has applied to the Football Association, with the continued help of Supporters Direct, to register a club to conyinue to represent the community of Merthyr Tydfil however as the lease for Penydarren Park may not be available to the reformed club the Trust has had to move quickly to find an alternative venue in order to keep the Martyrs alive until the club’s eventual return to its historical home.

We have been delighted with the response of Taffs Well FC to our request for a groundshare for the forthcoming season. The Trust has already committed to funding minor ground improvements in order to meet the criteria for Level 6 of the FA pyramid. Merthyr leaving Penydarren Park will be heartbreaking for all supporters of football in Wales however the site of the Taffs Well ground at Rhiw Dda’r is in the Taff valley and is accessible by both train and bus services for our loyal supporters.

The fight to stay at Penydarren Park will not be forgotten or underestimated, the Trust calls on both Welsh Assembly Government and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council to confirm their support for our ground to remain both our home and a community asset to the Heads of the Valleys region for future generations. The archaeological remains of a Roman fort underneath the iconic football ground will ensure that no commercial development will ever be possible on that site. We understand that Cadw is monitoring the situation.

The focus now turns towards the Administrator and the status of the current football club. The Trust understands that the Administrator was unable to satisfy the FA of the continuation of football at Penydarren Park for the 2010/11 season therefore Merthyr Tydfil FC will be excluded from the Southern League. We are hopeful that the FA will note that the Supporters and wider community of Merthyr Tydfil FC deserve an opportunity to keep semi-professional alive in the Valleys and that the reformed club will be offered a placement in the Western League, it will not be a new arena for Merthyr football as the Merthyr Town club was a member of the league nearly a century ago.

Our supporters are among the best in non-league football. Swindon Supermarine FC will provide testament to the passion and humour of our support on the final day of the season. Our fans will be an asset to the Western League. We are confident that our loyal supporters can work through the next few months and that in August we can appreciate a new dawn for our Club. A club run by its biggest investors; it’s supporters.

Iconic paintings unveiled by Merthyr Trust

The Community Team at Martyrs to the Cause is delighted to have been a partner to the Pippins Designs arts project at Brecon Road Infants school last week. The children were able to produce iconic paintings of famous players who have either played for or come from Merthyr Tydfil. The Trust are grateful for the sponsorship of the GMB union to enable the event to go ahead.

Players included Chris Holvey, John Charles, Gordon Davies, Dai Astley, Bryn Jones, Moses Russell and Mark Pembridge.

The paintings will now be on show at the Candac Suite in Penydarren Park up to 12th June.

Martyrs & the Arts

Martyrs to the Cause is proud to advise that the first children's arts day to celebrate some of the great players to have come from Merthyr Tydfil will take place at Brecon Road Infants School on 18th May.

The children will be helped by the award winning team from Pippins Designs to produce five panels celebrating the football heritage of our town, the players to be honoured on canvas by the young artists will be Chris Holvey, Dai Astley, Gordon Davies, Mark Pembridge, Bryn Jones, John Charles and Moses Russell. The children have also decided to include current Wales star Aaron Ramsey in the panel to be retained by the school for display.

The Trust is very grateful for the financial support of the Merthyr Branch of the GMB Union for its aid to our community arts project, without their valuable support this event would not be possible.

Mobile Museum project update & appeal

The Supporters Trust has met with the design team charged with producing the display boards for the portable information boards that will tell the story of football in Merthyr Tydfil from 1908 to the present day, we have already received many photographs, programmes, cigarette cards etc for the display boards but we could do with more stories and items to add something different to the tale, for example did you travel to Swindon in 1965 on the special train for the Cup match? We already have the match programme but maybe you kept the rail ticket. Do you know someone with a Football League programme from our membership in the 1920s? Season ticket from the 1960s?

All items will be returned, they will be digitally recorded for future generations. The next stage of the museum project is to set up a Merthyr Football Museum Website which will display all items from the 1927 Welsh League Handbook right up to the current day.

Please contact us via wolvesy@yahoo.co.uk if you have any items or ideas for the Mobile Museum.

Thanks as ever for your support.

Trust with the FAW

Following today's meeting of the FAW Domestic Committee, the status of Merthyr Tydfil FC will be discussed at the FAW Council meeting in Pulford on Monday 12th April.

Congratulations and thanks

Congratulations to our friends at Leamington for registering their Trust, good luck for the rest of the season.

Thanks also to the Newport County Supporters Trust for donating £100 to our Buy Merthyr Tydfil fund, once again its great to see our friends helping to save our famous Club.

For further information on the current situation please contact us via wolvesy@yahoo.co.uk

Trust AGM

Please note that the AGM of Merthyr Tydfil FC Supporters Society will be held at the Candac Suite in Penydarren Park from 7.00pm on Thursday 25th March.

Welsh Guards collection

There will be a bucket collection at Penydarren Park on Saturday, we have a longstanding agreement to allow former Welsh Guards to make a collection in support their cycle ride on the weekend from Anglesey to Cardiff. The three day cycle ride organised by Welsh Guards Reunited will make its way through Merthyr Tydfil in a bid to raise money for both Ty Gobaith and Ty Hafan.

Ty Gobaith is a children's hospice in Conwy providing respite care to the terminally ill. Ty Hafan, near Sully, is a similar haven for children who suffer from life-limiting conditions.

You can also help the charities and support the Welsh Guard Reunited efforts by visiting http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/wgr

Appeal from Martyrs to the Cause

8 Salisbury Close
Heolgerrig
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1SD
Tel 079496 23722

HELP US BUY THE MARTYRS

Dear supporter

We are writing to ask for your support as a Trust member and therefore a potential part owner of Merthyr Tydfil Football Club.

The Supporters Society (Martyrs to the Cause) is aiming to bid for the purchase of Merthyr Tydfil Football Club from Administration at the end of March.

The Trust is confident that the club can be run on a break even basis, but it has used its reserves (£50,000) to get things where they are, and we are committed to continue in the long term.

We are inviting supporters of all clubs to make loans to the Trust in £100 units, to be repaid over the next three seasons. If for any reason the club is not purchased, all funds will be returned.

Cheques or cash have to be with the club by Tuesday 23rd March 2010.

We think this is the best chance of a positive outcome for the club in the long term. We hope you can help.

If you wish to support us in our historic bid for our football club then please contact us at the address listed above.


John Strand
Secretary
Merthyr Tydfil FC Supporters Society

Trust bid for funding successful

The Trust is happy to confirm that it has successfully gained a grant of £3,442.75 from the Communities First Trust Fund to provide funding for a Mobile Exhibition celebrating the heritage of football in the borough of Merthyr Tydfil.

The project now turns towards the design phase of the mobile information boards, the subjects ranging from the Football League years to the current fight for the Club's existence.
The Trust will be setting up a heritage sub-group to drive the project forward, if anyone has any memorabilia, photographs or just ideas then please contact Mark Evans via 07774 708063.

The information boards will provide a focal point for a mobile exhibition that will take the message of Merthyr Tydfil FC into our local communities.

Our thanks go to everyone in the Community Team plus our colleagues in the Park & Town Ward Partnership Board.

Season Ticket offer for the Martyrs

Supporters of Football League clubs will get a reduced entry to Merthyr home matches if they produce their season ticket at Penydarren Park upon arrival at the turnstiles.

A special £5.00 fee is available to fans wishing to support the Martyrs in our fight to survive, a saving of £3.00.

The Supporters Trust is continuing to seek avenues to take the Club out of Administration and needs the South Wales football community to rally round to keep semi-professional football alive in the Valleys area.

Easter Monday has been confirmed as the date for the annual Come Back To Merthyr Day. Both new and former supporters will be welcomed to Penydarren Park for the visit of Stourbridge, it will also be the day for the Former Players Reunion so the stars of yore will also be available to relive the glory days of the Martyrs.

Merthyr Sixes date announced

The Merthyr Supporters Six-a-side tournament will be held at Penydarren Park on the morning of 15th May. Newport County will be back I'm sure to defend their title.

If your club fancies entering a supporters team please contact Martyrs to the Cause via wolvesy@yahoo.co.uk

E-Newsletter launched

Martyrs to the Cause has launched its weekly Newsletter, if you wish to receive an e-mail detailing our struggle to keep our famous club alive then please e-mail us at wolvesy@yahoo.co.uk


Trust Update by John Strand


First my apologies to members for not providing an update of events at the Trust since it has responsible for running the football club this season.

I expect that many of you have been keeping abreast of things through the press, the Forum and public meetings, but you may not have had the opportunity to get the full picture.

The Trust embarked on the current road in early June, when it asked the court to place the club into administration to avoid it being liquidated by HM Customs and Revenue.

The administrator made an agreement with the Trust to run the club from August 1st 2009. Because of conditions imposed by the FA, it was necessary to pay the administrator about £25,000 over the season. Added to this the Trust incurred £23,000 legal costs.

Despite this expense the Trust has managed to run the club reasonably successfully, with the help and support of many volunteers and local businesses.

Unfortunately because of the difficult financial situation it was necessary to cut the wage bill by 30% in December. The reaction of the management and players has been magnificent, with the continued excellent commitment of the whole squad.

As we move towards the second part of the season, we are considering the future.

The administrator has indicated that he has received an offer for the lease of Penydarren Park from a company who would not allow football at Penydarren Park in the long term. We do not know whether this offer will come to fruition.

We will be working in the coming weeks with all who have the club’s interests at heart to prepare for every eventuality, whether that involves working with another owner or owning the club ourselves.

A new Trust Board was appointed in October, following the receipt of 12 nominations, avoiding the need for an election. The accounts for the year ended 31 August 2009 are with the accountant, and soon as they are finalised the AGM will be held.

A further report will then be made.

In the meantime thank you to everyone who has helped the Trust and the club, this year and in previous years.

Next 7 home games:

The Martyrs are entering a busy period in their remarkable push for the play offs. Below is a list f the next 7 home games. Please spread the word and encourage more people to come to Penydarren Park to support Gary, Danny & the boys.

H Rugby Town Sat 13 February 2010 - 3.00
H Truro City Tue 23 February 2010 - 7.45
H Hemel Hempstead Town Sat 27 February 2010 - 3.00
H Clevedon Town Tue 09 March 2010 - 7.45
H Leamington Tue 16 March 2010 - 7.45
H Hednesford Town Sat 20 March 2010 - 3.00
H Brackley Town Tue 23 March 2010 - 7.45

Community Team Update

A big thank you to everyone who donated to the Trust's annual Christmas Charity collection prior to the Chippenham match on 23rd January.

We've collected for a few local charities over the years including Tarian and Cancer Aid, this year we are happy to provide Merthyr PHAB with £128.00 to continue their excellent work.

The bid for funding of the proposed Mobile Museum has been submitted to the Communities First Fund, it's fingers crossed time now of course. If successful we've targetted the annual Ex-players Day on Easter Monday as the launch date for the new project.