Cigg-E Stadium | Pearcey's Blog

After the UEFA Super Cup game between Real Madrid and Sevilla (https://pearceysblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/16/real-madrid-v-sevilla-super-cup-tuesday-12th-august/) I needed a suitably high-end game to follow it up, so there I was on the way to Merthyr for a game in the eighth tier of English football. Oh the glamour!

Although this is the first time Merthyr have appeared in the blog, I have been up to Penydarren Park before for their league play-off game at the end of the 2012/13 season when Merthyr beat Swindon Supermarine in extra-time, before losing to Hungerford in the final. Last season had a similar sound to it, this time a loss to Paulton in the final after getting past Supermarine again. However, despite all this losing in finals sounding bad, it’s pretty amazing that Merthyr can make them in the first place. Merthyr Town FC has only been a club since the start of the 2010/11 season, with it being the third version of a football club playing under the Merthyr name. The original Merthyr Town formed in 1909 playing in the Southern League before becoming founder members of the Football League Third Division in 1920. After 10 seasons of survival they were eventually voted out in 1930 and folded for the first time in 1934. Then came Merthyr Tydfil FC, formed in 1945 they were probably the most successful post-war side not to to play in the Football League, winning the Southern League five times between 1947 and 1954. However, after an extended period of mediocrity they won the Welsh Cup in 1987, qualifying for the Cup Winners’ Cup where they lost to Serie A side Atalanta 3-2 on aggregate, despite winning 2-1 at home in the first leg. They followed this by winning the Southern League again in 1988-89 for promotion to the Conference, until relegation back to the Southern League in 1995, where they stayed until their liquidation in 2010 paving the way, in Doctor Who style, for the reincarnation I was on my way to watch, a fan-owned Merthyr Town FC.

This wasn’t the first team I’d seen Merthyr this season, having watched them play Abergavenny Town away in pre-season (https://pearceysblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/abergavenny-town-v-merthyr-town-pre-season-friendly-tuesday-8th-july/), and to be fair they did look a bit slow against Welsh non-league opposition, however the Martyrs have started the season well with a draw and convincing win under their belts so far. That’s in contrast to opposition for the night Clevedon, who only possessed one point from their opening three games. The West Country team, making the jump across the bridge, not only had to face the disadvantage of playing away, but also a new addition since my last visit, aside from the commercialised name of the ‘Cigg-E Stadium’, an artificial 3G playing surface.

Think it means the Cigg-E Stadium

Penydarren Park – Merthyr Town FC

Not quite the Old Trafford Megastore

After destroying a plate of chips from the Penalty Spot Cafe, I stopped by the Club Shop and managed not to bow down to temptation in spending money I don’t have on a replica shirt, instead opting for a pin badge and a programme. Having a walk around like this before the game is great because you really get the fan-owned, family atmosphere of the club, very welcoming and friendly. Then heading into the ground I remembered the other reason I enjoyed my last visit so much, because Penydarren Park is just brilliant. With it’s all-seated Grandstand on the dugout/clubhouse side, larger terraced stand opposite, a now-seated former terraced stand behind one goal and an unused, uncovered terrace behind the other, it is a proper old-school stadium that creates a brilliant atmosphere and has some proper character unlike these modern lifeless bowls. The other reason I like it so much is that it reminds me of Ninian Park, where I fell in love with football.

The Main Grandstand

The newly converted all-seater stand

And the uncovered stand

Onto the game and Clevedon set-up with the basic, non-league level, 4-4-2 formation, but severely struggled against the Martyrs well drilled 4-3-3 set-up which perfectly suits their plastic pitch, and the possession based quick pass-and-move style of play that manager Steve Jenkins, the former Welsh International, wants to see them play. Kayne McLaggon, making his second appearance on the blog after getting sent-off twice in that pre-season game, led the line very well despite his small stature and kicked off the scoring after quarter of an hour, finishing off Gavin Williams’ cross at the far post. The lead was doubled soon after Kerry Morgan provided from the left for his opposite winger Ian Traylor to glance his header home and put Merthyr in the driving seat. Clevedon did briefly get into the game, the ponytail of Issac Reid holding the ball up and supplying a cross which Jamie Adams could only head onto the post. That was the last time Clevedon did anything of note and were all but out of the game by half-time. Three goals in eight minutes before the break, firstly McLaggon bagging his second from the edge of the area, then Traylor matching him with a good strike from 20 yards after a great advantage from the referee, and finally Matthew Harris finding yards of space in the area to make it 5-0.

Kayne McLaggon opens the scoring

And Traylor doubles the lead

The second half began as basically a non-contest with Merthyr cruising and Clevedon demoralised. Merthyr made all their changes early on in the half with Jenkins keeping in mind the number of games played in a short space of time at the start of the season, and that affected their flow slightly, but soon the fresh substitutes started making their mark on the game, particularly Corey Jenkins who’s low cross from the left was deflected into his own net by Luke Hall-Cousins. Merthyr kept pressing and MotM Ian Traylor nearly got his hat-trick in the 90th minute but his shot was cleared off the line. From the resulting corner Kane Mannings in the Clevedon goal compunded his miserable evening by dropping the ball straight to Corey Jenkins who made sure the Martyrs did one better than their 6-0 victory over Clevedon at Penydarren last season.

A thoroughly deserved 7-0 victory for Merthyr in the end to send Clevedon back over the bridge very empty handed. The Martyrs are looking very strong and maybe it’ll be a case of third time lucky as they try and get out of the Southern League Division One. A thoroughly enjoyable evening at the ‘Cigg-E Stadium’ and hopefully I’ll be back many more times to enjoy Merthyr’s rise through the pyramid.