Aberdare Athletic F.C.

Aberdare Athletic

Full name	Aberdare Athletic Football Club
Short name	Aberdare Ath
Founded	1893
Dissolved	1928; 96 years ago (1928)
Ground	Athletic Ground, Aberdare
Home colours

Aberdare Athletic Football Club were a Welsh football club founded in 1893 and based at the Athletic Ground in Aberdare. They joined the Football League in 1921 but were replaced by Torquay United after failing to be re-elected in 1927.

History

The Aberdare team of 1908–09.

Foundation

Founded in 1893, Aberdare were Welsh Cup runners-up, in 1903–04, 1904–05 and 1922–23. In 1920–21, they joined the Welsh Section of the Southern League and finished runners-up in their first season. That gained them entry to the Football League Third Division South for the next season.^[1]

League football

See also: 1921–22 Aberdare Athletic F.C. season

Despite a promising start in league football, finishing 8th in the 1921–22 season, Aberdare suffered financial instable throughout the 1920s. The club merged with Aberaman Athletic in 1926 with the first team competing in the Football League under the name Aberdare Athletic, while the reserve team played in the Welsh League under the name Aberdare & Aberaman Athletic.^[2] However the merged clubs still had to operate on a tight player budget meant it was unable to secure new players. In the 1926–27 season, Aberdare Athletic finished bottom of the Third Division South and failed to gain re-election to the League, with Torquay United taking their place.^[3][4]

Aberdare's loss of their Football League place was controversial. In the first ballot, Aberdare and Southern League side Torquay, the latter having previously applied to join the League in 1923, tied with 21 each. That round of voting was marred by controversy as the potentially tie-breaking ballot was reported to be "spoilt" and Aberdare's secretary claimed that one of the scrutineers was "an interested party". Aberdare lost the second ballot with 19 votes to Torquay's 26; fellow League side Watford, who had finished second-bottom, were comfortably re-elected with 44 votes.^[5] The club now fully adopted the name "Aberdare & Aberaman Athletic", and rejoined the Southern League.

Decline

The club only survived for another season, and in 1928, the Aberaman faction split away to re-form Aberaman Athletic, while the Aberdare half folded. Aberdare & Aberaman Athletic was again re-formed in 1945, but that side also split in 1947. Aberdare Town F.C. continue to play in the Welsh Football League today.^[6]

Managers

The following were managers around the time the team was Football League side:

• William Lot, June 1920 – March 1922
• Frank Bradshaw, May 1923 – April 1924
• Sydney Beaumont, 1924–1927
• Harry Hadley, November 1927 – April 1928

History

Welsh Football League

• Winners (4): 1904–05, 1908–09, 1911–12, 1920–21

League and Cup history

Season	League record									FA Cup	Notes
	Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Pos
1921–22	Div 3 South	42	17	10	15	57	51	44	8th	Extra preliminary round
1922–23	Div 3 South	42	9	11	22	42	70	29	21st	First round
1923–24	Div 3 South	42	12	14	16	45	58	38	12th	First round
1924–25	Div 3 South	42	14	9	19	54	67	37	18th	Fourth qualifying round
1925–26	Div 3 South	42	17	8	17	74	66	42	9th	Third round	Re-elected
1926–27	Div 3 South	42	9	7	26	62	101	25	22nd	First round	Failed re-election
All-time league results:		252	78	59	115	334	413	215

References

1. "Football Club History Database - Aberdare Athletic". www.fchd.info. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
2. Johnes, Martin (2002). Soccer and Society: South Wales, 1900-1939. University of Wales Press. p. 156. ISBN 9780708317419.
3. Johnes, Martin (2002). Soccer and Society: South Wales, 1900-1939. University of Wales Press. p. 156. ISBN 9780708317419.
4. "The Pyramid.info: Promotion to/Relegation from the Football League by year". www.thepyramid.info. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
5. nonleaguematters – A history of admission to the Football League
6. "Aberdare Athletic - Historical Football Kits". www.historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2019.

• Twydell, Dave (1988). Rejected F.C.: Comprehensive histories of the ex-Football League clubs, Volume 1. D. Twydell. ISBN 0-9513321-0-4.

External links

• Aberdare Athletic at the Football Club History Database