NEW TEAM MEMBERS
We would like to welcome Terry Grandin to the project and he will be covering the history of Welsh clubs in European competitions. The website already carries the data up to 1968 and more information will be loaded in the near future. Terry has recently finished a book on the history of Swansea City so we’ll keep an eye open for its launch date.
Interest has been shown in the south at long last. Michael van Baaren has joined the project and is covering the Aberdare League in its various guises. He has submitted his research and Ian Garland has turned it into a concise brief history up to 1938 which will be on-line soon once we have inputted the tables already to hand.
Hugh Rees is putting together a book on football in the Llanelli and Carmarthenshire area and we hope to be able to glean info on the Llanelli League from his research.
The Rhondda Football League is due to celebrate its centenary in the next year or so and William Davies is looking into its history in the hope of bringing out some literature on the League to celebrate the occasion.
Joe Furnival of Rhyl FC has taken on the completion of the Clwyd Football League and hopefully we can then persuade him to delve into the remnants involving the Dyserth League.
UPDATES
The Lleyn League information and history is now complete and will be loaded soon and the history of the Gwyrfai League in its various guises is now clear and the work is close to completion.
We have not had positive responses for the following existing Leagues so anyone interested in researching the history and tables of those listed below please get in touch:
• Mid-Wales (South) League (tables from 1960 are available – prior tables and history of founding needed )
• Rhymney Taff Ely Football Alliance
• South Wales Amateur League
• Swansea Senior League
• Gwent County League
• Gwent Central Football League
• North Gwent Football League
• East Gwent Football League
• Port Talbot League
• Cardiff & District League
• Bridgend & District League
• Vale of Glamorgan League
Although we have now made inroads into the leagues in the South, we really do need more help in that area. We are still hopeful of more responses as people log on to the site.
ONGOING PROJECTS
Welsh Football League (Southern Section)
All post WWII tables have been secured. Some tables missing from the inter-war period. Précis of the League’s formation and early development to be written; all facts now to hand.
Dyserth League: A number of gaps in the tables currently being sought. No text history as yet.
Clwyd Football League: Considering the somewhat young age of this League, final tables for some seasons yet to be located. Text history is ready.
Halkyn Mountain League and Flintshire League: Early stages of research. Tables so far hard to locate.
Frith & District League & Cefn & District League: A few tables needed and text histories to be written
Lleyn League: Now as complete as possible.
Gwyrfai League: Near completion.
Montgomeryshire Amateur League & predecessor: Needs further reserarch
More in the next bulletin, in which concise requirements will be listed. If any members can help with the above please get in touch.
MENTION IN THE TIMES
Ian Garland was interviewed by Gabriele Marcotti for last Monday’s supplement ‘The Game’ regarding the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) for whom Ian is the Welsh representative. He managed to get in a reference to our project
“[The IFFHS objective] is to log the history of football in all countries,” Garland, who is creating a website on the history of Welsh football (www.wfda.co.uk), including the 90 or so leagues that have existed there at one time or another, said.
Good one Ian.
Website www.wfda.co.uk
The site is now on line with webmaster Andrew Lincoln slowly loading the bulk of data that we have already sent in. Unfortunately it has to be re-formatted before uploading which slow the process somewhat.
The presentation of line-ups for all Wales’ international matches is going to plan with all matches up to 1939 soon to be available.
The above-mentioned re-formatting has delayed the completion of the Welsh Cup section.
Within the next couple of weeks visitors to the site will be able to obtain automatic notification of updates to the site. An e-mail address will be required for this service.
We have much to do and we need more hands to the wheel so please inform your friends of the project and get them interested enough to take on a local league.
Please send me some feedback and suggestions – and don’t forget to pass on news of the project to friends and colleagues in the hope that they too will get involved.
Those directly involved with the project so far are:
- Mel Thomas
- Ian Garland
- Aled Jones
- Alun Evans
- Peter Arrowsmith
- Gavin Grosvenor
- Dave Rapson
- Alan Ahearne
- Gareth Hughes
- Clive Wyatt
- Dave Collins
- Tony Griffiths
- Gwyn Jenkins
- Vernon Jones
- Gwynant Phillips
- Bernard Steer MA
- Gary Pritchard
- David James
- Gareth M Davies
- Terry Grandin
- Michael van Baaren
- William Davies
- Joe Furnival
Mel 09/11/05
