Pen Pictures of Barry Town squad 2012-13 DAMON SEARLE. Veteran defender and former GOALKEEPERS Wales U-21 international, Damon made 466 DANIEL BRADLEY. Made his debut against Taffs Football League appearances for City, Well in the first game of the 2006-07 season. Dan Stockport, Carlisle, Rochdale, Southend and was the Supporters Player of the Year for the 2008-09, Chesterfield. Damon signed for The Dragons in 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons and is the longest 2008 and is also Assistant Manager. serving current player. Dan has played in excess of LEWIS COSSLETT. Lewis is a product of the 200 games for the Club. youth system. He made his senior debut in Apr BRENDAN CROPLEY. Brendan is a vastly 07 against Pontardawe Town. He has since experienced keeper who was with Norwich City as a made over 100 appearances. Lewis is the son of youth. He has since played for Hinckley Utd, Merthyr, Coach and former player Mike. UWIC, Afan Lido, Bryntirion and Bridgend. Brendan DANIEL CLARE. Dan joined Barry Town after has represented both English and Welsh Universities. playing for Croesyceiliog. He has also played at DEFENDERS Llanelli and Cwmbran Town. Dan made his ATIF BASHIR. Born in Berlin and played as a junior debut against Aberaman in Sep 10. with Hertha Berlin and as a youth with Cardiff City. Atif RYAN EVANS. Ryan joined The Dragons in has Welsh Premier experience with several Clubs and Dec 11 from Ely Rangers. A product of the Ely Welsh League football counting Taffs Well, Maesteg youth system and is seen as a good prospect at Park and Bridgend amongst his Clubs. Atif is also a the Club. current Pakistan full international player. MIDFIELDERS LEE BALDOCK. Lee signed senior forms for Barry MICHAEL HARTLEY. A former Cardiff City Town in Mar 11 although he had been a member of junior who played for Haverfordwest County in the Youth team for some time. Lee has also played for the Welsh Premier and Bryntirion Athletic and Sully Sports in the SW Senior League. Bridgend Town in The Welsh League. He made GERAINT FROWEN. Geraint joined the Club after his debut against Garden Village in Sep 10. signing from Bridgend Town. He made his debut NICKIE JONES. Nickie has over 100 Welsh against Garden Village in Sep 10. Geraint counts Premier appearances under his belt with Afan Everton and Leicester amongst his Clubs. Lido, Port Talbot, Newtown, Neath and Carmarthen. Has also been at Torquay United and made an impression on the fans. He has also returned last season for his second spell with The played previously with Cwmbran Celtic. Dragons. JAMES SADDLER. James previously played for Ely MANAGEMENT Rangers and is now in his 3rd season with the Club. GAVIN CHESTERFIELD. Manager. A former James signed for The Dragons in Sep 10 and made player with Exeter, Merthyr and Welsh Premier his debut against Aberaman. experience with Rhayader, Llanelli and Port SCOTT JONES. Scott returned to The Dragons Talbot, Gavin took over the reins in Jun 07until towards the end the 2009-10 season. Scott is a former Nov 10 and returned to The Dragons in Jun 11 player with Cambrian & Clydach and Goytre United. after a stint at Haverfordwest. DALE HOWARTH. New signing for the 2012-13 MIKE COSSLETT. Coach. A Mike is an ‘A’ season. Dale previously played for Croesyceiliog. licence coach who has been at Jenner Park for FORWARDS many years as a player and also as a Manager RYAN JENKINS. Ryan is in his second spell with the of one of the Youth sides. Mike left to join Gavin Dragons after spending time at Pontypridd. Ryan at Haverfordwest in Nov 10 but returned in Feb counts Man City, Leeds Utd and Nottm Forest as 11. former Clubs. Formerly at UWIC and was part of the Wales Universities squad. History of Barry Town ANTHONY ‘TJ’ NAGI.TJ signed for Barry Town in Feb Barry Town has had a long and rich 11 after playing for near neighbours Caerau (Ely). history since the club was formed as Barry FC in Anthony made his Dragons debut against Caldicot. He November 1912. The suffix ‘Town’ was added in has also played for Ely Rangers. 1931. The Clubs 1st fixture came on 6 Sep 1913 JOSHUA BELL. Josh is a product of Barry Town’s when a win against Mid Rhondda United was youth team. He signed for The Dragons senior team in gained in front of 4,000 spectators. The Club Dec 06 and made his debut against UWIC. were Southern League Wales Champions in CHRISTIAN DOIDGE. Signed from fellow Welsh 1921 and applied to join the Football League, League Club Croesyceiliog in Nov 11 and has quickly however, Charlton Athletic and Aberdare Athletic were elected instead. A first Final win was obtained in 1989 (5 in succession) before rejoining the 1955 when Chester was beaten in a replay in Cardiff English pyramid system for a short period. The (att.8,450) after a 1-1 draw in Wrexham. The Club Club has also won The Welsh League played Southern League football in two spells for over Challenge Cup on 6 occasions and were 60 years (1913 to 1982 (less the War Years) and 1989 finalists on 4 other occasions. The 1992-93 the to 1993) before finally returning to Welsh football in Club were playing out of Worcester as Barri as 1993. Prior to the 1980’s the Club were rarely in the they and several other Welsh Clubs were forced hunt for trophies (except SWSC) and struggled for into exile for refusing to join the newly formed many seasons. The Club’s second team were playing League of Wales. In the meantime Barry Town in the Welsh League during this time and twice won played in and won the Barry & District League the Second Division title (1951/52 and 1957/58). The Premier Division title. Club did manage to win the South Wales and In 1993-94 the Club were persuaded to Monmouthshire Senior Cup on 16 occasions, the last return to Wales but had to join the Welsh one being in the 1989/90 season. League and not the League of Wales. Barry The 1st Round Proper of the FA Cup was Town’s first season back in Wales saw the Club reached on 6 occasions but only once, in 1929-30 did win The Welsh League becoming Champions by the Club manage a 2nd Round appearance. Also a record 21 point margin and also win all Cups during this team many Swedish and Finnish competed for (Welsh Cup, League Cup and Internationals played for the Club whilst several others FAW Trophy). The team beat Second Division have gone on to play in the Football League, the most team Cardiff City 2-1 in the Welsh Cup Final at famous being local boy Derek Tapscott who was sold The National Stadium in front of a 16,000 crowd. to Arsenal in 1953 for £2,750, a princely sum at that Former professionals Terry Boyle, Paul time. Derek also played for Cardiff City and Newport Sanderson, Keith Bertschin, Paul Wimbleton County and was capped 14 times by Wales scoring 4 and Alan Curtis were part of the winning team. goals. Sadly, Derek passed away in Jun 2008. The Club were promoted to the League In the 1980’s the club came to the fore as a of Wales for the 1994-95 season finishing 7th footballing force in the Welsh League (National and competed in The UEFA Cup for the first time Division) with 6 championships between 1982 and losing to Zalgirus Vilnius (Lithuania). In 1995-96 the club became the first full time professional team in difficult one for the Dragons. They managed to the League of Wales and embarked on a remarkable finish 2nd despite having a much depleted squad period of success winning the Championship for the due to a string of injuries. The League Cup was next 4 seasons. retained with a magnificent 6-0 win over fierce Barry Town made history in 1996-97 by rivals Bangor City and in 2000-01 the Dragons becoming the 1st League of Wales club to progress in regained the title and completed the double with European competition. The Club reached the First a Welsh Cup Final win over TNS at The Round Proper of The UEFA Cup, beating FC Dinaburg Racecourse. (Latvia) and Vasutas Budapest (Hungary) in the The reward was again a place in the Qualifying Rounds before losing out to Aberdeen (4-6 Champions League when the Dragons achieved on agg.) in the First Round, however the Club went on yet another record by becoming the first League to win the League Championship, Welsh Cup and of Wales/Welsh Premier Club to win a League Cup to end a very successful season. The Champions League tie, beating FC Shamkir team was voted BBC Wales Sport Team of the Year. (Azerbaijan) both home and away. Although In 1997-98 continued the success when the going out to FC Porto in the next round the club achieved another first by going through the Dragons recorded a magnificent 3-1 home win league season undefeated scoring 134 goals in 38 against the 11th seeded team from Portugal. games and also retained the League Cup. In Europe Porto’s team included Jorge Costa, Ricardo the team as expected, lost over two legs to Dinamo Carvalho, Candido Costa and Helder Postiga for Kiev in The Champions League qualifying round the game at Jenner Park whilst Deco was in the (Dinamo had Rebrov, Shevchenko and Lughny team that played in Porto. Over 55,000 amongst their players). The Club retained their title but spectators watched the 1st Leg in Porto. again lost to Dinamo Kiev in the 1998-99 Champions In 2002-03 The Dragons won a second League Qualifying Rounds. successive League Championship and Welsh The club won a third successive title in 1998- Cup double. The club were unsuccessful in 99 and went on to win both the League Cup and FAW Europe falling at the first hurdle to Latvian Premier Cup, beating Wrexham in the final at The Champions, Skonto Riga. The Skonto team Racecourse. 1999-2000 season was to prove a provided many of the players who were so successful at the European Championship in Portugal Port Talbot for 1 game and from Jan 05 to May for Latvia. 06 at the home of Treforest FC. A third successive double followed in 2002-03. The Club returned to Jenner Park for the Success in Europe, however, eluded the Dragons start of the 2006-07 season but the cost of again in 2003 when although winning the second leg repaying the outstanding debt with the local of their tie against FK Vardar Skopje of Macedonia 2- Council had a severe impact on the playing 1, a disappointing 0-3 reverse in Macedonia saw them budget. The team struggled throughout the bow out. season and apart from a brief period in Dec Financial problems saw the club go into were always in the bottom 3 and the Club Administration in September 2003 with all the full-time eventually finished bottom of the Division and players leaving. Matthew Case and players from N & was relegated to Division Two, the Clubs lowest M Construction, a Vale of Glamorgan League team ever league status. fulfilled the first few fixtures of the season before Former UWIC manager Gavin former Aston Villa, Cardiff City and Shrewsbury Town Chesterfield was appointed manager in Jun 07 defender David Hughes was appointed manager. and earned The Dragons promotion at the first Despite financial restrictions he managed to keep the attempt finishing Runners-up to Bettws. He then Club going by signing players who were willing to play led the Club to 3rd position in Division One in the for pride rather than money. 2008-09 season despite the lack of funding and The Club was purchased on 10th Dec 03; the great credit must go to the Management Team, day it was due to fold. Despite improved performances the Players and Supporters for this the Dragons finished 4 points adrift at the bottom and achievement. The Supporters Committee had in were relegated to The . In Dec fact taken over majority of the financial 04 the majority of the team left due to on-going responsibilities for the Football side of the Club financial restrictions. A dispute with the local Council in January 2009. over inherited playing fees for Jenner Park saw the The 2009-10 season saw the team finish Club refuse to pay the debt which resulted in the Club a creditable 7th position. With no playing budget being locked out of Jenner Park. The Club were given Gavin persuaded players to play for the team permission by The Welsh Football League to play at but towards the end of the season injury problems mounted up and it was a struggle to field a fit starting eleven. Damon Searle agreed to become Gavin’s Assistant in July 2010 to further strengthen the Coaching side of the Club with former Town player Mike Cosslett already on board. The nucleus of the previous season’s team had signed up along with a few new faces. Gavin and Damon left in Dec 10 to take over at Haverfordwest and Leon Dennis took over for the rest of the 2010-11 season. The team struggled for the rest of that season and narrowly missed relegation. The Supporters Committee took over the running of the Club in July 11 and Gavin and Damon returned. The Committee raised the funds necessary to keep the team going thru’ the 2011-12 season. To the credit of all concerned with the running of the Club a creditable finish of 6th in Division One was achieved and the Club also reached the 3rd Round of both FAW Welsh Cup and Welsh League Cup. Not one player or member of staff was paid any expenses for which they deserve all the plaudits that they were given at the Player of the Year function. The Supporters Committee will be running and financing the club again in 2012-13 and with the continued help of all concerned we look forward to another successful season in this the 100th anniversary of our year of formation.