HISTORY

 

Details of the founding of the club are a bit sketchy to say the least. Back in 1990 we decided that the club must soon be coming up to its 25th anniversary and we started asking around for information. 

 

Llanyrafon is part of Cwmbran which was designated as a 'New Town' in the early 1950s. By 1960 Llanyrafon was starting to take shape but there was virtually no provision for sport facilities within the area.  These came a little bit later and the football club was founded in 1966 and joined the Cwmbran League.

 

In the early days it was Llanyrafon Boys Club, the home pitch was where it is now, at the back of Caernarvon Crescent, and there were the green huts adjacent to Riversmead which served as the headquarters and changing rooms. I'm told that this also housed table tennis and snooker tables. The old concrete foundations of the huts can still be seen.

 

At this stage I'm not going to put in the names of founder members that I do know as I can't be sure that I will get everybody listed. I think it's better to leave everyone out rather than list one or two and not do justice to everyone.

 

Eventually in the seventies the Social Centre was built and we moved into the salubrious accommodation that it could offer. One changing room, a shower, a toilet and a cupboard ! The hut was demolished soon after. 

 

During this time we played in the old Cwmbran League which in 1976 became the Torfaen League.  We played at four age groups, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16. In those days mini-football hadn't been thought about.

 

In season 1990 we entered the Gwent County Youth League at Under 18 for the first time ever, finishing runners up in the league in our second season.  The following  year, in conjunction with our colleagues at Croesyceiliog, we also entered the Under 16 division.

 

The nineties proved to be a good time for the club. We enjoyed considerable success at both district and county level, the playing side has expanded to include mini-football teams at Under 8, Under 9, Under 10 and Under 11 and we built the extension to the changing rooms giving us good facilities at long last.

 

We can look forward to continued improvement.

 

Images from the past (see archive photos)

 

If you can fill in some of the missing details please email me.