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Aberdare Athletic F.C.

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Aberdare Athletic
Full nameAberdare Athletic Football Club
Short nameAberdare Ath
Founded1893
Dissolved1928; 96 years ago (1928)
GroundAthletic Ground, Aberdare

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

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The Aberdare team of 1908–09.

Foundation

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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

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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

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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

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

History

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Welsh Football League

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

League and Cup history

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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

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  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.
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