Aberdare Athletic F.C.

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.

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

History
The Aberdare team of 1908–09.

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 in time for 1921–22.[1]

Aberdare spent six seasons in the League, with their best season being 1921–22, when they finished 8th. In 1926, Aberdare merged with nearby Aberaman Athletic. The first team continued to compete in the Football League under the name Aberdare Athletic, while the reserve team played in the Welsh League under the name Aberdare & Aberaman Athletic.

However, in the next season, 1926–27, Aberdare Athletic finished bottom of the Third Division South and failed to gain re-election to the League, with Torquay United taking their place.[2] 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 there was reported to be one spoilt ballot paper (for Aberdare?). 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.[3] The merged club fully renamed themselves as "Aberdare & Aberaman Athletic", and rejoined the Southern League.

However, the merged club only survived for another year, and in 1928, the Aberaman faction split away to re-form Aberaman Athletic, while the Aberdare half folded. After World War II, in 1945, Aberdare & Aberaman Athletic was re-formed, but that side also split into two, in 1947; Aberdare Town F.C. club continue to play in the Welsh Football League.

The club had several different team colours during their existence.[4] Their membership of the Football League coincided with that of a team from another Welsh town, Merthyr Town.

Managers

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

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. "The Pyramid.info: Promotion to/Relegation from the Football League by year". www.thepyramid.info. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  3. nonleaguematters – A history of admission to the Football League
  4. "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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