Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Cefn Albion football club would like to wish everyone connected to us and also everyone connected to the WNL football league and beyond a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

We would like to thank all the players, management, committee, supporters and our proud sponsors for their hard work and generosity towards our football club throughout the year. It goes without saying that we wouldn't be where we are today without all of your commitment, hard work and dedication that you’ve all shown in abundance.

In terms of progress, 2016 has been another fantastic year in our clubs very short history which most noticeably saw us collect more silverware as our first team were crowed division one champions gaining promotion to the Welsh national premier division at the first attempt. During the close season we received the disappointing news that our then first team manager Stephen Davies decided to step down from his position, to their credit this meant that Sean Jones​ and Stephen Lloyd Jones were appointed joint mangers and were fully backed by the committee and players. Despite all the recent success, our football club were and still are fully aware that life in the third tier will be an exciting but difficult challenge, however as new comers into the division the football club’s main objective, which still remains, is to enjoy it and consolidate a respectable league position.

During preseason we had the doubters and following a sticky start to life in the premier division it was probably fuelling their fire However, we don’t become a bad team overnight and with new additions and key players returning from injury/work commitments the team is now beginning to adjust, confidence is building and we are moving in the right direction picking up important results on the way. After several games we received news that former manager Stephen Davies wanted to re-join the club to which the committee made no hesitation reappointing him as joint first team manger alongside Sean, with Lloydy moving into a coaching role for both teams. Wacky is a popular figure around this football club and in addition to offering more support in the managerial ranks, his appointment has seemed to have a positive impact on the squad. Good news!

Another major change was the decision to restructure our reserve team and introduce a younger breed of players to provide a smoother transition and opportunity for young local players stepping up from youth football. Tyron Foulkes​ was made first team physio and Tommy Evans​ & Paul Vaughan​ to responsibility of the team. At this stage it’s not entirely about the results on a Saturday afternoon but it’s giving the younger generation a chance to experience men’s football and represent the village on a Saturday afternoon. The project has already witnessed 17 year old Dion Gibbins​, 17 year old Andrew Bryn​ and 16 year old Kien Morris​ become regular faces in the first team squad which is excellent progress both for us and for them. There are many other prospects coming through the ranks and ones to keep an eye on. Good News!

Through the hard work of our dedicated chairman Haydn Evans​  and his back room troops such as Dean Morris​, Alan Davies, Dean Jones, Tom Owens​, Kev Griff​, Lee Valentine​, Mark Owen Oggy​, Wayne Gibbons​ and Billy Kempster​, it is off the field where the football club has made significant progress this year. We have secured some substantial sponsorship deals which have secured the necessary funding so we can provide the best we can for the two teams and operate in the right way for the rest of the 2016/17 campaign. In addition to match ball sponsors, lucky sixes (Nick Jones​), football envelopes (Paul Vaughan) and other donations from within the local community, key sponsorship deals struck with Pro clean, Wockhardt, the Cefn Mawr Community Social Club, Heineken, and the Holly Bush (PKCG) have ensured we can provide first and reserve team Kits, warm up tops, new tracksuits, cover pitch and referee fees and provide top of the range training equipment. We have also had a brand new website developed by Paul Muncher Griffiths​ that puts the Football Club on the map in terms of digital coverage. Although this football club currently finds itself in a good place the hard work doesn’t and hasn’t stopped there, the team are doing what they do best and are still in the process of searching and securing new sponsorship deals to ensure that this football club continues to progress, operate correctly and provide a respectable foundations for the up and coming generations for the foreseeable future. Running a football club can be a thankless task and something that is completely voluntary so we can’t thank the people who operate behind the scenes enough. A big pat on the back for you all, well done. Good News!

Lastly we would like to give a special mention to the supporters who regardless of the teams performances are with us week in week out, through thick and thin and supporting our teams come rain or shine. You lot are our twelfth man and can sometimes be the difference during matches, take the most recent derby win for example. There is a fantastic team spirit at this football club and togetherness and friendships that reaches far beyond the dressing room on to the Muga bank, this is epitomised by the amount of people who were in attendance of yesterday’s Christmas get together. It’s fantastic to see. We are a tight knit community who stick together and are football club that eat drink and sleep football together!  

Hope you all enjoy your short break and have a fantastic Christmas, see you in the new year!

p.s sorry if we missed you out, there is so many good people to thank.

-The Albion

#UPTHEALBION
#TOGETHERNESS
#MERRYXMAS
#THANKYOU