It’s hard to believe that the new season is already here. It was just a few months ago that our proud community club secured our Tier 2 status and survival.
But since that fabulous 2018-19 season came to a conclusion, our attentions and our work turned towards the forthcoming 2019-20 season with a number of exciting plans to continue to develop on the great work that has occurred in the last 18 months.
In our excellent celebration dinner held in collaboration with Ammanford rugby club, we were able to recognise the hard work the club has achieved over the last year and a half and draw attention to our first two inductees into the Ammanford Hall of Fame – John Doc Thomas and Colin Haines, both of whom stood down at the end of the last campaign after decades of service to the club. Their work has not and will never be forgotten in providing the most solid foundation for this club to continue to operate in the way it does.
A big thank you must go to all who helped during the course of the dinner and the entirety of last season in any way, shape or form – as you all played a part in the growth of this special club which is winning the hearts of many in our town.
And over the course of the summer we have worked hard to ensure we can build on our success to provide you with the best version of the club possible. There has been significant investment in the playing surface that has helped raise the standard of the pitch, new railings around the perimeter of the pitch, new hoardings to advertise the work of our many excellent sponsors to whom we are incredibly grateful for your continued support.
With the feel good factor that has engulfed the club in the last year, we have been able to capitalise and continue to work hard to develop a football club our town can be proud of with strong values at the core of what we do. This has managed to translate into over 100 season tickets – a magnificent success for the club a size of ours.
Whilst we received significant media coverage last season, our talented media and marketing team have taken the level of coverage this summer to an even higher level. With modern videos that rival that of any professional outfit, we have been able to document the stories behind our new kit and to announce some of our new signings. And there has even been additional coverage in the traditional local press, as we have garnered coverage from numerous outlets around Carmarthenshire.
Most notably, we have been able to secure the high profile signings of Lee Trundle and Andy Robinson, who will add an even greater possibility of attracting the interest of those within and beyond our own community. But most importantly, they provide us with the greater opportunity to engage with our own community in as many ways as possible to provide the Amman Valley with a club they can identify with and be proud of.
And in addition, we have kept the major local presence that makes up the bulk of the first team squad going into the new season.
With the club developing on all fronts, it seems fitting that as we continue to engage with our diverse and wonderful community in as many ways as possible, that we now have formed our Thirds team and Ladies team to provide even more people with the opportunity to play football with our football club, and we are equally as excited with the PAN-Disability squad which will continue into next season.
Many thanks must be given to the hard working coaches, parents and club officials in the Juniors section who have retained the FAW Gold Award, as we continue to see hundreds of young children using the Rec as a place to enjoy their junior age group football.
But with the new season is now open us, I want to thank you all for your continued support as we try to continue to develop this community club into something special.
I look forward to the test of Taffs Well away, and I am excited to see you all down the Rec as part of the ever growing Black and White Army in our first home game of the season against Swansea University.
Uppa Town
Rob Thomas
Chairman
