Merthyr Town - from near relegation to remarkable rise

Merthyr finished eighth in their first season back in the sixth tier, one place outside of the play-offs [Becky Handley] The south Wales valleys town of Merthyr Tydfil is accustomed to hardships and its football club is no different. As a working-class town once known as the 'iron capital of the world' in the early 19th century Merthyr has been heavily impacted by de-industrialisation. In more recent years, the town also almost lost its football club. During the 2021-22 season, supporters were left heartbroken as the Martyrs were relegated from the Southern Premier Division South after a 6-0 defeat by Hendon on the final day of the season. It was a familiar feeling for a club and its fans that just 11 years prior were forced to start all over again and were kicked out of their home ground at Penydarren Park. Despite the challenges, Merthyr Tydfil FC remained a constant until 2010, when the club went into administration and folded. The non-league striker proving a match for Haaland Merthyr Town FC was born as a phoenix club so it is no surprise that supporters feared the worst once again after their 2022 relegation. But for once, they were offered a reprieve. That season's 11th-placed side, Walton Casuals, went into administration and folded just over a month later. Merthyr were safe. A reset was needed, and with the appointment of Paul Michael as first-team manager in 2023, that is exactly what happened. "We left Yate Town, myself and my assistant manager (Andrew Smith), because we felt that even though we were in a higher position in the pyramid at the time, we just felt [Merthyr] had a bigger ceiling," Michael said. And that has proved correct. Michael's side have not looked back, finishing top of the league in the 2024-25 season and sealing promotion to the National League North. And the fan-owned outfit proved they could go shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the league's best. A run of 13 wins from 15 between October and January put the Martyrs third and looking all-but guaranteed to secure the play-offs. But it was not to be. A dismal 2026 saw them fall to eighth, heartbreakingly missing out on the play-offs on the final day of the season. "We have had a great first year, but it was a disappointing way to finish the campaign," said Michael. "We were right up there in the top three in the middle of January, but if you'd have offered us this before a ball had been kicked, we'd have obviously taken it. "We're going up against full-time teams week in, week out and we've performed so well." Manager Paul Michael has signed a two-year contract extension with the Martyrs [Becky Handley] Michael certainly gave supporters a season to remember in what was his first at that level, despite balancing the role with his permanent job as a teacher. He has since signed a new two-year contract on a full-time basis to continue as first-team manager until the summer of 2028, which he believes will be beneficial for the Martyrs. "Sometimes there was just not enough time in the day to do what I wanted to do, so this allows me to focus on the players and the management team to help them perform at their best," said Michael. "This helps us bridge the gap, with many teams in this league being hybrid or full-time clubs." He insists the Martyrs can keep progressing and wants continued support to keep the club moving forward. "With success, more and more people have come to the gate. That then is reciprocal, it feeds back into the football club, which allows us to compete at a higher level," Michael said. "If the community wants us to keep progressing, the supporters keep coming in, and sponsors keep getting behind us from throughout south Wales and wider, then the club can continue to grow and progress." 'It's the community that has helped push us on' Chairman Les Barlow has helped oversee Merthyr's recent rise through the leagues [BBC Sport] Many will remember the Martyrs for producing one of Wales' most famous results in Europe, defeating Italian top-flight side Atalanta 2-1 in the first leg of the 1987 European Cup Winners' Cup first round thanks to goals from Kevin Rogers and Ceri Williams. Merthyr would lose the second leg 2-0 in Italy, but that first leg etched the club's name into Welsh football history. Their late '80s heyday would also see them rise as high as the Conference in 1989. But relegations and financial difficulties proved too much for the club to handle in 2010 and was the catalyst for the club's demise. Club chairman Les Barlow recalls the difficulties of being a Merthyr supporter around that time. "We ended up playing in Taff's Well and ground-sharing with them. They'd taken the ground off us and we had to play in the Western League," said Barlow. "We eventually sorted out the finances and all the problems we had, and got over the hurdle. It was a tough time to be a supporter in those times." Merthyr were forced to show their resilience once more, and they did just that. They returned to their Penydarren Park ground in 2011 after a year playing their home games out of Taff's Well's Rhiw'r Dda stadium. It was a long road to recovery, and they are now finally reaping the rewards for their patience with the help of supporter and current chairman Barlow. "In two seasons after starting again, we were back to where we were before reforming, and back at Penydarren Park, which was a huge bonus," Barlow said. "It's the community that has really helped push us on, I remember 50-60 people coming down on the train to Taff's Well to support the new team. "The club has always been supported by the community. We are very grateful and that's why we try involving them as much as possible within the club." One such fan, who documents all his match-day experiences on social media, is 22-year-old Joe Hopkins. "When I was watching them as a kid, I never expected to see them playing in stadiums with world-class facilities like we have this season," said Hopkins. Although supporters like Hopkins will have relished their remarkable rise of late, just how far do they think the Martyrs can go? "We were at the bottom end of the league in terms of budget, so I think it depends on how far people want us to go. I think the first thing is to continue getting the numbers through the gate every week before investment," Hopkins said. "If we could get someone to invest who is dedicated to the club, I think we could definitely take it up to the next level, up to the National League, and who knows after that?"