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Pontypridd Town History
The club was formed 30 years ago as Pontypridd Sports & Social Club after a merger with Ynysybwl. They played at Ynysangharad Park in Pontypridd. It was decided in their second season at the Park that they should be called Pontypridd Town AFC.
In April 2006, former Cardiff City player Ryan Nicholls earned success at the first attempt as the club beat Cardiff Corries 4–1 to secure promotion for the 2006–07 season to the Welsh Football League First Division. Nicholls also took the club to round four of the Welsh Cup.
The team manager for the 2007–08 season was Mal Camilleri but after the club’s successive relegations down to Division Three, the club was on the brink of collapse. Discussions between Pontypridd Town and Treforest began. At the 11th hour, the club received support from local businessman Clayton Jones and was saved.
In the 2010–11 season, the team started erratically, but from January they lost just two out of 20 games and they were on top of the table for more than two months. In the last week of the season, although they won the last game, they missed out on promotion to Division 2 on goal difference.
On 29 July 2014, Ponty played a pre-season friendly against Valencia CF Mestalla, the second team of Spanish La Liga giants Valencia CF. In the run-up to the game, TalkSPORT radio presenter Colin Murray picked up on news of the match as it gathered national media attention and decided to come and watch the game, inviting any of his listeners to join him. Well over 100 people from around the UK booked their flights to Valencia and spent 3 days supporting the club. Against this professional team, the club came away with a 3–0 defeat.
In the summer of 2015, Assistant Manager Damien Broad took over the Manager’s position from his brother Dominic due to work commitments. Exactly a year after the Valencia game, the club repeated it’s feat by securing another high-profile friendly in Spain, this time against Deportivo de La Coruña. Later that season Broad left the club having secured a prestigious coaching role with Manchester City based in China. But he then returned as Manager and lead the club to the Division Three title, breaking the club record for most wins in a season (25) with goalkeeper Ryan Griffiths breaking the club record for most Clean Sheets (14).
On 11 May 2016, almost 1,600 supporters from around the UK gathered in Ynysangharad Park to see Ponty take on the talkSPORT All-Stars. The brainchild of Broad and talksSPORT Radio presenter Colin Murray, the match saw a team of ex. professional footballers, other sportsmen and celebrities descended on Pontypridd. The All Stars fielded names including Danny Murphy, Dietmar Hamann, Danny Gabbidon, Simon Davies, Matthew Etherington. They won the game 3–1 in the in the inaugural talkSPORT Trophy match.
After a successful 2015–16 season, the club sealed the Welsh Football League Division Three title in May 2016 after a 2–0 victory away at Tredegar Town. After their title-winning season,
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