Aberdare Athletic Football Club were a Welsh football club founded in 1893 and based in Aberdare. They joined the Football League in 1921 but were replaced by

Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...

after failing to be re-elected in 1927.

History

Founded in 1893, Aberdare were

Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...

runners-up, in

1903–04 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

1904–05 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

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 The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...

in time for 1921–22. 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 The Welsh League was the first club rugby league competition in Wales.Lush (1998), pg. 19 Its inaugural season was in 1908/09 when four additional teams were formed to join Ebbw Vale RLFC and Merthyr Tydfil RLFC, which allowed a league tournamen ...

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 The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

to the League, with Torquay United taking their place. 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. 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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, 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 Welsh Football League (also known as the Nathaniel Car Sales Welsh Football League for sponsorship reasons) was a club football league in Wales. For its final season in 2019–20 season it operated at levels 3 and 4 of the Welsh football leag ...

. The club had several different team colours during their existence. 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: * William Lot, June 1920 – March 1922 *

Frank Bradshaw Frank Bradshaw (31 May 1884 – mid-1962) was an English professional footballer and football club manager. A versatile player, he started his professional career as a forward with Sheffield Wednesday where he won the FA Cup in 1907. He later ...

, May 1923 – April 1924 * Sydney Beaumont, 1924–1927 * Harry Hadley, November 1927 – April 1928

History

*Winners (4): 1904–05, 1908–09, 1911–12, 1920–21

League and Cup history

References

External links

* {{Football League clubs of Wales Former English Football League clubs Defunct football clubs in Wales Defunct English Football League clubs Southern Football League clubs Association football clubs established in 1893 Association football clubs disestablished in 1928 Welsh football clubs in English leagues 1893 establishments in Wales 1928 disestablishments in Wales Sport in Aberdare South Wales League clubs