Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Y Barri) is a
semi-professional
Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...
association football team based in
Barry Barry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name
* Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...
, Wales. They are known for representing Wales in Europe as winners of the
Cymru Premier
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
and
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 most ...
during the 1990s and early 2000s and have also competed in England's
Southern League and
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
. The team, which has contained more than 50 full internationals, is now run by supporters. They play at their traditional home of
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
, Barry, which holds 3,500 spectators.
History
Formation
Barry Town United's history dates back to 1892 when an association football team named Barry and Cadoxton District was formed in the area. During the early years, this side endured many upheavals, playing on five different grounds under various identities, including Barry Unionist Athletic, Barry United Athletic and Barry District. Players who featured during these years included
Ted Vizard
Edward Vizard (7 June 1889
– 25 December 1973) was a Welsh international footballer who became a manager. He spent almost all his playing career at Bolton Wanderers.
Playing career
Born in Cogan, Wales Vizard joined Bolton Wanderers in Sep ...
and
Billy Jennings
Billy Jennings (born 20 February 1952) is an English former footballer who played as a striker in the Football League for Watford, West Ham United, Orient and Luton Town. He also played in the North American Soccer League for Chicago Sting.
A ...
; who would each go on to play in the famous
'White Horse' FA Cup Final.
![The inaugural Barry team photo, taken in 1913](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/The_inaugural_Barry_team_photo%2C_taken_in_1913.jpg)
In November 1912, a meeting at The Windsor
public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
in Holton Road saw townsfolk choose to pursue membership of the thriving
Southern League as Barry AFC (the 'Town' suffix was added 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 opposin ...
). The club would secure land owned by the Jenner family and the people of the town came together to build
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
, ahead of the first match of the
1912–13 season.
On 6 September 1913, Barry played their first fixture; a
Southern League match against
Mid-Rhondda at
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
. The game attracted 4,000 spectators, including 1,000 travelling supporters.
Fittingly, the new team would register a surprise, albeit merited, victory, with Barry's Ralph Isherwood scoring the very first goal at
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
just three minutes in. His second, midway through the second half, sealed a 2–1 victory, a fine start for the Barry side on, coincidentally, the same afternoon that
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
played their first match at
Highbury
Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington
in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor house was situ ...
.
The ensuing two seasons would see
Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
,
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
,
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
and others visit the new ground. However, the
Great War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
would soon interrupt any competitive proceedings; with Barry captain Major James Wightman one of the many casualties of
The Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...
.
Southern League success
The
1920–21 season ranks as one of the finest in Barry's history, as they surprised many by becoming champions of the
Southern League's Welsh section. The achievement was all the more impressive when considering the small Barry squad played over 100 matches in all competitions during the course of the season. Competing simultaneously in both the Welsh and
Western League, the Barry board gave priority to Southern League fixtures, swayed by aspirations of joining the new
English Third Division.
Inspired by
Stanley Cowie
Stanley Cowie (1890 – August 1927) was an English professional footballer. An inside right, he played in the Football League for Blackpool and was also on the books of Exeter City. His body was "found in the River Tyne
The River Tyne is ...
, the title was clinched in early May, and yet hopes of Barry being able to move up to the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
were scuppered just a month later, when their application failed and
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
and
Aberdare Athletic (the latter of whom finished second to Barry in their section) were elected instead.
Barry retained membership of the Southern League for more than 60 years – their highest finish being fourth in the 1930s. Among the notable players of the era were Johnny Gardner (with over 500 appearances), Dai Ward (scorer of more than 300 goals) and
Fred Whitlow
Frederick William James Whitlow (3 September 1904 – 6 January 1978) was an English professional Association football, footballer, who played in the Football League for Charlton Athletic and Exeter City.
Early career in Barry
Born in Bristol ...
(a 100+ goal marksman). Meanwhile, Barry-born sportsman
Ernie Carless
Ernest Francis Carless (9 September 1912 – 26 September 1987) was a Welsh cricketer. Carless was a right-handed batsman who played primarily as a wicketkeeper. He also bowled right-arm off-breaks though he did not bowl in first-class cricket. ...
combined his footballing exploits with a successful cricketing career with
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
.
FA Cup and Welsh Cup glory
At the end of the 1920s, a crowd of 6,000 at
Upton Park saw Barry beat
Dagenham Town 1–0 to progress to the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
2nd Round; before losing to
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
ten days later. It proved to be their most successful run in the competition. Barry would reach the 1st Round again in
1934–35, losing 1–0 to
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
at Jenner Park, but the build-up to the match was tainted by a fire that ravaged the grandstand.
Football again took a backseat in 1939, with the eruption of World War II . Barry's Chris Mason would be captured as a
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
during the conflict, though would return to Jenner Park to resume his career afterwards; entertaining spectators thrilled by the adventures of players such as
Derek Tapscott
Derek Robert Tapscott (30 June 1932 – 12 June 2008) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a forward. Tapscott played for Barry Town, Arsenal, Cardiff City, Newport County, Cinderford Town, Haverfordwest County and Carmarthen ...
(who would later sign for
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
), celebrated striker
Stan Richards
Stanley Richardson, known professionally as Stan Richards (8 December 1930 – 11 February 2005), was an English television actor, best known for his portrayal of Seth Armstrong in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''.
Career
He played the ro ...
and Gwilym 'Cannonball' Cain.
In the
1949–50 season, Jenner Park became one of the first grounds in the country to introduce
floodlights
A floodlight is a broad-beamed, gas discharge lamp#High-intensity discharge lamps, high-intensity artificial light. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is Night game, being held during low-li ...
, with
Newport County,
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
and
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
all visiting to showcase the facilities. Two seasons later, an all-Welsh showdown in the FA Cup 1st Round saw Barry beaten by Newport, 4–0. Nevertheless, the town's most celebrated footballing achievement was right around the corner.
In May 1955, following a 1–1 draw at
the Racecourse
The Racecourse is an open area on the River Wear in Durham, England of total that has been used as a sports ground since at least 1733. It forms part of Durham University's sports facilities as well as hosting local sports clubs. The Racecours ...
in
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
, Barry beat
Chester City 4–3 at
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovations during its lifespan and hosted fixture ...
to lift the Welsh Cup for the first time. Former
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
right-wing Charlie Dyke scored the winner, a dramatic late free-kick to take the cup back to Barry.
1960s, 1970s and 1980s
In the late 1950s, a host of Scandinavian stars made their way to Jenner Park, and dazzled Barry football enthusiasts with their skill. Among their number were Finland's Hannu Kankkonen and
Bengt 'Folet' Berndtsson; a member of the
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
squad that reached the final of the
1958 World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup was the sixth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in Sweden from 8 to 29 June 1958. It was the first FIFA World Cup to be played in a Nordic country.
Brazil be ...
. The influx of players from continental Europe came as a result of chairman John Bailey's business interests overseas.
During this period, the club embarked on an overseas tour, playing three games in Malta in 1960 against
Sliema Wanderers
Sliema Wanderers Football Club, nicknamed "tax-Xelin" ( of the shilling), is a professional Maltese football club. It is the most successful team in Malta and hails from the seaside town of Sliema. It currently plays in the Maltese Premier Leag ...
,
Hibernians and
Valletta
Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...
that all ended in draws.
1961 saw another big match as
QPR
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus R ...
visited Jenner Park in the FA Cup. A crowd of 7,000 saw
Laurie Sheffield's opener for Barry cancelled out late on. QPR would win the replay at
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in White City, London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers.
In 1981, it became the first stadium in British professional football to have an artificial pitch of Omniturf installed. This remained in ...
comfortably. The 1960s and 70s are perhaps most fondly remembered for the personalities that pulled on the Barry shirt. Among them, prolific goalscorers Ken Gully and Clive Ayres, brothers John and Dickie Batt, long-serving Bobby Smith and
Ashley Griffiths, and tall defender Mike Cosslett; now a member of the club coaching staff.
In 1982, Barry would leave the Southern League, focusing on Welsh League competition and winning six Welsh League titles before the decade's end; thanks in no small part to the goals of striker Steve Williams. The most significant match of the decade though came on 17 November 1984, as 3,850 crammed into Jenner Park to see Barry vs
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
in the FA Cup 1st Round. Despite Ian Love's goal, an injury-time winner by
Trevor Senior
Trevor Senior (born 28 November 1961) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker, primarily at Reading. He is the assistant manager of Dorchester Town.
Playing career
Senior was born in Stratton, near Dorchester, Dorset. He ...
was enough to send the Royals through.
Exile and return
![Barri in Worcester, 1992-93](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Barri_in_Worcester%2C_1992-93.jpg)
After insufficient floodlighting had stopped the club being able to compete in the Southern League for most of the 1980s, the tail end of the decade saw the necessary ground improvements to support a return to England. Barry entered the league's Midland Division and would consistently finish in the top six, yet were denied the opportunity to field a reserve XI in the Welsh League as they had done previously.
The creation of the
League of Wales
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
(now
Cymru Premier
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
) in 1992 then prompted a decree that Barry would no longer be able to compete in the
English pyramid at all while based on Welsh soil. As part of a group of rebel clubs known as the
Irate Eight (alongside
Newport,
Merthyr
Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...
,
Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic county of Denbighshire. Eight neighbouring communities are incorpo ...
,
Bangor City
Bangor City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Bangor) are an inactive Welsh football club from the City of Bangor, Gwynedd. They started the 2021–22 season in the Cymru North the second level of the Welsh football league system, but ...
,
Caernarfon Town
Caernarfon Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Caernarfon) is a semi-professional Welsh football club based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd. The club is nicknamed "the Canaries" because of its yellow and green strip, a nickname that dates from ...
,
Newtown and
Rhyl
Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Flintshire (historic), Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at ...
), the Town were forced into exile; with the first team adopting the name of Barri AFC and playing 'home' matches out of
Worcester City
Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club play in the Midland Football League, the ninth tier of English football. Established in 1902, the club play at Claines Lane.
Worcester City's ...
's ground, while the reserves (by now, a local league outfit), manned the Jenner Park fort. However, this arrangement would last only one season, as chairman O' Halloran performed a shock u-turn that saw the Barry first team return home; eventually accepted into
Welsh League Division One for the
1993–94 campaign.
Decade of dominance
![Barry in Lithuania in the summer of 1994](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Barry_in_Lithuania_in_the_summer_of_1994.jpg)
Barry's return to Jenner Park would spark the side's most successful period, as they earned immediate promotion to the top flight and a unique quadruple of
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 ...
championship,
Welsh League Cup
The Cymru Premier League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Cymru Premier.
The competition was established in 1992 and is considered to be the second-mos ...
,
FAW Trophy
The FAW Welsh Trophy is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales and the borders.
The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in ...
and
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 most ...
(for the first time since 1955).
The latter was one of the Town's most famous achievements, as they upset
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
outfit
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
in front of 16,000 spectators at the old
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...
. Barry's reward for winning the
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 most ...
was a
European Cup Winners Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
tie against
Žalgiris Vilnius Žalgiris is a translation of the German word ''Grünwald'' (green forest) and also the Polish word ''Grunwald'' and can refer to:
* Battle of Žalgiris, Lithuanian name for the Battle of Grunwald, a decisive battle in 1410
* BC Žalgiris, a basket ...
of Lithuania, but they crashed out 7–0 on aggregate. Greater glory was on the horizon.
After one season in the
League of Wales
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
, Barry opted to become the league's first fully professional club and, thereafter, won their first league championship in
1995–96. The season was though marred by the deaths of chairman Neil O' Halloran and young midfielder Matthew Holtham, the latter in a motorway accident on the way back from an away match in April.
1996 saw the club create history as the first
League of Wales
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
side to progress beyond the opening round of a European competition.
Following victory in Latvia over
Dinaburg
Daugavpils (; russian: Двинск; ltg, Daugpiļs ; german: Dünaburg, ; pl, Dyneburg; see other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts of the c ...
, Barry ousted Hungarian side
Budapest Vasutas in one of several epic European nights at
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
. Despite trailing 3–1 from the away leg, Barry stormed to a victory in the return match by the same score-line, and then won a penalty shoot-out 4–2.
A memorable all-British tie with
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...
side
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
was their reward and, after losing 3–1 to
Roy Aitken
Robert Sime "Roy" Aitken (born 24 November 1958) is a Scottish former football player and manager. He made over 480 league appearances for Celtic, and later played for Newcastle United, St Mirren and Aberdeen. Aitken also made 57 international ...
's side at
Pittodrie
Pittodrie Stadium, commonly referred to as Pittodrie, is an all-seater stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. Used primarily for Association football, football, it has been the home ground of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) club Aberdeen ...
, the Welshmen were held to a pulsating 3–3 draw at a rain-swept
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
; exiting the cup in thrilling fashion before a crowd of over 6,000.
![Barry of 1999 with League of Wales Cup, FAW Premier Cup and Welsh Premier trophy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Barry_of_1999_with_League_of_Wales_Cup%2C_FAW_Premier_Cup_and_Welsh_Premier_trophy.jpg)
On the domestic scene, Barry were all-conquering, clinching a first treble of
League of Wales
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
championship,
Welsh League Cup
The Cymru Premier League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Cymru Premier.
The competition was established in 1992 and is considered to be the second-mos ...
and
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 most ...
. The championship was claimed with a record 105 points and a goal difference of more than +100. In January 1997, the team was part of the first
League of Wales
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
match to be broadcast live on television; a 5–2 win over visitors
Caernarfon Town
Caernarfon Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Caernarfon) is a semi-professional Welsh football club based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd. The club is nicknamed "the Canaries" because of its yellow and green strip, a nickname that dates from ...
that still holds the league's attendance record. Then, from March, Barry went 51 matches without tasting a single defeat in a league fixture.
1999 saw Barry become the first
League of Wales
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
team to win the
FAW Premier Cup
The FAW Premier Cup (until 1998 the FAW Invitation Cup) was a Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English leagues (including six Welsh c ...
, with a 2–1 win over
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
at the club's own
Racecourse Ground
The Racecourse Ground ( cy, Y Cae Ras) is a football stadium in Wrexham, Wales. It is the home of Wrexham A.F.C.
It is the world's oldest international football stadium that still hosts international matches, having hosted Wales' first home i ...
. Pipped to the title in 2000 by the emerging
TNS, Barry would regain their crown the following campaign, while European battles with the likes of
Dynamo Kyiv
Football Club Dynamo Kyiv (, ) is a Ukrainian professional Association football, football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Union, Soviet Dynamo Sports Club, Dynamo Sports Soc ...
and
Boavista saw players of the highest calibre grace Jenner Park (among them, the likes of
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko, or Andrii Mykolaiovych Shevchenko ( uk, Андрій Миколайович Шевченко, ; born 29 September 1976) is a Ukrainian football manager, a former professional football player and a former politici ...
and
Serhii Rebrov
Serhiy Stanislavovych Rebrov ( uk, Сергій Станіславович Ребров; born 3 June 1974) is a Ukrainian professional football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is in charge of UAE Pro League side Al-Ain.
R ...
.)
Then, in the
2001–02 season, Barry notably became the first
League of Wales
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
team to win a European
Champions League tie, when they defeated the Azerbaijan champions
FC Shamkir to set up a tie with Portuguese club
FC Porto
Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
. Barry lost the first leg in Portugal by an emphatic 8–0 margin, after conceding two early penalties in front of a partisan 55,000 crowd. However, the Town would win the home leg 3–1, recording a famous result that has grown in legend with the career success of Porto's
Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Alberto Silveira de Carvalho (; born 18 May 1978) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Carvalho began his career at Porto, where he had loan spells at Leça, Vitória de Setúbal and Alverca, ...
,
Helder Postiga and others.
Decline and turmoil
The golden era would not last forever, and the continual challenge of securing enough prize money to sustain their high standards set would eventually catch up with those running the club. After chairperson and backer Paula O' Halloran stood aside, former
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
and
Grantham Town official Kevin Green came in as the club's new chief executive; yet his varying initiatives failed to stop the rot. In one move that garnered significant press, Green would recruit ex-footballer and celebrity
John Fashanu
John Fashanu (, born 18 September 1962) is an English television presenter and former professional footballer.
In his former career, he was a centre-forward from 1978 until 1995, most notably in an eight-year spell at Wimbledon in which he wo ...
as the club's high-profile chairman in the winter of 2002. Some saw Fashanu as the missing piece of the puzzle, and the man who would help sustain Barry's success going forward. Promising African and Chinese TV deals and an influx of Nigerian internationals, Fashanu made headlines, yet did little to steady a Barry ship in increasingly rough seas. Then, after success on
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
reality show
I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
''I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' is a British reality TV series in which a number of celebrities live together in a jungle environment for a number of weeks, competing to be crowned "King" or "Queen of the Jungle".
The show was or ...
saw him attain new-found popularity, Fashanu left the club; which by now was in a perilous financial state.
In the summer of 2003, the club went into administration and the professional squad would quickly disintegrate. An interim management team was appointed, together with an amateur squad drawn primarily from local side N & M Construction of the
South Wales Amateur League
The South Wales Amateur League was a former football league in South Wales. The league consisted of two divisions, named Divisions One and Two. Division One was a feeder to the Welsh Football League Division Three, and sat at level 5 of the Wel ...
(five levels below the Welsh Premier). Within a month, Barry had gone from winning a match in Europe to losing 8–0 at
Caernarfon Town
Caernarfon Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Caernarfon) is a semi-professional Welsh football club based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd. The club is nicknamed "the Canaries" because of its yellow and green strip, a nickname that dates from ...
. Though the professional-era bubble had well and truly burst, fans set about raising money to help keep the club alive. Eventually, mystery man Stuart Lovering arrived to purchase of the club on 10 December 2003. Few could have foreseen what was to come.
2003–04 was a difficult season, with champions Barry's first league win not coming until February 2004 when they beat fellow strugglers
Welshpool Town 5–4 with a 98th-minute winning penalty from youngster Luke Sherbon. Manager
Colin Addison
Colin Addison (born 18 May 1940) is an English former professional footballer and manager.
Born in Taunton, Somerset, Addison started his playing career with York City before moving to Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Sheffield United. His man ...
was brought in resuscitate the team's ailing fortunes, yet the Dragons still ended up bottom of the division, four points off safety, and were relegated to the
Welsh League Division One. Controversially, Addison was dismissed by Lovering on the eve of the new campaign, with assistant
David Hughes David Hughes may refer to:
Arts
*Dave Hughes (born 1970), Australian comedian
*Dave Hughes (producer), American television producer and editor
*David Hughes (illustrator), British illustrator
*David Hughes (Emmerdale), fictional character in the I ...
replacing him; only to leave himself months later on finding his budget slashed. In the meantime, an independent
district valuer
The Valuation Office Agency is a government body in England and Wales. It is an executive agency of His Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
The agency values properties for the purpose of Council Tax and for non-domestic rates in England and Wale ...
had determined that the club should pay £42,000 in rent and rates each season for the remainder of the lease. Judging the figure to be unfairly based on the club's relinquished professional status, Lovering refused to pay this amount and instead moved the senior side to the White Tips Stadium in
Treforest
Treforest ( cy, Trefforest) is a village in the south-east of Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is situated in the Treforest electoral ward, along with the village of Glyntaff (or Glyn-Taf). It is part of the Pon ...
from January 2005 to May 2006. During the absence, a number of staunch supporters formed breakaway club Barry FC; the culmination of a series of disputes with chairman Lovering, who had banned them from fundraising at club. With the Town relegated to their lowest-ever league status at the end of the
2005–06 season, the future appeared bleak for this fallen giant of Welsh football.
Fan-led fightback
While chaos reigned off the field for much of the decade, the roots of recovery began to grow in 2007, with the appointment of new manager Gavin Chesterfield. Chesterfield led Barry to promotion in 2008, with the hope that a winning run of form in the second tier would see the club's dwindling support return. After stumbling early on, Barry enjoyed a 21-match unbeaten streak and finished the season a credible third. Nevertheless, the team's achievements were continually overshadowed by events behind the scenes.
In December 2008, a crisis meeting at Jenner Park saw supporters come forward to pledge their commitment to operating the first team (forming a new company for this purpose), to allow Lovering to focus on finding a buyer. In one of a number of close calls, the club appeared on the verge of being sold in 2010, when businessman Clayton Jones appeared to strike a deal. However, this fell through at the eleventh hour, scuppering a plan to bring in Wales international
John Hartson
John Hartson (born 5 April 1975) is a Welsh former professional footballer, coach and sports television pundit for S4C, Sky Sports, Premier Sports TV and BT Sport.
As a player he was a striker, notably for Scottish club Celtic where his time ...
as
Director of Football
A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The sport ...
.
Undeterred, 2010 saw the Stand Up For Barry campaign launch, using new social media platforms such as Twitter to spread news of the club's plight with a wider online audience. The resulting support from across the football community proved an invaluable asset as supporters strived to keep the club alive.
Shortly after the close of the 2010–11 season, Lovering announced his fresh intent of withdrawing the first team from higher league competition. To prevent this, the Barry Town Supporters' Committee (BTSC) took complete control of all football and its funding; resulting in what became known to some supporters as the 'DIY Football' era. In the months that followed, the rejuvenated, fan-run Barry set-up enjoyed their most successful
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 most ...
campaign in several seasons; defeating rivals
Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Tref Merthyr) is a Welsh semi-professional association football, football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, currently playing in the , in the seventh tier of the English football league system.
The ...
at
Penydarren Park
Penydarren Park is a sports stadium in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, that is the present home ground of Merthyr Town Historically used for varying sports, it has been the home to two professional football teams, Merthyr Town and Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
The ...
and winning at
Haverfordwest County
Haverfordwest County Association Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Sir Hwlffordd) is a Welsh semi-professional football team based in Haverfordwest, Wales. They currently play in the Cymru Premier, the top flight of Welsh football.
The club w ...
in extra-time, before being edged out 3–2 at
Newport County.
![Barry fans and players celebrate 2013 Welsh Cup success in Flint](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Barry_fans_and_players_celebrate_2013_Welsh_Cup_success_in_Flint.jpg)
2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the club's
formation
Formation may refer to:
Linguistics
* Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes
* Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes
Mathematics and science
* Cave formation or speleothem, a secondar ...
, with a series of events lined up to mark this and the subsequent centenary season. To launch the festivities, the BTSC hosted
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
in an August fundraising friendly attended by 2,000 spectators. However, Lovering's threats to withdraw Barry from 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 leagu ...
would intensify in the weeks prior, threatening to cast a cloud over these celebrations. Nevertheless, the BTSC held a successful '100 Years of Barry Town' event at the
Angel Hotel (attended by many past and present players), before the current team beat Welsh League champions
Cambrian and Clydach on the 100th anniversary itself.
In March 2013, following wins against
Caerleon
Caerleon (; cy, Caerllion) is a town and community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman ...
,
Penrhyncoch
Penrhyn-coch is a small Welsh village, in the community of Trefeurig, Ceredigion, located between the Afon Stewi and Nant Seilo rivers, close to where they merge into the Afon Clarach. The village is approximately north-east of Aberystwyth.
T ...
,
Ely Rangers
Ely Rangers Association Football Club are a Welsh association football team founded in 1965. They are based in Ely, Cardiff and they play at Station Road, Wenvoe near Cardiff.
History
Ely Rangers' origins date back to 1963–64 at a time when t ...
and
Pontardawe Town, Barry won 2–0 at
Flint Town United to progress to the
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 most ...
semi-final for the first time in a decade. Eventually, the team narrowly lost 1–2 to eventual winners
Prestatyn Town
Prestatyn Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Prestatyn) is a Wales, Welsh association football, football club based in Prestatyn, Denbighshire who play in the Cymru North.
History Early years
Records show that football has been play ...
, marking the first appearance of a fully amateur Barry side at the Welsh Cup semi-final stage.
Survival and resurgence
On 7 May 2013, Lovering withdrew the senior team from 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 leagu ...
, against the will of the BTSC, players and supporters; who were ready, willing and able to fulfill the remaining two league fixtures (both against
Ton Pentre
Ton Pentre () is a village in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historically part of Glamorgan, Ton Pentre, a former industrial coal mining village, is a district of the community of Pentre. The old district of ...
). Rejecting this perceived act of sabotage, those running the football outlined their intentions to continue as they were, adopting the Barry Town United suffix to emphasise their continuing unity and endeavour. However, a meeting of the
FAW Council in
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-coed (; '' en, prayer house in the wood'') is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located in the historic county of Caernarfonshire, right on the boundary with Denbighshire, in the Gwydir Forest. ...
in June 2013 announced that the Barry side would have to play "recreational football" henceforth; a declaration that prompted significant outcry, both locally and further afield.
![Maesmawr Hall, Caersws](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Maesmawr_Hall%2C_Caersws.jpg)
There appeared hope for beleaguered Barry as second meeting was arranged for July 2013 at
Maesmawr Hall
Maesmawr Hall is a historic timber-framed house, situated to the southeast of Caersws, in the Historic counties of Wales, historic county of Montgomeryshire, which now forms part of Powys in Wales. It is currently run as a hotel.
A long avenue ...
in
Caersws
Caersws ( cy, Caersŵs; ) is a village and community on the River Severn, in the Welsh county of Powys (Montgomeryshire) west of Newtown, and halfway between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury. It has a station on the Cambrian Line from Aberystwyth ...
to hear new evidence as why the team should be able to continue on. At this second gathering, 15 of the FAW Councillors voted against discussing Barry's future, thus concluding the meeting in no more than five minutes and at considerable expense. Notably, it emerged that this decision went against the recommendations of the FAW's own Domestic Committee and legal team.
With their immediate and long-term future unclear, Barry began their pre-season with wins at
Moreton Moreton may refer to:
People Given name
* Moreton John Wheatley (1837–1916), British Army officer and Bailiff of the Royal Parks
Surname
* Alice Bertha Moreton (1901–1977), English sculptor, draughtsman and artist
* Andrew Moreton, a ps ...
and
Elmore that same month, followed by a narrow 3–2 loss to
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
newcomers
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
, watched by a home crowd of 1,650 supporters on Saturday 27 July. Remarkably, given the bizarre set of circumstances, Barry had led 2–1 at half-time.
Eventually, a
High Court judge in Cardiff ruled in Barry's favour; stating that the FAW Council had acted unlawfully in denying them their licence to play Welsh League football. As a result, the fan-run Town side was entered back into the structure.
In the years that have followed, Barry would win two consecutive league titles, reclaiming their place in the second tier, while continuing to develop as a club, on and off the pitch. Today, the club competes at senior, development, youth and junior levels, along with various ladies' teams and pan disability sides in the over and under-16 age groups. In the 2016–17 season, the first team reached the final of
Welsh League Cup
The Cymru Premier League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Cymru Premier.
The competition was established in 1992 and is considered to be the second-mos ...
for the first time since 2001, becoming only the second side from outside the national top flight to achieve this feat since the competition was expanded several years prior. In April 2017, the club secured its return to the
Welsh Premier as champions of 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 leagu ...
, continuing this remarkable revival.
On Saturday 6 April 2019, a remarkable 5–2 victory at Bala Town, coupled with a 6–0 win for The New Saints away against Newtown, ensured Barry would finish at least third in the 2018–19 JD Cymru Premier and qualify for the preliminary round of the UEFA Europa League. This marked a remarkable transformation for the club, qualifying for European competition for the first time since winning the JD Cymru Premier in the 2002–03 season.
A second European appearance in as many years would follow, as Barry travelled to the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
to play
NSI Runavik in a one-legged tie, following the abandonment of the 2019-20 season in wake of the
Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. However, the club's league results had begun to decline and Barry were ultimately relegated to the
Cymru South
The Cymru South is a regional football league in Wales, covering the southern half of the country. It has clubs with semi-professional status and together with the Cymru North, it forms the second tier of the Welsh football league system.
The fi ...
in April 2022, having finished 11th out of 12 in the 2021-22 Cymru Premier.
Colours
For many decades, Barry wore green as their primary colour – thought to be due to officials securing the club's first kit from
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
. On exile in 1992, Barri adopted a red and white strip, which would remain with them on their return to the Welsh pyramid. It was the following season that the club adopted its yellow change kit (deemed lucky for the success it brought in
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 most ...
competition) as a home strip – and it is this colour that has become synonymous with Town football, with variations including uses of blue.
Two of the club's most memorable home strips are the
fluorescent
Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, tha ...
lime and navy ordered in error in 2006, and the experimental
claret
Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...
and blue kit worn in the early 1970s – both of which saw the club simultaneously plummet in footballing fortune. Nowadays, the club tends to wear yellow at home and green on the road. In the 2020–2021 season, Barry will wear a red away kit.
Stadium
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
occupies the space of land between Gladstone Road and Barry Road in central
Barry Barry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name
* Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...
and has been the setting for the evolution of Barry's senior football club for more than 100 years.
Named after the Jenner family who had gifted the land, the ground was built by the Barry football enthusiasts for their representative side to compete at the highest possible level and was completed between the landmark meeting of 1912 and the opening fixture of
1913–14.
Among the most notable Barry matches played at Jenner Park have been European ties, domestic cup finals, major semi-finals and quarter-finals,
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
fixtures, televised matches, testimonials, high-scoring thrillers and friendlies against high-profile opposition.
Comprised initially of two wooden stands, popular bank terracing was added in 1923 and floodlights added in the 1940s, allowing Jenner Park to host Wales' first floodlit football match between Barry and
Newport in
1949–50.
During the 1980s, the local council rebuilt
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
, installing a synthetic running track, a new all-seater stand and improved floodlights.
To bring
Jenner Park
Jenner Park is a central district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan 14 miles outside Cardiff in South Wales.
It is home to the Jenner Park Stadium, which is the football ground of Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clw ...
up to
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
standards, a second covered stand was built in the mid 1990s, boosting the
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
to 2,500. This was temporarily increased to 6,000+ for the visits of
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
and
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
with the use of temporary
bleachers
Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a row ...
.
Recent years have seen the addition of a special viewing area for wheelchair users in the grandstand (known colloquially as the 'Old Stand'), accessible via the stadium's Devon Avenue entrance. Meanwhile, October 2015 saw work completed on a new, state-of-the-art
3G pitch
Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commerc ...
, with its inaugural game, a
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 most ...
match against
Aberdare Town.
Current squad
Technical staff
Championships
Cymru Premier
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
(7)
1995–96,
1996–97,
1997–98,
1998–99,
2000–01,
2001–02,
2002–03
Welsh League Division One (9)
1926–27, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1993–94, 2016–17
Welsh League Division Two (3)
1951–52, 1957–58, 2014–15
Welsh League Division Three (1)
2013–14
Southern League (1)
1920–21
Championship seasons
Championship play-offs
This match pitted the winners of the Southern League's English and Welsh sections against each other to determine an overall champion.
Honours
*
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 most ...
(6)
**1954–55, 1993–94, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001-02, 2002–03
*
Cymru Premier
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...
(7)
**
1995–96,
1996–97,
1997–98,
1998–99,
2000–01,
2001–02,
2002–03
*
Welsh League Division One (9)
**1926–27, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1993–94, 2016–17
*
Welsh League Division Two (3)
**1951–52, 1957–58, 2014–15
*
Welsh League Division Three (1)
**2013–14
*
Southern League (1)
**
1920–21
*
League of Wales Cup (4)
**1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000
*
FAW Premier Cup
The FAW Premier Cup (until 1998 the FAW Invitation Cup) was a Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English leagues (including six Welsh c ...
(1)
**
1998–99
*
FAW Trophy
The FAW Welsh Trophy is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales and the borders.
The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in ...
(1)
**1993–94
*
Welsh League Cup
The Cymru Premier League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Cymru Premier.
The competition was established in 1992 and is considered to be the second-mos ...
(6)
**1934–35, 1946–47, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1993–94
*
South Wales Senior Cup (15)
**1925–26, 1926–27, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1991–92
*
West Wales Senior Cup (1)
**1927–28
Cup finals
, Bangor City
, 1–1 AET*
,
Jones
Jones may refer to:
People
*Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname
*List of people with surname Jones
* Jones (singer), a British singer-songwriter
Arts and entertainment
* Jones (''Animal Farm''), a human character in George Orwell ...
(P)
, 1,000
,
Bangor
, -
, 1998–99
, League of Wales Cup
, 03/05/99
,
Caernarfon Town
Caernarfon Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Caernarfon) is a semi-professional Welsh football club based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd. The club is nicknamed "the Canaries" because of its yellow and green strip, a nickname that dates from ...
, 3–0
,
Jones
Jones may refer to:
People
*Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname
*List of people with surname Jones
* Jones (singer), a British singer-songwriter
Arts and entertainment
* Jones (''Animal Farm''), a human character in George Orwell ...
(3)
, Unknown
, Aberystwyth
, -
,
1998–99
,
FAW Premier Cup
The FAW Premier Cup (until 1998 the FAW Invitation Cup) was a Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English leagues (including six Welsh c ...
, 23/05/99
,
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
, 2–1
, Perry, Barrow
, 3,142
,
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
, -
, 1999–00
, League of Wales Cup
, 01/05/00
, Bangor City
, 6–0
,
Jones
Jones may refer to:
People
*Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname
*List of people with surname Jones
* Jones (singer), a British singer-songwriter
Arts and entertainment
* Jones (''Animal Farm''), a human character in George Orwell ...
, P. Evans, Perry (2), Ja. Jenkins
, Unknown
, Aberystwyth
, -
, 2000–01
, League of Wales Cup
, 07/05/01
,
Caersws
Caersws ( cy, Caersŵs; ) is a village and community on the River Severn, in the Welsh county of Powys (Montgomeryshire) west of Newtown, and halfway between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury. It has a station on the Cambrian Line from Aberystwyth ...
, 0–2
, N/A
, 820
, Aberystwyth
, -
, 2000–01
, Welsh Cup
, 25/05/01
,
TNS
, 2–0
,
Moralee, Lloyd
, 1,022
, Wrexham
, -
, 2001–02
, Welsh Cup
, 05/05/02
, Bangor City
, 4–1
,
Moralee (2),
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
Flynn
Flynn is an Irish surname or first name, an anglicised form of the Irish ''Ó Floinn'', meaning "descendant of Flann" (a byname meaning "reddish (complexion)" or "ruddy"). The name is more commonly used as a surname rather than a first name.
A ...
, 2,560
, Aberystwyth
, -
, 2002–03
, Welsh Cup
, 11/05/03
, Cwmbran Town
, 2–2 AET*
,
Ramasut (P),
Phillips
, 852
,
Llanelli
Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. ...
, -
,
2016–17
, League of Wales Cup
, 21/01/17
,
The New Saints
The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club, also known as The New Saints ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed y Seintiau Newydd) or TNS, are a professional football club that currently play in the Cymru Premier. They are the most successfu ...
, 0–4
, N/A
, 1,116
, Cardiff
Awards
*
BBC Wales Sport Team of the Year
**1996
European competition
Barry have played 27 competitive games in European club competitions; in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
,
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
and
Cup Winners Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
. The team has won three full qualifying ties, defeating opposition from Latvia, Hungary and Azerbaijan, in addition to single victories against
FC Porto
Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
and
Vardar Skopje
FK Vardar Skopje ( mk, ФК Вардар Скопје), or simply Vardar, is a football club based in the capital city of Skopje, North Macedonia. The club was founded in 1947 and currently competes in the Macedonian Second Football League. The ...
and draws with
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
,
Valletta
Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...
and
Cliftonville
Cliftonville is a coastal area of the town of Margate, situated to the east of the main town, in the Thanet district of Kent, South East England, United Kingdom. It also contains the area known as Palm Bay.
The original Palm Bay estate was ...
. The club has scored 22 goals in regular European play, as well as four shootout penalties. Their return to European football came in the summer of 2019, after an absence of 16 seasons. They followed this up with another European tie the following summer, this time against Faroese opposition
NSÍ Runavík
NSÍ Runavík is a Faroese football club, playing in Runavík on the island of Eysturoy. It was founded 24 March 1957. In 2003 NSÍ participated for the first time on a European stage.
In 2007, the club won the Faroe Islands Premier League for t ...
where
Kayne McLaggon
Kayne Simeon McLaggon (born 21 September 1990) is a Welsh semi-professional footballer who plays as a striker for Barry Town United and the Wales 'C' National Team.
Club career Southampton
McLaggon was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan and ...
became the first Barry player to score in Europe for 17 years.
FA Cup qualification
The club competed regularly in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, prior to 1993. The table below denotes the occasions on which the team progressed through the qualifying rounds to the first round. Barry's sole second round appearance came in 1929 against
Brighton and Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
, after a replay win over
Dagenham Town at the
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, often referred to as Upton Park, was a football stadium located in Upton Park, east London. It was the home of West Ham United from 1904 to 2016, and was briefly used by Charlton Athletic in the early 1990s during their years ...
, home of
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
.
Team records
Record wins
* 13–0 vs
Milford United (H),
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 ...
, 26 January 1985.
* 12–0 vs
Cemaes Bay
Cemaes () is a village on the north coast of Anglesey in Wales, sited on Cemaes Bay, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is partly owned by the National Trust. It is the most northerly village in Wales (excluding the nearby hamlet of L ...
(H),
Welsh Premier, 4 April 1998.
* 12–1 vs
Bedminster (H),
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, 10 October 1927.
Record defeats
*0–11 vs
Llanelly
Llanelly ( cy, Llanelli) is the name of a parish and coterminous community in the principal area of Monmouthshire, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, south-east Wales. It roughly covers the area of the Clydach Gorge. The popula ...
(A),
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 ...
, 6 August 1961.
*1–11 vs
Newport (A),
Southern League, 16 December 1932.
*0–10 vs
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
(A),
Southern League Cup, 29 August 1966.
High-scoring matches
*10–5 vs
Merthyr
Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...
(A),
Southern League, 19 February 1930.
*6–6 vs
Gillingham (H),
Southern League, 15 March 1947.
*6–6 vs
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...
(A),
Southern League, Date unknown.
Full internationals
{,
, -
, valign="top",
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Pos.
! Player
, -
, -
, GK, ,
Andy Dibble
Andrew Gerald Dibble (born 8 May 1965) is a Welsh football coach and former professional player.
As a player, he was as a goalkeeper from 1982 to 2006. During his career he played in the Premier League for Manchester City and in the Scottish Pre ...
, -
, GK, ,
Len Evans
, -
, GK, ,
Ron Howells
Ronald Gilbert Howells (12 January 1927 – 29 December 2011) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was capped by Wales and played in The Football League for three clubs.
Playing career
Howells began his playing car ...
, -
, GK, ,
Graham Vearncombe
, width="1",
, valign="top",
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Pos.
! Player
, -
, -
, DF, ,
Terry Boyle
Terence David John Boyle (born 29 October 1958) is a Welsh former professional footballer. During his career, he made over 500 appearances in the Football League and made two appearances for the Wales national team in 1981. A centre-half, he wa ...
, -
, DF, ,
Don Dearson
Donald John Dearson (13 May 1914 – 24 December 1990) was a Welsh footballer who won three caps for his country and played in the Football League for Birmingham (renamed Birmingham Cty in 1943), Coventry City and Walsall.
Life and career
Dear ...
, -
, DF, ,
Steve Derrett
, -
, DF, ,
Phil Dwyer
Philip John Dwyer (28 October 1953 – 30 November 2021) was a Welsh professional Association football, footballer. Born in Cardiff, he began his career with his hometown club Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City, joining the side as an apprentice ...
, -
, DF, ,
Bob John
Robert Frederick John (3 February 1899 – 17 July 1982) was a Welsh football player and coach.
Born in Barry, John played for Barry Town and Caerphilly, before joining English club Arsenal, who signed him, against stiff competition, in January ...
, -
, DF, ,
Keith Pontin
Keith Pontin (14 June 1956 – 2 August 2020) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a central defender. Pontin began his career with Cardiff City, making nearly 200 league appearances and earning two caps for the Welsh national team.
...
, -
, DF, ,
Dave Roberts
, -
, DF, ,
Alf Sherwood
Alfred Thomas Sherwood (13 November 1923 – 12 March 1990) was a Welsh international footballer. Between 1947 and 1957, he gained a total of 41 caps, the first on his 23rd birthday, against England in 1946.
Known as the King of the sliding tac ...
, -
, DF, ,
Nigel Stevenson
, width="1",
, valign="top",
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Pos.
! Player
, -
, MF, ,
Bryn Allen
Brynley William Allen (23 March 1921 – 21 July 2005) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs in the 1940s and 1950s and made two appearances for Wales.
Football career
Allen was born in Gilfach Goc ...
, -
, MF, ,
David Cotterill
David Rhys George Best Cotterill (born 4 December 1987) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a winger.
Born in Cardiff, Cotterill began his career at Bristol City before signing for Premier League Wigan Athletic where he spent two season ...
, -
, MF, ,
John Emanuel
, -
, MF, ,
David Giles
, -
, MF, ,
Robbie James
Robert Mark "Robbie" James (23 March 1957 – 18 February 1998) was a Welsh international footballer who played for many teams including Swansea City, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers. He represented his country on 47 occasions over a pe ...
, -
, MF, ,
Billy Jennings
Billy Jennings (born 20 February 1952) is an English former footballer who played as a striker in the Football League for Watford, West Ham United, Orient and Luton Town. He also played in the North American Soccer League for Chicago Sting.
A ...
, -
, MF, ,
Chris Marustik
Christopher Marustik (10 August 1961 – 12 August 2015) was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.
Club career
The son of a Czech immigrant, Marustik began his career at his hometown side Swansea City, making his way throug ...
, -
, MF, ,
Ivor Powell
Ivor Verdun Powell, MBE (5 July 1916 – 6 November 2012) was a Welsh football player and manager. He won eight caps for Wales.
A wing half, he began his professional career with Queens Park Rangers in September 1937. His career was interr ...
, -
, MF, ,
Gil Reece
Gilbert Ivor '"Gil" Reece (2 July 1942 – 20 December 2003) was a Welsh international footballer. Described by former Wales manager Mike Smith as ''"a very quick player, sharp and tough"'', he made over 300 appearances in the Football League du ...
, -
, MF, ,
Ted Vizard
Edward Vizard (7 June 1889
– 25 December 1973) was a Welsh international footballer who became a manager. He spent almost all his playing career at Bolton Wanderers.
Playing career
Born in Cogan, Wales Vizard joined Bolton Wanderers in Sep ...
, -
, width="1",
, valign="top",
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Pos.
! Player
, -
, FW, ,
George Baker
, -
, FW, ,
Alan Curtis
, -
, FW, ,
Nick Deacy
Nick Deacy (born 19 July 1953) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a striker.
He used to play for PSV Eindhoven, and won the UEFA Cup with them in 1978, coming on as a substitute in the second leg of the final.
After a spell with Vit ...
, -
, FW, ,
Leslie Jones
, -
, FW, ,
Stan Richards
Stanley Richardson, known professionally as Stan Richards (8 December 1930 – 11 February 2005), was an English television actor, best known for his portrayal of Seth Armstrong in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''.
Career
He played the ro ...
, -
, FW, ,
Derek Showers
Derek Showers (born 28 January 1953) is a Welsh former professional footballer and Wales international. During his career he picked up the nickname "Nookie Bear" due to his resemblance to Roger DeCourcey who operated the puppet bear.
, -
, FW, ,
Derek Tapscott
Derek Robert Tapscott (30 June 1932 – 12 June 2008) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a forward. Tapscott played for Barry Town, Arsenal, Cardiff City, Newport County, Cinderford Town, Haverfordwest County and Carmarthen ...
, -
, FW, ,
Dai Ward Jr.
, -
, FW, ,
Fred Warren
Frederick Windsor Warren (23 December 1907 – 1986) was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.
Club career
Warren began his career at his home town club Cardiff City, spending time as understudy to George McLachlan before ...
, -
, width="1",
, valign="top",
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Pos.
! Player
, -
, -
, GK, ,
Abiodun Baruwa
, -
, GK, ,
David Forde
, -
, DF, ,
Atif Bashir
Atif Qureshi Bashir (born 3 April 1985) is an ex-professional football player, whose career came to an end due to extensive knee injuries over the past three years. His latest club football was with Dinas Powys and at international level for th ...
, -
, DF, ,
Paul Ramsay
Paul Joseph Ramsay (5 January 1936 – 1 May 2014) was an Australian businessman and philanthropist.
Biography
Born in Sydney, he grew up in Burradoo in the Southern Highlands, New South Wales. He attended St Ignatius' College, Riverview, ...
, -
, MF, ,
Bengt Berndtsson
Bengt Ryno Berndtsson (26 January 1933 – 4 June 2015) was a Swedish football winger. Born in Gothenburg, he was nicknamed ''Fölet'' (meaning ''The Foal'').
After starting his career playing for two local clubs, he joined IFK Göteborg
...
, -
, MF, ,
Jackie Brown
''Jackie Brown'' is a 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on Elmore Leonard's 1992 novel ''Rum Punch.'' It stars Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who is caught smuggling money. Samuel L. Ja ...
, -
, MF, , Stig Holmqvist
, -
, MF, , Hannu Kankkonnen
, -
, MF, , Rolf Rosqvist
, -
, MF, ,
Theo Wharton
Theo Jay Wharton (born 15 November 1994) is a footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Saint Kitts and Nevis national team.
Early and personal life
Wharton was born in Cwmbran, Torfaen, and is the son of former footballer Sean Wharton and ...
, -
, FW, ,
Nathaniel Jarvis
Nathaniel Stephen Jarvis (born 20 October 1991) is a Welsh-born Antigua and Barbuda international footballer who plays as a striker for Taunton Town. He was previously with Cardiff City as a youngster.
Early life
As a teenager, Jarvis grew ...
Hall of Fame
The club's Hall of Fame was established by the Barry Town Supporters Committee in the
2011–12 season to celebrate the achievements of past players, managers and other influential figures. Further additions are set to be made each year.
{, class="wikitable sortable" style="clear:both"
, -
!width="50", Year!! style="width:120px;", Name!!width="50", Position!! style="width:600px;", Significant achievements!! style="width:200px;", Years of service!! style="width:300px;", Other notable clubs
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Chris Mason, ,
Defender, , A POW in WW2, amassed 400+ appearances either side of war., , 1937–1951, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, ,
Ashley Griffiths, ,
Defender, , 22-year association, appearances in finals, Europe and FA Cup, , 1973–2005, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2014–15, , James Wightman, , Captain, , First club captain and decorated victim of World War I., , 1913-14, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Neil O' Halloran, , Various, , Player, boss and chairman, launched an era of success, , 1958–1996, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Charlie Dyke, , Right-wing , , Welsh Cup winner in 1955, associated with club forty years on., , 1951–1964, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , The Batt Brothers, , Various, , John/"Percy" and Richard/"Dicky", the club's most famous siblings., , 1972–1980, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Bill Bowen, ,
Goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
, , Goalkeeper, manager and secretary in inaugural era of success., , 1919–1927, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , , ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Barry-born Welsh international who found fame with Arsenal., , 1949–1953, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , Bill Jones, ,
Manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
, , Manager in the golden 1950s, played before and after war., , 1934–1953, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , , ,
Goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
, , Record-setting keeper, 1000+ league minutes without conceding., , 1995–1998, 2003, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , , ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Record signing, dynamic first
Champions League goalscorer., , 1997, 1999, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, ,
Fred Whitlow
Frederick William James Whitlow (3 September 1904 – 6 January 1978) was an English professional Association football, footballer, who played in the Football League for Charlton Athletic and Exeter City.
Early career in Barry
Born in Bristol ...
, ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Three stints, with two-season spell of 13 hat-tricks and 100+ goals., , 1922–23, 24–25, 35–37, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , , ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Barry-born footballer and cricketer, played in four decades., , 1929–1953, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , Dai Ward, ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Top marksman for eight seasons with over 300 goals., , 1926–1935, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , Johnny Gardner, ,
Defender, , 500+ appearances, including in
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
first and second rounds., , 1921–1932, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , Clive Ayres, ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Goalscorer. 46 goals in one season and three straight hat-tricks., , 1972–1978, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , Basil B,
Manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
, , One-man dynasty as player/coach, signed many key players., , 1951, 1952–67, 1971–78, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , , ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , 130 goals in 174 outings, set scoring records everywhere., , 1952–1955, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , Gwilym Cain, ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Dubbed 'Cannonball' for penalty prowess, scored over 150 goals., , 1947–1956, 1960, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2011–12, , , ,
Defender, , Key part of Barry's only
Southern League title-winning side., , 1920–1927, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Steve Williams, ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Trophy-winning goalscorer, netting 166 times in 230 appearances., , 1982–85, 89–90, 94–95, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , , ,
Manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
, , Player-manager for European wins, brought passing philosophy, , 1996–99, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Gary Lloyd, ,
Defender, , Free-kick specialist, with European appearances and Wales call-up, , 1994–2003, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Ken Gully, ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Prolific Barry goalscorer in Welsh and English leagues alike., , 1960–65, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Mike Cosslett, ,
Defender, , Defender and coach, 40+-year association with the club. , , 1974–, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2012–13, , Bobby Smith, ,
Midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, , True clubman, over 500+ outings across a 20-year stint., , 1975–94, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2013–14, ,
Billy Jennings
Billy Jennings (born 20 February 1952) is an English former footballer who played as a striker in the Football League for Watford, West Ham United, Orient and Luton Town. He also played in the North American Soccer League for Chicago Sting.
A ...
, ,
Manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
, , First Barrian to be capped for Wales, managed Barry twice., , 1930–49, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2013–14, , Derek Redwood, ,
Defender, , All-time leading penalty taker, won much silverware in the 1980s., , 1980s, ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2016–17, ,
George Green, ,
Defender, , International, Wembley goalscorer, first Welshman to play in Spain., , 1930s, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2022–23, , Idris Niblett, ,
Forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, , Town's only Barry-born Welsh Cup Final goalscorer, netting three in 1955., , 1951-1962, , ,
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2017–18, , Dan Bradley, ,
Goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
, , Goalkeeper, Barry's all-time record Welsh League appearance holder., , 2006–2017, ,
, -
Other information
* The paperback book ''The Linnets – An Illustrated, Narrative History of Barry Town AFC, 1888–1993'' by Jeff McInery was published in 1993, and is available locally.
*A number of
fanzines
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
devoted to the club have been published, including ''The Unofficial Programme'', ''38 Hours From Vilnius'', ''Yma O Hyd'' and ''Keep It Going, Cohen''.
External links
Barry Town United WebsiteBarry Town United FacebookBarry Town United Twitter
References
*
*
{{Barry, Vale of Glamorgan
1912 establishments in Wales
Association football clubs established in 1912
Football clubs in Wales
Southern Football League clubs
Sport in the Vale of Glamorgan
Barry, Vale of Glamorgan
Cymru Premier clubs
Welsh Football League clubs