Newport YMCA Association Football Club were a football team based in the city of Newport, South Wales. They were founded in 1973 with the merging of the Newport Central YMCA and Newport Pill YMCA sides and were elected to the Welsh Football League in 1978. Newport YMCA had good Welsh Cup results in the 2000s as they reached the Fifth round of the competition on various occasions. This resulted in them facing off against three Welsh Premier League sides: Carmarthen Town, Welshpool Town & Bangor City.

History

1973: The formation of YM

Newport YMCA Football Club was formed in 1973 when the Newport Central YMCA and Newport Pill YMCA sides merged to form one club. The merger took place as a result of a decision made by the Board of Management who were responsible for running the affairs of the YMCA in Newport at that time. They believed that it would be in the best interests of both clubs for them to merge and share facilities. After many months of negotiation the two sides, usually fierce rivals on the park, merged to form the one Club, Newport YMCA. Prior to the merger both sides were successful teams in their own right. Pill YMCA playing in the higher standard Gwent Premier League and Central YMCA in the Newport & District League Premier X Division. Pill YMCA who had moved onto an eight-acre ground at Mendalgief Road in 1955, boasted two football pitches and a rugby pitch, but suffered from poor changing facilities, whilst Central YMCA situated in the town centre, had better changing facilities, but no ground of their own. At the time of the merger Central YMCA ran five senior sides and Pill YMCA ran two senior sides and a range of junior sides. The merger proved an instant success with the club running five senior teams plus junior teams from under-12s to under-18s. Cups and trophies came the club's way on an annual basis.

1978–1981: Welsh Football League status

In 1978 after winning the Gwent Premier League four times in succession they gained election to the Welsh Football League. Under the management of Michael Carvell the club worked its way up to the Premier Division, which at that time was the highest level of football in South Wales. In 1980–81 the club made it to the final of the Welsh Intermediate Cup (formerly known as the Welsh Amateur Cup) only to lose the game 1–0 to Connah's Quay Nomads.

1982–1984: YMCA's high and low

The pinnacle of success came when the side finished in 3rd place in the Premier Division in 1982–83, their highest-ever finish in the Welsh football pyramid. Despite this high finish the creation of the ‘National Division’ for season 1983–84 effectively demoted the YM, their lack of facilities costing them a place in the newly created division.

1990–1993: planning ahead

In 1990 The Board of Management at the YMCA decided to sell off the Central YMCA building and half of the land at Mendalgief Road, using the money to finance a new purpose-built facility in Pill. For one season the club were forced to play their home games at

Somerton Park Somerton Park was a football, greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Newport, South Wales. Football In April 1912 Newport County had been accepted to play in the Southern League for the 1912–13 season. Shortly afterwards, the site ...

, home of Newport County, as uncertainty over the sale of the land and building work meant the club needed to find an alternative venue for home games. After spending the 1990–91 season at Somerton Park the YM returned to their home at Mendalgief Road as the sale of the land failed to materialise, causing building work to be delayed. Unfortunately the uncertainty over events off the field transmitted itself to the football club and the retirement of older players plus the inability to attract new ones caused the club to suffer relegation at the end of the 1992–93 season.

2000: New era for YMCA

The new building that was planned for 1991 eventually opened in January 2000 and this marked an upturn in the fortunes of the club. In season 2001–2002 the YMCA started their comeback back by winning the Division 3 championship. Two seasons later the club finished just one place below a promotion spot, but in season 2004–05 they secured a return to the top division of Welsh League football by finishing runners-up to Pontardawe in Division 2. In the 2007-08 season the club were Welsh Cup Semi-finalists losing 3–1 to Bangor City at Latham Park in Newtown missing out on a cup final place. One year later and the club were on another cup run reaching the quarter-final of the Welsh Cup in the 2008-09 season losing out to Bridgend Town.

2018: Merger with Pill

At the end of 2017–18 season, the team merged with Division Two club Pill AFC to form a new club, Pill YMCA. This club play in the

Gwent County League The Gwent County League (known as the Autocentres Gwent County FA League for sponsorship reasons) is a football league in South Wales, consisting of 3 divisions, named the Premier Division, Division One and Division Two. The Premier Division is ...

Premier Division. At the end of the first season the club finished in 5th place in the league,

Honours

Welsh Football League Second Division The Welsh Football League Division Two, (last known as the ''Nathanielcars.co.uk Welsh League Division Two'', for sponsorship reasons) was a football league and forms the fourth level of the Welsh football league system in South Wales. If t ...

: Champions: 1979 – Promoted to Division 1 * Welsh Football League First Division: 3rd place 1981 – Promoted to Welsh League Premier Division *Welsh Football League Premier Division: 3rd place 1983 (Highest ever finish) * Welsh Football League Third Division: Champions 2002 – Promoted to Second Division *

: Runners-up 2005 – Promoted to Division 1 *Welsh Football League Reserve Division: Cup Winners 2005 * Monmouthshire/Gwent Senior Cup **Winners: 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78 **Runners-up: 1976–77, 2003–04 * Monmouthshire/Gwent Amateur Cup **Winners: 1973–74, 1974–75 *Welsh Reserve League East: Winners 2007 *Welsh Cup: Semi-Finalists 2008 Quarter-Finalists 2009

Local rival clubs

* Newport Civil Service *

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 ...

Llanwern Llanwern is a community in the eastern part of the City of Newport, South East Wales. Llanwern is bounded by the M4 and Langstone to the north, Ringland, Lliswerry and the River Usk to the west, the River Severn to the south and the city bo ...

* Cwmbran Celtic *

Cwmbran Town Cwmbran ( ; cy, Cwmbrân , also in use as an alternative spelling in English) is a town in the county borough of Torfaen in South Wales. Lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbran was designated as a New Town in 1949 to prov ...

* Newport County Newport YMCA had many local rivals in the city of Newport. Newport YMCA enjoyed clashes with cross-city rivals

and

. During the 2008–2009 season, they began a rivalry with

, who had previously been relegated from the Welsh Premier League. At youth level Newport YMCA had a rivalry with Newport County but at senior level the teams did not compete in the same league system. They used to play each other in an annual preseason friendly. The last time they met was in 2004, twice. First in the Gwent Senior Cup Final, in which County won the match 1–0 and during preseason in a Friendly match, which ended 1–1.

References

{{Reflist Football clubs in Wales Football clubs in Newport, Wales Association football clubs established in 1973 1973 establishments in Wales 2018 disestablishments in Wales Association football clubs disestablished in 2018 Gwent County League clubs Welsh Football League clubs Sports clubs and teams founded by the YMCA Defunct football clubs in Wales