Cambrian United F.C. (formerly Cambrian and Clydach Vale B.G.C.) is a Welsh

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in

Clydach Vale Clydach Vale ( and adjoining ''Blaenclydach'') is a village in the Community (Wales), community of Cwm Clydach, northwest of Tonypandy in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the Rhondda Valley, Wales. It is named for its situation on ...

in the

Rhondda Valley Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( ), is a former coal mining, coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley (, 'la ...

. The club was founded in 1965 as Cambrian United and, after playing their football in 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 Wels ...

for a number of years, they joined the

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

in 2005. A merger between Cambrian United and Clydach Vale Boys and Girls Club led to the current club. The side have risen through the divisions by finishing in promotion positions in Divisions Three and Two in successive seasons and are currently members of the .

History

Cambrian & Clydach Vale was originally formed in 1965 as Cambrian United and was named after the local coal mine,

Cambrian Colliery The Cambrian Colliery was a large coal mine that operated between 1872 and 1967 near Clydach Vale in the Rhondda Valley, south Wales. It is notable for its huge production and for two infamous explosion disasters, in 1905 and 1965, in which a tota ...

. In its formative years, the club played in the

Rhondda & District League The Rhondda & District League (currently the ''Carol Hosking Rhondda & District League'' for sponsorship reasons) is a football league covering the Rhondda and surrounding areas in South Wales. The leagues are at the seventh and eighth levels of t ...

before joining the South Wales Corinthian League in 1972. In 1980, Cambrian United merged with Clydach Vale Boys and Girls Club but the merger proved disappointing as the club were nearly relegated out of the renamed South Wales Amateur League. The two clubs subsequently split. In 1992, Cambrian United returned to the First Division of the South Wales Amateur League after winning the Second Division title. By the end of the decade, the club was regularly competitive at the top of the First Division, missing out on winning the league title during the 2000–01 season after being deducted six points. Cambrian United and Clydach Vale Boys and Girls Club merged for a second time in 2002 to become Cambrian & Clydach Vale Boys and Girls Club and the venture proved more successful. In its third year, the club won the First Division of the South Wales Amateur League and were promoted to the

. In its first two seasons in the Welsh Football League, the club won consecutive promotions to reach the First Division by the 2007–08 season. The side has remained in the division for over a decade since. Former

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

manager

Terry Venables Terence Frederick Venables (6 January 1943 – 25 November 2023), often referred to as El Tel, was an English football player and manager who played for clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers and won two caps for E ...

, whose mother was from the Clydach Vale area, served as an honorary chairman of the club in the 2010s. The club reached the final of the

2018–19 Welsh League Cup The 2018–19 Welsh League Cup (known for sponsorship purposes as The Nathaniel MG Cup) was the 27th season of the Welsh League cup competition, which was established in 1992. Played under a regionalised, knock-out format, the 2018–19 competit ...

, beating several

Welsh Premier League 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. It was found ...

teams during the competition, including defending league and cup champions

The New Saints The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club, commonly known as The New Saints () or TNS FC, are an English professional football club that play in the , but are based completely within England, in Oswestry, Shropshire. They a ...

. In the final, Cambrian lost 2–0 to

Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff Metropolitan University () is a public university located in Cardiff, Wales. Formerly known as the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC; , ) which was established in 1996. The university offers degree courses in a variety of d ...

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 Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degre ...

. Ahead of the 2024–25 season, the club renamed back to Cambrian United.

Honours

* Welsh League Division One Champions: 2011–12 * Welsh League Division One runner-up: 2009–10 *Welsh League Division Two runner-up: 2006–07 *Welsh League Division Three Champions: 2005–06 *

Champions: 2004–05 *South Wales Amateur League runner-up: 1999–00, 2001–02 *

Welsh League Cup The Cymru League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a cup competition in Welsh association football, football organised by the Football Association of Wales. The competition was established in 1992 and is c ...

runner-up: 2018–19

References

External links

Official WebsiteOfficial YouTube ChannelCambrian FC Facebook Group
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cambrian and Clydach Vale B. and G.C. Football clubs in Wales Association football clubs established in 1965 1965 establishments in Wales Sport in Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Valley Welsh Football League clubs Cymru South clubs South Wales Amateur League clubs