Penybont F.C.

Penybont Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Penybont) is a professional Welsh football club that plays in the Cymru Premier. The current club was formed in 2013, following the merger of Bridgend Town and Bryntirion Athletic. Penybont play their home games at Bryntirion Park (known as The SDM Glass Stadium for sponsorship reasons).

Penybont F.C.
Full namePenybont Football Club
Nickname(s)Bont
Short namePenybont
Founded1920 (1920) (as Bridgend Town A.F.C.)
2013 (2013) (as Penybont F.C., following merger with Bryntirion Athletic F.C.)
GroundThe SDM Glass Stadium, Bridgend
Coordinates51°30′43.1″N 3°36′32.1″W
ChairmanEmlyn Phillips
ManagerRhys Griffiths
LeagueCymru Premier
2021–22Cymru Premier, 6th of 12

History

To coincide with the merger of the two clubs, artificial turf was laid at Bryntirion Park and at the Bridgend College Football Academy in Pencoed, funded by the sale of Bridgend Town's former Coychurch Road ground to superstore giant ASDA.[1]

The Bryntirion Park ground circa 2009.

The club began the season with a series of away games as Bryntirion Park's 3G pitch installation was incomplete until January 2014. The club's first league game was away against Ton Pentre, the result of which was a 1–0 loss.[2]

The new pitch was officially opened by former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay on 7 January 2014 at a friendly game played against a Cardiff City Development XI. Cardiff's development team won the match 5–0.[3][4]

The club's first manager was Francis Ford, who had managed Bryntirion Athletic prior to the merger of the club with Bridgend Town. Penybont ended their inaugural season in a third place finish in the Welsh Football League Division One.[5]

On 18 January 2015, the club announced that it had reached a sponsorship agreement with Bridgend-based KYMCO Healthcare UK, which included renaming Bryntirion Park as The KYMCO Stadium.[6]

The club finished the 2014–15 season in 5th place in Welsh League Division One.[5]

On 12 September 2015, the club announced that it had applied for a Football Association of Wales Domestic License for the Cymru Premier. This indicated that the club was committed to improving the facilities at Bryntirion Park in order to make the club applicable for promotion to the top flight.[7]

In May 2016, Francis Ford resigned from his post as manager to be replaced by former Plymouth Argyle, Newport County and Cymru Premier footballer Rhys Griffiths. On 11 June, former Cardiff City and Newport County player Martyn Giles was appointed as his assistant.

On 13 April 2019, it was confirmed that the club had secured promotion to the Cymru Premier after promotion rivals Cambrian & Clydach Vale and Cwmamman United suffered defeats.[8]

On 4 July 2019, former Dundee F.C. and Partick Thistle player Daniel Jefferies signed for the club.[9]

On 23 December 2021, the club announced the signing of former Swansea City, AFC Bournemouth and Wales international Shaun MacDonald on an 18-month deal.[10]

Current squad
As of 25 April 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  WAL Rhys Wilson
2 DF  WAL Liam Walsh
3 DF  WAL Kane Owen
4 MF  WAL Ashley Evans
5 DF  WAL Daniel Jefferies
6 DF  WAL Mael Davies
7 FW  NIR Kostya Georgievsky
8 MF  WAL Lewis Harling
9 FW  WAL Ben Ahmun
10 FW  WAL Nathan Wood
12 MF  WAL Oli Dalton
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW  WAL Sam Snaith
16 DF  WAL Billy Borge
17 FW  WAL Keane Watts
18 DF  WAL Lewis Baldwin
19 MF  WAL Lewis Clutton
20 DF  WAL Ryan Reynolds
21 MF  WAL Shaun MacDonald
23 DF  WAL Morgan Weaver
26 FW  WAL Rhys Griffiths
32 GK  WAL Brad Borge
33 GK  WAL Ashley Morris

Club honours

League

Cups

References
  1. Phillips, Terry (31 May 2013). "Bridgend Town and Bryntirion Athletic merge to make Pen-y-Bont FC". walesonline. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  2. "Earlier results". www.welshleague.org.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Phillips, Terry (7 January 2014). "Malky Mackay wishes new Cardiff City manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all the best". walesonline. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  5. "Football Club History Database - Penybont". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  6. "KYMCO STADIUM". penybontfc.co.uk. Penybont FC. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  7. "Domestic License". penybontfc.co.uk. Pen Y Bont FC. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  8. Pritchard, Tom. "Pen-y-Bont clinch promotion to top flight as rivals suffer defeat". Y Clwb Pel-Droed. Y Clwb Pel-droed. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  9. "Daniel Jefferies signs for Penybont FC". Penybont F.C. Penybont F.C. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  10. "Shaun MacDonald: Former Swansea midfielder signs for Penybont". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  11. "Football Club History Database - Bridgend Town". fchd.info. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  12. "Football Club History Database - Bryntirion Athletic". fchd.info. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  13. "Football Club History Database - Everwarm". fchd.info. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
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