ON Tuesday evening, March 30, Barry Town won their fourth successive league title following their 6-2 win over Carmarthen Town.
This was the culmination of a very long season, one which started way back last Summer when the players were called in for pre-season training, in preparation for Barry's European Cup match against Kiev.
The same will apply when this season concludes. The only difference this time is that the Town should be seeded for next year's European Cup, hence no Kiev.
The season proper began on August 22 when Gary Barnett's newly-formed squad travelled to Cwmbran for what was promised to be a tough match against a major title contender. Cwmbran had assembled a seemingly powerful squad, recruiting players from such clubs as Aberystwyth and Cwmbran.
During the close season, Barry had lost Darren Ryan, Phil Johnson, Gareth Knott and Craig Evans. Mark Ovendale had been signed by Bournemouth in the final weeks of the previous season.
Cwmbran manager, Ton y Wilcox, felt that the game had come four weeks too early for his side, and so it proved, with the Town running out comfortable 4-0 winners, but only after Cwmbran had to regroup after an injury to the lively Ian Mitchell.
This fine opening win was quickly followed by a tremendous 3-2 win over Wrexham in the FAW Premier Cup.
The Town looked unstoppable, but both the players and supporters were jolted out of any complacency when they drew away (sic, home) at Conwy and were then beaten at Jenner Park 2-0 by Afan Lido.
There then followed the golden period of the season with the Town playing excellent football, true to the tradition of the club, conceding just four league goals, while scoring freely themselves. During this three-month period the Dragons twice played Swansea off the park, drawing 1-1 at the Vetch and beating the Nationwide Division Three club 2-0 at Jenner Park. Town supporters could not have wanted for more. Richard Jones was revelling in his new role, Carter and Dempsey, a new signing from Shrewsbury, were rampant and at the end of this free-flowing football was Eifion Williams who was slotting home the goals at almost two a game, including an incredible wonder goal against Haverfordwest which will live long in the memory of all who witnessed it, and probably signalled the end of Evo's time with the club, as scouts began to cast an eye over the prolific Williams. Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth and Cardiff City were only three of the clubs who took an interest, but only Torquay, on the eve of the transfer deadline, were prepared to put their money where their mouth was and signed him.
A sign that the club are doing the right thing on the training field was again evident when Crewe looked to sign Gary Lloyd.
This season can be described as a season of two halves, with both sections revealing the character of the club.
For much of the season the football has been of a high quality, but there was an underlying weakness, namely the small squad which lacked any real strength in depth. While everybody remained both fit and injury free, there wasn't a club in the league to touch the Town, despite the league season being stronger than it has ever been. The long season started to catch up with the club and February and March proved to be the toughest months of all. Points were dropped at Rhayader, Newtown and Afan Lido, while Connah's Quay Nomads knocked the Town out of the Welsh Cup for the second year running. Players were taking to the field carrying injuries, and the youngsters were thrust into the thick of things. It was during this part of the season that the squad showed its championship mettle, no more so than when they beat Merthyr Tydfil 1-0 in the FAW Premier Cup.
It has been a long tough season and it is not over yet, but the Town are worthy champions; it's just a shame that the majority of Vale residents ignore their achievements. The support the club currently attracts is strong on loyalty, just weak on actual numbers.
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This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1999.
This article first published in the Barry Gem, 08.04.1999
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