ABERBARGOED BUDS (Recreation Ground)

WELSH LEAGUE DIVISION TWO, ABERBARGOED BUDS 4-2 CHEPSTOW TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 58 (h/c)

The final part of my Good Friday trilogy took me over the Severn Bridge into South Wales for some Welsh league action. Aberbargoed is a small town in Caerphilly and, like a lot a towns in the area, it used to be a mining town. It once contained the largest ever colliery waste tip in Europe, though this has now been reclaimed and turned into a country park.

A famous former resident is Glyndwr Michael whose body was used in Operation Mincemeat. His name was subsequently added to the war memorial in the town.

The local football team, Aberbargoed Buds, was founded in 1957 after Aberbargoed Town folded in 1949. Buds is an abbreviation for 'Bedwellty Urban District Sides'. The Buds were founder members of the Gwent County League, winning their first Championship in 1986.

That same year, Aberbargoed Town was reformed, playing mostly in the North Gwent League.  In 1999 Town were approached by the Buds committee to amalgamate the two sides, as the Buds team were on the verge of folding.  Therefore some 50 years after Aberbargoed Town folded, it was now the Town who was to save the Buds from going out of existence.

The Town committee agreed to this arrangement which kept the Buds in the Gwent County League and the Town, now known as the seconds, in the North Gwent League. In 2003 the Buds won the Gwent County League but the lack of facilities at the Recreation Ground meant the Buds were not granted entry to the Welsh League Division 3.

After work to bring the ground up to Welsh League standards the club finally gained promotion in 2006. In 2010 they were promoted to Division Two and reached the top flight for the first time in their history in 2013. The Buds stay in the top flight was short lived as they were relegated back to Division Two after one season. 

They are hoping for an immediate return and before tonight's game they were in third place behind (already champions) Barry Town United and Caldicot Town, with games in hand.

It was therefore vital they picked up three points tonight and that is exactly what they did, though it was not as comfortable as it could have been.

The Buds went two goals up early doors but Chepstow battled back and levelled things up. 

The game turned on a penalty decision and a red card, I thought it looked a harsh decision, but the homesters scored the spot kick and then quickly added another to ensure the victory.

That brought to an end a great day of groundhopping. All that was left to do was to retire to my hotel for the evening, not before sinking a couple of well earned pints of Reverend James for my nightcap!