Penydarren BGC captain Alex Lloyd says club can earn back-to-back promotions
If you’d have believed that fifth tier side Penydarren BGC would go their entire league season unbeaten and reached the JD Welsh Cup quarter-finals, you’d have branded the feat as impossible.
But that is what defender Alex Lloyd and his Penydarren teammates achieved this season. The player, who’s been with the club for the past four season, experienced a remarkable season with the club in 2017/18 as they secured promotion to Welsh League Division 3 and reached the quarter-finals of the JD Welsh Cup.
In what can only be described as a magnificent achievement for the club, Lloyd and his teammates defied all the odds to reach the final four of the competition, and despite their loss in the WJ Owen Cup final against Blaenrhondda, he is confident ahead of the season and hasn’t even ruled out promotion from the division.
“Absolutely. I think promotion could certainly be on the cards. I think the boys have definitely got it in them to do it – we always give it our all. We will be up for promotion – I definitely think we will be up there challenging for it at least.”
But, much of the success on the field has come down to the hard work of the club off the field. Much media success has been made of their performances this term, but Lloyd has been at the club for four seasons and believes that then South Wales side have reached the Welsh League through hard work and dedication.
However, Lloyd highlights the influence of manager Kerry Mullins in particular, and the fantastic relationships he has developed with the side during his tenure. The man management of Mullins has propelled the club to the next level.
“It is nice to get Penydarren where we are today through all the hard work we have put in.”
“He has had a massive impact, he is not just the manager, he is your friend as well. You can have a pint together, he is always there for you. He has been great for the boys to be honest.”
However, Lloyd’s focus now turns to the UEFA Regions Cup. The defender has made the squad ahead of the first round of fixtures in Wales this week. The South Wales FA take on FK Kozara, from Gothenburg, Sweden first, but the side captained by Stephen Price will be determined to prove their worth.
In a side featuring a number of Penydarren players, including Christopher Colvin-Owens, the Welsh side will have the experience of the players who know how to make the impossible possible.
