The Cymru South season is nearly upon us with just a fortnight until a ball is kicked.
The 2019/20 campaign is set to be the first of its kind, following the takeover of the second tiers by the Football Association of Wales.
Penybont ran away with the last ever Division One in its former guise, but will anyone try and emulate one?
STM Sports and Swansea University enter uncharted territory as the new boys of the division, whilst Caerau Ely returns following a year away of rebuilding.
Title challengers
In what is 120th-anniversary as a club, Haverfordwest County should at the end of the season be marking it with promotion back to the Cymru Premier following a three-year exile.
Their recruitment has been spot on. Sam Rodon, who has opted not to join Penybont in the Cymru Premier, is a massive coup. He’s reliable at the back and was part of a solid Penybont backline. Teammate Marcus Griffiths knows the division all too well as well, adding that much needed title-winning experience.
Youngster Tyler Brock adds that much-needed spark if a Plan B is needed. Having young players like Brock and Rees buys into developing young talent as they did with Danny Williams.
Added with the experience of Scott Tancock, who signed from relegated Cymru Premier side Llanelli Town and Miles John, the Bluebirds look value for money for the title.
Cambian & Clydach Vale aren’t a side to be written off though. It’ll be interesting to see this season whether the Sky Blues opt to focus on the league, following two impressive Cup runs last season.
That’s not to say they let the League slip as they went on a long unbeaten run in the league, but should they want to compete for the title this season, they’ll need to improve on their consistency even more.
Cambrian have signed what they’ve needed, a goalscorer in Goytre United’s Sam Johnson. Their dedication to developing from within is what keeps that team so hungry to succeed. Dane Williams did a terrific job in his first season in charge of Cambrian and he will want to build on that with an even better performance in the league.
Penybont were a different force and approached the league in every way a Championship winning side should be. However this season, there won’t be a side running away with the title. There will be twist and turns and of course the required Tier One Licence, which will decide who is the strongest from the South.
Relegation candidates
Having stayed up by the virtue of Port Talbot Town failing their Tier Two Licence, I predict another tough year for Taffs Well.
Stevie Williams did inspire the Wellmen to some impressive results, such as holding Champions elect Penybont, but they’ll need to be at the top of their game
They played quite a youthful side in their glamour friendly against Cardiff but had players like Jason Bertorelli and Nathaniel MG Cup finalist Richard French leading the line. It’ll be important to find a balance between youth and experience if they are to fight off the threat of relegation.
Undy Athletic had a mad rush to complete all their games last season, following a long fixture backlog, hence their low finish.
Having lost Nathan Wood to Penybont, they’re already down a talented player. Former manager re-appointing Mark Crook, following Jason Pritchard’s departure.
Last season Llanelli Town weren’t competitive in the Cymru Premier. Unable to fill the entire bench at times, the Reds became whipping boys in some games.
Llanelli have managed to keep some of their players from their title-winning season but having ridden the wave of success, earning back-to-back promotions and a League Cup win, it’ll be interesting to see where the motivation comes from.
They’ve probably got enough to not get dragged into a second consecutive relegation but the Reds may have to settle for stability in this campaign.
Swansea University are on the back of a number of promotions, but it’ll be interesting to see how they contend with higher-level opposition.
Division Two champions STM Sports too have been on a remarkable rise through the Divisions but again, they’ll need to recruit some players who are experienced at this level. Marcus Jones was impressive for Taffs Well, before heading to Barry last season.
Caerau Ely have been in and about the second and third tiers of Welsh football, so they’ll want to solidify their place in the Cymru South this season. Aptly named ‘The Young Guns’, this youthful side will have to deal with playing in a higher division, having dramatically secured their place in the Cymru South last season.
Last season all three promoted sides staved off the threat of relegation with Llantwit Major and Ammanford making big strides.
Keep an eye on
Having seen Lee Kendall leave Pontypridd Town, the Dragons had to get their appointment right, to avoid a repeat of last season’s slow start.
Jonathan Jones offers the Rhondda club some consistency in that the players already know him. Summer signing Louis Gerrard spoke of his desire to compete for the title. Gerrard knows how to win a second-tier title having won it with Barry Town United.
With Tyrelle Webbe joining from Carmarthen Town, Pontypridd Town are putting together a nifty little squad. They may not win the title, but expect them to improve on last season’s performance.
Although Monmouth Town weren’t promoted under Nicky Morgan, Cwmbran Celtic have gone on an impressive recruitment policy this season. Having seen Lee Challenger and Nana Baah go towards the end of last season, Morgan’s decision to bring in a familiar face in Simon Prangley should go a long way into installing the Celtic way into players.
They will be hurt by the departure of Josh Bull who departed for the Cymru Premier but bringing in lower league frontmen Tom Neville and Zac Osborne should help them void the gaps left by Bull in the goals department.
Bringing in last season’s top scorer Mark Jones will do Briton Ferry Llansawel no harm. They did have a similar recruitment drive last year, but this season they’ve kept the players who earned them an eighth-placed finish last season.
Along with Colin Harris, he and Jones could make for a strong attack for Carl Shaw’s men.
Ammanford have the standout signing of the summer in the form of Swansea City legend Lee Trundle. The Amman Valley side are his fourth Welsh side in three years.
There’s a reason why Trundle may have moved to Ammanford. They’re a club on the up and one which is doing most everything right. They’ve attracted big crowds after the improvement of their facilities, in the form of floodlights and new stands.
A few more signings to bolster their squad could see them improve on their ninth-placed finish.
Nathan Logan, Llanelli Town
Having scored over 100 league goals for Gorseinon, Logan is prolific, albeit at a lower level.
Llanelli’s 2017/2018 Division One winning team had goals, so there’s no surprise that Andy Hill has brought Logan in.
Logan now though has to show he can do it at a higher level. He was with Garden Village, but failed to set the world alight.
A second chance now, at a higher level, the 27-year-old will have the responsibility of hitting the back of the net fo the Reds.
Players to keep an eye on
Harry Davies, Llantwit Major
After 18-years with local side Garw, Davies made the decision to play at a higher level, making the short trip to Llantwit Major.
He marked his debut with a goal against Cymru Premier outfit Aberystwyth Town. The right way to impress manager Darren Robinson, who is building a team of local talent.
Described as a midfield dynamo by his former club, the 21-year-old will be keen to take this opportunity.
Lamin Conteh, STM Sports
Having been named Player of the Year in Division One of the Welsh League last year, Conteh has become a synonymous name in the Welsh League scene.
In what is the second tier, Conteh has a chance now to showcase his worth against some tough opposition. He’s had lumps kicked out of him in the lower divisions as they’ve tried to deal with his pace and trickery, so now it’s time to do it on an even bigger stage.
A consistent level of performance in this tier could see clubs from an even higher tier have a look at him.
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