The 2007-2008 Cymru Premier season is one that will live long in the memories of Llanelli Town fans, as the club won Wales’ top flight league for the first time.
Under the management of Peter Nicholas, the Reds won 27 times in the 34-game season, finishing seven points clear of the previous year’s champions The New Saints.
The Stebonheath Park outfit were also winners of what is now known as the Nathaniel MG Cup, and were one game from a treble, as they fell short in the final of the Welsh Cup.
Former Llanelli Town player Jordan Follows, who made 12 appearances and scored once in the 2007-2008 season, told us that “Winning the Cymru Premier was a massive achievement considering TNS’ dominance in the league.”
“I can remember us lifting the trophy on the last day of the season up in Connah’s Quay, and it was a great day for everyone involved,” he said.
We’ve taken a look back at that title-winning side, and what made them so successful.
Top scorers
Llanelli’s title winners were certainly ruthless going forward, scoring 99 goals over the course of the 34 game season, an average of 2.9 goals per game. The Reds’ goal tally was 14 greater than main title-rivals The New Saints, who scored 85.
On their way to the title, Llanelli won by a margin of three goals or more on twelve separate occasions, proving their attacking prowess.
Nicholas’ side’s main threat was top scorer Rhys Griffiths, who netted a remarkable 40 goals to win the league’s Golden Boot, one of seven consecutive top-scorer awards for the striker.
Follows stressed that “Rhys Griffiths’ goals were integral to winning the league. If he had got injured that season I’m not sure it would have been the same outcome.”
Griffiths has since gone on to reach second in the Cymru Premier’s all-time top goal-scorers list with 269 to his name, and is now manager of Pen-y-Bont.
Resolute defence
Andy Legg was a key part of Llanelli’s defence. Lewis Mitchell/YCPD.
Considering Llanelli Town’s attacking nature, one would think that conceding goals at the other end was inevitable, but it was not the case for the Carmarthenshire side, who were also solid defensively.
With the likes of well-known names in Welsh football such as Wyn Thomas, Stuart J. Jones and Andy Legg at the back, the Reds conceded just 35 goals.
Despite having the fourth best defensive record in the league, Llanelli conceded just five goals more than their main rivals, The New Saints, which proved to be insignificant due to the Reds’ superior goalscoring record.
Record in big games
Arguably the key result in the title race was on March 4, when Llanelli put four past second-placed TNS to put one hand on the trophy.
From there, The New Saints could not make up the ground, as the Reds went from strength to strength, winning seven of their last eight games.
Follows described the remarkable result over the Saints as a “massive achievement”, but that the Reds’ “consistency all season” was key to their success.
“I’m not sure if the 4-0 win was the main catalyst to winning the league as we were consistent all season, but any time you beat TNS, it’s a massive achievement,” he added.
In third and fourth place respectively were Rhyl and Port Talbot Town, both of whom succumbed to defeats home and away to the title winners, with Llanelli notably defeating the Steelmen 8-0 at Stebonheath Park.
A fortress
Stebonheath Park was a fortress for the Reds in the 2007-08 campaign. (Image: David Luther-Thomas)
The importance of home form in any title race is paramount, and Llanelli Town’s Stebonheath Park was a very difficult place for visiting teams.
The time Paul Pogba graced Llanelli’s Stebonheath Park
Nicholas’ side lost just twice at home all season, succumbing to defeats against Bangor City and Porthmadog.
The ground, which is known as Stebo, was the venue for the season’s most important result, as the Reds strengthened their grip in the title race against The New Saints with a 4-0 win.
Away form
Despite boasting an impressive record at Stenbonheath Park in their title-winning season, the Reds’ form away from home was actually better.
Away wins at Rhyl, Llangefni, Neath and Caernarfon gave them a dream start, as they won seven of their first eight games.
Llanelli failed to win away just three times all season; their only loss away from home came in a 3-0 defeat to The New Saints when the title was already sealed.
Bouncebackability
Despite dropping points just seven times all season, the way Llanelli reacted to disappointing results was another key factor in their success.
After their first loss of the season against Bangor, the Reds bounced back with wins over Newtown, Port Talbot and Haverfordwest.
In similar vein, wins over Airbus UK Broughton and Connah’s Quay Nomads followed their defeat to Porthmadog.
(Featured image: Llanelli Town AFC)
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