Welsh Cup hero pens emotional farewell message after leaving Penydarren
Chris Colvin scored to help Penydarren BGC reach the Welsh Cup quarter-finals. (Image: Sgorio)
Chris Colvin has penned an emotional farewell after his departure from Penydarren BGC was announced.
The 36-year-old is leaving The Bont Playing Fields following 13 seasons at the club. His exit was announced on Thursday afternoon and has since been officially confirmed via the Cymru Football app.
Colvin was the focal point of the Merthyr-based side’s historical Welsh Cup run in 2018. His goals helped the then-South Wales Alliance League side reach the quarter-finals, where they’d lose to Bangor City who finished second in the Cymru Premier that year.
“After much consideration, I’ve come to the decision that it’s now the best time to move on to a new chapter,” began the forward in his statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“The past few years have been an incredible ride and I would have never imagined achieving the things that. have achieved personally, and as a club.
“From gaining promotion to the Welsh Football League to the historic Welsh Cup run and everything in between, the journey that this club has been on has been incredible, and it feels so special to have been a small part of it.”
Colvin’s goals helped the club win back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019, and his goals would earn him a call-up to the South Wales regional squad.
Penydarren won the South Wales Alliance League in 2018 and then followed it up by winning the Welsh Football League Division Three title.
They reached the finals of the FAW Amateur Trophy back in 2020 but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition did not reach a completion.
Last term, Colvin got 10 goals and 12 assists across 32 games in all competitions, helping them to a sixth-placed finish.
His last match came as a substitute in the last 25 minutes in a 2-1 defeat to Cardiff Corinthians on September 23.
Colvin’s last goal for the club was in the 2-2 draw with South Gower in the Welsh Cup. He is now listed as a free agent on the Cymru Football app.
He added: “From breaking into the first team as a young youth player to score the winning goal to make Welsh Cup history, I could have never imagined the impact a club like this could have on me.
“It’s been a special journey, and. would like to thank every single player. have shared the pitch with, and the staff I’ve worked with over the years.
“To Kerry Mullin, Andrew Thomas, Iain Pike, Peter Thomas, and the rest of the committee both past and present, thank you for making the journey possible.
“Penydarren will always hold a special place in my heart, and I wish the club every success for the future.”
In other news, Penydarren have re-signed striker Aarran Caffell from Cambrian & Clydach Vale.
The 27-year-old joined the Cymru South outfit in the summer but found first-team opportunities limited. He got a total of 259 minutes across all three competitions but failed to register a goal.
He returns to Penydarren where last season he got 22 goals in 37 games. Caffell made his return as a substitute in the 3-2 win against Port Talbot Town last weekend.
