Rhydyfelin Non Pol’s incredible rise from mates’ kickabout to Welsh Cup adventure
There was a time when Rhydyfelin Non Pol was little more than a group of mates looking for somewhere to kick a ball around.
Now, just seven years after the idea was first floated, the Rhondda Cynon Taf club finds itself preparing for one of the biggest days in its short history.
The lowest-ranked team remaining in the Welsh Cup, Rhydyfelin Non Pol play their football in the seventh tier of the Welsh pyramid.
On Saturday, they will travel to face Goytre United, a club with a proud history that includes three second-tier Welsh Football League championship titles.
It is about a community that has grown around a football club which, only a few years ago, was struggling to find its feet. And, for chairman Keiran Humphreys, it is difficult to believe just how far things have come.
He said: “Basically, when we first started, it was the idea was to enter a Sunday league, pub side, and because there were no Sunday league sides about, we entered the Saturday,” he says.
“A bunch of friends; they were rugby players, never kicked a football and not in a million years, seven years later, I think I’d be sitting by here speaking about being in the Welsh Cup.
“It’s just been extraordinary with all the people; we’re doing interviews, and this isn’t the first one I’ve done. We’ve done a couple; people want to know about Rhyddelin Non Pol, which, three years ago, no one would give us a chance; they wouldn’t look at us.
“We’re not the normal average team; we’re all friends. The togetherness, that’s what it is: no firsts and seconds; it’s one club, and we’re just different from everybody else.”
The origins of Rhydyfelin Non Pol date back to 2019, when Humphreys and friends were simply booking an Astroturf to play football. After being approached about managing a side in Bridgend, friend Liam Griffiths suggested they start their own team in Rhydyfelin.
Humphreys approached the Rhydyfelin Non Pol Club committee, where he had previously played, and the idea quickly took shape. The first squad was largely made up of rugby players with plenty of enthusiasm, if limited football experience. They entered the TERV League, but their first season was cut short by Covid-19.
Their first full campaign came in 2021/22, ending with the team bottom of the league. Yet rather than fading away, Non Pol began to attract players, supporters and volunteers from the community. By 2022/23, the club had two senior teams competing in the TERV League, and its growth has continued ever since.
What began as a club that struggled to pay for its trophies now has a strong committee, established sponsors and a growing community reputation. For the 2026/27 season, Non Pol will field two senior sides alongside U12s, U11s, U10 girls, U8s and U6s, with more than 150 players now on the books.
“Every single week. The bar’s just getting raised as a club, you know, our committee, behind the scenes, everything,” says Humphreys.
“I’m proud of not just what we’ve done; the players, they’re performing every single week. And, you know, if I’m honest, we’ve got players; we’ve been having teams after our players for the last two seasons anyway.
“But now, obviously, the profile’s on them; other teams, top teams, are coming in. They’re not interested. They’re all mates, and they’re all local boys who want to go up these leagues together and cause other teams problems.”
The Welsh Cup represents another milestone. This is the first time Rhydyfelin Non Pol have entered either the FAW Welsh Cup or the FAW Amateur Trophy.
They have won both of their rounds in each competition and, remarkably, are the only Tier 7 club left in either tournament.
Now comes the trip to Goytre United. On paper, it is a meeting between clubs from very different parts of the Welsh football pyramid. But cup football has a habit of ignoring those differences, and Non Pol certainly are not travelling with any intention of simply making up the numbers.
“If I’m honest with you, bring it on,” Humphreys says.
“We proved in the Amateur Cup against Penydarren, I believe they’re in the same league as them, and we beat them 6-2, so why not?
“We’re going in, we got nothing to lose; all these cups are bonuses to us.
“First time we entered it, we didn’t expect to get this far already, so, you know, to be in the first round proper, and, you know, anything can happen in football. And I believe that we could come away with another giant-killer.
Rhydyfelin Non Pol scoring duo attracting attention
There are already players attracting attention.
Jayden Grenelli and Dylan Reid have scored nine goals between them in the competition, helping drive Rhydyfelin Non Pol’s remarkable cup run. Yet Humphreys insists their form has come as no surprise.
“No, look, I’m not surprised at all at what Jayden and Dylan Reid have done,” he says.
“They’re both fantastic players, and they’re good enough to play in any of the leagues in Wales, if I’m honest with you.
“And not just them, as I said, I’m not promoting them, but this squad is good enough to play in any league up to a certain level.
“But look, they want to be in this journey with Non Pol, and they’ll score a lot more, starting with Saturday.”
And then there are the supporters.
For Saturday’s trip, the club expects around 70 people to travel on the bus, with the overall travelling support potentially reaching around 100 once those making their own way are counted.
It will be a long day, but Humphreys expects the journey itself to become part of the memory.
“Oh, yeah, definitely. We got the best supporters in the world, never mind in Wales,” he says.
“They’re a big part; they’re our 12th man.
“To be honest with you, the atmosphere on the bus on the way up will be great. Win, lose, or draw, the atmosphere on the way back will be absolutely amazing.”
That support is not restricted to matchdays.
Supporters turn up to training. The club has developed a close relationship with the local rugby club, and when the rugby side does not have a game, players can find 20 or 30 rugby boys on the sidelines watching Non Pol.
It is a relationship that reflects the club’s origins, when many of its own players were rugby men who fancied having a go at football.
“It spurs us all on, it spurs the players,” Humphreys says.
“As I said, they’re a big part of everything about the club. They even come to training sessions.
“We have that regularly when we’re home. Especially, we’ve got a good relationship with the local rugby club, and we come together as a community.
“So if they haven’t got a game, we got 20, 30 rugby boys watching us as well. And even cup finals, wherever we go, people jump on the trip.
“Yeah, we’re all in this journey together, so to speak.”
That sense of togetherness is at the heart of Non Pol’s story.
For Humphreys, the occasion is another reminder of just how much the club has changed in a relatively short space of time, from a team of rugby-playing friends to a growing football club representing its local community on the Welsh stage.
