A GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU ALL and welcome to Richmond for our third LoW game of the season. How moods and expectations can change so rapidly in such a short spell of time are idiosyncrasies of the football follower, when for example a mood of elation in the Carmarthen Town camp last Saturday at Bridge Meadow changed so rapidly to one of despondency last Wednesday evening following the loss of two points against a Rhayader team that is in fact becoming our ‘bogey side’.

Well, true to form, our ‘favourite’ Welsh Sunday newspaper continued unabated its anti-LoW campaign. In its edition on the eve of the new season here in Wales the paper perpetuated its anti-LoW theme with similar articles by no less than three correspondents in the same edition. This time the vitriolic tirade came in the guise of a campaign for promoting the case for the Welsh Football League Clubs to represent this country in Europe rather than LoW clubs whose success rate in European competition is poor. Indeed, there is a strong case for our top three Welsh clubs to be given an opportunity to qualify but surely not at the expense of the League of Wales clubs. It must be remembered that our League is still in a comparative infant stage, just seven years old in fact, and perhaps our clubs have not yet acquired the experience of competing in Europe and accordingly are not yet streetwise and rather naive. But the LoW standards are improving and our clubs deserve this chance to compete in Europe and I’m sure our performances will improve in time. I feel strongly that this anti-LoW stance adopted by this particular newspaper is counter productive to the good cause of Welsh Football. Since the League’s inception the number of players who were based in the League moving to the full time professional stage in England is increasing and I can take our own Mark Delaney and Connah’s Quay’s Jamie Hughes as prime examples.

The past European glory days in Wales have also been highlighted. Well, in fact I can boast the fact that ‘I was there’ in one or two of them, e.g, Cardiff City v Real Madrid and Merthyr v Atlanta, but looking at the historical aspect of this realistically, these glory days were few and far between and who’s to say that in the not too distant future one of our own LoW clubs may not sample that taste of glory! Then, of course, there is the financial aspect. The Football League Clubs have an avenue to generate revenue by way of the Nationwide League and the FA Cup and, of course, the revenue acquired from Europe would again be channelled to the chosen few. In England, I feel that most money is channelled to the top of the pyramid and therefore the professional structure below is beginning to wither away and if the Football league clubs were to receive all the financial rewards in Wales, then the LoW will also flounder. It is important for Welsh Football that our league flourishes and if it does I’m sure Welsh Football at the very top will benefit. As a starter, may I make a suggestion. How about the Wales on Sunday newspaper sponsoring our League?

And now on another matter all Clubs in the League have been requested to appoint a Club Press Officer so that the League’s profile can be increased. As an example, squads chosen for the following Saturday should be faxed or E-mailed to a central press agency as well as announcements about new signings and so on in order that Saturday pre-match coverage may be shown in the Press. Attempts are being made to increase the league’s profile and for this coverage to be effective clubs are asked to co-operate fully in this respect. We are fortunate here in Carmarthen for we have an expert Webmaster in Vince James who will be of great help in despatching the relevant E-mails. Enjoy today’s game!

ON BEHALF OF ALL THE OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE at Carmarthen Town may I welcome our supporters to a new season here at Richmond Park. Once again we have boarded the merry-go-round where old rivalries are renewed and friendships and acquaintances revived. Off the field, as you can see about you, the summer has been one of considerable activity. I won’t elaborate on the superb developments that have been taking place, as they have been eloquently summarised by the Club’s Chairman in this programme. There are two observations on this issue, however, that I must make. Firstly, it is now firmly established that this Club ‘is on the march’, and secondly, I would like to re-iterate Jeff Thomas’ comments regarding the Club’s ‘master painter’. Yes, our very dedicated supporter Willie Thomas gave a lot of his spare time to the cause of the Club which was indeed appreciated by all within the Club, especially our Operations Manager, Malcolm Williams.

Referring to the playing side, the summer activity has not been so intensive. Just three ‘comings and goings’ and details are well documented in our Manager’s Notes in this programme, as well as that of the appointment of Ray Davies as Assistant Manager. So, just three new signings but our manager is always on the look-out to improve his squad and it is testimony of his esteem for the current squad that he has retained the bulk of last year’s players. The Club has indeed faith in Town’s philosophy of developing younger players who want to play for the Club and will not give anything less than 100% for the Club.

There have been significant changes in the management personnel of the Reserve team which will once again operate in the CC Sports Reserve Division (Welsh League). New manager Colin Staples is attached to the Carmarthenshire County Council as their Football Development Officer and holds a Class A UEFA Coaching Certificate. Bob Jeffrey who has been appointed as Assistant holds a UEFA B Class Certificate and will be able to offer an additional service of a goalkeeping coaching specialist. These two will link up closely with our Youth Team Managers of Derek Carnegie and Dave Rayson, all in the good cause of developing a policy which will eventually lead to the raising of standards and producing LoW players from within the Club. If I can also refer to last season’s campaign in the Reserve Division and pay tribute to Alan Elias who did an excellent job in the managerial position and worked hard under often difficult circumstances. I wish him well for the future.

Referring back to last Saturday’s match at Bridge Meadow, I can honestly tell you that both Tomi Morgan and Ray Davies were mightily impressed with the level of support we had at the match. It was quite vociferous at times and Tomi conceded that such support must have lifted the lads. And what of that standing ovation that the lads had as they trooped back to the dressing room at the final whistle! And now a note to inform you that preceeding tonight’s match FAW Vice President Des Shanklin will present our own David Barnhouse with his Cap for representing Wales in the Semi-Professional International against England at St Albans last May. Tomi Morgan was, of course, the manager of the Welsh side and these two selections brought great honour to this Club.

Finally. just a year ago at our first game for the 1998-99 season, I expressed the hope that we would by the end of the season gain a top eight place to qualify for the FAW Premier Cup, or better still qualify for Europe. Well, we missed both by just a whisker. What lays in store for us come next April?! ........... .Enjoy tonight’s game!!