Blaenavon Blues A.F.C. Explained

Clubname:Blaenavon Blues
Fullname:Blaenavon Blues Association Football Club
Founded:1946[1]
Ground:The Memorial Ground
Chairman:Lee Wathen

Blaenavon Blues A.F.C. are a Welsh football club from the town of Blaenavon, Monmouthshire in south eastern Wales. Formed in 1947, they have played in the Welsh Football League. They currently play in the .

History

There has been many clubs in Blaenavon dating back to the 1900s. Most of these clubs had been church sides, and not one of the sides made an impact on a senior level. Clubs that represented the town included Blaenavon Thursday's, Clapham United from Forge side, The Corinthians, and Garn–y-erw. There is also evidence of a Blaenavon side competing in the Usk & District league in 1936 to 1939.

Following the end of the Second World War, Blaenavon man Ernest Pugh founded Blaenavon Blues AFC in the summer of 1946. During the early years the club played in the local leagues. The 1960s saw an upturn in the club's achievements and in 1960 the club won a treble of cups, The Langdon, Benevolent and Peake Cups. Back to back Championship wins in 1960–61 and 1961–62 along with two more Langdon Cup wins and two Benevolent Cup wins saw the club dominate the Pontypool league.[2] The club again won the league in 1966–67.

The club applied for admittance into the Gwent Senior and Welsh Football Leagues and were accepted, with the 1968–69 season seeing the Blues playing senior football for the first time in their history.

In 1972 former Busby babe Ken Morgans managed the team for a season. The following year saw the club finish third, and in 1974–75 the club finished as champions of the tier 3 Welsh Football League Division Two. The club spent the next three years in the second tier before being relegated. The club continued to play in the Welsh league until the end of the 1990–91 season when a decision was made to leave the league given the pending Welsh pyramid re-organisation. After resignation from the league, the club dropped into the Gwent County League.

The 2021–22 season saw the club go unbeaten in the Gwent County Premier Division across 30 games but finish as runners-up on goal difference to Lliswerry, having scored 99 goals and conceded 22 goals.[3] The runner-up spot entitled the club to promotion to the tier 3 Ardal Leagues pending the outcome of their tier three Certification application to the Football Association of Wales, which was awarded in May 2022.[4]

Honours

Welsh Football League history

Information in this section is sourced from the Football Club History Database[5] and the Welsh Soccer Archive.[6]

SeasonPyramid TierLeagueFinal position
1968–69[7] 3Welsh Football League Division Two12th
1969–703Welsh Football League Division Two11th
1970–713Welsh Football League Division Two13th
1971–723Welsh Football League Division Two7th
1972–733Welsh Football League Division Two8th
1973–743Welsh Football League Division Two3rd
1974–753Welsh Football League Division Two1st - Champions
(promoted)
1975–762Welsh Football League Division One6th
1976–772Welsh Football League Division One9th
1977–782Welsh Football League Division One7th
1978–792Welsh Football League Division One9th
1979–893Welsh Football League Division Two17th
(relegated)
1980–813Welsh Football League Division Two19th
1981–823Welsh Football League Division Two8th
1982–833Welsh Football League Division Two6th
1983–84[8] 3Welsh Football League Division One3rd
1984–852Welsh Football League Premier Division8th
1985–862Welsh Football League Premier Division7th
1986–872Welsh Football League Premier Division16th
(relegated)
1987–883Welsh Football League Division One8th
1988–893Welsh Football League Division One13th
1989–903Welsh Football League Division One4th
1990–913Welsh Football League Division Two10th
Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Club Insight: Blaenavon Blues Afc. 9 November 2016.
  2. Web site: Club History.
  3. Web site: Blaenavon Blues go 30-game season unbeaten… but don't win the league . Y Clwb Pel-Droed . 25 April 2022 . 24 April 2022.
  4. Web site: Tier 3 FAW club licensing decisions 2022 . Football Association of Wales . 13 May 2022 . 11 May 2022.
  5. Web site: Football Club History Database - Blaenavon Blues.
  6. Web site: Welsh League.
  7. From the 1964–65 season Division 1 was renamed 'Premier Division', Division 2 East and West were replaced by 'Division 1' and 'Division 2' (effectively Division 2 and Division 3).
  8. In this season The Premier Division (Division 1) was renamed 'National Division'. The 2nd tier division was renamed 'Premier Division' with the 3rd tier division named 'Division 1'.