Books

Ideal for Train Spotters

The Official Football Association of Wales Yearbook and Supporter’s Guide

While browsing through the racks of WH Smith looking for something to spend some of that Christmas money on - money that is so good at burning a hole in your pocket - I noticed this book. Weighing in at a hefty 125 pages for £5.99, it’s a fairly exhaustive guide to the clubs and grounds of Wales, both the three Nationwide League sides, the League of Wales, and also the LoW’s feeder leagues, the Huw Gray Fitlock Cymru Alliance in the north, and the CC Sports Welsh Football League in the south. It’s pretty in-depth, giving appearance details for all LoW sides, international outings, and so forth.

The ground info for the Welsh sides is very detailed indeed. It says whether there is a club shop and car parking facilites, and also details nearest bus and train stations, ground capacity, programme price, and the location of the nearest police station should it all kick off. There is a picture of each club’s best stand, which is either quite impressive (Cwmbran) or quite literally a shed (Ruthin Town). Indeed, several so-called stands do look as if they have seen active service sheltering cattle. The best picture is undoubtedly of the mighty Gwynfi United’s ground which, literally, seems to be situated in the middle of a dense forest. The major stumbling block, however, is that the book does not seem to have been written and researched by one single author. Instead, it appears that each individual club has filled in their own details, which means an overall lack of cohesion. For instance, Llanelli have answered both 'yes' and 'no' when questioned if they have a club shop, and there are some very suspiciously-rounded attendance figures. Llanelli also win an award for having a record attendance almost six times their ground capacity (for the record, an impressive 18,000 crowded into Stebonheath Park, which supposedly has a capacity of 3,700 - must have been a tight fit that day!)

The other highlight of the book is Rhayader Town. They can boast a stand with the greatest name in the history of spectator sport - The Bill the Coal Stand. I believe that this was going to be the original name for Manchester City’s Kippax Stand, and was also in the running for Liverpool’s Kop, until someone somewhere had other, more glamorous ideas. I fully intend to go and watch Rhayader just so I can take up a seat in this superbly-monikered edifice. I’ve been to the Nou Camp; now I want to go to The Bill the Coal Stand! Overall it’s quite an informative read, and vital to anyone who should find themselves stranded in outposts such as Pontardawe with a spare Saturday afternoon. Essential reading for all the LoW trainspotters out there!

James Morris