Crusaders AFC - The History 

01.10.2006

Association football has long been the dominant sport in the lower reaches of the Sirhowy Valley, culminating at the start of the 2003/2004 season, with a long overdue amalgamation of the junior club and two of the senior clubs in the district. Geographically, the main catchment area is from Pontllanfraith, south to Wattsville in the county borough of Caerphilly. This comprises of the two larger villages of Cwmfelinfach and Ynysddu, together with the three smaller villages of Gelligroes, Wyllie and Brynawel.

To fully understand the present structure of the club, it is important to go back to the turn of the 20^th century, when football first started in this area, at the same time as the opening of the many local collieries.

The first club, initially called Ynysddu Albion, was founded by Mary Jane Gilchrist, the local midwife, in July 1905, later ratified by a general meeting in the Black Prince public house at Ynysddu, in October of that year.  An article in the local evening paper, the South Wales Argus, stated that five sons of Mrs Gilchrist took part in their first game. Unfortunately, fixtures and results for this initial period cannot be accounted for.

A number of other local teams were also formed although the ‘Albion’ were regarded as the main club, becoming one of the founder members of the Monmouthshire Senior League in 1907 (four years before the foundation of the Monmouthshire County Football Association). The ‘senior’ team would play its fixtures in the ‘Mon Senior’ and Sirhowy leagues, whilst other teams of various names would play in the Newport & District and ‘West Mon’ leagues.

As finances were sometimes tight, certain team names would change from time to time, Ynysddu Albion at one time changing the name to Ynysddu Blues.

The first recorded use of the ‘Crusaders’ name is 1915, when the senior team was referred to as Glyn Crusaders.  At some stage this was superseded by Ynysddu Crusaders, who were a highly regarded and successful club in the county, also running Under 21 sides.  Regular participation in the prestigious Newport Hospitals and Ince cups were also a feature, in addition to county cup and league fixtures. Ynysddu Crusaders won the Monmouthshire County FA Cup in 1935/1936.

At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Ynysddu Crusaders disbanded, together with two other local sides of the time, namely Cwmfelinfach Songsters and Cwmfelinfach Colts, the latter teams having played in the Newport & District League.

Sometime during the war years, two further clubs emerged, Cwmfelinfach Rangers and Ynysddu Celtic.  This carried on the footballing tradition through to the end of the war, at which time these two clubs amalgamated to form Ynysddu Welfare AFC.  The strength of this amalgamation was in evidence during the 1947/1948 season when Ynysddu Welfare won the Monmouthshire County FA Cup.  The ‘Welfare’ was to remain as the only senior football club in the villages of Cwmfelinfach & Ynysddu until a reserve team, Cwmfelinfach Colts, founded by the late John Suter, was formed in 1978.  After one season, Cwmfelinfach Colts, playing in the North Gwent AFL, officially severed ties with Ynysddu Welfare, with the latter club continuing to play in the South Wales Amateur Football League to this day. Cwmfelinfach Colts continued to play in the North Gwent AFL until the end of the 2002/2003 season.

The core of the current club, in terms of name, organisation and players emanated from the founding of the junior/youth team in 1963.  This evolved from a ‘one-off’ challenge match arranged between two cousins, Ian Gilchrist of Cwmfelinfach and Roger Davies of Cwmcarn. The game, at roughly Under 12 age group, took place on 28^th December 1963 at Abercarn Welfare ground.  From this insignificant beginning, Doug Gilchrist and Charlie Crabb founded Cwmfelinfach Crusaders, and Ray Davies and George Crabb founded Cwmcarn.

Interest in junior football grew in the locality of the old urban district areas of Mynyddislwyn, Abercarn and Risca, culminating in a meeting on 25^th August 1964 at the ‘Corner Café’, Cross Keys, between Doug Gilchrist (Cwmfelinfach Crusaders), Ray Davies (Cwmcarn), Dai Watkins (Ynysddu Bluebirds) and Ifor Davies (Risca).

From these humble beginnings, the Cross Keys & District Junior Football League was founded.  The rapid development of this league is, in itself, a fascinating story of the growth of junior football in the Sirhowy and Ebbw (Western) Valleys. 

With the revision of local government boundaries in the early 1980s, the Cross Keys & District Junior Football League then became known as the Blaenau Islwyn Youth League, and eventually, after a change of sponsor, is now known as the Direct Source Islwyn Youth Football League. The league is a resounding success story on the development of youth football in the north-west of the old county of Gwent – 64 at ‘mini’(Under 8s – 11s) level, and another 64 teams at ‘junior’(Under 12 – 16) level.

Ynysddu Bluebirds junior football club folded a couple of years after formation, and it was at this time that ‘Cwmfelinfach’ was dropped from the club name, and the ‘Crusaders’ name used in isolation – it was felt this would enable the club to attract players from all the neighbouring villages, who were too small in their own right to sustain teams. Intriguingly, and to add substance to this ‘communities philosophy’, a new junior pitch was sited immediately between the villages of Cwmfelinfach and Ynysddu, with the finance being provided from the Playing Fields Association and the Miners’ Welfare Fund. The first game on this new ground took place in 1970, fittingly between Crusaders and Cwmcarn, at Under 15 level, and was ‘kicked-off’ by the Rt. Hon Neil Kinnock, MP for Bedwellty. Having celebrated their 40^th anniversary at the end of 2003, Crusaders, along with old friends Cwmcarn, have been ever-presents in local junior league football, competing at all age levels up to Under 18s.  

Crusaders currently compete at Under 9s, 10s & 11s in the ‘mini’ section (Sunday mornings), and at Under 12, 14 & 16 in the junior section (Saturday mornings). There are 35 registered players in the mini section, and a further 50 registered players in the juniors.

Ironically, what prompted talks of amalgamating the senior and junior clubs in the district, bizarrely came about following the ‘acquisition’ of a club five miles away, by Cwmfelinfach Colts in the summer of 2001. Aware that Fleur-de-Lys AFC would almost certainly disband following years of struggle in the Gwent County Third Division, the Colts agreed to take over the fixtures and running of ‘the Flower’, as at that time they already had two teams competing in the North Gwent AFL. As the ‘Hockey Field’ in Cwmfelinfach was never going to be up to the standard required by the Gwent County AFL, it was an opportunity for the Colts first team to play at a higher standard, whilst maintaining a second team in the North Gwent AFL.

Fleur-de-Lys AFC remained as a Gwent County Third Division club until the end of season 2002/2003, playing their home fixtures at Trelyn Park, Fleur-de-Lys, and occasionally at St David’s, Pengam. However, with no players living in that locality, discussions ensued as to a possible name change/amalgamation and using a ground ‘nearer to home’.

In the summer of 2003, and with season 2003/2004 almost about to begin, a meeting took place between Crusaders AFC and Cwmfelinfach Colts/Fleur-de-Lys, to effect an amalgamation, subject to approval by the Gwent County Football Association.  This was confirmed between all relevant parties, and unanimously it was agreed that the Crusaders name be used, this, historically, being the name most synonymous with football in the locality. For purposes of practicality, the club has separate senior and junior committees who meet on a monthly basis, with a representative from one section attending the others meeting.

During this period, Crusaders were also to establish for the first time, an Under 18 team, gaining admission to play in the Gwent County Football Association Youth League, with matches taking place on Sunday afternoons. 

Crusaders now have 22 registered players at Under 18 level, and 56 registered at senior level.

The main aim of the club at present is to have the Gwent County side playing their home games in Ynysddu/Cwmfelinfach, but to achieve this, the upgrading of one of the local pitches (Hockey Field, Cwmfelinfach) and possibly provision of new changing rooms will be required at this level.  Having used facilities at Fields Park, Newbridge, albeit 5 miles away, for a further two seasons, in 2005/2006, an opportunity presented itself, following the demise of Fields Park Pontllanfraith AFC, to use Islwyn Park, Pontllanfraith, in co-operation with Pontllanfraith RFC. This is an excellent facility, and much closer to home than the previous venues used. Wattsville Recreation Ground could also be a possibility for a future permanent home base. However, the club structure from the grassroots of mini football, through junior and youth levels, is now in place to provide continuity at last.

In the summer of 2005, talks between the longest-established local senior club, Ynysddu Welfare AFC (founded in 1947) and Crusaders AFC, resulted in a long-overdue ‘amalgamation’. It was decided that, whilst two separate club names were necessary to enable the clubs to continue in their respective leagues, finances would be pooled and players would train together to their mutual benefit. The ‘Dees’ would continue to share the Welfare Ground in Ynysddu, with Ynysddu RFC, but would now be known as Ynysddu Welfare Crusaders AFC.   

At senior level, in terms of participating teams in the locality, this is similar to a situation in the mid-eighties, when there were four senior teams; South Wales Switchgear (Gelligroes), Ynysddu Welfare, Cwmfelinfach Colts and Wattsville. But now, ALL mini, junior, youth and senior football in the lower Sirhowy Valley are now run by Crusaders AFC & Ynysddu Welfare Crusaders AFC.

CLUB COLOURS:   Amber & Black
HEADQUARTERS:  Forestier-Walker Conservative Club, Islwyn Street, Cwmfelinfach.
SECRETARY:           Ian Gilchrist, 25 Bryn Lane, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, South Wales NP12 2PG  
                                     Tel    01495 220161
                                     Mob  07977 254211
                                     E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
                                     Website: www.crusadersafc.com