Aberdare Town get their Welsh League Division 2 season underway on Saturday as they visit Caerau (Ely).
Caerau were relegated last season from Division 1 and will no doubt be looking to put a solid foundation in place aiming to bounce straight back but, as Aberdare themselves found out when they suffered a simiar fate a couple of years ago, it is a tough and uncompromising league to get out of.
Aberdare have had a tough summer with all but one of last years squad departing and the Club deciding to go in a new direction.
Chairman Garry Williams is realistic in terms of the aims for the immediate future: It is tough going out there for all Clubs at the moment and the most important aim for us is that Aberdare Town have a Club that can continue for years to come. There is a realism within the Committee that the way we have operated for many years is no longer viable and we have to go in a different direction – not an easy choice to make but one that we had no option but to pursue".
The summer saw the appointment of Simon Jones as the new Manager which Garry was pleased he accepted the offer: "Simon knows the Club and knows our current limitations as well as agreeing that this is the road we need to go down. The squad he has assembled has the full backing of the Committee and they are under no pressure at all form us. All we asked for was a team that wll give everything they have for the badge and we are asking no more than that".
There have been plenty of changes off the pitch as well with admission prices being cut to £3 for all adults and a £1 charge for a new look 48 page matchday programme.
The Club have also now announced that season ticket holders of Swansea City, Newport County, Cardiff City and Merthyr Town all able to get entry in their home league games for just £1 on production of their valid and current season ticket.
The Club house and refreshment outlet have also undergone a complete facelift.
Looking ahead to the season Simon has had to look after a complete overhaul of the squad: "Apart from Levi (Jones) all of last years squad have decided to move on so it has been a complete rebuild. We know that a new squad is going to take some time to settle in together but as pre-season has progressed our peformances have improved with each game. There is no hiding from the fact that it is going to be a hard season but I have confidence that a squad made up of boys from the valley can prove people wrong and play in the Welsh League. As long as everybody sticks together and works hard we will eventually get the rewards. Everybody who has signed wants to be at the Club and I include my backroom staff in that. This isn't an overnight project and it will take a couple of years to see the hard work pay off but the Club knows that and is backing it".
Abers first home game will be on Wednesday 15th August when they face AFC Llwydcoed (ko 7.30pm) and then will play newly promoted Swansea University on Saturday18th.
