Extreme Football Tourism: WALES: Cwmbran Celtic AFC

Celtic Park, Cwmbran (Cwmbran Celtic AFC)

Wales, county: Gwent

2 I 2025 / Cwmbran Celtic AFC - Treowen Stars AFC 1-2 / Cymru South (= WAL level 2)

Timeline

1925 / Under the aegis of the local parish, a Roman Catholic football club is founded in Cwmbran, South Wales, with the new club taking on the name Catholic Young Men’s Society or, abbreviated, CYMS. The club settles on a pitch laid out in Cwmbran Park, joining the Newport & District League Division 2 Section A for the 1925-26 season.
1926 / CYMS wins the Newport & District League Division 2 Section A title in its first season as a competitive club, probably going on to win promotion to Division 1 of the said league system.
1930 / Withdrawing from the Newport & District League, CYMS joins the strictly Roman Catholic Gwent Church League.
1939 / As the British army mobilises, CYMS withdraws from competitive league football.
1945 / Upon the resumption of regular league football after the Second World War, CYMS rejoins the Newport & District League.
1951 / CYMS wins the Newport & District League Premier Division title.
± 1959 / CYMS withdraws from first team football in the Newport & District League, continuing at a recreative level with just youth academy teams.
1964 / CYMS are reformed as Cwmbran Catholics Association Football Club (AFC), resuming activities at the old Cwmbran Park. In one of the following years, the club joins the Gwent County League.
1972 / With playing membership now open to all denominations, Cwmbran Catholics AFC changes its name to become Cwmbran Celtic AFC.
1973 / Cwmbran Celtic AFC finishes as runners-up in the Gwent Premier League, furthermore winning the Gwent County FA Amateur Cup.
1979 / Cwmbran Celtic AFC buys its own premises at Oak Street in Old Cwmbran, which has remained the administrative and social headquarters of the club ever since.
1987 / Clinching the title in the Gwent County League Division 2, Cwmbran Celtic AFC wins promotion to Division 1 of the said league system. In the mid-1990s, however, the club would suffer two relegations, thus finding itself in Division 3.
± 1995 / Moving away from Cwmbran Park, Cwmbran Celtic AFC is allowed to settle on the side-pitches of the Cwmbran Stadium – i.e. the present location of the club’s ground. Initially, the three pitches have to be shared with the Cwmbran Cricket Club. Later on, as the cricket club moves away to Caerleon, Celtic are granted the lease of the ground as a whole.
2000 / Managed by Paul Richardson, Cwmbran Celtic AFC wins promotion from the Gwent County League Division 3 to Division 2. Furthermore, the club also wins the Gwent County League Cup.
2001 / Still managed by Paul Richardson, Cwmbran Celtic AFC wins back-to-back promotions, finishing as runner-up in the Gwent County League Division 2 and being placed in Division 1 of the said league system for the following season.
2002 / In its first season back in the Gwent County League Division 1, Cwmbran Celtic AFC finishes as runner-up.
2005 / Under the aegis of player-manager Mickey Copeman, Cwmbran Celtic AFC finishes as runner-up in the Gwent County League Division 2 behind champions Clydach Wasps FC. Subsequently, as Clydach Wasps applied in vain for membership of the Welsh football league due to its ground being adjudged not to be of the required standard, Celtic applied instead – with the club being accepted upon concluding a groundsharing agreement with Cwmbran Town AFC in the adjacent Cwmbran Stadium. For the 2005-06 season, Celtic are placed in Welsh League Division 3, i.e. the fourth tier of the Welsh football pyramid. Meanwhile, works got underway to get its own pitch up to standards for the following season.
2006 / After one year of groundsharing at the Cwmbran Stadium, Cwmbran Celtic AFC returns to an upgraded – and now officially renamed – Celtic Park. Apart from the small covered terrace which had already featured on the northern touchline of the main pitch, the ground now also boasts a covered all-seater stand on the opposite side, lifting official capacity to 700.
2007 / Champions in Welsh League Division 3, 2 points ahead of closest rivals Llanwern AFC – and with an unbeaten run of 24 matches – Cwmbran Celtic AFC wins promotion to Division 2 of the said league system. The decisive points for the title are clinched in a 2-1 away win at Risca United AFC, with Sammy Winter and Ben Graham being the scorers. The successful player-manager is Mickey Copeman.
2010 / Runner-up in Welsh League Division 2, 2 points behind champions Penrhiwceiber Rangers FC, Cwmbran Celtic AFC wins promotion to Division 1 of the said league system – i.e. the level directly below the Welsh Premier League – along with the aforementioned club and Caerau Ely AFC. After seven years at the helm of the club, with three promotions being achieved, manager Mickey Copeman leaves Cwmbran Celtic AFC.
2014 / In spite of finishing in a safe thirteenth place in Welsh League Division 1, one spot above the relegation zone, Cwmbran Celtic AFC is retrograded to Division 2 along with Tata Steel FC, Aberbargoed Buds FC, and bottom club West End FC due to Afan Lido FC being demoted from the Welsh Premier League into Division 1 for administrative reasons.
2016 / Runner-up in Welsh League Division 2, Cwmbran Celtic AFC manages a return to Division 1 after two years. Celtic’s centre-forward Josh Bull crowns himself top scorer of the Welsh League with 32 goals. The successful manager is former Ton Pentre AFC coach Dean Morris, who took over from Nicky Church in the course of the season. Also in 2016, Celtic qualify for the quarterfinal of the Welsh Cup for the first time, suffering elimination at the hands of Port Talbot Town FC (1-2).
2017 / In the club’s best-ever season in the Welsh League Division 1, Cwmbran Celtic AFC finishes in sixth place.
2019 / As Cymru North and Cymru South are created as the new second tiers of the Welsh football pyramid, directly below the Welsh Premier League, Cwmbran Celtic AFC becomes one of the founder members of Cymru South, thus continuing its existence at the second level of Welsh football.
2021 / Following the passing of Terry ‘Tucker’ Cunningham (1938-2021), a man who had served the club as a volunteer in various capacities, the small covered terrace on the northern touchline of Celtic Park is officially renamed Tucker’s Terrace.
2023 / Cwmbran Celtic AFC reaches the quarterfinal of the Welsh Cup for the second time, in which the club is knocked out by Welsh football powerhouses The New Saints FC (1-3).