My August 2026 football round up

I decided I went to enough games in August for them to merit their own post. I saw three Cardiff Dracs games, Shrewsbury's first game of the new season, Barry maintain their table-topping winning streak, and my first Grange Albion game in a couple of years. I finished the month at a random game in Brecon. Because why not?

On the very first day of August I watched the Dracs lose 1-0 to a 97th minute goal away at Ynyshir Albions. I'd been to Ynyshir before but this time most of the pitch was parched due to the heatwaves.

The next weekend I was up on the Friday night at the multi-use pitch in Ystrad Mynach where Caerphilly Athletic play their "home" games. I've been there four times and seen three different teams at "home" plus a neutral play-off. 

There was some history on the wall on the way in. I love a good footie plaque.

A handy poster confirmed we were in the right place. All the details you need, except the date.

It's not a great place to watch football, but it's not the worst and at least the stand has some height to it.

The Dracs had a player sent off after about half an hour, defended like heroes and earned a point with a 0-0 draw that felt more like a win. It was my first 0-0 game in 370 days!

The next day I walked round to watch Grange Albion v Sully Sports. It was the first game I'd seen at Coronation Park for a couple of years. The grass was dangerously dry and players got grazed and bled if they fell over when tackled. 

This time the team I was supporting had a man advantage after a visiting player was red carded. Albion were 1-0 up soon after but couldn't add to their single goal. They even had a penalty but the kick bounced off the crossbar with a loud 'Booooiiinnnggg!!' and looped up and over the very high fence into the bus depot.

So far in August I'd been to three games and only seen two goals. I hoped my luck would change on the middle weekend when I went with my Mum on the Shrewsbury Town supporters coach to Tranmere.

It was a new ground for both of us. I quite liked the mismatched stands and old fashioned feel of the stadium. The stewards were friendly. We found a fabulous chip shop with wonderful potato scallops. The only thing that wasn't great was the result: a 2-0 defeat for Salop!

Still, I'd doubled my goal tally for the month and if I start to let the results determine my enjoyment of the football, I'm doomed, really.

Goal-wise, things picked up after that. The Dracs hit form, despite another first half sending off and beat Llanelli Town 4-2 back at Lydstep Park. A cracking win in their first ever competitive meeting with Llanelli.

There are some changes at the ground so I had to trog all the way round three sides of the pitch to get to where we miscreants prefer to stand.

It was another dry, dry pitch.

My next game also finished 4-2, with Barry Town comfortably beating Airbus UK Broughton in the Cymru Premier. It was Barry's fifth consecutive win since the start of the season and we sang 'We are top of the league' at the end of the game. Having said that, the two Airbus goals were absolute crackers and I can't see them having any problems staying up.

You get a handstamp on the way in these days.

Towards the end of the game we saw a spectacular moon, wreathed in cirrus wisps. My photo doesn't do it any justice.

And then my last game of the season surpassed even that goal tally. I had a discussion with my match-going buddy Paul (who I'd sat next to at Ynyshir, Ystrad, Tranmere, and Barry) about where we could go for a random open Saturday.

We settled on Brecon Corries - a new ground for both of us - and an Ardal Cup game against Morriston Town. I was very impressed by being served tea in a club branded mug and enjoyed a decent brew in the quality crockery 

I went for a wander to take some pics in the first half and ended up behind the goalposts for the first two goals - even though they were opposite ends of the pitch. 

Morriston were the stronger team and won 5-2. They could have scored more, but asking for more than seven goals feels greedy!

And that was the month - seven games and 23 goals, two new grounds and plenty of good football memories.

Football recap - November 2023

A short round up of November's games... 

Game 27: Caldicot Town 0-0 Tredegar Town (Caldicot won 5-3 on penalties)

Reason for going: My friend Ben was playing for Caldicot and my friend Steve who also knows Ben was free to come with me. So off we went.

Point of interest: I had a run of 30 games without seeing a nil-nil until this game. Strangely the previous nil-nil was also with Steve and also went to penalties. This was the fourth penalty shoot out I've seen this season. (And Ben scored his penalty, which was fun to see.)

Ben waves hello

Game 28: Barry Town 1-0 Guilsfield

Reason for going: To support Barry. (Although this was the first time I'd seen them for about a month.)

Point of interest: This was apparently the 150th Welsh Cup tie played at Jenner Park. An extraordinary stat, really.

Game 29: Caernarfon Town 2-3 Barry Town

Reason for going: Caernarfon was one of the few remaining Cymru Premier grounds I hadn't seen a game at, so this was on my "hit list" at the start of the season.

Point of interest: I made my debut as a co-commentator on Bro Radio for this game, after answering a call out by Daley Chapman for whether anyone was going to the game. It was tremendous fun. We got a great view from the commentary position as well.

Game 30: Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Port Vale

Reason for going: we were on our way home from a week in North Wales, so this fitted into our travel plans nicely and I got to go with my brother and eldest nephew.

Point of interest: there was a sad memorial before the game for four local teenagers who died in a car accident the previous weekend. The 1,600 Port Vale fans in the sold out away end all joined in with the minute's applause. 

Game 31: Barry Town 1-1 Penybont

Reason for going: There wasn't a particular reason. It was a Barry home game and I tend to go to them even on cold Tuesday evenings in November!

Point of interest: Barry were wearing their special charity festive kit featuring a penguin and a reindeer. The kit is majority black and Penybont were playing in a mainly white kit. I don't think I've ever seen a black kit v white kit game before. 

And that's the five games for November, which equals my personal record for November games.

Why Shrewsbury Town struggle to attract new fans

It seems whenever I take someone new to see the mighty Shrews, the team don't live up to their 'mighty' name-tag and turn in a performance that can put you off football as a sport, let alone supporting Shrewsbury. It was thus when I went with a kid to his first ever football match last season. It was thus when I took my cousin for the first time in 26 years.

And it was thus today when I took my friend Connor to his first ever Town game, making him get up at an unearthly hour on a Saturday (well, unearthly for him seeing as he's a student), and drive 110 miles to see two teams struggle to do the basic things right. Like get shots on target. Or pass.

There were a few 'firsts' though. It was the first time I'd ever seen a matchball delivered by helicopter (from the local RAF station as it's poppy appeal time). I don't know how hard it is to land a helicopter in the centre circle, but they made it look easy.

It was also the first time I'd ever seen an opposing team's fans applauded when they were announced.

AFC Wimbledon were formed by fans after the terrible FA decision to allow the original Wimbledon to 'relocate' to Milton Keynes and become the MK Dons. As such, they are held in tremendous esteem by most fans who care about football as a whole, rather than the exercise-in-branding Premier League team they've chosen to support this year. (Yes, I support a real football team; so sue me.)

However, I will hold them in less esteem from now on. I can live with the stifling 'come-for-the-draw' tactics that killed the game from about 10 minutes in. We've seen that time and again, and it was understandable that after shipping several goals and losing three on the bounce, they played cautious tactics. It's boring and frustrating to watch, but really it's up to my team to pick the lock.

But what I can't forgive is a player falling to the floor and clutching his face, rolling in simulated agony after his shirt was tugged gently by an opponent. That is shameful play-acting to get another professional sent off. Okay, it was one player, but it sullied the AFC Wimbledon name in my eyes.

It ended 0-0. Not the greatest intro to the blue and amber for Conn as he sat there loyally wearing the scarf I'd leant him. Town were lucky Wimbledon hit the post after about 3 minutes, but the missed a few good chances and had a decent shout for a penalty turned down, so there were talking points. Just not many good ones.