Tag Archives: First team

NAPA

Same sponsor, new look, for the Town

LDS becomes NAPA from the 2024/25 season

Barry Town United is delighted to announce that NAPA Auto Parts will continue as one of our key club sponsors for the 2024/25 season.

Formerly known as LDS Motors, NAPA Auto Parts has been an integral part of Barry Town for over a decade. Deeply embedded in our local community, they are a global leader in automotive parts. 

Chairman Mark Barrett commented:  “We are extremely pleased to welcome NAPA Auto Parts to the club for another season. Their contribution and support to the club over the last ten years under the LDS brand has made a significant impact both on our club and the local community. We look forward to further developing our relationship with the parent brand Napa and rolling out new exciting initiatives in the future.”

 Adam McNaney – UK Group Marketing Manager – NAPA Auto Parts commented – “ We recognise the community feel Barry Town United has created in the local area and servicing the local market is what NAPA Auto Parts values at its core. We feel this is a great partner to have on board and look forward to building this partnership in the future.“

Rhys Schwank

Rhys Schwank is Town’s 5th summer signing

Rhys joins the club from Abergavenny Town

Barry Town United is delighted to welcome winger Rhys Schwank to the club. Town’s new number 11 becomes our fifth summer signing ahead of the 2024/25 Cymru Premier Season.

Youngster Rhys joins the club from Abergavenny Town and has worked under Stephen Jenkins previously at Cardiff City.

Rhys is a naturally gifted quick player, whose sharpness and speed makes him a danger out wide.

Rhys grabbed 12 goals in 26 games for Abergavenny last season and has been on the clubs radar since for some time.

Welcome to the club Rhys.

Eliot Richards

Eliot Richards signs for the Town

Barry Town United is delighted to welcome new midfielder Eliot Richards to the club

The Town’s new number 8 becomes the 4th summer signing ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 Cymru Premier Season.

32 year old Eliot joins the club from Pen-y-Bont and brings much experience to the squad as he boasts Bristol Rovers, Hereford, Barnet, Merthyr Town and Pontypridd United amongst his former clubs.

The former Wales U21 International will bring a wealth of experience to the Town, and Eliot is looking forward to the challenge as well as working with Stephen Jenkins once again.

Welcome to the club, Eliot.

Cymru Premier logo

Town’s Cymru Premier fixtures confirmed

Barry Town’s Phase One league campaign gets underway on Saturday 10 August at home against Bala

The Town’s JD Cymru Premier season 2024/25 begins at Jenner Park against Bala on Saturday 10 August in a 2:30pm kick-off.

The festive period sees the club at home against Penybont on Boxing Day in a 12:30pm kick-off, while New Year’s Day takes us away to Briton Ferry.

Phase One will conclude at home on Saturday 11 January with a visit from Haverfordwest County.

Liam Armstrong

Liam Armstrong signs for the Town

24 year old Liam becomes our second summer signing ahead of the 2024/25 Cymru Premier Season. 

Barry Town United are delighted to welcome Goalkeeper Liam Armstrong to the club. 24 year old Liam becomes our second summer signing ahead of the 24/25 Cymru Premier Season.

Our new number 25 will be an exciting addition to the Town’s squad having played professionally at Bristol Rovers

Liam also enjoyed a respectable career at Gloucester City with loans at Swindon Supermarine, Bristol Cleeves and most recently Corsham Town where Liam won the Hellenic League Challenge Cup.

Liam has previously worked with goalkeeper coach Matthew James and is excited for the new challenge the Town can offer him.

Welcome to our club, Liam.

Josh Yorweth

Josh Yorwerth signs for the Town

29 year old Josh becomes our first summer signing ahead of the 2024/25 Cymru Premier Season.

Josh Yorweth

Barry Town United are delighted to welcome Central Defender Josh Yorwerth to the club. 29 year old Josh becomes our first summer signing ahead of the 24/25 Cymru Premier Season.

The former Wales U21s International will add much experience to the Town’s squad having played professionally at Ipswich, Crawley and Peterborough United.

Josh spent last season at Penybont and Merthyr Town. The Bridgend born centre-back and Town’s new number 6 began his career at Cardiff City and can be described as a gifted player.

All at the club are excited to see what Josh can achieve in a Barry Town shirt.

Welcome to our club Josh.

Evan Press and Luc Rees celebrate following Barry's 1-0 victory over Guilsfield in the Welsh Cup

Retained players: 2024-25

Barry Town’s retained players list for the upcoming 2024-25 Cymru Premier season is as follows

Retained players:

Mike George

Callum Huggins

Ollie Hulbert

Aiden Lewis

Kayne McLaggon

Keenan Patten

Evan Press

Luc Rees

Will Richards

Drew Perrett

Callum Sainty

Sam Snaith

And with thanks to players who have now departed the club:

Ben Blythe (end of loan)

Jordan Cotterill

Rhys Davies

Chris Hugh

Mike Lewis

Lee Lucas

Curtis MacDonald

Lucas Tomlinson

Jamie Veale

We appreciate the effort and commitment to all those players.

The squad returns to training next week and new signings will be made over the coming weeks.

You can see the lads in action in our upcoming pre-season friendlies:

6 July: Oxford City (3pm at RAW Charging Stadium, Oxford)

13 July: Yate Town (2:30pm at Jenner Park)

16 July: TBC (7:45pm at Jenner Park)

20 July: Newport County (2:30pm at Jenner Park)

23 July: Hereford Pegasus (7:45pm at Old School Lane, Hereford)

27 July: Swansea City U21s (2:30pm at Jenner Park)

Chris Hugh

Chris Hugh departs

Following 8 very successful years with Barry Town, Chris Hugh will depart the club

Chris, a pivotal signing in the summer of 2016, made 218 appearances, scored 14 goals, lifted 4 trophies, secured 2 promotions and qualified for European football on two occasions.

Chris Hugh receives a Man of the Match Award

Chris also enjoyed a successful Futsal career, where he captained the Wales national side – scoring the winning goal for Wales in a 3-2 away win over Sweden in Visby in 2017.

Of course, Chris also frequently represented his club at Wales ‘C’ level, and was first selected for Wales ‘C’ duty in March 2018 – in a match against England at Jenner Park.

Chris Hugh FAW graphic

His competitive debut for Barry was in the 2-0 league win over Undy Athletic on 18th August 2016 at Jenner Park. Winning promotion to the Cymru Premier for 2017-18, Chris featured in our first league win over The New Saints in over 18 years.

Our 1-0 victory on 4 November 2017 was a long time coming, following our previous victory in Llansantffraid over the then named Total Network Solutions way back in August 1999.

Indeed, Hugh’s eight away matches at Park Hall include our two victories, and the three 2-2 draws.

Chris Hugh celebrates in front of the Old Stand

Chris has been an ever present player at Left Back during his time, scoring some wonderful goals. Not only an exceptional footballer but a fantastic person who is idolised at our club.

Seen by many as the best left back at the club since Gary Lloyd, it’s a pleasure to call him one of our own.

Thanks for everything Chris, we have been blessed to have you at our club for so long.

A presentation will be made to Chris at tonight’s awards evening; you can purchase tickets here for an opportunity to say goodbye.

Watch: Chris Hugh with the assist for Kayne McLaggon’s goal as we topped the table in December 2018.

Mikey Lewis

Town ‘keeper Mike Lewis to depart the club

After 8 fantastic years Mike Lewis is set to depart the club.

Mike has been a huge part of our club since first signing in the Summer of 2016 making 225 appearances, lifting 4 trophies, securing 2 promotions and qualifying for Europe twice.

His competitive debut for Barry was in the 2-0 home league win over Undy Athletic on 18th August 2016, keeping a clean sheet in his first game.

It was a good omen, with Mike keeping six consecutive clean sheets in his opening six league and cup games, helping us to reach the Nathaniel MG League Cup final that season and earning promotion to the Cymru Premier as Welsh League Champions.

Mike Lewis

In total, Mike earned 21 clean sheets in that first season going on to make 70 in his Barry career.

A significant clean sheet for Mike came in our return to Europe in the home game against Cliftonville in Summer 2019, with Barry drawing 0-0 against the Belfast club.

Not only a fantastic Goalkeeper but a wonderful role model to our young ‘keepers across the club and a supporters’ favourite whose presence around the club will be missed.

Thanks for everything Mike, wishing you all the very best on your next adventure.

A presentation will be made to Mike at next week’s Awards Evening. You can buy tickets for an opportunity to say a deserved goodbye.

Mikey George celebrates

MATCH REPORT: COUNTY GRAB A POINT

BARRY 1-1 HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY

Jenner Park, Barry / JD Cymru Premier / Friday 23 February 2024

A 1-1 draw with Haverfordwest County last Friday leaves Barry in ninth place in the Cymru Premier, five points away from the play-off place in seventh, and six points clear of the relegation zone.

Barry took the lead just after the hour mark, and looked to have won a valuable three points, but were pegged back by the visitors with a 96th minute equaliser.

Haverfordwest’s Jack Wilson had the first real chance of the game, his 17th minute shot going across the face of the Barry goal.

Moments later, Mike Lewis, making his first appearance since injury in September, pulled off a spectacular reaction save from a close range header, preventing an almost certain goal.

At the other end, Keenan Patten’s cross took a deflection which forced visiting ‘keeper, Zac Jones, to tip the ball over the bar.

Jones was again called into action when a Rhys Davies shot forced him into a low full-length dive to his right, and when Jordan Cotterill’s effort on the turn saw him push the shot away from the top corner.

Haverfordwest were awarded a penalty just before the break when Dan Hawkins was fouled in the box, but Kai Whitmore’s low penalty was well saved by Lewis, Whitmore putting the rebound over the bar.

Barry took the lead after 62 minutes.  Michael George fired a low cross from the right which Haverfordwest’s Jazz Richards turned into his own net under pressure from Keenan Patten.

However, late in injury time, Whitmore shrugged off a number of Barry challenges, passing to the right.  Rio Dyer’s cross picked out Rhys Abbruzzesse, who headed home at the far post to earn the visitors a point.

Barry travel to Aberystwyth Town on Saturday, 2nd March for a crucial match to stay away from the relegation zone, before entertaining Colwyn Bay at Jenner Park on Saturday, 9th March (2:30pm).