Goytre United F.C.

Football club infobox | clubname = Goytre United
fullname = Goytre United Football Club
nickname =
founded =
ground =
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chairman =
manager = | league = Welsh Football League First Division
season = 2007-08
position = Welsh Football League First Division, 1st (of 18) | website =
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Goytre United F.C. is a Welsh football club based in Goytre, near Port Talbot. They play in the Welsh Football League, part of the second tier of Welsh football. Despite winning Division One of the Welsh Football League in 2005-06 and 2007-08 they were not promoted to the League of Wales.

Their home stadium is the Glenhafod Park Stadium.

History

In the spring of 1963 what funds the club had was handed to football secretary Boris Suhanski. Utilising these funds Goytre United Football Club was reborn. The Club were members of the Port Talbot and District Football League but were promoted to the South Wales Amateur League in the late sixties. After a successful opening spell things became more difficult and the Club was eventually relegated back into the Port Talbot League in the late seventies.

In 1982 the Goytre United AFC Social Club opened its doors.

A period of ten years passed when the club competed in the Port Talbot and District League, during this time the Club grew in stature on and off the field and in 1988 was re-elected back into the South Wales Amateur League. In the 1989-90 season the Club secured promotion into the First Division of the South Wales Amateur League. Also in this year a 350 all seating grandstand was built.

In the 1990-91 season the club were promoted into the Welsh Football League and on 24 August 1991 played their first match against Milford United. Since elevation into the Welsh League steady improvements have been made both on and off the pitch and in 2000 floodlights were erected. In the 2003-2004 season the Club attained its highest position within the League when it ended the season in the runners up spot in division one and just missed out on promotion to the Welsh Premier League.

In the 2004-2005 season the club won the League Challenge Cup for the first time at Ton Pentre. Further history was made in the 2005-06 season when the club lifted the Welsh League First Division Championship, only losing three games. However, they have chosen to remain in the Welsh League First Division for the 2006-07 season. [http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/Kind=2/newsId=429360.html] Normally, the top clubs from each of the two feeder leagues (the Welsh League First Division and the Cymru Alliance) are promoted subject to an application for membership of the Welsh Premier League being received and accepted and the stadium and infrastructure safety criteria of the League being met. Goytre United elected not to apply for promotion, and the First Division runners-up, Neath Athletic, failed to meet the stadium criteria and had their bid for promotion rejected. [http://www.welsh-premier.com/info.php]

In the 2006-07 season, the reserve team won the Welsh League Reserve West Division for the first time in the clubs history, guided by former team player/manager Paul Wiseman.

In 2007-08 they won the Welsh Football League again, but once more they declined to apply for promotion to the Welsh Premier League.

Honours

* Port Talbot League Challenge Cup Finalists 1985-86
* Port Talbot League Challenge Cup Finalists 1988-89
* Port Talbot League Premier Division Runners Up 1988-89
* South Wales Amateur League Division 2 Runners Up 1989-90
* Port Talbot Challenge Cup winners 1992-93
* First Division Champions 1992-93
* Welsh League Division Three Runners Up 1993-94
* Welsh League Reserve Division Runners Up 1994-95
* Welsh League Division Two Runners Up 1995-96
* Welsh League Reserve Division Cup Finalists 1996-97
* Welsh League Division One Runner Up 2003-04
* Welsh League Shamrock Travel Cup Winners 2004-05
* Macron Welsh League Division One Champions 2005-06, 2007-08
* Macwhirter Welsh League Reserve Division West Champions 2006-07