Sad day as Rhydymwyn FC senior teams resign from respective leagues
Flintshire football has suffered a major blow with the resignation of Rhydymwyn FC from the tier 3 Ardal North West League.
The village club were bottom of their division with just one point gained in six matches so far this term.
Rhydymwyn Development have also stepped down from the FAW Cymru Reserve North West League, which they propped up after three successive defeats.
The club announced on social media today: “Sad day today to announce Rhydymwyn FC & Rhydymwyn Development have resigned from @ArdalNorthwest and the Wales FA Reserve League. Our Juniors & mini teams will continue. Further statement from the club will be announced in due course.”
Rhydymwyn FC formed in 1911 and played in the old Halkyn and Clwyd leagues before joining the Welsh Alliance in 1990.
The 90’s were to prove a golden decade in the history of a club based in the village of Rhydymwyn, near Mold.
They were crowned Welsh Alliance champions in 1994/95 and won the FAW Trophy in the same season, repeating the feat the following campaign, beating Taffs Well and Penrhyncoch in the respective finals of the national knockout.
In 1997/98, Rhydymwyn lifted the Cymru Alliance title, but did not meet promotion criteria for the League of Wales.
When Ken Knowles, who had guided the club to many glories, stepped down as manager after 11 seasons in charge, Rhyd decided to appoint a player-boss from within their ranks, but the plan backfired and they had to resign from the CAL at the end of 1999/2000 due mainly to a lack of players.
The club dropped two levels to the Clwyd League and finished up Premier Division champions in their first season.
This brought promotion to the Welsh Alliance, where they landed the Alves Cup in 2003/04 and Barritt Cup in 2007/08, and eventually scooped the league championship in 2009/10.
Life back in the Cymru Alliance proved difficult, resulting in instant relegation in 2010/11.
However, Rhyd bounced straight back up from the Welsh National Premier, where they finished runners-up, and gained elevation to the league then known as the Huws Gray Alliance for 2012/13.
The next three seasons in the tier-two league were a serious struggle and led to temporary disbanding in 2014/15.
They returned in 2016/17 in Welsh National League Division One, where they spent three seasons before being promoted to the Premier Division for 2019-20.
After the 2020-21 season was cancelled due to the pandemic, Rhydymwyn were placed in the tier 3 Ardal North West last season and narrowly avoided relegation, finishing fourth from bottom.
Unfortunately, the current campaign was promising no upturn in fortunes.
The Ardal Northern League commented: “Rhydymwyn have informed the league they are withdrawing from the Lock Stock Ardal North West.
“Their record will be expunged once the league has received their letter of resignation.”
A club which punched way above its weight in the golden 1990’s, Rhydymwyn has a proud history and it is hoped they will return to competitive football in the not too distant future.