Sunday 13th September 2025

11:00 West Wales Premier League

GARDEN VILLAGE 1 (Arnold 61)

CK SWISS VALLEY 1 (James 84)

Caul sent off (2nd booking) 87

Att 136

14:30 (but brought forward to 14:15)

West Wales Premier League

WEST END 1 (Griffiths 36)

Brain sent off 59 (dangerous play)

PENLAN 4 (Lorey 17 Jenkins 75p Otten 90 T Jenkins 90+4)

Charles sent off 59 (dangerous play)

Att 84

Entry & Programme at each game £5

It was (for now) the final day of the West Wales Premier League Hop- but we knew we had a problem, or more accurately two. The first issue was that we at GroundhopUK knew that both Garden Village and West End had recent history in the Welsh League, and given the crowd we’d attracted on the Saturday there was a fair chance that many of them would have visited the Sunday selection before and so headed for home.

Then there was the weather. We’d been fortunate on Friday and Saturday but quite literally there was a storm coming, due during the second half at Garden Village. We wondered whether the second game would, should or could take place?

As it was the Garden Village game took place and we were reasonably happy with the attendance. The club hosted beautifully, and the game was entertaining too and what is a West Wales Premier League game without a red card? But the once the rains arrived, they did so with a vengeance.

We headed to the other side of Swansea more in hope than expectation. The deluge had arrived and parking up at Stafford Common I honestly couldn’t see any way that the game could take place. Moreover plenty of our clientele had headed for home and by the look of it few locals had travelled to the game either. On one hand no organiser wants to see a hop game postponed but for this one specific case wouldn’t it have been the better move? The only issue would have been when West End could have hosted, as it stands we won’t be in Wales for a while now.

But improbably, perhaps incredibly the game did take place and our thanks to referee Robert Fulford for bringing the game forward 15 minutes and making sure it did take place. And despite the conditions it was a good game to watch, and the rains did ease later on. That said when it was all over and we headed for home, the Townhill Road was closed due to flooding!

It did feel like a damp squib, no pun intended, and no offence intended to club or league either. We’ve had a good run with the West Wales Premier League and it is both a shame that we’ve run out of clubs, and there’s no Welsh league in place to replace them, anyone interested. In the meantime though, our thanks to all at the West Wales Premier, and we hope to be back amongst their clubs soon.