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Caerphilly Athletic Football Club are looking to call their Morgan Jones Park pitch home, having not played a single game there this season due to vandalism and drainage problems.

The club’s first side currently play in the top division of the South Wales Alliance League, and are set to play almost all of their home games at the Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach this season.

This is due to several reasons, the first being poor drainage systems – meaning the pitch is often too boggy to play on, and also vandalism concerns, with the grass field open to the public 24/7.

More than just a team looking to climb the football pyramid however, Caerphilly consider themselves a community-first club, boasting more than 170 players across several age groups, and argue the development of the ground would be beneficial to everyone.

Geraint Jones is a volunteer at the club, and spoke to Caerphilly Observer about the importance of “building something special at the heart of Caerphilly”.

He continued: “As it stands, the pitch isn’t fit for purpose. It’s in a great location in the middle of Caerphilly with the castle a short walk away, but we often show up to see it waterlogged or vandalised.

“The facilities in Ystrad Mynach are brilliant of course, and the staff have been great, but it’s like Cardiff playing in Swansea – we want somewhere to call home here in Caerphilly.”

The club are still considering other venues in Caerphilly though. In 2022, their attempts to move to Virginia Park fell flat. However, the club are still pushing to find a suitable ground.

“For us, we think it’s a massive opportunity missed. When you think of the history and culture of Caerphilly, a side playing in the town with proper grounds would be a huge asset”, he added.

Thanks to a grant from Sport Wales last year, Caerphilly Athletic has been able to “reinvest” that money into the club, as well as ‘upskilling’ volunteers.

Geraint explained: “We really try to focus on bettering the experience for the players and the volunteers. Recently we handed out a survey and asked what more we can be doing as a club.

“In the past, we’ve helped fund training courses for a few committed volunteers to help develop their skills. It’s not just about the immediate future.”

In recognition of their work off the field, Caerphilly Athletic were recently awarded silver accreditation from the FAW, which considers coaching, the number of first aiders at a club, and other safeguarding measures.

Geraint, who has been at the club for two years, added: “We’re all volunteers and use what spare time we have working hard to make the club special for everyone. It’s not just about kicking a ball around for 90 minutes.

“With a little help, this club would offer a brilliant opportunity to so many kids in the area. It has a great ethos, only recently did everyone get together to fix-up the changing rooms.”

Morgan Jones ward councillor, Shayne Cook, said: “We are keen to support and encourage grassroot sport in the local community, we have met with representatives of Caerphilly Athletic and asked the council to provide drainage solutions to the grass pitches on Morgan Jones Park. “

Cllr Jamie Pritchard added: “We have supported Caerphilly Athletic through the Community Empowerment Fund and was glad to see the club awarded £6,851.80. We have set up meetings with the council’s leisure and sport officers to try resolve the clubs access to suitable pitches.”

Caerphilly Athletic are still exploring potential venues in Caerphilly, and are hopeful for a development in the near future.