Barrow and Davies leave Martyrs to join new clubs
TWO top players for Merthyr Town last season have signed for new clubs.
Defender Scott Barrow, 28, has earned a full-time year’s contract with Vanarama National League side Gateshead. Goalkeeper Oliver Davies has penned his signature for Hereford who, after promotion, will be Merthyr rivals in The Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division for 2017-18.
The Martyrs were fortunate to get Barrow last season following his departure from Newport County, where he played 38 times. He trained with Merthyr and eventually signed for them after an unsuccessful trial with Eastleigh.
At the end of the recent season, he had been lnked with Limerick in Ireland.
Gateshead boss Neil Aspin tried to sign Barrow when he was in charge at Halifax. He said: “He’s now got the chance to come back into professional football. He has the hunger to do well and is a proven player at this level.”
Barrow, born in Swansea, was released by the Swans when he was 17, went on to play for Briton Ferry, Port Talbot, Tamworth and Macclesfield, and then Newport.
Davies joined Merthyr mid-season from Swansea City. During his time there, he had a loan spell with Kilmarnock and made two appearances for them.
He is 22 and joins a Hereford side with big ambitions who are wellsupported and can offer top wages. It is difficult for Merthyr to compete and Keyon Reffell also joined Hereford recently.
Merthyr Town vicechairman Anthony Hughes has become vicechairman of the Southern League.
He is also a member of the English FA committee. He was congratulated by Merthyr Town chairman Meurig Price.
Among Merthyr’s preseason friendlies is a visit by Newport County on July 19, and it’s a Pay What You Want game.
On the business side of the club, Business Development Manager Philip Jones said: “The Merthyr Business Network now has a Cardiff branch. There is a total of 300 businesses and obviously they support the club on the pitch and also business off the pitch.”
The Network stretches east as far as Abergavenny with Northern Automtotive Services, and west includes the university at Swansea.
And the Merthyr Business Group meet every Friday at the club.
Those firms involved include Greenhill Manor care home at Pentrebach, Crownford, the HR firm, Lee Rossiter, financial adviser, and JNP Legal at Merthyr.
Trade Centre Wales continue as club sponsors and LoadLok have a rolling agreement with the ground now the LoadLok Community Stadium at Penydarren Park.
David Spears Commercials supply a mini-bus for the club’s use in the community in relation to local schools.
The club have also had a grant from Merthyr Borough Council and with Tesco Bags of Help to provide a memorial garden.
This will be in the car park area and forms part of the Legacy Trail.
Former Merthyr footballers will be remembered, including those who have died in war, and supporters will have the chance to provide their own memorial.
Bags of Help provide support for community projects through the money raised through the 5p raised by bag charges.
Lee Rossiter has also joined the board along with David Pittham, who has been a sponsor at the club, and Phil Howells, retired full-time journalist and life-long Martyrs supporter.
They were welcomed to their first board meeting in June.