Bluebirds to play Dragons (From Barry And District News)

Bluebirds to play Dragons

Barry Town FC are looking to kickstart a new era with a series of friendly games at Jenner Park.

The Dragons are putting last season's woes behind them as they gear up to play top clubs Swansea and Cardiff City.

Tuesday, July 20, sees the return of Swansea City to Jenner Park.

The two clubs have a long history and lots of connections. Most readers will remember the amazing Welsh Cup clashes between the two clubs in the 1980s, and more recently in the BBC-sponsored FAW Premier Cup where Barry Town were often more than a match for the Swans.

But it will be interesting to see how the current crop of Barry players fare against their illustrious English League counterparts.

Following the Swans, it's the turn of Cardiff City to visit the town on Friday, July 30.

The most recent competitive match the two sides have played was back in the 1999-2000 season, once again in the FAW Premier Cup. That night Barry Town ran out 2-1 winners over the Bluebirds with goals from Lawrence Davies and Jodie Jenkins. The visit of a Cardiff City side will surely be of interest to the large continent of Bluebirds fans in the town.

As well as these glamour ties, Barry Town will be playing away to Aberystwyth (Saturday, July 24), Treforest (Saturday, July 31), and Afan Lido (Saturday, August 7). Perhaps it's these matches that will be more informative over where Barry Town stand as it launches itself into another season, a season with some unknowns (AFC Llwydcoed), some ancient rivalries (Ton Pentre and Bridgend), and a clutch of mouth-watering local derbies (Ely Rangers, Dinas Powys and Grange Quins).

This could be a pivotal year for the club, and frankly, if the small steps to success we made towards the end of last season are to continue, it's vital that fans really get involved in the club by coming to the games on match-days and supporting the club in any way they can.

Perhaps some people missed the boat over the past decade, and felt almost alienated by Barry's overnight runaway success. Well, we're back to square one. What better time to join in? For further updates please refer to the club's official website www.barrytownfc.co.uk