The Valley Commandos head to Bargoed Park on Saturday 10th May to take on Bargoed RFC kick-off will be 2:30pm with a great deal riding on the match – more on that later in the piece This Saturday’s match was due to have taken place at Bargoed Park on Saturday 11th January Ponty and Bargoed have had a couple of great battles to date this season – the pair first met on what ended up being both teams’ first competitive game of the season on Saturday 14th September at Sardis Road There wasn’t a lot between them on the day but it was Pontypridd that earned a hard-fought bonus-point win by 34 points to 19 Ponty then travelled to Bargoed Park on Saturday 26th October for a Welsh Cup quarter-final tie and it could not have been any closer it was Jacob Symes that stepped up and kicked a late penalty-goal in match’s final act to seal a dramatic 29-28 win The Club’s last visit to Bargoed Park was back on Saturday 4th May 2019 with current players Dale Stuckey Joel Raikes and Rob Jones all featuring in a 55-28 win in the Premiership that particular afternoon Ponty’s win against Neath last Wednesday evening at Sardis Road coupled with the Welsh All Blacks’ defeat at Merthyr on Saturday means that the Valley Commandos are now guaranteed to finish second in the 2024/25 Welsh Premiership Bargoed are guaranteed a fourth-placed finish on their return to the Premiership but don’t for one minute think that this Saturday’s clash is a dead-rubber… Everyone knows by now that for the five Mid District clubs in this season’s Welsh Premiership there has been another competition running adjacently to it – the Mid District Premiership Cup All the results from when the Mid District clubs have played each other have been compiled into a ‘mini-league,’ with the top two qualifying for the Grand Final on Saturday 17th May at Sardis Road but the last spot is up for grabs and that’s where this Saturday’s match is vital As things stand Bargoed currently occupy second place in the Mid District standings so either a win or draw will see them through to the final against The Ironmen due to Pontypridd having a better points difference an away win this weekend will mean that it would be the Valley Commandos who progress through to the final on 17th May this week’s game is in essence also a Mid District Premiership Cup winner-takes-all semi-final The weather forecast looks good all week leading up to Saturday when it’s even better and with a place in the final and a potential second piece of silverware for the season up for grabs in less than two weeks we’ll see you at Bargoed Park #PontyFans As always the Pontypridd Supporters Club are organising travel for fans to the opposition’s ground. The bus will be departing Sardis Road at 1:15pm – please phone Phil Lycett on 01443 662561 to book a seat. Here’s our recent Supporters Bus article with all the key information – Supporters Coach to Bargoed – 10/5/2025 It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try one of the links below or a search? The game takes place on Saturday 10th May with a 2:30pm kick-off and the Pontypridd Supporters Club are organising transport to the ground Travelling on one of Edwards Coaches continues to be both a comfortable and convenient way for Ponty fans to travel to away grounds and get behind the Valley Commandos The bus will leave Sardis Road at 1:15pm ahead of the 2:30pm kick-off and the price is £10 per person Post-match it will depart Bargoed’s ground straight after the final whistle To book a seat on the bus to Bargoed please call Phil Lycett on 01443 662561 but please note – if you’re contacting Phil before Tuesday afternoon please use Facebook Messenger Phil will then be contactable via his home phone number after Tuesday afternoon Support quality, independent, local journalism…that mattersFrom just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today Bargoed’s annual May Fair event returns this weekend entertainment and funfair rides coming to the town The event will be held in the town centre between 9am and 5pm on Saturday May 3 Replica cars from a range of iconic TV shows and films Only Fools and Horses and more will be on display at the fair wildlife displays and children’s craft workshops on the day The event is organised by Caerphilly County Borough Council and part-funded by Bargoed Town Council and the UK Government through its UK Shared Prosperity Fund Support quality, independent, local journalism…that mattersFrom just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts.Become a member today Sheer rugby excitement  – defensive fortitude a thrilling finale and ultimately a notable away win for Neath Two Bargoed tries in the last five minutes saw Neath cling on in a nail-biting finish to edge an often spectacular game of eight tries and thus complete a rare double over their formidable opponents who remain a place behind in the league table The home side started at a tremendous pace and tested Neath’s defensive resolve from the outset but Neath broke out as winger Jon Bayliss was shown the outside by his opposite number gleefully accepted the challenge and scrum-half Connor Tantum was on hand inside to canter under the posts It was Neath’s 100th try of the season  in all games – and a splendid one at that – and outside-half Steff Williams’ conversion made it 7-nil to the visitors Bargoed countered with some powerful attacking play which was met head on by the proud Neath defence Grim resolution was the order of the day led by the hard-working back-row trio of Casey Williams The whole team defended manfully in a Black Wall but Neath were living dangerously but Bargoed’s territorial advantage told though when an attacking maul went to ground and the referee awarded Bargoed a penalty try which cost Neath the services of Bull Dabeh for ten minutes too Bargoed kept up the attack and they took the lead on the half hour when full back Dylan Williams crossed to give them the lead which few in Neath could argue about as Bargoed had dominated the first half-hour – indeed a lesser side than Neath would have been more than 7-12 down they struck back in the ten minutes leading up to the interval The visitors hammered away at the Bargoed line and drove hard off two attacking line-outs won by Matthew Davies and Jacob Blackmore Tantum and Blackmore stole away off a Bargoed throw but Neath were held up over the line and the live-wire Tantum went close yet again Neath continued to threaten and a rock solid scrum in the 22 saw the ball spread through centre Sean Wilcox and Kieran Charles so outstanding in defence now able to express their attacking talents and left wing Rhodri Wall crossed in the corner for an equalising try Neath had turned the game on its head and just as Bargoed had held sway for much of the first half so Neath dominated the second Steff Williams and Rhodri Wall inter-passing delightfully off a quickly-taken line out for that man Tantum to run the support line and bag his second try which Steff Williams converted for 19-12 forcing a series of attacking line-outs as they spurned a goal-kick under the posts Bargoed were reeling but an over-throw gave them some respite Rhodri Wall was tackled without the ball when a try seemed certain and Bargoed began to introduce their replacements to shore up their hard-pressed defence Mason Morgan and Kian Jones got through a lot of work and Neath struck crucially for their bonus point try the forwards driving hard to set up a blind-side try as full back Iestyn Morgan sent Bayliss flashing in at the corner Steff Williams added the vital conversion points and Neath were 26-12 up but the game was not done and as Neath emptied their own bench they lost their focus somewhat and Bargoed took advantage with a try by replacement Joe James which outside-half Josh Prosser converted for 26-19 Neath switched the kick-off which served only to present Bargoed with possession and the chance to attack again and attack they did as went over for their fourth try through Tom  Rice the normally dead-eye Prosser missed the conversion so they still held a slender two-point advantage Bargoed’s unlikely comeback had Neath sweating but the All Blacks held on stood up a Bargoed man in the tackle and the final whistle blew to bring to an end a thrilling game of rugby football which will keep the supporters of both clubs talking for years NEATH  – I Morgan; J Bayliss (N Orrells) J Blackmore (E Hopkins) ; C Williams (O Rice) Top of the Table                        P        W       D        L         For    Agst          Points Pontypridd                                  18       15       0        3        598     315        73 Merthyr                                       16       14       0        2        750     248        72 NEATH                                        18       13       1        4        532     380        66 Bargoed                                      17       10       1        6        444     380        52 Brecon                                        19       9        1        9        540     501        51 Images courtesy of Len Kowalski www.lensworkphotography.co.uk Neath journey to Bargoed in the WRU Premiership on Saturday (kick off 2.30pm) as clubs return to league rugby after the disastrous international season The All Blacks’ line-up shows three changes from that which started in the 31-21 win at Narberth a fortnight ago with wing Jon Bayliss and centre Kieran Charles returning behind and lock Jacob Blackmore recalled up front Pontypridd’s appearance in the WRU Cup Final on April 5 left a blank on the fixture-list which the All Blacks have filled by slotting in a long-standing commitment to play South Gower to mark their 50th Anniversary Fri     March 28              Llangennech                        Home         7.30pm Sat    April 5                  South Gower                        Home         2.30pm Sat    April 12                Narberth                               Home         2.30pm Sat    April 19                Cardiff Metropolitan              Away         2.30pm Sat    April 26                Bonymaen                            Away         2.30pm Sat    May 3                   Merthyr                                Away         2.30pm TBA                              Pontypridd                             Away Business owners in Bargoed have described the council’s decision to place 60 bollards along the pavements as the “final nail in the coffin” for the town The one-way system down Hanbury Road is difficult enough to deal with at the best of times, argues shopkeeper Taz Dh, who told Caerphilly Observer this decision has “killed the town centre off” said: “We never received any communication from the council I came to the shop today and had to ask the council workers what was going on and they told me 60 emergency bollards are going in the handful of loading bays are always full of cars meaning there are occasions where our delivery drivers are forced to park on the pavement to unload stock “The council putting bollards on the widest parts of the pavements means cars are either going to try and wedge themselves in the smaller sections What if there’s a police car or ambulance trying to get through?” Taz explained how his parents are also going to feel the struggle – they’ve ran popular hardware shop He added: “This is the final nail in the coffin for me I feel as if the council are trying to kill the town off deliberately.” Thomas Pet and Garden Supplies also told Caerphilly Observer how challenging he expects the high street to be with the addition of these bollards He said: “I’ve got a loading bay but nine times out of ten it’s full and I’ll have to use the pavement When I’ve got 15/20kg sacks of dog food or something you can’t expect me or customers to be able to carry that any distance “There is one car park here but it’s up a really steep hill which isn’t accessible for elderly or disabled it just means I’m going to have to stop the van in the middle of the road and block traffic “This feels like a rash decision made by people who don’t know the town and have never been here They think they’ve solved an issue but it’s made things ten times worse.” David said this could push his business over the edge at an already “testing time” He added: “I honestly might have to shut It’s not the inconvenience to me but to the customers Popular pub The Square Royale already struggles to find space to unload stock according to owner Russell Sorrell who said the town has struggled after becoming a one way system a few years ago He continued: “There are a few reasons why businesses are struggling around here another being the amount of patrol officers even six days a week you see officers patrolling the streets fining people it puts customers off who might just want to stop for a short period and can’t walk too far “People are being pushed away and these bollards are only going to add to the problem.” A Caerphilly County Borough Council spokesperson said: “There have been numerous incidents and complaints over the years relating to parking problems and pedestrian safety in Bargoed town centre “The majority of the bollards being installed are part of a replacement programme and have been in-situ for a number of years.  “Bargoed is well served along the High Street with parking and loading bays along with a number of car parks in the nearby vicinity.  “These bollards place the emphasise back on drivers to consider highway safety and not to use the footways for parking.”  The Valley Commandos’ first match of 2025 will kick-off at 2:30pm This Saturday will be Ponty’s second visit of the season to Bargoed Park following the Welsh Cup quarter-final clash between the two clubs back on the 26th October one for Ioan Evans and a fine kicking display from Jacob Symes saw Ponty dramatically triumph by a 29-28 scoreline Pontypridd still sit top of the standings despite having no match last weekend Bargoed have won their last two league outings and occupy 4th position in the league the two teams locked horns for their first league games of the season at Sardis Road That match was another hard-fought contest but it was Ponty that earned a 34-19 win on Saturday 14th September all the evidence points to another battle royale in the Rhymney Valley on Saturday – c’mon the Pont Ponty have made two personnel changes to the side that triumphed in the Christmas derby against Ystrad Rhondda There’s also a further two positional switches within the XV and there’s three new faces on the bench In the backs the new face is Oli Shepherd who returns and starts at fullback Oli’s return sees Dale Stuckey revert to his favoured left wing berth with Stuart Floyd-Ellis switching to outside centre The sole change in the forwards sees Will Jameson start at blindside flanker The three new faces in the matchday squad on the bench are Kian Mattravers Injured and unavailable for selection are Garyn Smith and Cai James The Pontypridd team selected to play Bargoed is as follows: The Pontypridd Supporters Club are organising travel for fans to the match on Saturday the bus will leave Sardis Road at 1:15pm ahead of the 2:30pm kick-off – Phil Lycett’s number is 01443 662561 for any enquiries The postcode for Bargoed’s ground is CF81 8UJ The Ponty faithful’s support was immense at Bargoed Park earlier in the season here’s hoping for a repeat this weekend The playing surface at Bargoed Park is frozen solid as a result of the sub-zero temperatures that have swept across the country Both clubs will announce a rescheduled date in due course Saturday 11th January 2025 – MATCH OFF  A last-minute deal for a £4.5 million loan will help revitalise Bargoed and Blackwood’s high streets Caerphilly County Borough Council believes The money will help “repurpose a number of underutilised or empty properties in both town centres” said the Welsh Government loan “will be important in addressing buildings that could be improved or redeveloped” “These buildings can blight our high streets and the investment will lead to the further regeneration of these key town-centre locations,” he added The funding deal was struck ahead of the council’s publication of two placemaking plans for Bargoed and Blackwood which will set out wider strategies aimed at ensuring their future prosperity A council report shows there was a “very short period of time” to apply for the money before the end of the financial year New chief executive Richard Edmunds approved the loan request using “emergency delegated powers” The council will also contribute around £900,000 to the regeneration plans for Bargoed and Blackwood using money it had previously set aside for “place shaping” in the two towns The council said its placemaking plans are “nearing completion” and will “help breathe new life into the towns” Councillors are scheduled to debate the matter at a meeting on Tuesday April 8 said it was “really good news that money is being targeted to the town centre” adding he had lobbied for “traders and our high street to be given priority” Cllr Etheridge said he would seek further clarity on the details of the funding – including which properties could be targeted and whether the £4.5 million will be split equally between Bargoed and Blackwood This weekend’s Bargoed Winter Food and Craft Fair has been cancelled following a Met Office weather warning The event was due to be held on Saturday December 7 Storm Darragh is forecast to hit this weekend bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to much of Wales It was also called off due to bad weather last year Bargoed Town Council said: “We have been in close contact with suppliers emergency planning and various weather forecasters throughout the week but unfortunately the forecast has now developed into a storm system called Storm Darragh.” The statement continued: “Based on this information as safety is paramount to the organisation of all our events and in order to give traders suppliers and visitors adequate time to rearrange their plans Bargoed will be host to a fantastic events programme – so watch this space Please remember to support Bargoed town centre in the lead up to Christmas; the businesses were looking forward to the increased footfall the winter fair brings.” It is the second winter fair to be cancelled in Caerphilly County Borough due to bad weather this year; Blackwood’s winter fair was called off on November 23 due to Storm Bert Bargoed’s Bryntirion Surgery will be back under NHS management from April A partnership by doctors Jalil Ahmed and Jonathan Allinson, supported by Leicestershire-based private firm eHarley Street, took over the running of the surgery from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) in early 2024.  It was one of several GP surgeries across Gwent taken over by the partnership Caerphilly County Borough was formed on April 1 by the merger of the Rhymney Valley district of Mid Glamorgan with the Islwyn borough of Gwent for local services such as the police and health the borough now falls under a wider region referred to as Gwent This comprises the council areas of Caerphilly it has had to rely on help from the health board after failing to pay locum doctors Bryntirion is one of four surgeries now being handed back, and comes after the partnership voluntarily resigned the contract to run the Brynmawr Medical Centre last week and Tredegar Medical Practice have also been resigned by the partnership.  there is currently no indication that Gelligaer Surgery A health board spokesman said: “Following the announcement that Brynmawr Medical Practice will be handed back to the health board we have now also received the resignation of the GP partnership between Dr Allinson and Dr Ahmed for the contracts that they hold at four more practices.” They added: “We are continuing to work closely with the staff at all the practices involved as well as with the local communities they serve to ensure they receive good access to quality primary care services within their local areas “We want to thank these communities for their understanding and support as we transition these arrangements.  “The GP partnership remains in enhanced monitoring for the remaining practices they hold contracts for within the health board and we will continue to work closely with them to ensure primary care services are sustainable and meet the needs of our patients.”  The partnership’s remaining contracts are for the Lliswery surgery in Newport and Pontypool surgery.  Practices in Aberbeeg and Blaenavon will be managed by the board from March 1 and the practices in Bryntirion and Tredegar from April 1.  At the health board’s most recent meeting it said its monitoring hasn’t identified any patient safety concerns and it has been checking how the practices handle calls from patients and whether appointments are available Nearly £2 million will be spent on plans to improve Bargoed and Blackwood town centres and attract more visitors Caerphilly County Borough Council has approved the release of funds to further develop new placemaking plans for the towns Other projects to receive extra funding include school shake-ups in Caerphilly town The council’s joint scrutiny committee agreed on Thursday July 18 to spend an extra £9.2million on various capital projects on the local authority’s to-do list Doing so will “unlock” government match-funding worth an additional £27.8m The council’s £9.2m contribution comes from “unallocated capital funding” meaning that money will no longer be available in reserve The move comes after council leader Sean Morgan said capital and revenue funding streams available to Caerphilly were “reducing drastically” “You can only spend reserves once” adding that the council currently has “more projects to deliver than it has capital funding [available]” The council will effectively prioritise the projects agreed on Thursday while others sit on a “reserve list” and will be funded further down the line The following projects will receive a share of the newly-agreed funding: The committee also agreed to “set aside” the remaining unallocated capital funding as “contingency for the overall capital programme” and a quarter-final tie away at Bargoed RFC The match at Bargoed Park takes place on Saturday 26th October and kicks off at the usual time of 2:30pm Ponty and Bargoed locked horns in what ended up being both teams’ first competitive game of the season on Saturday 14th September at Sardis Road There wasn’t a lot between the two sides on the day Ponty’s last visit to Bargoed Park was back on Saturday 4th May 2019 and current players Rob Jones Dale Stuckey and Joel Raikes all featured and helped the Valley Commandos to a 55-28 win in the Premiership that particular afternoon Both sides will head into this Saturday’s match brimming with confidence Ponty’s bonus-point win at Cardiff Met on the weekend saw the side head to the summit of the Welsh Premiership table whilst Bargoed enjoyed a superb 39-35 bonus-point win at The Wern against Merthyr Form this season suggests there won’t be much between the teams this Saturday vocal travelling support from the Pontypridd faithful could make all the difference Bargoed’s ground (pictured above) and their clubhouse are located in different locations the postcode for their ground is CF81 8UJ and refreshments will be available there Bargoed’s clubhouse is located in the town We’ll see you in the Rhymney Valley this Saturday #PontyFans A former pub in Bargoed is set to go to auction later this month is set to go under the hammer on Tuesday April 15 with part of the pub most recently converted into a Premier shop Debra Bisley, of Paul Fosh Auctions said: “The three storey former public house with a large portion of the ground floor converted and most recently used as a Premier convenience store is listed with a guide price of £325,000-plus “The property is currently licenced for a shop “The first and second floors are open space and currently require renovation Subject to the relevant consents the premises may be suitable for use as a restaurant or conversion into residential accommodation “It is situated in a primarily residential area within close proximity to local bus routes. The property benefits from gas water and electricity (not tested).” “On the ground floor is the former retail area There is a basement with open space on the first and second floors also has a former beer garden space at the rear.” The auction will run from 12pm on Tuesday April 15 For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Fine and settled under the influence of high pressure though eastern counties turning cloudier later in the afternoon Feeling warm in the sunshine with light winds though a little cooler in coastal communities with cloud clearing to leave a rather chilly night Another settled day bringing a mixture of cloudy skies and sunny spells with light winds and temperatures a little above the early-May average The remainder of the week will see high pressure dominating Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average Labour’s Christine Bissex-Foster has won the Aberbargoed and Bargoed council by-election by a single vote compared to the 353 votes won by Plaid Cymru’s Joshua McCarthy Green Party candidate Mark Thomas finished third with 59 votes Ms Bissex-Foster will now serve the Aberbargoed and Bargoed ward on Caerphilly County Borough Council alongside fellow-Labour councillors Dawn Ingram-Jones and Tudor Davies The by-election, which came following the death of Labour councillor Dianne Price alongside a by-election for Bargoed Town Council The two candidates elected to fill the two town council vacancies were Ms Bissex-Foster and Mr McCarthy was Plaid Cymru’s Gill Jones with 179 votes while Labour’s Michael Roberts earned 176 votes Independent candidate Paul Davies had 55 votes said: “We’re happy that Christine has been elected to the council and we’re sure she will work hard for the residents of Aberbargoed and Bargoed “We can’t shy away from the very low turnout at this by election There is a general anti-politics vibe across the country which all candidates will have had thrown at them it is our job to regularly be out on the doorstep to have those challenging conversations with residents and deal with peoples issues the best we can.” The match at Bargoed Park kicks off at 2:30pm The two Mid District clubs met last month on Saturday 14th September at Sardis Road and it was Ponty who secured a hard-fought 34 points to 19 win in the Premiership that afternoon The Valley Commandos’ last visit to Bargoed Park was back on Saturday 4th May 2019 and they triumphed in a high-scoring encounter by a 55-28 scoreline in the Premiership that day Both sides will head into this Saturday’s big match full of confidence after two big wins last weekend Ponty enjoyed a 42-12 win away against Cardiff Met whilst Bargoed secured a late 39-35 win at The Wern against Merthyr Pontypridd have made three personnel changes as well as two positional switches to the starting XV that won at Cardiff Met last Saturday In the pack there are returns to the front row for Morgan Bosanko and Rob Jones whilst in the backline Ioan Evans returns from injury to make his first appearance at inside centre since re-joining the club in the summer The positional switches sees Garyn Smith move to outside centre and Stuart Floyd-Ellis move to the right wing All seven players selected on the bench featured in last week’s match either as a replacement or in the starting line-up Ben Drew and Cole Parry are still unavailable due to injury whilst Joe Davies and Oli Shepherd are away on leave Bargoed’s ground and their clubhouse are located in different places For supporters that have booked travel with the Pontypridd Supporters Club the bus will leave Sardis Road at 1:15pm ahead of the 2:30pm kick-off After the match the bus will head to Bargoed’s clubhouse before departing at 5:45pm For any queries Phil Lycett’s telephone number is 01443 662561 when on Saturday 11th January we play Bargoed RFC in the Admiral Premiership The Valley Commandos travelled to Bargoed Park back on Saturday 26th October for a Welsh Cup quarter-final tie and it could not have been any closer it was Jacob Symes that stepped up and put over a penalty-goal with the last kick of the match to seal a dramatic 29-28 win Rob Jones bagged a brace of tries and Ioan Evans making his first appearance since returning to Pontypridd scored the other try back in autumn Pontypridd’s last league outing was a derby win at home against Ystrad Rhondda on Saturday 21st December Illustrating the competitiveness of the division the match could have easily gone either way with just a few minutes left but it was Ponty that showed their grit to take the spoils by a 26-17 scoreline in front of a bumper festive crowd at Sardis Road Premiership fixtures got back underway on Saturday 4th January but for Pontypridd it was one of the club’s two designated fallow weekends due to the odd number of teams in the league It was a weekend that was severely affected by the freezing temperatures however Bargoed’s match away at Llangennech did survive the big freeze and the Rhymney Valley men edged a tense encounter by 19 points to 16 in Carmarthenshire Ponty’s pre-Christmas win sees them remain at the top of the table and Bargoed’s win against the Bois Y Llan moves them up to 4th in the standings The men from Bargoed Park will no doubt be out to avenge their October Welsh Cup exit so it’s all to play for this Saturday The bus will leave Sardis Road at 1:15pm ahead of the 2:30pm kick-off There are currently just a handful of seats still available so to book a seat on the bus to Bargoed please call Phil Lycett on 01443 662561 We’ll see you for the first time in 2025 on Saturday #PontyFans Neath turned in one of their most complete performances for many a year when they defeated what is a very good Bargoed side at The Gnoll This was Welsh club rugby – ‘proper’ rugby as many have it – at its best : a high octane affair of great intensity and a huge credit to the new Premiership as two well-drilled sides full of positive intent went at it hammer and tongs before Neath pulled clear in the last quarter Early on the omens were not good for the All Blacks as they made an awful start two basic errors resulting in an attacking scrum for Bargoed from which No.8 Tom Rice crossed all too easily for the opening try and outside-half Josh Prosser converted the home side realised the importance of this game and stormed onto the offensive in a blistering first-half assault which delighted The Gnoll faithful who cheered to the echo in what was turning into a real “blink and you’ll miss it” affair direct forward play was the order of the day for Neath as Bargoed are a highly powerful proficient and experienced lot and their halves Prosser and James Leadbetter used all their nous to probe for any weakness Neath defended like Trojans with centres Kieran Charles and delayed-debutant Morgan Jones hermetically sealed the midfield the All Blacks counter-attacked with panache the tone being set by the rapidity of their superb trio of back-row hustlers and rustlers forced into the full back role by Neath’s string of injuries behind the scrum ran out of defence to initiate their first score The ubiquitous Casey Williams and Ellis Lewis – what a pair of ‘finds’ they are – took it on and a series of determined drives by the forwards led to lock Matthew Davies plunging and lunging over at the posts for Steff Williams to convert and it was 7-7 The front five forwards worked hard in the tight and they had the bit between their teeth in the loose; another strong surge saw Matthew Davies apply the try-scoring touch for outside-half Williams to convert Neath were setting a great pace in a bruising battle for ascendancy and continued to press On the half hour Griffiths was again involved as the All Blacks prised open Bargoed’s defence to send lion-hearted skipper Ben Williams charging across for the third try which Williams converted to raise the advantage to 21-7 Neath had dominated for half an hour but Bargoed were far from done and in the lead-up to half-time they sustained possession forcing Neath onto the defensive The Blacks battled and the line held – just – but on the stroke of half-time excellent referee Mr Rhys Jones (Coychurch) awarded Bargoed a penalty try to top and tail the half Half-time – Neath 21 points Bargoed 14 points There was a real buzz in the ground and during the interval spectators reflected on a first half of genuine quality and intensity – and the second-half proved even better Neath took up the cudgels once more and attacked from the start Spurning penalty kicks in front of the posts the All Blacks took a quick tap and rapid movement of the ball sent winger Nathan Orrells dodging in at the corner to give Neath a try bonus and a 26-14 advantage Back came Bargoed and they bagged their third try when winger Josh Congreve – a try scorer for Neath in a pre-season games against Richmond and Swansea last year – forced his way over for a try in the right corner and Howells converted superbly from the touchline to bring it back to 26-21 As befits a side which had won at Merthyr’s stronghold Bargoed were good … very good – and centre Callum Jones was recalled for a forward pass But Neath struck again when Davies won line-out ball and Steff Williams placed a kick for winger Matthew Jenkins to cross for Neath’s fifth try and it was 31-21 Neath kept up the terrific pace and more or less made sure of the result when Steff Williams kicked a penalty from 30 metres; 34-21 rapidly became 39-21 when replacement Morgan Kneath’s diagonal slash opened up Bargoed and centre Kieran Charles got Neath’s sixth try The thrust and counter-thrust rugby remained of the highest order to the end Bargoed were ever dangerous as they sought in vain for a bonus point but Neath had the final word when young tearaway Gethin Tremlett sped away for Neath’s seventh try to which Steff Williams added the coup de grace for 46-21 Neath went in search of the half century but were denied by a little over-eagerness and the crowd rose to acclaim a wonderful Neath display The entire team – replacements included – deserve praise for a total performance against powerful opponents who will not lose many more in this campaign and it all had supporters purring in a manner which they have not done for a few years Signs are that the hard work done with the squad by coaches Tim Ryan and Ryan Evans is beginning to pay off as they put their stamp on the Neath style – for style it was But they will not be basking in the glory for long as Neath move on next Saturday to another difficult away game at bubbling Llangennech and who are exceedingly good on their own patch Despair may engulf the Welsh game at national level but there was none of it at The Lextan Gnoll on Saturday Those who were not there missed a real treat M.Davies (J.Blackmore); C.Williams (O.Morgan) BARGOED – D.Williams (J.Congreve); A.Norton J.Leadbeatter (capt) (T.Bainton); K.Brown (L.Jones) a minute’s silence was observed for Remembrance Day for former Neath RFC correspondent Stephen Bale and for long-standing member Chris Bartlett A proposal to convert a “redundant” former post office into flats in Bargoed has been granted planning permission Caerphilly County Borough Council planners agreed the McDonnell Road premises previously known as The Olde Post Cafe and Shoppe can be converted into three one-bedroom flats Planning officers had questioned whether the project would mean the loss of a community facility this is only allowed if a developer can provide a “comparable replacement facility” nearby or if the existing site is considered surplus to requirements The council planners said they “carefully considered” the impact of the loss of a post office site but noted it had been closed since September 2017 “Various efforts” to revive the premises as a post office had been unsuccessful was recently refurbished and is in a location that is “arguably more convenient” than the former McDonnell Road site and other sites locally which offer similar services mean “the application site has been proven to be surplus to requirements and therefore justification exists for its loss” One neighbour objected to the McDonnell Road proposals complaining about the availability of parking and claiming the new flats will “worsen this” But council planners said the project will create three off-street parking spaces which is “the minimum required” The flats conversion will also involve “minor external alterations” and the front of the building will be “reinstated” to match the appearance of neighbouring houses in the street A 33-year-old man who was reported missing over the weekend has been found Gwent Police confirmed he has now been located Would you like to hop on the FUN BUS to BARGOED for our next premiership league game next weekend 📝 The bus will depart from Bargoed at approx allowing time to socialise at the rugby club and maybe have a drink or two Kindly note: Due to increased transport costs cancellations or no-shows will be charged for their seat unless it is filled before departure #WelshAllBlacks #neathrebellion #ChooseNeath #SupportTheSupporters Residents in the Aberbargoed and Bargoed ward will vote this week to elect a new councillor to represent their area on Caerphilly County Borough Council The by-election will be held on Thursday August 15 and follows the death of ward councillor Dianne Price, who passed away in April having represented the area for 20 years Labour councillor Price had been described as a “dedicated public servant” Three candidates will be standing in the by-election After 33 years service as both a lecturer and head of enterprise employability and international projects at The College Merthyr Tydfil Ms Bissex-Foster decided to hang her education boots up and is now hoping to put more time into helping the people of her local community. Ms Bissex-Foster who describes herself as “life-long socialist” said she believes that society should help those in need She said she is looking forward to helping local residents if elected to serve the community Ms Bissex-Foster has had a successful career in education training and entrepreneurship and has always undertaken voluntary roles alongside her career Her achievements include chairing the Welsh Government’s “Apprenticeship Award Judging panel” for ten years and also sitting as a councillor on the board of City & Guilds She said: “I am so excited to be chosen to represent Welsh Labour My main focus will be helping the residents of Aberbargoed and Bargoed; contributing to the council’s plans for the community and sharing my experience from 33 years in education enterprise and employability to support residents in my local community.” Bio submitted by the council’s Labour group has pledged to become a powerful voice for young people if he is elected to Caerphilly County Borough Council Mr McCarthy said: “I have experienced how difficult many young people in Bargoed find it to gain opportunities in education and I have also seen how many have lost hope in our community and believe that there is no sense of pride or vision for the future of the town “I can be a powerful voice in local government speaking up for young people and I also continue to believe that Aberbargoed and Bargoed have the potential to be thriving communities with the right levels of investment and increased local decision-making.  “The transition to a green economy provides the opportunity to create good local jobs at the centre of the new industrial revolution.” He added: “I’ve lived in the Rhymney Valley all my life and Bargoed has been my home for the last 14 years I attended Heolddu Comprehensive School and Lewis School Pengam and maintain a strong connection with Lewis School returning every year to speak with pupils about their work to make it a diverse He is currently studying at the University of South Wales Bio submitted by the council’s Plaid Cymru group Mr Thomas is 35 and lives in Caerphilly with his wife and children He works as a therapist after qualifying from the University of South Wales and also manages an award-winning Mark has a long history in volunteering with both local and international charities He stood for the Green Party in the Caerphilly constituency at the 2024 general election our rearranged Admiral Premiership match away against Bargoed RFC will take place on Saturday 10th May with a 2:30pm kick-off The match was originally scheduled to take place at Bargoed Park on Saturday 11th January but freezing temperatures and a frozen pitch scuppered any play taking place in Bargoed that particular weekend The new date has now been approved – CONFIRMATION: Bargoed v Pontypridd – Saturday 10th May 2025 The match against the fellow Mid District club from Bargoed Park kicks off at 2:30pm Bargoed’s last visit to Sardis Road was just over 12 months ago on Thursday 24th August 2023 in pre-season who were in the Admiral Championship at the time gave a very good account of themselves but it was Ponty that ran out winners by 38 points to 21 Pontypridd’s 2024 pre-season yielded five wins out of five the last coming on Saturday 31st August against St Albans On the same afternoon Bargoed edged fellow Welsh Premiership newcomers Newbridge by a 21-14 score-line at Bargoed Park This Saturday’s visitors earned their place back in this season’s Premiership on the back of being crowned Championship champions in the previous campaign – they won 20 out of their 22 league matches accumulating an impressive 99 points in the process Of course this weekend is actually the second week of the season Ponty being the ‘odd’ 13th team that were given a bye for last Saturday’s opening day due to the inclement weather that hit South Wales over the weekend Bargoed had to postpone their match at home against Llangennech so this week’s clash will be a season opener for both clubs Tickets – Admission on Saturday will be £12 full £10 concession access-all-areas and under 16’s free if accompanied by a paying adult You can purchase tickets on the day or to save time (which is recommended to miss the queues) you can use our online e-Ticket system – this service will be available in the next day or so ahead of the weekend and the link will be included in the Match Preview A reminder that supporter access is via the Clubhouse end of the ground only Season Tickets – For all our fantastic loyal supporters that have renewed your season tickets they are available for collection before the match at the front doors of the Sardis Road Clubhouse Live Sport In The Clubhouse – Our Clubhouse will be open from midday onwards and we will be showing live coverage of Southampton versus Manchester United in the Premier League – 12:30pm kick off Following their exit from the Premiership Cup the previous Saturday, Brecon travelled to Bargoed seeking to restore some momentum in the league. But this was never going to be an easy task and Brecon returned home empty handed. There could be no question about the fact that Bargoed started the better of the two teams. For 15 minutes Brecon were under pressure and Bargoed soon opened the scoring. Flanker Keaton Davies peeled off the tail and fed powerful centre, Callum Jones, who cut a great line at the heart of the Brecon defence. After a series of forward drives, the hosts moved the ball wide for lively winger, Rhys Thomas to score. Almost immediately, Bargoed scored their second try. It was a devastating blow which started with Brecon’s first foray into the Bargoed half. Brecon gained some ground through a number of phases in midfield and then went wide, only for the final long miss pass to be picked off by Thomas and for him to race some 60 metres to score his second try. Brecon could easily have been demoralised at this point but instead they lifted their game. For the remaining 20 minutes of the half they took control and created chances, but not until the last minute of the half did a score come. After a Brecon steal on their own 10-metres line, the ball was moved through the hands before Jack Dixon cut through the defence and found Geraint Walsh on the inside, who ran in for the try. James Dixon converted, leaving Brecon just three points adrift at half-time. Brecon started the second half as they ended the first, attacking deep in Bargoed territory, but it was the same story. This time their line-out let them down as three throws in good positions went astray. Barcoeg soon scored again after centre, Matthew Lewis picked off a pass on his own 10-metre line to run in unopposed. Brecon almost responded immediately after good play down the left before giving away a penalty at the breakdown. From there Bargoed reasserted themselves and scored again, this time through winger, Ashley Norton. Brecon were now 17 points down with 10 minutes to play, but they didn’t give up. After a second five-metre line-out and failed attempts to drive over they moved the ball and Sam Jones looped outside Jake Newman to score, with Newman converting. Now with the last play Brecon were trying to get something out of the game and running from deep. But the ball was again intercepted and moved to Rhys Thomas for the wing to score his hat-trick of tries and again the conversion was good to seal the defeat. To rub salt into the wound the news of Brecon Athletic’s 10-11 home defeat to Bargoed arrived. That had been a brave fight with Brecon reduced to 14 men for much of the second half, but rounded off what had been a good afternoon for Bargoed and a sobering one for Brecon. Comments Tel: 01874 610111[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 Two quad bikes have been seized by police after reports of illegal off-roading on Gelligaer Common Gwent Police received reports of the quads “tearing up the mountainside” and heading towards Bargoed The force sent out its neighbourhood and rural crime officers who intercepted the bikes near Heol Coedcae The two riders were issued with traffic offence reports said: “Our team is committed to tackling illegal off-roading which causes significant environmental damage and can be a nuisance to animals and landowners while also putting motorists and pedestrians at risk “These seizures demonstrate the importance of reporting By giving descriptions of both the vehicles and riders and the direction in which they were heading we’ve been able to act quickly.” Sgt Brooks continued: “As part of the team’s Respect Rhymney patrols we’ve also recently put up ten new signs with the aim of gathering more information on those damaging local land through illegal off-roading.” which direct people to a form on the Gwent Police website allowing the public to pass on details of riders and their vehicles Sgt Brookes added: “We’ve recently seen some mindless acts of vandalism in Rhymney involving off-road vehicles with land ripped up and bus stops covered in mud “I’d encourage everyone who witnesses this reckless and selfish behaviour to report it to us and be reassured that our team will do all we can to identify those responsible seize their vehicles and hold them to account.” A man has been arrested following a Gwent Police drug raid in Bargoed Police raided a property on Oak Place at around 7am on Friday January 17 and drug paraphernalia were also seized during the raid said: “Our neighbourhood enforcement team in Bargoed have successfully removed class A drugs from our streets following a search of a house this morning “We arrested a 44-year-old man from Bargoed on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place “He remains in police custody at this time for questioning.” Insp Thompson added: “We will continue to do all we can to gather information on those intending to flood our towns with harmful illegal drugs and carry out warrants like this morning’s to seize illegal property and protect the public.” Neath travel to Bargoed Park (CF81 8UJ) on Saturday 22nd March (2:30pm KO) for our next WRU Admiral Premiership fixture The sound of Bhangra drums echoed around Bargoed a fortnight ago when the town’s newly refurbished post office had its official opening The community turned out in force to show their support to the two entrepreneurial brothers who have turned the dilapidated shop building around with help from their silent partner and mother Shabnam Ajay have invested a “significant” amount of money bringing the building back into use and securing the continued services of a post office in a town which is now left without a bank Shabnam said: “We bought this store two years ago and it was in a really bad state The first year we did the roof and the rendering and finally this year we had the refit.” She added: “My priority was to get Bargoed post office open as soon as possible and my sons were critical in that “Here you can do business and personal banking on behalf of all the major high street banks whilst also shopping for daily necessities “People are delighted that the branch has officially opened Local businesses and customers have been lovely and really welcoming “I then reflected on what retail to offer in such a large retail space I’ve added lots of different types of retail all under one roof As well as cards and stationery that you expect alongside a post office there are drinks and confectionery as well as household goods.” said: “We are delighted that Shabnam and her family have refurbished Bargoed post office the new-look branch looks great and is very convenient for customers.” Cutting the ribbon to the store was Bargoed Town Mayor Howard Llewelyn who congratulated the family on the refurbished store He said: “They should be really proud of the work they have done I’d like to thank them for putting the effort in.” The refurbishment projected has been supported by Caerphilly County Borough Council via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund The first Clare Thomas knew that her business Dirty Cowgirl was being evicted by her landlord was when she asked about expanding into a neighbouring premises Since opening in March this year her country music themed boutique shop and bar/café has become a popular venue in Bargoed Providing live music and karaoke on weekends Online sales of Clare’s country and western clothing have also been going well – so much-so that Clare enquired with her landlord about taking over premises which form part of the same building It was only then she found out the property was being sold from underneath her to be turned into offices Valuers would be visiting and she would have to leave Despite taking over the property in November last year She had requested one several times and been told by the landlord the delay was down to solicitors Clare said: “I’ve no legs to stand on.” Clare has faced a huge challenge finding new premises She has been offered to rent several properties often in a poor state of structural repair with some having no running water and inadequate electrical wiring Each time she has been told council grants were available to bring them up to standard with the expectation that she apply for them – despite then also being told the intention was to sell them once they’d been improved Clare explained: “It shouldn’t be allowed I don’t think grants should be used for tenants to improve premises and then landlords can go on to sell it.” Many grants of this nature are match-funded meaning the tennant would have to invest their own money commercial agreements can often include a break clause meaning landlords – and tenants – can end the term early Dirty Cowgirl has now found new premises in St Margarets Park and Clare is looking to reopen the shop as soon as she can and then the bar later on She will be closing the Bargoed premises at the end of this month the move has still proven costly for her with additional investment for theming the new premises and other business costs such as a new alcohol licence application being needed she contacted Caerphilly Senedd Member Hefin David who raised her concerns in Cardiff Bay with the First Minister Dr David said: “Thankfully Clare has found a new location near Aberbargoed and I know she will ensure it is a huge success just as the business has been up until now this is a blow to Bargoed town centre and I know many locals have shared their disappointment at losing the venue “Welsh Government has done a great deal of work making sure that renters in Wales are protected against rogue landlords and I would like to see the same level of protections in place for businesses like Dirty Cowgirl which bring a lot of variety and footfall into our town centres Responding to Dr David in the Senedd on Tuesday June 18 First Minister Vaughan Gething said the Welsh Government was waiting for the findings of a UK Government commissioned review of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 – which includes the rights of business tenants He added: “I take on board the member’s point around if there’s been additional government investment in the premises itself but I’d want to look at that in a rounded way together with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing or what might help us in reform of the law and the practical support that can provide for businesses.”