Chepstow Town

The club was founded in 1878, Chepstow Town is the most easterly of all the Ardal Southern clubs. Formerly known as Chepstow Castle, fixtures have been played at various venues around the town from Bulwark to St. Arvans and at St. Mary’s Institute ground which is where the Tesco supermarket is now located.

Up to the beginning of WW1 all matches played were in the local East Gwent League. The resumption of football after the war in the 1919-1920 season saw Chepstow Town join the Welsh League. Welsh League football was enjoyed until the mid-1920’s which then saw the club relegated at the end of 1921-22 to the Mon. County League. In 1928 the club then entered the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League, and they became champions of this league in the 1931-1932.

During WW2 the St. Mary’s ground was taken over by the Ministry of Defence and used as a supply depot for the war effort. At the end of the war, returning local servicemen wanted to revive football in the area. The club was then reformed incorporating Chepstow Boys Club and Fairfield FC. The club subsequently rejoined the Mon. County League. In these immediate post war years Chepstow Town became the dominant club in the area, and it was not uncommon for crowds of 200 to 300 to watch the club’s matches.

The period of the mid 1950’s to the mid 1960’s was one of great success for the club on and off the field and this was rewarded with promotion back to the Welsh League for 1954-55. This culminated with Chepstow Town becoming Division 2 champions in the end 1964-1965 season with 24 wins out of 30 games and 107 goals scored. Regrettably due to the high cost of travelling expenses and financial problems the club dropped out of the Welsh League at the end of 1969-70.

Chepstow Town then entered the Division 3 of the newly formed Gwent Premier League, progressing to the Gwent County League. In 1991-92 the club won Division 2 and 1996-97 saw the club win Division 1 to gain promotion back to the Welsh league. By this time due to Chepstow Council’s Road expansion plans the club had been relocated to the present Larkfield Park ground.

Chepstow won promotion in their first year in Division 3, runners up to Milford United, but after three seasons were relegated back to Division 3, where they remained until relegation back to the Gwent County League at the end of 2006-07. However, in 2011-12 the club won the Gwent County League again, to return to the Welsh league where they won promotion again in their first year back in 2012-13, in third spot behind Cardiff Met and AFC Llwydcoed. After missing promotion from Division 2 by two points the following season to Briton Ferry Llansawel, the club were relegated in 2015-16 back to Division 3 where they remained until the pyramid re-organisation in 2019-20 and they now take their place in Ardal Southern League, South East division.

Over the years the club has been graced with some notable managers including Brian Harris (Everton) and Barry Vassallo (Arsenal). Chepstow Town players who became professional footballers were Ollie Burton (Newcastle United & Wales), Colin ‘Rocky’ Hudson (Cardiff City) and Harry Harris (Portsmouth and Wales).