Club History
Records show that a football club was formed in Abertillery in 1910 as they registered themselves as a limited company along with Risca. In the early years, the club played in the South Wales League before moving to the old Southern League in the 1913-1914 season, where they locked horns with teams such as Brentford, Luton and Stoke City, finishing in 11th place before the outbreak of WW1.
They resumed in the Southern League in 1919-20, winning the Senior Cup and enjoying three seasons in the Welsh section, before deciding to relinquish their membership. The club had won the Senior Cup competition in 1920, applying to join the Football League Division Three (South) in 1921, only to fail election in the ensuing ballot, at the expense of Charlton Athletic and Aberdare Athletic.
Abertillery Town continued to play football as Abertillery Town or Abertillery Athletic up until the late 1950s, before finally disbanding. Another local team during this time was Cwmtillery Excelsiors particularly successful during the 1940s. Unfortunately, as the post-war years ushered the beginning in 1950 of a change in preference for sport with rugby becoming the predominant sport in the town. The rival sport would have dominance so much so that the area wouldn’t have its own football team until 1965, when Albert Padfield would step in. An ex-player of the 1940s team, Padfield is credited as single-handedly kickstarting football back into action in Abertillery with an Under-11s side.
The nucleus of this junior team went on to graduate to senior football during the 1970s, initially playing in the North Gwent and West Gwent Leagues, where they eventually gained promotion to the Monmouthshire Senior League. By the 1987 season, Cwmtillery had battled and progressed to the Division 1 of the Gwent County League and despite finally winning the league championship at the conclusion of the 1993-1994 season, a lack of facilities at the Woodland Field would stonewall the club and deny them entry to Welsh League. However, a twist of fate would prove in the club’s best interest in 1999-2000, when the club finally entered the Welsh League system when Spencer Youth declined a promotion place.
Meanwhile in 1982 Abertillery Town had been reformed by Bryan Boots, Kelvin Watkins and Robert Legge. At the end of the 2000-01, Cwmtillery and Abertillery Town forged an alliance, playing under the name Tillery. 2003-04 saw Tillery win promotion in third place behind Bryntirion Athletic and Seven Sisters. The club would change names again in 2005-06 officially becoming Abertillery Excelsiors. That season though the club suffered relegation from Division 2 and in 2007-08 the club lost its Welsh League status, along with Morriston Town and Ystradgynlais.
The club spent the following 8 seasons in Division 1 of the Gwent County League before relegation to Division 2. In 2017-18 the club started its renaissance, narrowly missing promotion in third place, before sealing promotion the following season in runners-up spot. While 2019-20 would see the club win the Gwent County Premier Division, on a points per game average due to the pandemic.
With the club granted Tier 3 status, Abertillery Excelsiors were then promoted into the Ardal Southern League South East Division for 2021-22.
