Pontyclun F.C.

Pontyclun Football Club is an amateur Welsh football club based in Pontyclun. It currently plays in the South Wales Premier League as of the 2025–26 season following relegation from the Ardal South West League.

Founded in 1896, the club originally played in the Bridgend & District League before joining the Cardiff & District League at the end of World War I. In 1922 the club was admitted to the Football Association of Wales – one of few amateur clubs to achieve such status at that time.

Pontyclun's club motto "gorau chwarae, cyd chwarae" which roughly translates as "the best players, play together", was first used in the 1920s by Thomas Edgar Russell and has since been adopted by the FAW and to this day features on the playing shirts of the national players.

In 1968 the club was admitted to the Welsh Football League, finishing the 1968–69 season in 13th place in Division 2. At the same time the club continued to run senior teams in both the Rhondda and Pontypridd local leagues.

The club played in Division 2 until relegation in 2007–08 and in 2011–12 the club suffered great disappointment when they finished bottom of Division 3 and were relegated from the Welsh Football League after an impressive 44 consecutive seasons of membership.

Four notable Pontyclun players have achieved high honours – Thomas Edgar Russell who was goalkeeper and secretary in the 1920s became President of the FAW from 1968 to 1972. Former Cardiff City centre half Keith Pontin, who was also a Pontyclun youth product and local boy was capped by Wales in 1981. Wayne Morgan, who was a professional with Norwich City was capped by Wales at Under 17's level and Craig Williams was capped by the Boys Clubs of Wales in 2002 as well as representing the Swansea City and Cardiff City youth teams.