Having originally joined the Cymru Alliance (North Wales division two) rather than the League of Wales, the Lilywhites went to a Welsh Cup final against Cardiff City before gaining promotion to the LoW in 1993/94. Since then, the Belle Vue club has had a mixed experience of the National League, with periods of success often falling away to leave the side struggle.
Their first season saw them finish in mid-table, with one of their highlights being a comfortable 3-1 victory over Barry at Belle Vue. 1995/96 was another non-descript season for the former Northern League side including 4-0 and 5-1 hammerings against Barry, but the seeds were sown for a very disappointing 1996/97, when Rhyl finished in nineteenth place and were saved from relegation only by the financial troubles of Ton Pentre.
However, the Lilywhites took advantage of a new move in the Summer of 1997, signing English schoolboys boss, Dr.Andy Cale, and launching into a partnership with a sports college. Under Cale's tutorship Rhyl started brightly, and were one of the front-pack until Christmas. However, the failure of the club to put Cale under contract led to difficulties when he moved to manage Total Network Solutions, taking a number of his players with him and decimating the Rhyl squad. Former Llandudno manager Dean Martin took over, and guided Rhyl to a comfortable eighth place, enough for a Premier Cup place when Ebbw Vale were excluded from the competition.
This year, though, has seen Rhyl struggle, and Martin left the club in October after they stuttered to a 5-4 (!) victory over Cymru Alliance side Denbigh Town. Experienced player, Adie Jones, took control of the side, and despite a number of depressing results, including a 6-0 defeat to Barry on his official managerial debut, he has steered them away from the single relegation spot, ensuring an LoW future for the club.
Changes are taking place off the field as well, with a recent E.G.M being held to discuss Rhyl's future at Belle Vue. With a number of options on the table, including the building of a new ground, the club have opted to continue at Belle Vue for the time being, and will hopefully be able to make improvements at the ground, including more seating and a new club house.
The Lilywhites' form in recent weeks hasn't been outstanding, but with a well-organised defence and players such as Troy Hayder up front, Rhyl may well pose a threat when they visit Jenner Park next week.
See you there,
the Yellow Dragon.
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This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1999.
This article first published in the Barry Town Matchday Magazine, v Merthyr Tydfil, FAW Premier Cup quarter-final, 16.03.1999.
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