Our History

We have been told it all began in 1805 when William Lloyd Ellis, a daytime pupil at the famous Public School in Rugby, was playing a primitive game of football was motivated by a gleam of Divine inspiration to grasp the ball and run with it - “towards posterity” -followed by a concourse of excited enthusiasts, to reach Abercraf in 1894.

 

The first games were played on a field adjoining the present-day St.David’s Church.

A more convenient “Llwyn Neuadd” became the football field in 1903 and remained in use until 1907.

The next move was to Cae’r Lamb, behind the Lamb and Flag Inn. Here they played until the outbreak of the 1914-18 war.

When the lads of the village returned to Civvy Street after 1919, they formed a “Demob XV”, with the Red Lion Inn as their headquarters.

Their playing field adjoined the west bank of the River Tawe, below Heol Y Gwydde. Here the team played until 1945.

Abercrave RFC played their games on various fields in and around Abercrave (These fields included the field next to the “Boys Club” which is still used to this day) until they found a home at Plas y Ddol in 1958.

 

("Under Construction")

The full history of the club from 1894 to 1994 was preserved in a book called “Passing the 100 “, a copy of which can be found in the Abercrave Club House