A NEW book charting epic games in the history of Llanidloes Town Football Club has been published.

‘The Swans in Llanidloes’ by Lyn Meredith is released this month, and looks at the Daffodils encounters with giants Swansea City, remembering some of the great clashes with the Swans throughout the years.

It coincides with the 150th anniversary of the club and will help mark the occasion with celebrations restricted to social media due to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

A number of match reports included in the book originally appeared in the County Times with permission granted for them to be reproduced.

In the book, Lyn – himself a club legend – recalls his memories of the 1950’s, when Llanidloes were beaten 7-2 at home by the Swans in a midweek friendly.

The book chronicles how schools and factories were closed in the town for a big Welsh Cup tie between the two sides on another occasion, and looks back at some of the players that made those games so memorable.

The book focuses on several meetings between the sides with the first in 1950 when a Swans side which included Billy Lucas, Roy Paul and a young Ivor Allchurch were met by excited crowds for a midweek friendly at Victoria Avenue.

In 1971 the sides renewed rivalries in the Welsh Cup in a match one South Wales newspaper described as ‘being treated like a state occasion in Llanidloes.’

Once again an Allchurch was among the opposition with Len, younger brother of Ivor, in the Swans ranks.

Llanidloes had beaten Haverfordwest in the previous round to deny a meeting between the Allchurch brothers.

Instead all eyes were on the Severn Valley as Llanidloes bid to complete a cup upset when the famous referee Clive Thomas took charge.

The release date is Friday, November 27 and is available from ‘Woosnam and Davies News’ in Llanidloes priced at £2 per book.

It has been described as an ‘ideal stocking filler for Christmas’.

All proceeds will go to the Llanidloes Town FC Veterans funds.