THE history of Four Crosses Football Club is very much intertwined with that of Llanymynech.

The current club came into being in 1996 when the then Llanymynech Rovers made the switch to the neighbouring village following a disagreement with the local council.

But there is far more than the past two decades, when it comes to the story of association football in this pair of border villages.

A club by the name of Rodney Rovers made the headlines after the Second World War.

County Times: Action from Carno's Ardal North East League clash with Four Crosses. Picture by Tim Evans.

Action from Carno's clash with Four Crosses. Picture by Tim Evans.

The Llanymynech-based outfit was formed in 1949 as a youth team, playing their trade in the Oswestry Minor League and run by a local church, and made the headlines by reaching the Welsh Youth Cup final before going down to Cardiff City.

The youth team folded in 1956 but a senior team had been established four years earlier.

Rovers finished runners-up to Montgomery Town in 1952/53 before being crowned champions for the next five seasons.

Despite success on the pitch, the club lost their ground due to building work and only survived when a supporter lent them a field.

County Times:

Foxen Manor, home of Four Crosses FC.

Rovers were reportedly not well supported despite dominating the Montgomeryshire League in the late 1950s.

The club attempted to play their football in Shropshire in 1957 but the FAW blocked the move because the Llanymynech outfit was unable to field a team in the Montgomeryshire League as well.

Rodney Rovers merged with Llanymynech FC before the start of the 1958/59 campaign, with the intention being that the new club would field its first team over the border and the reserve team would join the Montgomeryshire League.

But despite all of their players signing for the new club, the Rovers committee decided to soldier on for two further campaigns, as they struggled with travelling expenses.

County Times:

Action from Bow Street's clash against Four Crosses. Picture by Beverley Hemmings.

While the authorities prevented Rodney Rovers from making the switch in 1957, Llanymynech were permitted to field a team in Salopian football – an even greater dagger to the heart of everyone involved with Rovers.

The Church in Wales reclaimed their land that was used as the pitch when Rovers folded in 1960 after finishing at the basement of the Montgomeryshire League.

Llanymynech, who had lifted the Montgomeryshire Challenge Cup on four occasions prior to the Second World War, reached another final in 1958/59 before thumping Newtown 6-1 to capture the historic trophy two years later.

The name of Llanymynech re-appeared in the Montgomeryshire League for the 1971/72 season but the club only lasted for two years before Four Crosses was established in readiness for the 1975/76 campaign.

County Times:

Action from Bow Street's clash against Four Crosses. Picture by Beverley Hemmings.

They were crowned second division champions in 1980 and consolidated their position in the top division during the early 1980s before finishing runners-up to Llanfair in 1985.

Crosses changed their identity to Llanymynech Rovers for the 1989/90 campaign.

This coincided with a change in fortunes, as Rovers finished third that season, before securing the title 12 months later on goal difference from Llanfair Wanderers.

The Station Road outfit enjoyed a third-placed finish in 1992/93 but suffered demotion from the top echelon one year later.

County Times:

Action from Bow Street's clash against Four Crosses. Picture by Beverley Hemmings.

Mid-table finishes ensued for the remainder of the decade and the club relocated to Four Crosses for the 1997/98 campaign after losing their facilities in Llanymynech.

It took a number of years for their fortunes to improve but the early part of the new millennium saw a dramatic change in at Foxen Manor.

The border club completed the 2005 a healthy seven points ahead of Dyffryn Banw and earned promotion to the Mid Wales League for the first time.

Four Crosses enjoyed a three season spell in senior football before returning to the Montgomeryshire League in 2009 before being crowned first division champions 12 months later.

County Times:

Past action between Llanidloes Town and Four Crosses.

Nick Popyk’s charges returned to senior football, following that brief hiatus, and joined the newly-created Mid Wales League Second Division in the 2011 season.

Following a mid-table finish, Crosses completed the following term as runners-up to Aberaeron Town and enjoyed a fifth placed finish, in their first season back in the third tier - the club’s highest finish since the domestic pyramid was introduced in 1992.

They also defeated Llansantffraid Village 5-0 at Latham Park to lift the Montgomeryshire Challenger Cup that season.

However Crosses suffered relegation 12 months later and continued to struggle in the second division.

County Times:

Past action between Llanidloes Town and Four Crosses.

The club dropped into the Montgomeryshire League and rebuilt under the stewardship of former Llanidloes Town and Guilsfield manager Michael Barton which marked a revival with the club achieving promotion to the Mid Wales League while also winning the Montgomeryshire Cup in 2018.

The club returned to the Mid Wales League and undertook work on their facilities in 2019.

Crosses parted company with Barton during the 18 month pandemic lockdown with ex-Trefonen chief John Reid taking the helm in their historic first season in the Ardal North East League.