LLANIDLOES holds a unique place in the history of Mid Wales football.

It was in this town the first recorded football match in Montgomeryshire took place in 1870.

The town’s first club was formed five years later and would pioneer the emergence of the ‘rustic game’ in Montgomeryshire.

The club reached the semi-final of the Welsh Cup in its debut season in 1881, losing 2-0 to the mighty Newtown White Stars in Wrexham.

However the club did not enter the senior cup again for another 12 years and it was to be in another national cup competition the club rose to fame in the early part of the 20th century.

The Welsh Amateur Cup was established in 1891 to cater for junior clubs as the popularity of the game grew across the country.

Like the Welsh Cup, the amateur competition was dominated by northern clubs during its formative years with the first Mid Wales finalist, Machynlleth Town coming closest to breaking the monopoly in 1902.

However times were changing and with the establishment of the Montgomeryshire League in 1904 leading to the emergence of prominent clubs in the region.

Among them were Llanidloes Town who won the title in 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913 and 1914 before outbreak of the Great War put paid to the club’s dominance as football entered hiatus until the cessation of conflict.

Upon returning to the football field, Llanidloes continued to be the region’s leading club.

As well as dominating the Mid Wales League the club also became the first club to reach the final of the Welsh Amateur Cup in 20 years in 1921, only to fall short at the hands of Manchester based Northern Nomads.

The following season proved bizarre as it was successful for the Victoria Avenue club.

The club resigned from the Mid Wales League following a dispute with Machynlleth over an unplayed fixture.

However in the same season the club were back in the final and, in their finest hour, prevailed 3-1 winners over Aberystwyth University in a replay in the the first ever all-Mid Wales final following a 2-2 draw in the first match.

The first match was played in Oswestry in front of a crowd of 3,500 with the same attendance recorded for the replay in Machynlleth.

The County Times report of the replayed final read: ‘This was a fast and exciting game, but the University wasted many chances in the first half, with Williams putting over the bar on many occasions.After 10 minutes, Bent took the ball down the left wing and passed to Vaughan, who got the ball over to Rod Jones who scored with a beautiful shot.

‘Owen, in the Llanidloes goal then became bombarded by the College attack, but a breakaway saw Owen increase the lead.

‘Harries netted a penalty for the College after 15 minutes of the second half. Then seconds before time, Rod Jones netted a beautiful simple effort making the score 3-1.

‘R.T Gough presented the Cup to Jack Lloyd, the victorious captain.’

Llanidloes were back in the final in 1925 only to once again fall to Northern Nomads in the final in Rhyl, losing 5-1 after a replay.

Three years later Llanidloes made their fourth final of the decade only to lose the 1928 final 1-0 at the hands of Newport based Lovells Athletic in Aberystwyth.

Llanidloes had shown the way and now more Mid Wales sides sought to emulate them.

Aberystwyth Town and Machynlleth brought the cup back to Mid Wales in consecutive season in 1931 and 1932 before Llanidloes returned to the final in 1933, losing 4-1 at the hands of Aberystwyth Town.

Aberdyfi beat Aberystwyth Town 2-1 in the 1935 final but it would be the last Mid Wales interest for decades upon the outbreak of the the Second World War

However the1950s saw a return of Mid Wales clubs to the final stage.

Caersws lost the1953 final before Newtown won their first and only Welsh Amateur Cup title in 1955.

Caersws made three finals in four years at the start of the 1960s, winning the cup in 1961.

However in 1965 the club which began the region’s love affair with the famous trophy were back in the final as Llanidloes overcame Gwynfi Welfare 3-2 in Abergavenny to bring the cup back to Mid Wales.

Goals from Austin Davies, Ieuan Davies and David Owen won the day for the Daffodils.