Treowen Stars

Founded: 1926

Ground: Bush Park

Manager: Dean Randall

Nickname: The Stars

by Jordan Forster

Once you have found it - and it can cause a bit of navigational head spin the first time - Treowen Stars’ Bush Park ground offers no shortage of character to the visitor.

The 54-step ascent from the changing rooms to the pitch has been a unique feature of Welsh League football since Treowen Stars joined the national pyramid at its inception in 1992.

Founded in 1926, Stars spent most of their existence in recreational local football such as the Abertillery & District League.

The 1970s marks the point at which the club began to show more ambition and much of this was driven by legendary chairman Archie Davies.

Already playing in the Monmouthshire Senior League by then (a predecessor of the modern Gwent Premier League which starts at tier four in the modern Welsh football pyramid), facilities at Bush Park were improved with new changing rooms built after a successful community fund-raising scheme and later a social club to enhance the club’s attraction.

On the field things began to surge from the mid-1980s onwards.

At the end of the 1985/6 season Treowen were promoted from the bottom division of Gwent County League and their movement through the divisions continued until they were promoted to the Welsh Football League on the formation of the national football pyramid.

There was no stopping the upward trajectory of the Stars at this point.

Their debut Welsh League campaign finished as Division Three champions in 1992/3 and a third successive promotion in 1993/4 meant Treowen had gone from county football to one tier below the League of Wales in just three years. There was further success in 1997/8 when Treowen won the Welsh Football League Challenge Cup.

These 1990s halcyon days ended as the 20th century rolled into the 21st and the Stars' light began to fade. Starting the 2000/1 season in tier two, by the end of 2005/6 Treowen had dropped back into Gwent County League at tier five.

In ten eventful Welsh League seasons, Treowen had experienced two promotions, three relegations and a cup final success.

A return to Gwent County allowed the Stars to re-group and rebuild another successful side. The second peak was finally reached in 2009/10 with a Gwent County league and cup double, earning promotion back to the Welsh League.

Here Treowen remained until the league’s dissolution at the end of last season and secured their place in the Ardal Leagues that replace the Welsh League.

Although recent seasons have largely been defined by the struggle to retain their status in the national pyramid, the new structure will no doubt be seen as an opportunity to improve.

Manager Dean Randall has attracted brothers Chris and Dan Hartland to Bush Park (from Trefelin BGC and Abergavenny Town respectively) and this talented duo may be the spur the Stars need to kick on again.