Lovells Athletic - Newport. Great read

[uncle bob]

Just read this. I'm not old enough to remember them but what a good little read.

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/ne...football-club/

[the other bob wilson]

Thanks very much for posting that - I really enjoyed it. I saw my first Newport County game in 1970 and I'm pretty sure Lovells' ground had been demolished by then, because, despite working in Newport for nearly twenty years, I've never seen anything indicating where they used to play. I can certainly remember Lovells (are lovely) confectionery though and I'm fairly sure I saw them play in the short lived Welsh soccer sixes which were held right at the end of the season at Ninian Park for a couple of years in the last sixties.

[life on mars]

Great read I know the Crindau and Shaftesbury area well , had a cracking boxing gym there above the old Shaftesbury Pub on the Harlequin roundabout

[Moodybluebird]

Thanks very much for posting that - I really enjoyed it. I saw my first Newport County game in 1970 and I'm pretty sure Lovells' ground had been demolished by then, because, despite working in Newport for nearly twenty years, I've never seen anything indicating where they used to play. I can certainly remember Lovells (are lovely) confectionery though and I'm fairly sure I saw them play in the short lived Welsh soccer sixes which were held right at the end of the season at Ninian Park for a couple of years in the last sixties.

I think you may be right about them playing in the Welsh soccer sixes Bob, probably with the likes of Ton Pentre and other Welsh League sides at the time. I was there at one of these tournaments (sat in the Canton Stand) which I think the City won.

[the other bob wilson]

I think you may be right about them playing in the Welsh soccer sixes Bob, probably with the likes of Ton Pentre and other Welsh League sides at the time. I was there at one of these tournaments (sat in the Canton Stand) which I think the City won.

City won the first one I'm sure, but I'm not so sure about the other one. You're right about Ton Pentre and Bristol City were in at least one of them I believe, not sure Wrexham were though.

[Moodybluebird]

City won the first one I'm sure, but I'm not so sure about the other one. You're right about Ton Pentre and Bristol City were in at least one of them I believe, not sure Wrexham were though.

I may be mistaken but I think possibly Ammanford and Barry also competed in the one I saw. Maybe Ebbw Vale and Merthyr too.

[Des Parrot]

https://twitter.com/Groundtastic/sta...407681/photo/1

[the other bob wilson]

I may be mistaken but I think possibly Ammanford and Barry also competed in the one I saw. Maybe Ebbw Vale and Merthyr too.

Yes, I think Merthyr, Barry and Bridgend (who were all in the Southern League then) were in it and Ammanford rings a bell as well.

[cantonboy]

Didn't Bill Shankley play for them too?
Maybe during the war...

[cardiff55]

Thanks very much for posting that - I really enjoyed it. I saw my first Newport County game in 1970 and I'm pretty sure Lovells' ground had been demolished by then, because, despite working in Newport for nearly twenty years, I've never seen anything indicating where they used to play. I can certainly remember Lovells (are lovely) confectionery though and I'm fairly sure I saw them play in the short lived Welsh soccer sixes which were held right at the end of the season at Ninian Park for a couple of years in the last sixties.

As you drive along the M4 from the Severn Bridge, just before the tunnels, look left and there is a tract of land down by the river. the old ground is now under a housing estate but the gates to the ground have been left intact.

I think they did play in the soccers 6s at Ninian Park but the club folded in 1969 I believe. They were in the Welsh league by then after leaving the Southern League in the last 1950s. Also they were the only club playing in Newport during World War Two and played City on many occasions. Newport County did not play because, i think , their Somerton Park ground was used by the military.

[splott parker]

Didn't Bill Shankley play for them too?
Maybe during the war...

Didn’t the story go that he played for The City against Lovells, found out that they were paying more money than us and promptly signed for them I’d heard this as well but you’d have thought it would have been mentioned in the article.