Barry Town United will be presented with the Welsh League Division One trophy at Jenner Park on Saturday.
Former champions Ton Pentre, who have won this title 13 times, are fittingly visitors for Barry’s final fixture of the season (2.30pm).
Manager Gavin Chesterfield and his loyal Barry players have earned promotion to the Welsh Premier League for 2017-18 season, an achievement which looked impossible only four years ago.
Barry have experienced disaster and delight during Chesterfield’s decade with the Vale of Glamorgan club, winning back-to-back titles in Welsh League Division Three and Two and now adding the First Division championship.
Those successes came in a four-year spell.
Chesterfield was sacked by then club owner Stuart Lovering and then reappointed by the fans when they took charge.
Barry were withdrawn from the Welsh League in 2013, but supporters led a ‘Stand Up For Barry’ fightback which resulted in the club being placed in Division Three after a High Court procedure.
Remarkably, 12 players who stayed with Chesterfield when the club were condemned to Third Division football are still with Barry now and have been part of this seasons success.
“Gavin kept our club going through dark times and has now brought back the glory years,” says secretary Dave Cole, who has a 28-year association with Barry.
Cardiff Met were promoted from Welsh League football a year ago and have proved what can be achieved by finishing in the top half.
Now Barry are returning to the top flight of domestic football after a 13-year absence.
Chesterfield insists it’s been a massive effort by many people and talks of an ‘army’ which has been with him every step of the way.
Today, in 2017, this is an extremely different Barry Town United.
The playing membership has rocketed from 125 to 600 over the last year and a bit and Chesterfield says: “Now it’s about much more than the male section.
“We have a thriving women and girls section, a pan-disability section, a club based system from under-5 to under-16 and an academy that goes from under-10 to a development team.”
Barry are truly a community club, playing on a Fifa pro accredited 3G playing surface and everybody has played their part in their newly-achieved status.
While Chesterfield’s Barry celebrate their success this weekend, it is fitting that Llanelli, who have also had their troubles, are sweeping back into Division One and still unbeaten in Welsh League football this season.
They are on course to complete a League and Cup double, having clinched their place in the Nathaniel Car Sales final against Bridgend Street on Friday, May 12 (7pm).
A large crowd is expected at Stebonheath on Wednesday (April 26) when AFC Llwydcoed are visitors for the Reds final home league game of the season.
A win would see Llanelli clinch the Second Division title and the trophy would be presented on the night.
On Saturday, Llanelli travel to meet Dinas Powys, kick off 2.30 pm.
Llanelli have won 19 and drawn seven of their 26 fixtures so far and have a goal difference of plus 63 which is vastly superior to any of their rivals.
