A FANS revolt at a football club appears to have been averted after its committee restated its support for the team over a fictional side from a BBC children’s TV show. 

Supporters of former Welsh Premier side Port Talbot Town had been looking enviously towards Northport Rovers – and believed their club’s committee had been favouring the side that shares its Victoria Road ground. 

It’s not hard to see why Northport Rovers would attract attention as they have a generational talent in teenage forward Jamie Johnson and Port Talbot have yet to score a goal this season while having conceded 20 in just four league fixtures. 

At the weekend the club crashed out of the Welsh Cup when fierce cross town rivals Afan Lido ran out 6-0 winners in the Sandfields derby. 

Port Talbot’s home ground, which holds 6,000 with 1,000 seated, and is affectionately known as the Sand Siro, has been decked out with Northport branding and even sponsors  - leaving supporters of the steel town’s team feeling left out in the cold. 

Northport though are an entirely fictional side created for the Children’s BBC series Jamie Johnson, which tells the story of the young footballer and his ambition to make his name in the game while adjusting to life after his father walked out on his family. 

A fans group, which had been campaigning to bring pressure on the Port Talbot committee, stated on Twitter: “This club may still play at Victoria Road but you can’t really tell. 

“Today you’ll find the name of Northport Rovers on the stadium roof. 

“The main gate has Northport’s name on it. 

“Even the advertising hoardings are for non-existent companies like Northport Bakers.” 

South Wales Argus:

Port Talbot FC itself hasn’t been without drama in recent years – the club was at the centre of a match fixing probe – that centred on a 5-0 defeat, in April 2016, to Rhyl, who had been on a 17 game winless run. That saw 11 men and women arrested and only came to a conclusion in June last year when the Crown Prosecution Service said none would be facing any criminal charges. 

The club said the allegations had caused “a great deal of hardship”. 

During its 120 year history the club reached the pinnacle of the Welsh game with promotion to the top flight in 2000 a status they retained until relegation in 2016 as the club’s financial situation meant it was unable to gain a licence to play in the top tier league.  

The club, which competed in the Europa League in 2010 after a third place finish, suffered a further relegation – to the third tier – when it again didn’t have the necessary paperwork in place but regained its place in the Cymru South league having won promotion during the 2019/20 season that was curtailed by the pandemic. 

South Wales Argus: Advertising hoardings at the ground for Northport BakersAdvertising hoardings at the ground for Northport Bakers

However this season couldn’t have got off to a worse start with manager Mark Pike standing down on the eve of the campaign and a number of established players also leaving the club meaning it has had to put out a side with many players 21 or under. 

The season opened with a 4-0 defeat to Trefelin and Briton Ferry Llansawel scored seven unanswered goals on their visit to the Sand Siro. Port Talbot only sit one place off the bottom of the table as Carmarthen Town are on –1 point due a deduction for failing to fulfill a fixture. 

However a meeting between supporters and the committee, which earlier this week put a statement on its Facebook page – appealing for fans to “stick with us” - has appeared to dampen down the simiring anger on the terraces. 

The Save Port Talbot Town FC Twitter account which had claimed the committee's “sole goal” was to ensure the BBC continued to film the Jamie Johnson series at the ground deleted its most critical tweets. 

It had also claimed fan-painted murals at the ground had been painted over due to the filming, but that has been denied by the club. 

South Wales Argus:

Instead it posted a new tweet which said there had been “positive news” following the meeting with the committee. 

It stated: “Very positive news coming from those who attended tonight's meeting: - Northport signs and hoardings will be replaced soon - There will be fan representation on the committee going forward - The club is not merging with anyone and will continue to play in the Cymru South”. 

 

Port Talbot secretary Ben Davies said the committee had met with supporters on Tuesday evening which he said was to update them on the club’s efforts to recruit a new manager and players and confirmed the issue of Jamie Johnson and Northport Rovers had been brought up. 

He said once filming is completed the Northport branding will be removed: “The BBC are using the ground to film up until the end of the month and then the ground can be put back as it was. 

“Nothing has been painted over but some stuff has been covered up.” 

The secretary also confirmed the club does charge for the filming which is an important source of income for the club. 

He said a deal was first agreed with the previous committee and the filmmakers, an independent production company, and has been renewed each year.  

Mr Davies said the current committee had come forward when the club’s then directors appealed for help in running the club. He said at first some committee members had put their own money into the club but said the club’s financial situation is now “more stable”. 

At Tuesday’s meeting he said it was confirmed the club’s intention is to remain in the national league structure and there will be fan representation on the committee going forward as a number of supporters had expressed an interest. 

He also said the club is hopeful of appointing a new manager. 

“The current players and the management have done so much given the circumstances that we were left in, we can’t fault them at all,” said Mr Davies. 

“We have made some further signings this week and they should be available and we hope the long term management situation will be resolved shortly.” 

Mr Davies though said he wasn’t familiar with the twists and turns of Northport Rovers so couldn’t offer an opinion on whether Jamie Johnson would be a valuable signing if he really could grace the Victoria Road ground in a Cymru South fixture. 

This article originally appeared on our sister site The National.