Cortez Belle was originally signed for Merthyr Tydfil by Andy Beattie from Newport YMCA in 2003.
He enjoyed a tremendous first season as a Martyr – their first back in the Southern League Premier Division - and moved to Chester City as a centre forward, having scored 44 goals in 34 games.
He played 38 times, scoring 9 goals, for Chester and 22 games and 6 goals on loan at Newport County, before signing for League of Wales outfit Llanelli in 2005.
He then had half a season in the Conference with Halifax Town, scoring 8 goals in 16 games, before signing for Northwich Victoria in January 2008 but left the club later that year to sign for Chippenham Town, who made him their record signing.
But Belle only spent a short time at Chippenham after his contract was terminated due to breach of conduct in December 2008.
Unable to sign for another English team, he returned to Merthyr Tydfil and played in the club's last season in the Southern League before it was liquidated.
Belle signed for Merthyr Town after its re-formation in 2010 and played for the club in Taffs Well before he joined Port Talbot Town in 2010.
He went on to have spells in the Welsh Premier with Carmarthen Town and Connah's Quay Nomads.
Then in October 2015 he re-joined Merthyr following his departure from Port Talbot where he was in his second spell.
In the summer of 2017, he once again returned to Port Talbot, this time as player-manager at the Genquip Stadium.
Graham Vearncombe became something of a legend at Cardiff City and was deemed good enough to go on to represent Wales.
It took Vearncombe three years to obtain the goalkeepers` spot in the Bluebirds team from Ken Howells.
However, when he did do in 1955, he went on to remain part of the first team scene at Ninian Park until 1964, making 208 appearances.
He also earned two full international caps for Wales against East Germany and Ireland and was part of Wales’ only ever World Cup squad at Sweden 1958.
Vearncombe, who also won three Welsh Cup winners` medals, joined Merthyr Tydfil in 1964 after being released by Cardiff and played under Les Graham`s management.
He died in November 1992 aged just 58.
Graham Vearncombe wasn`t the only former international goalkeeper to have worn Merthyr`s green jersey.
George Wood began earning a reputation for himself in the lower divisions in Scotland with East Stirlingshire.
In 1971 he moved `south of the border` to join Blackpool for a £10,000 fee, although had to bide his time as the eccentric John Burridge held the first team spot.
He did go on to play 117 times for the Seasiders before being sold to First Division Everton for £150,000 in the summer of 1977.
He played 120 times for the Toffees before moving to Arsenal for £140,000 – the Gunners seeing him as the successor to the great Pat Jennings.
Wood kept the Gunners legend out of the side for virtually the whole of 1982.
The Scotsman made a total of 133 appearances during a three-year spell at Highbury.
During that time, he was selected in the Scotland squad for the 1982 World Cup and he went on to win four full international caps.
Jennings regained his place at the end of that 1982/83 season and Wood joined Crystal Palace on a free transfer in 1983.
He went on to add over 200 games to his tally with the Eagles and was player of the year in 1986.
In 1987 he moved to Wales to join Cardiff City. He spent time on loan with Blackpool in 1990 and ended his league career with Hereford United in the 1990–/91 season.
In 1991 he signed for Merthyr and enjoyed an excellent campaign as the Martyrs finished a very creditable fourth place in the Conference.
He left to spend several seasons with Inter Cardiff in the League of Wales and also managed them for a spell.
Was an ornithologist with Glamorgan Wildlife Trust but became goalkeeper coach at Hartlepool United, Swindon Town and back at three of his former clubs, Cardiff, Blackpool and Palace.
Whilst with Merthyr, Wood ended up being replaced by a keeper who would become a firm favourite at Penydarren Park - Gary Wager.
Wager spent eight of his ten seasons with Merthyr in the Southern League after becoming legendary boss Lyn Jones` first signing on joining the club in 1985.
Wager arrived from Welsh League runners-up Bridgend Town and went on to help the Martyrs win the Midland Division title in 1987/88 and the Premier Division the following season, winning a place in the Conference.
He went on to become one of the most highly rated keepers at the top level of non-League football and earned Welsh semi-professional international honours as well as Welsh Cup winners` medals and played for the club in the European Cup Winners` Cup competition.
After Merthyr were relegated back to the Southern League in 1995, Wager stayed for a couple of seasons before ending his career in the Welsh Premier with Inter Cardiff where, ironically, he was signed by George Wood, Cwmbran Town and Port Talbot Town.
Ian Thompson was a strong, mobile striker who started his playing days in the Southern League with Poole Town and Salisbury.
It was whilst with the Whites that he really came to the fore, and after scoring 43 goals in just 77 matches, caught the eye of Bournemouth boss Harry Redknapp, who signed him in 1983/84 and was a member of their famous FA Cup giantkilling side that beat Manchester United – and scored in the 2-0 win.
He also played as Bournemouth won the inaugural Associate Members' Cup by beating Hull City in the final.
After 130 games and 30-plus goals, he returned to the Southern League and Salisbury before signing for Newport County upon their relegation from the Football League to the Conference.
However, after their sad demise, midway through the 1988/89 season, Thompson signed for Merthyr and helped them to win the Southern League title and a place in the Conference.
He remained with the Martyrs until 1992 when he joined League of Wales sides Haverfordwest County and then Inter Cardiff.
Andy Beattie is someone who has both played and managed Merthyr.
He was playing for Mangotsfield United when Lyn Jones brought him to Penydarren Park during the 1985/86 season.
A combative midfielder dynamo, his best season in Martyrs colours came in 1986/87 season the club narrowly missed out on promotion. He appeared 63 times that season and scored 20 goals.
He became a prominent member of the Welsh Cup winning team and captained the side against Atalanta in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1987/88.
At the end of that season, he also led the team to the Southern League Midland Division title, playing 57 times and scoring 6 goals.
During the 1988/89 season Beattie led his side to the Southern League Premier Division title and with it promotion to the Conference.
After an impressive career at Penydarren Park his final appearance for the Martyrs was in May 1996 in the 3-2 defeat at Nene Park the home of Rushden & Diamonds.
In total he made 424 appearances for the Martyrs and scored 46 goals.
After leaving Penydarren Park he was appointed manager to the Welsh Ladies Senior international side, and just six years after leaving the Martyrs, he returned to in 2002 as joint manager with John Relish.
At the time the Martyrs were playing in the Western Division of the Southern League and the new management duo led the club to promotion in their first season.
He was forced to leave the club due to ill-health and left his able deputy John Relish in command for the 2004/05 season.
After retiring from the game, he found a career in football with the Welsh FA and as football development officer in Monmouthshire and later returned to football management with Welsh League Third Division minnows Monmouth Town.
Ian Love
Former Welsh semi-pro international striker Ian Love scored in Swansea City's 1987/88 Fourth Division play-off final triumph.
Initially with Cardiff Corries, he was a prolific scorer for Barry Town and Merthyr Tydfil, then had a spell with Hong Kong side Eastern prior to joining Swansea in August 1986.
He netted 8 goals in 41 League games while at the Vetch Field before being sold to Torquay United for £2,000 in March 1989.
Later with Cardiff City on a non-contract basis, then Barry again and Lisvane, he re-joined Cardiff Corinthians as player-boss.
Central defender Mel Nurse was born and raised in Swansea and made more than 300 appearances for his home-town club during two spells, first from 1955 to 1962 and then 1968 to 1971.
After joining the groundstaff at the Vetch in 1955, he made his League debut in the Swans’ 6-1 win at home to Leicester City nine months later.
He was ever present in 1959/60 and starred in the 1961 Welsh Cup final success before joining Middlesbrough for a then-club record fee of £25,000 in October 1962 – four years after the Swans turned down a bid of £35,000 for him from Manchester United shortly after the Munich air disaster.
Nurse returned home after a spell at Swindon Town and helped the club win promotion in 1969/70, eventually ending his Swans career with 16 goals in 308 games.
Capped a dozen times for Wales, he continued to play on with Pembroke Borough in the Welsh League before being tempted to join Southern League Merthyr Tydfil by his former international team-mate, the legendary John Charles, who was the Martyrs player-manager at the time.
He later established himself as a successful businessman in the Swansea area and had a stint on the Swans’ Board of Directors in the 1980s.
And he played an important role in saving the club from being wound up after the gates were locked at Vetch Field in 1986.
He was also a central figure in 2001/02 as he spearheaded the consortium which helped save his beloved club from severe financial problems.
Kevin Rogers earned himself a place in Merthyr`s history when he scored the first goal in the club`s famous 2-1 European Cup Winners’ Cup victory against Atalanta in 1987.
A local Merthyr lad, he was one who the Welsh `big boys` missed out on for a start as he was signed by Aston Villa in 1979.
However, the Wales Schoolboy and Youth international failed to break into the very good Villa side of the time – they won the First Division and European Cup during the era – but he did manage to play 9 times in the top level of English football for Birmingham City after transferring across the city in April 1993.
However, in July 1984, he was given a free transfer and he joined then-Fourth Division Wrexham and played 35 times for the Dragons and also appeared for them in the European Cup Winners` Cup.
He stayed in north Wales and had a season with Rhyl, then in the Northern Premier League, in 1985/86 before returning home to Merthyr and signing for the Martyrs in 1986.
As mentioned above, Rogers was a member of the side who won the Welsh Cup by beating Newport County and earning a place in the European Cup Winners` Cup.
He went on to become a firm favourite at Penydarren Park, earning a player of the year award in 1988/89, and added a Wales semi-pro international cap to his earlier Schoolboy and Youth representative honours.
He helped the club to promotion as Southern League champions in 88/89 and played for the majority of their six-year tenure in the Conference before hanging up his boots.
But in 2006, he was back in the game after being appointed as assistant to Brian Sparks as manager of Troedyrhiw, then playing in the Second Division of the Welsh League and remained in post when Cohen Griffith took over as manager and the club were relegated to the Third Division.
When Griffith stepped down in May 2009, Rogers took over as manager, but left the post early the following year.
Cohen Griffith never played alongside Kevin Rogers but both played for the Martyrs, although by the time the former was at Penydarren Park, he was 35 and had lost a good deal of his pace which, in his hey-day, was his main weapon.
Indeed, by the time he earned his career-changing and life-altering move to Cardiff City top become a professional footballer, he was 27 years of age.
Born in Guiana, Griffith's parents moved to Leicester when he was just 18 months old.
Griffith honed his skills in Leicestershire`s lower levels of non-League football, playing for thew likes of Wigston Fields and Houghton Rangers and in the Southern League Midland Division for Leicester United, before earning a step up to the Conference with a move to Kettering Town in 1988.
He helped the Poppies enjoy a great run in the FA Cup in 88/89 with wins over Bristol Rovers and Halifax Town, where his wonderful solo effort against the Shaymen was shown on BBC`s Match of the Day, before they lost 2-1 at Selhurst Park against Charlton Athletic.
But his performances caught the attention of a number of clubs and his days as a payroll clerk in Leicester looked like being over.
The Poppies secured a substantial £60,000 fee as Cardiff City became his final destination, although it was rumoured that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and his local club Leicester City were also interested.
But the promise of regular first team football from then-Cardiff manager Len Ashurst lured him to Ninian Park, where Griffith went on to enjoy a six-year spell, making 234 appearances and scoring 39 goals.
It is why it stings when he talks about his exit in 1995. Eddie May wanted him to sign another contract, but Griffith says then chairman Rick Wright thought differently.
In 1995, Griffith left Cardiff and signed for League of Wales side Barry Town.
After a couple of successful seasons at Barry, alongside his former Cardiff team-mate Chris Pike, Griffith signed for Merthyr in 1997.
He made his debut for the Martyrs in the 1-0 win at Nuneaton Borough on the opening day of the 97/98 season.
He contributed 10 goals as Colin Addison’s side lost out to Forest Green Rovers in promotion and a return to the Conference.
But it was there he suffered a horrendous injury when his studs got caught in the ground and the effects of the incident were lasting.
He recovered enough to have his swansong season as a player at Rhayader Town in 2001/02.
He went into coaching once he hung his boots up and also went into schools as a lecturer at Coleg y Cymoedd in Ystrad Mynach, working in the sports department.
In February 2008 he took over as manager of Welsh League Third Division minnows Troedyrhiw but stepped down in May 2009
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