Ivor Hicks was unable to attend the reunion in 2000 but still managed to persuade his parents to delve through past issues of the Cambrian News to find any articles about the games involving Arabs, Astra and Plyn, or any of their players. These are some of the results of that research from matches in 1969 and 1970.....
UCW 0 Knighton 3
The College were blitzed in the first game of the season. Fresher Andy Durrant made a promising debut. John Green and Rowlands were prominent in the College defence. The second half started better for Coll with Jones and Boothroyd worrying Knighton.
In an effort to improve things Chris Fox replaced the out of touch Roughton. Burt took a free kick that was headed against the bar by John Green. Ken Williams and Green presented Knighton with a goal when they collided leaving an empty net for the centre forward.
UCW 3 Llandrindod 2
A vastly improved performance from College and new keeper Lev Edwards played well after a shaky start. The two players that really shone were fresher Durant and Brian Howes. Howes scored a hat trick and at the back Burt marshalled the defence well.
SDC 2 UCW 4
All the UCW team played well with Coupland scoring two brilliant goals. Howes scored the fIrst and Burt rounded of the scoring with a penalty. Fresher Steph Williams made his debut as a substitute.
Llandrindod 0 UCW 3
In this League Cup round 1 replay the College surprised the Spa wining by 3-0. Coupland scored the fIrst after three minutes and outside right Norman Evans got the other two before the interval.
UCW team to play UCW Swansea and Welshpool Amateurs will be as follows:
Ken Williams, Burt, Boothroyd, Roughton, John Rowlands, Alistair Edwards, Durrant, Howes, Coupland, Green. Norman Evans and substitute Keith Bevan.
Astra 3 Arabs 1
"Goals for Astra from Steve McQuade, R Martin and R Dewhurst but it was Bevan and Norman Evans who laid the foundations for this victory. Spike Jones scored a consolation for the Arabs....."
Arabs 2 Machynlleth 1
"Arabs found some of last year's form to win 2-1. Goals by J H Jones and G Lewis secured the points for Arabs......."
Williams hits 8 in Arabs romp
"Arabs topped the bill of goal scorers on Saturday by hammering 11 into the net at Tregaron. Leading the rout was Elwyn Williams with 8; there were two from Mike Jones and an own goal....."
College in UAU semi final
The Aber students regained their form in a courageous all action display against powerful Reading team that contained two English universities internationals. All of the college team played well but special mention must be made of Brian Howes who starred in the back line and Ken Williams who did not make a mistake in goal, and Ken Passmore who substituted for Norman Evans just before the end of normal time. College took the lead minutes into the second half through McQuade only for Reading to snatch a dramatic equaliser two minutes from the end. In extra time Aber proved to have more stamina and Passmore was able to pick his spot and blast home the winner.
Exit Aber in last minute - 13/2/70
UCW 1 Birmingham 2
For 120 minutes at Cardiff the college tried desperately to gain a coveted place in the Universities championship.
In the eighteenth minutes College took the lead when a Burt free kick was deflected to Gary Jones who hit it into the net.
Birmingham dominated the second half and Ken Williams made a brilliant save at the feet of Wortley. A goal had to come and in the 61 minutes Hart equalised.
In extra time the two teams strove for the winner and Green came close from a Coupland cross. When it looked like stalemate Maralee ran through and hit the ball under the diving Williams.
Ffostrasol 2 Arabs 5
"It was certainly not Ffostrasol's day when on an ice-rink of a pitch they allowed the Arabs a comfortable victory. .... The visitors' goals came from neat inter passing from the halfway line and then a quick decisive through ball allowed Spike Jones to score four goals and Derrick Spragg got the fifth....."
Aber Res 3 Astra 2 - 27/2/70
Aber Res had a good win over Astra on Sunday to go top of the table. Astra took an early lead through McQuade but then went 3 -1 down before Coupland scored a fine individual goal.
Machynlleth 5 Astra 5 - 14/11/69
"..... Astra scorched into the lead with goals from Ken Pollock 2, Roger Dewhurst and Steve McQuade. Mach pulled one back but when Bernie Fingleton scored again the game looked all over. Mach were reduced to ten men when Billy Vaughan collided with Jim Kettle. Mach pulled back to level with four more goals...."
Welshpool 4 UCW Aberystwyth 0
"This was the students' second game in two days and they never really got going with striker McQuade well controlled. John Roberts and Bruce Roughton tried hard and Hywel Hughes starred with some heavy tackling in defence.... "
Berriew 2 UCW 1 - 13/3/70
Two goals in quick session ended a period of College supremacy and sent them home pointless. Without two key midfielders, Roughton and Edwards, College made the home side fight hard. For College, Gareth Jones was outstanding in a mobile forward line and Coupland was always eager to take the half chance. The College goal came from the best move of the match when Green found Gareth Jones on the wing he beat a man and laid a perfect pass to Coupland who turned and sent a low shot into the net.
Tough for College
Mid Wales league leaders Barmouth provide attractive opposition for UCW at Vicarage Road on Saturday in the fourth round of the Central Wales Cup.
UCW will choose from: I Edwards; T Burt; K Boothroyd; B Howes; J Rowlands; K Passmore; B Roughton; A Edwards; G Jones; C Fox; S McQuade; A. Coupland; J Green; I Stephens.
UCW 0 Barmouth 4 - 27/3/1970
The League leaders were impressive throughout in this Central Wales Cup game. Under pressure from the start the College back line played well with B Howes and Peter Williams turning in useful performances. The star of the Coll side was clearly Ken Williams with some handling of high crosses. After Barmouth took the lead Alistair Edwards headed just wide. Barmouth again took command in the second half Williams made two point blank saves but Barmouth were well on top and added three more goals.
UCW 3 Knighton 1 - 28/3/70
Playing their second game in two days a tired looking College team played with determination and some flashes of skill to take an early lead.
Edwards made some key saves when College looked liking dropping a point and Passmore and Green were the pick of the back line.
College took the lead after an amazing goal. Tony Burt took a free kick on the half way line and much to the surprise of everyone the ball lifted high over the defence and caught the goalie out of position to drop just under the cross bar.
In the 18th minute Gareth Jones chipped a well judged centre for John Green to head first time into the net.
Eight minutes from the end Fox centred and Coupland scored from close range.
Arabs in the League Cup Final
Arabs 1 Machynlleth 0 - 8/5/70
Machynlleth failed to reach the final of the Aber and District League Cup Final. In a semi-final replay at Park Avenue on Tuesday Arabs beat then them with a goal scored eight minutes from time after a rugged 90 minutes. The Magonians had more chances than the students but failed to take advantage. The only goal came from Spike Jones whose cross from the wing struck a post and bounced in. Near the end Mach keeper David Thomas was sent off.
Aber and District League Cup Final
Penrhyncoch three up at the interval were never in danger of losing the Aber and District Cup Final at Park Avenue.
The Arabs fought back and but for over eagerness and some good covering by the villagers defence might have got a couple of goals. After a while Penrhyn relaxed their grip and the Arabs got a foothold in the game but their forwards could not break down the villagers defence. The Penrhyn team played well throughout the game. Spike Jones and Mike Purslove were the pick of the students' side.
From the Cambrian News in 1995
"On 23 April an ex-Aber Students team played out an exciting match against an Aber and District League Veterans X1 at Blaendolau. The result was 3-2 to the ex-students and a big boost for Aber youth soccer as the match raised £95 for the Aber mini minors soccer.
The ex-students team was made up of players from the late 1960s who played for Arabs, Astra and Plyn. The game was keenly contested, with skill and flair much in evidence from both sides.
The scoring opened early in the first half with ex-student striker Tony "Blaster" Bates displaying his fine goal scoring instincts with a hard struck shot from the edge of the box which bulged the net at the Penparcau end.
Soon Dai Witney's magical skills brought out the best of the Aber and District veterans and a period of pressure resulted in a close-range header from "Nipper" Sutton to make it 1-1.
The ex-Aber students then regained the lead. After some clever build-up on the right by "tricky dicky" German the ball ran loose to Derrick Spragg (famous in Aber circles as being the scouser who could speak Welsh) who was playing in the uncustomary position of left back. A fine looping shot hit with the outside of his right boot found the top right-hand corner to make the score 2-1.
The second half continued in the pattern of the first with both teams creatring fine chances. Spike Jones went close for the ex-students and, at the other end pressure paid off for the veterans when they levelled the score with a well taken goal by guest youth player Huw Bates.
With time running out and referee John Ansell (ex-student and manager of Astra) looking at his watch, the ex-students won a corner on the right. From the well struck cross, Ken Passmore leapt high and headed in the winner to make it 3-2 to the ex-students."
From the Cambrian News in 1967-68
PACKHAM LEADS WAY IN RHAYADER MASSACRE
UCW .....16 RHAYADER .....0
In the words of the BBC Welsh Sports News announcer, "Yes, that is correct... I repeat UCW 16, Rhayader 0. Supporters might be forgiven for thinking that perhaps there had been an error somewhere, but Coll. at last hit the form that they have promised for so long and left luckless Rhayader a battered and thoroughly demoralised team.
..........Tony Burt netted from the penalty spot. The floodgates were now opened and centre-forward Dick Packham, in free-scoring mood led the way with four goals out of the half-time 8-0 scoreline.
The second half saw no let up by UCW, with Woolley, Williams and Packham in devastating mood. Eight more goals were added, including his first goal for Coll by fresher Glyn Lewis, who scored the sixteenth goal after dribbling round the goalkeeper.