KERRY Football Club has a long and rich history.

Indeed Kerry can lay claim to being a pioneer with football first played in the village as early as 1876.

Local press reports include mention of Kerry Football Club hosting Newtown Football Club at a ground called Maesland.

This would make Kerry Football Club one of the oldest clubs in Wales.

The Montgomeryshire Express reported the meeting between Newtown and Kerry on February 1, 1876.

'On Saturday afternoon, a return match was played on the Old Racecourse Ground, between the Newtown club and Kerry - the first match had been played two weeks before and had been drawn.

Members of both clubs had been entertained to luncheon by Mr Robert Pryce, the highly esteemed landlord of the Herbert Arms, Kerry and father of the captain of the Kerry Club.

A large crowd watched the game - Mr Ray winning the toss for Newtown - game was well contested and after continuing for two mortal hours when the shades of night set in, the contestants had to be called off the field and the game declared a draw.'

Kerry continued to be an active player in the pioneer days of Mid Wales football.

In 1880 the club beat Newtown's Royal Welsh Warehouse 1-0 and in 1886 the club hosted the first recorded 'Dingle Derby' against Abermule with the Montgomeryshire Express reporting a "very rough" 2-2 draw.

Kerry were also founder members of the Newtown League in in 1896 along with Newtown Half Holiday, Caersws, Cambrian North End, Newtown Royal Welsh Warehouse and Bettws.

Following the end of World War One the club joined the Montgomeryshire League for the first time inn 1936/37 and ended runners-up but would play only one further season in the league before the outbreak of World War Two.

Kerry were members of the Montgomeryshire League once again from 1946 to 1951 before folding and reformed in 1959.

Kerry ended runners-up in two consecutive seasons in 1966 and 1967 before falling into the newly formed Montgomeryshire League second division at the start of the 1970s and folding in 1972.

The club returned in 1979 and remained an ever present in the second division until 1995 when they secured promotion.

The following season saw the club win the Montgomeryshire League for the first time in their history and secure promotion to the Mid Wales League.

The club's remarkable rise continued with the Mid Wales League title won in 1998 and 1999.

Kerry continued to compete in the Mid Wales League until relegation in 2009 saw the club fall back into the Montgomeryshire League.

However the club regrouped and joined the newly formed Mid Wales League second division in 2010 before reclaiming its lost first division status in 2017 as champions.

Since the club has never looked back with ground developments at Dolforgan Park ensuring the Lambs in contention for next season's revamped third tier.

Manager Alex Cookson believed the club's success lay with its close links to the community and work in developing locally based players.

"I think what makes us different is that we are wholly a community and local club," said Cookson. "The vast majority of our squad were born and raised in Kerry.

"The odd player lives outside with one in Forden, Churchstoke and Llaithddu.

"We have several pairs of brothers and the majority of the lads went to primary school and high school together."

Cookson and assistant Jordan Morris are also Lambs through and through.

"I have been involved with Kerry for six years having gone from player to reserve team player/manager and then first team manager in that period.

"Jordan Morris has been involved since he was an under 13s player which was 12 or 13 years ago now."

Meanwhile the club's off the field staff remained as important as the playing and coaching staff with Cookson keen to praise their efforts.

"We have so many people who give their time to the club but special mention to Joe Andrew the groundkeeper.

"We've only had three games called off in two seasons.

"Meanwhile Mike and his wife who run the tea hut and sort the lads kits out never miss a game."

"The effort and work that has gone in behind the scenes over the last few years mean it would be really disappointing not to be in Tier 3 next season and the players, staff and board members are working hard to ensure we get there."