Many thought that Glamorgan had turned the corner in 1924 with the emergence of young batting talent in Maurice Turnbull and Cyril Walters, and over the winter months, there were predictions of Johnnie Clay leading his side even higher up the table. These were very wide of the mark as Glamorgan slipped back to the bottom of the table in 1925, and endured thirteen successive defeats before their sole success in a summer which still ranks as one of their worst-ever on the first-class circuit.
In all twenty defeats were recorded, including the game with Essex at Swansea which proved in many ways to be a microcosm of the dreadful season. Set a target of 199, they appeared well set at lunch on the final day with the St. Helen’s scoreboard reading 117/4, and with Jock Tait and hard-hitting all-rounder Trevor Arnott finding the boundary ropes.
But a dramatic collapse set in after lunch with the last four wickets falling for just four runs as Essex won by 38 runs. No wonder that one journalist bemoaned “what a useful side Glamorgan might be if only they could discover two or three dependable batsmen.” No batters passed the thousand-run mark, yet the bowlers enjoyed another productive summer with Ryan claiming 133 wickets and Mercer 96, with the latter – after hours of practice and advice from the coaching staff – adding off-cutters to his already impressive repertoire of swing and seam. It meant that the former Sussex cricketer would open the bowling with the new ball before switching to a shorter run-up and bowling cutters in tandem with the spin of Ryan or Clay. He also relished the maritime conditions at Swansea where he returned match figures of 11/85 against Gloucestershire, including a spell of 6/7 during which he bowled master batsman Wally Hammond with a perfect away-swinger.
Once again, Jack’s good work with the ball was undone by a tame batting performances as Glamorgan slumped to a 66-run defeat, but his excellent form had not gone unnoticed by officials from several Lancashire League clubs. He duly received a series of offers from their scouts who hoped Mercer would turn his back on the Welsh county, especially as the Club had started a cost-saving exercise and had already told Mercer that his salary would be cut for 1926.
The Glamorgan officials held their breath fearing they might lose one of their bowling gems, but as Mercer told journalists, “I am very happy in South Wales. Although it has disappointed me that Glamorgan have so far this season failed to get going, I am not discouraged. I intend to stick by the Club and I believe before long we shall be able to prove that we are a better side than our record to date.” Reduced terms were also offered to other professionals with Eddie Bates, Emrys Davies and Helm Spencer rejecting at first what they saw as inadequate terms. Bates and Davies subsequently accepted the offers, but Spencer left the Club.
The reduced salaries were part of a cost-saving campaign undertaken by Club Treasurer Ernie Tyler, a former lecturer at Swansea University, prompted by the Club’s deficit now exceeding £2,000 as the poor form and the absence of a lucrative tourist fixture hit their finances. Without any property of their own, another way of reducing expenditure was to broker a lower rent for the use of the Arms Park and St. Helen’s. Having been a stalwart of the Swansea club, Tyler successfully secured a lower rate for 1926, whilst Norman Riches did the same in Cardiff.
Others committee members argued that Glamorgan should consider boosting their income by playing in other parts of South Wales, especially as many people had a limited amount of spare time and money, and did not want the hassle or cost of travelling by bus or train to either St. Helen’s or the Arms Park. “Take cricket to the people” was the cry and it was not long before encouraging noises came from Pontypridd CC who offered Glamorgan the use of Ynysangharad Park, the valley town’s purpose-built recreational complex which had been laid out on the Taff’s flood plain as a tribute to the young men of the area who had lost their lives in the Great War.
With the Pontypridd club only wanting 10% of gate receipts, Clay led a delegation to inspect the facilities at Ynysangharad Park and to speak further with the local officials. There were smiles all round after seeing the decent wickets, and after hearing about the promises of support from people and businesses in the Taff and Rhondda Valleys. It seemed too good an offer to refuse so the committee allocated the fixture with Derbyshire in 1926 to the Pontypridd club.