Lee John has returned as manager of Llanelli AFC with the club in last place and fighting for survival. The Reds are bottom of the FAW Championship with only two points from their opening 11 league games, leaving them 19 points adrift of leaders Swansea University and seven points from safety.

A dire situation

The scale of the task is immense. Llanelli have not won a league match this season and are on a run of five consecutive defeats. Their most recent result was a 6-0 loss away to Caerau (Ely) last week, which followed a 6-2 defeat at Ynyshir Albions. They have scored just nine goals while conceding 33, leaving them with a goal difference of minus 24.

This disastrous start comes after the club was relegated from the Cymru Premier last May, finishing that campaign with only two wins. The new season began with a 4-1 home defeat to Newport City and by mid-September they had collected just two points from eight matches.

John's previous success

John is no stranger to the club or the challenge of the Cymru South. He previously managed Llanelli from November 2021 to January 2024, leading them to the Cymru South title in the 2024/25 season. After his departure, he joined Afan Lido as assistant manager, and three players from Llanelli's relegated squad followed him there: Sean Cronin, Jamie Baker and Morgan Evans.

His reappointment makes him the newest managerial appointment in the division, with zero days in the role. This contrasts sharply with the league's longest-serving bosses, such as Carl Clement at Baglan Dragons (2,833 days) and Ian Butterworth at Caerphilly Athletic (2,275 days). The average tenure for a Cymru South manager is around 693 days.

Immediate fixture

Attention now turns to halting the slide. The immediate focus is Friday's match against Afan Lido, who currently sit 10th in the table. It is a fixture loaded with narrative given John's recent connection to the visitors. The club has urged supporters to get behind the team for what is a critical match in their survival bid. After that, John's first away game is at Pontypridd United on October 30. The full run of games is on our fixtures page.

Llanelli are one of seven Cymru South clubs to have applied for a licence to play in the Cymru Premier in the 2027/28 season, but their immediate future depends on securing results. The work for Lee John starts now.

The original report is at Y Clwb Pêl-droed