Wednesday 30 December 2015

Random Highlights of 2015 Part 1.

The past twelve months have been quite eventful for Caernarfon Town Football Club and I hope that through the blog I’ve been able to accurately describe what it’s been like following the club from my perspective as a supporter of the team and a member of the club’s Board. As 2015 comes to an end, the advent of 2016 also marks the blog’s first birthday and I thought it might be a good time to cast a glance back at the past year. However, rather than repeating what I’ve already said over the past thirty blog entries I want to mention some of the highlights and otherwise from where I’ve been standing, usually on the cold touchline, with my camera and note pad!
So, this was 2015, in a very random way, as seen from the Oval Ways Headquarters…. 
Favourite Goals.  
We’ve seen a few great goals scored by Cofi players in 2015 and, of course, Darren Thomas’ strike  against TNS would definitely have been amongst the front runners were it not for the fact that it  happened in late November 2014. However, I think it warrants at least a mention in this inaugural, and totally unofficial, celebration of Town’s best goals due to the fact that  I, and over 30,000 other people,  saw it on the big screens at half-time during the Wales v Belgium match in Cardiff City Stadium in June. What would Belgium’s national team have done for a similar strike from one of their strikers on the night? Anyway, my top three goals for 2015 are: 

Ywain Gwynedd’s bicycle kick strike against Llandudno at the Oval during our 3-0 victory. I know some of you will be thinking that an overhead kick by Yws was probably nothing special as the ball must only have been about three feet from the ground but to be fair to the Cofi Keegan, it was a wonderful finish and amongst the best I’ve seen at the Oval. I’m not sure if he scored again for the team after this one but if he didn’t it was a wonderful way to finish! (The photo on the right shows Yws celebrating his strike with Steve Lewis.) 
Jamie Breese’s winner against Denbigh Town this season. This may be a surprise to some but it’s here not just because it was an excellent finish but, just as importantly, the team and player himself needed it! After an impressive pre-season, the team had not gelled as well as everyone had thought, and one point in the first two league matches had given us all a reality check.
The teething problems had continued into the match at and, when the hosts took the lead early on, I had a feeling things were about to get worse. However, the players clicked into gear in the second half and when Gareth Edwards levelled, the match was set up for a late winner. Enter one Jamie Breese. The goalgetter had seemed a little frustrated in the previous matches but he came into his own on the night and bagged the points with a clinical finish. The photo (right) shows the winner going on and, in addition to proving my limits as a photographer, I hope it gives everyone an idea of what it looked like. One thing is for sure, the strike immediately seemed to lift the players and supporters and from that moment on, the team improved on a weekly basis. 
Nathan Craig’s free kick against Denbigh at the Oval just before this Christmas. I was sitting behind the goal when Nathan’s effort flew into the top corner of the onion bag and was stunned by the strike. The keeper didn’t move and when two well-respected football people told me after the match that it was the best free-kick they had ever seen, then you just know it was something special! I spoke to Nathan afterwards and he told me that he was aware of the direction of the wind and just decided to hit the ball as hard as he could and hope for the best! I’m sure there was more to it than that but, as everyone will know, Nathan is one of the most modest people around and he seemed somewhat embarrassed by being congratulated on the strike! There is a video of the goal somewhere on facebook and it's well worth seeing! I don't have a photo of the goal, but do have one of Nathan standing at the end he scored, obviously checking the Oval angles last Summer and making plans for this season!   
If pushed for a favourite out of the three, my pick would have to be Nathan’s free kick. Absolutely top class!
Iwan Williams masterminded an impressive victory
over Bangor with a threadbare squad. 
Favourite Moments.
Two moments that stand above all are the Word Cup victory at Bangor and the return of Darren Thomas to the club. Rather predictable choices I’m afraid but equally understandable in my opinion.
Playing Bangor City is always a massive occasion and being drawn away in the Cup was a big match for everyone connected to the club. Let’s be honest about this, there is no love lost amongst supporters of the clubs and this has not been helped by the fact that the Citizens have had plenty of success in recent years whilst we have been through a very tough time until three years ago. Add this to the fact that they are our nearest rivals, then any victory over them is always more than welcome! That
Iwan welcomes Darren Thomas back to the Oval.
we deservedly beat them on their own ground, and with a threadbare squad was very sweet indeed!  
The other high-point has been the return of Darren Thomas to the Oval. I was gutted when he left for Aberystwyth in the summer but as thrilled as everyone else when he decided to come back and help us push for promotion. In my opinion, Darren is the most exciting player in Welsh non-league football and it was a real coup to get him back in the yellow shirt.      
Favourite Photo. 
Firstly, I don't think I need to explain that I’m not a photographer and most of the shots I take during matches are dreadful. In fact I would guess that the area's best photographer, Richard Birch, gets more good photos during one match that I have been able to get in the last five years but I console myself in the knowledge that mine are better than nothing! Every now and then, though, I do manage a decent shot and my favourite from 2015 is when I captured the ball on its way into the net from Nathan Craig’s boot against Llandudno in February. When even Mr Birch says it’s a decent photo, then I have to be happy! 
My favourite photo from 2015 as Nathan scores yet another cracker,
this time against Llandudno in a 3-0 victory last february.

Well, that's it for now and I hope that one or two of my choices have brought back some good memories for Caernarfon Town supporters. If not, then maybe I'll pick something that does in the second part of my random highlights from 2015, which I'll be posting soon. 
Paul. 

Saturday 26 December 2015

Three Keepers and Ellis Healing at Centre Half?

Friday’s night’s impressive victory over Denbigh Town at a wet and blustery Oval is the only place to start this time around. I mentioned in the last blog that, after an excellent run of results, Denbigh had suffered three successive defeats, including two 1-6 reverses. Despite this, I think most spectators would have expected a tough battle against Gareth Perry Thomas’ side and this is how it panned out in the first half.
Playing with their backs to the wind I felt the Canaries struggled to get into their usual playing style and, despite leaking fourteen goals in three matches, the visitors’ rearguard looked solid enough. With most of the balls played to Jamie Breese either falling into the hands of keeper Elliot Power or sailing out of play (due to the wind, and not the players ability I should point out) I felt we might have had to settle for a point on the night. However, when Darren Thomas managed to sneak a goal late on it would at least give the team something to hold on to in the second period and, as Town have the league’s best defensive record I suddenly felt there would be every chance of us getting the points.
And then, the second half happened! We scored six more goals. Against the wind. And it could have been more!
Considering the difficult conditions, heavy rain and blustery wind, I would go as far as to say that the Cofis’ performance after the break was amongst the best I’ve seen in many a year. Once Nathan Craig doubled lead with a simply outrageous free kick it was game over for the visitors, who seemed to lose heart immediately. It was a five star performance from Caernarfon from then on and an excellent way to finish their home fixtures for the year. Nathan’s free kick was the highlight for me, followed closely by Kev Lloyd’s goal. Kev had not scored since returning to the club in October and I think it’s fair to say that everyone was as desperate as he was for him to find the net. He has played well since coming back and been praised by the manager for his performances and it was brilliant to see him score again in the yellow shirt. His celebrations spoke volumes about how much it meant to him and it was good to see all his team mates celebrating so much with him. In fact, Grahame Austin rolled back the years (about ten in my opinion!) to sprint the length of the pitch to congratulate Kev, although he did struggle on the way back for the restart! 

I had been looking to get hold of Iwan before the match for a photo and although he is always approachable and helpful I often find it quite awkward to do this on matchdays as the manager is always the busiest man in the ground before kick-off. Having held a team meeting beforehand in the Boardroom I was aware that time was particularly short and so I’m sure being asked to pose with a Santa cap and beard for a photo was the last thing he wanted. Thankfully, he was as accommodating as always and, judging by the response the shot has had on social media, I hope he’ll agree it was worth doing! Iwan comes across to me as being a progressive manager who is always looking at ways of improving the team but I’m not sure that the formation he was looking at for the Denbigh match would have
Healing at Centre Half? 
suited the players. Three goalkeepers with Ellis Healing at centre half is definitely an interesting idea but I’m pleased he decided to stick with a more orthodox line-up!
Before moving on I must mention Darren Thomas’ celebrations after his third goal. Darren is not usually prone to bouts of excessive showmanship and so it was quite a surprise to see him stop suddenly after his netfinder before suddenly completing a forward tumble and ending on his back. It all looked particularly innovative and quite unlike Darren until I realised that he was, in fact, suffering from cramp.
Cramp or an elaborate goal celebration?
He received plenty of help from his team-mates but I noticed that this time Grahame Austin decided against another full pitch sprint towards a team mate!
Which brings me nicely to the annual Dave Jones Football Awards. I have enjoyed reading Dave’s end of year summaries over the years and was delighted, and proud, to be included in this year’s list, as Best Press Correspondent. Last year, Dave named Oval Ways and Treble Days as his book of the year, so it was nice to be named again in the list and get Caernarfon Town amongst some very big hitters. I was not alone either, as Grahame Austin was given the ‘Evergreen Award’ and Iwan was named as the ‘Manager to Watch’. Both deserve their recognition more than I do although thankfully Dave did not see Grahame taking an age to return to his own half after congratulating Kevin on his goal as he may have had second thoughts! On a serious note, I feel very proud to be part of the list and look forward to one day catching up with Dave, who is such a vital part of the grassroots game in North Wales.
Those who read my last blog entry, titled ‘A chameleon car and state of the art lawnmower’ may recall that I mentioned the gift made by the Football Association of Wales to Bangor City of pitch covers and a state of the art lawnmower. Not long after I posted the blog I received a tweet from the FAW’s Head of Competitions, Andrew Howard, who pointed out the equipment had been paid for out the Welsh Premier League broadcast money and not from the FAW’s budget. This had not been made clear in the newspaper article I had read, which included a quote from FAW Secretary Gwyn Derfel, but my point remains unaffected, being that the equipment was bought for a club that enjoys big gates, and therefore decent gate receipts. Gwyn Derfel stated that the FAW needs to assist clubs with grass pitches which is good, but it was not too long ago that they gave the same club £350,000 to spend on a 3G pitch, as part of a scheme to improve playing surfaces in Wales. I gather this 3G pitch is used for training purposes by the Academy, which is brilliant, although I’m not sure if the first team use it? I’m certainly not criticising the Citizens but do believe it’s a shame the FAW can find money from one pot to help one of the biggest clubs in North Wales whilst smaller outfits, and particularly those in the lower leagues, are finding it almost impossible to improve their facilities. As I pointed out to Mr Howard in my reply on twitter, if the FAW can use the broadcast money in this way, it may be a good idea to look at trying to secure television coverage for matches at more of a  grass roots level.         
It’s been brilliant seeing photos on social media of supporters wearing the Caernarfon Town kits Father Christmas has brought them this year. Judging from the shots, Jamie Breese and Kevin Lloyd have been popular choices although I think we may well be seeing a few shirts around town in the next few weeks bearing the numbers three and ten, those usually worn by Nathan Craig and Darren Thomas respectively.
Finally, I just have to include a photo of this year’s best Caernarfon Town Christmas jumper. I’ll keep the very happy recipient of this Christmas gift to myself for now but whoever designed it is a true artist!        

     

Wednesday 16 December 2015

A Chameleon Car and State of the Art Lawnmower.

By the time I head to the Oval on Friday night (18/12) four weeks will have passed since I’ve seen the Canaries play, and I’m suffering withdrawal symptoms. Oh, how I’ve missed the touchline coldness, the ice cube feet, the banter and, most of all, the beautiful game played by the team. Yes, I’ve been watching a few matches on the box but no amount of prima donna football on Sky TV, where every team boasts its own Greg Louganis, and nearly every manager is whingeing about yet another ‘World’s Worst Ever’ refereeing decision, can really compensate for the absence of grass roots football.  
The pitch at  Llanfair Utd. 
When I last saw the side, Mold had been put to the sword and we were flying. Playing well, scoring freely and top of the league, the next match could not come quickly enough. Then the weather, and Storm Desmond hit, and it’s been Christmas Shopping time for me!
Well, that’s not strictly true, as I was well on my way to the league match at Llanfair two weeks ago before receiving the dreaded call to say that it had been called off. I usually enjoy hearing from John Watkins, but this was one call I did not want from the Club President.
With the Chairman and Chairman of Vice as company, the general feeling as we set off for the match was of surprise the pitch had passed its early morning inspection. It had been raining incessantly for two days and if truth be known we had expected it to be called off. Nathan Craig posted photos from the ground on facebook and we feared the worst but, hoping against hope, we continued through the driving rain and were just twenty minutes from our destination when John phoned.  
I have had the pleasure of travelling to matches with the Chairman of Vice on a number of occasions in recent years but he had failed to mention his car was some sort of chameleon prototype as it definitely turned from silver to blue for a few minutes after we heard the news! The chairman was his usual calm self of course, and he even magically produced a flask full of steaming hot Oxo which seemed to cool the hitherto equally steaming Chairman of Vice, and his chameleon car!
On a serious note, having looked at a number of photos of the pitch and discussing it with those who arrived at the ground, the playing surface was in a really bad way and I’m surprised the match was not called off much sooner. Of course none of us can control the weather but the pitch must have been near to unplayable earlier in the morning and, considering the horrendous weather forecast and amount of travelling Cofi players and supporters had to do, I would have to question the match official for not using a tad more common sense. I am not sure the home side would have had any influence on the initial pitch inspection, made at 8:45am, and so in my opinion the official who made the decision certainly got it wrong.
We were supposed to play Goytre in the Welsh Cup the following Saturday but this time common sense prevailed and the match was called off twenty four hours before the tie. This was no surprise after Desmond had been doing his worst for a few days but it was good that, unlike the previous week, Aa timely decision was made and we were all saved from a wasted journey on the crystal maze that is the A470.
The match was put back a week and, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to make such a long trip last Saturday, I had selfishly been hoping all week for another postponement as this would have resulted in the tie being switched to the Oval this week. However, the weather, and Goytre pitch, had improved sufficiently for the match to be played and, as you will all now know, it wasn’t a happy day for the Canaries.
I can’t comment on the match itself but have been told that Caernarfon started well and were the best side in the opening half, although the second period was a very different affair. Getting knocked out of the Welsh Cup is always disappointing and the manager, Iwan Williams, summed it up perfectly in his post-match thoughts:'Going out of the Welsh Cup is a bitter pill to swallow. The Welsh Cup is a very special competition with a lot of history and tradition so I'm bitterly disappointed to have gone out in the way we did.”
Of course there will be some saying that getting knocked out of a cup competition will help the team’s title push but I don’t agree with that, and never have. Promotion to the Welsh Premier League has always been the priority for Caernarfon Town this season but it was still good to hear the manager say how disappointed he was at the Cup exit, and that he didn’t revert to the oft quoted line about how ‘the team can now concentrate on the league’. I can’t recall Bob Paisley ever saying such nonsense when Liverpool were winning everything in the seventies and eighties, likewise Ferguson with United and Mourinho with Chelsea, when he was still ‘The Special One’! So, credit to the manager for this, and also for making it clear how important this weeks’ training session is for the players, with places up for grabs in the team this week.
On a personal note, I had to rely on texts from John Watkin for updates on the score and I have to admit I’ve had better experiences! The photo of Jamie Breese to the left perfectly encapsulates how I felt each time I read his messages!  
Wyn the Groundsman.
The weather has been much better this week and therefore there’s a good chance that the Oval pitch will be ready for the visit of Denbigh on Friday night. There are many unsung heroes behind the scenes at every football club, and at Caernarfon Town, our groundsman, Wyn Owen, is someone who deserves to be put in that category. Everyone who has been to the club in recent years will have seen for themselves how
The Groundsman.
good the Oval pitch looks and, from having spoken with players on a regular basis, visiting teams included, the surface is amongst the best in North Wales and on a par with teams in the top tier of the Welsh Pyramid. This is through the hard work of the groundsman, and whatever help he can get when requested. So, a big shout out to Wyn for his excellent work on the pitch.  
Level Playing field?
This brings me nicely on to a recent headline in a local newspaper which announced that the Football Association of Wales has provided Bangor City F.C. with three pitch covers and a state of the art lawnmower. A very nice gesture by the governing body to help out one of the Welsh Premier League clubs in this way, and I can only assume that it is just the first step towards providing similar assistance to all the clubs in Wales. After all, it hardly seems fair that they should provide such help to a club that attracts large home crowds, and therefore gate receipts, and yet they leave smaller clubs with little or no income revenues to fend for themselves. Good on the Citizens for getting some help but I imagine that the cost of the FAW’s recent assistance would go a long way to helping a lot of clubs survive. I know that Caernarfon Town could do with a new ‘state of the art’ lawnmower so maybe we’ll be receiving a call soon?
Before signing off I just had to mention this photo of Caernarfon's Chairman and President showing real interest in committee member Terry Roberts. The shot mysteriously appeared on my laptop just as I was posting this and I have asked both Arfon and John about the subject of their fascination. Both are adamant that they were trying to help Terry with his coat zip and I suppose we'll all just have to take their word for it....

So, onto Friday and a big test for Iwan and the team as they try and bounce back from last week’s defeat. I know that the manager and his staff will be pulling out all the stops to ensure a continuation of the league form that saw the Cofis hit the top of the league in November. Denbigh are a good side but have hit a poor run of form, losing their last three fixtures, which have included two 1-6 defeats. However, I don’t think we should read too much into this, as they have had a number of impressive victories this season against highly rated teams, including a cup win over WPL side GAP Connahs Quay.
Being the first match for over a month at the Oval, I’m sure there will be a decent crowd under the floodlights and I can’t wait to see the team in action again. Hopefully, the weather will be good with us in the days leading up to the match and if it does start raining heavily again, maybe Wyn could ask the FAW for a fast-track on those pitch covers?
Come on the Town!