Being Jamie Breese.

I will confess to not knowing too much about Jamie Breese when he signed for the Canaries last summer. 

I was aware that he had ended the 2014/15 season as top scorer in the Huws Gray Alliance League, with twenty eight goals in thirty matches, and so it obviously seemed a good move by the Iwan Williams to bring him to the Oval. 

Topping year-end scoring charts is an impressive achievement in itself but to do so whilst playing for a team that finished fourth from bottom of the table was rather special and so I, like many other supporters I spoke with at the time, was looking forward to seeing our new striker in action during pre-season.

Of course, Jamie starred in the pre-season friendlies and the rest, as they say, is history. Or history being made would be more apt, as our number nine has continued his goalscoring escapades with the Canaries and presently sits top of the goalscoring table, having found the back of the net eighteen times so far this season. 

I’ve been lucky enough to have seen all bar two of the sides matches this season and can safely say that Jamie is up there with the best Caernarfon centre forwards I’ve seen in thirty years of following the side. Before this season I would have named Eifion Williams as the best striker I’ve seen in the yellow shirt but Jamie is certainly getting close to him and if stays with us for a few seasons, I’m sure he has every chance of surpassing Eifion’s goalscoring feats. 

So, whilst I know how good a footballer Jamie is, I still didn’t know too much about him and, as he seems quite a reserved person I decided to rectify this by asking if he fancied taking part in an interview for the blog. Thankfully, Jamie agreed and has gone the extra mile with his answers, giving lengthy and interesting replies to everything I put to him. 

So, a massive thank you to Jamie for taking the time to do this, and for answering everything so honestly and with no complaints. 

The Interview.

Which teams have you played for, from school days to this season?

“I started my career at around the age of five playing for my local side Montgomery town. I spent around four seasons playing there playing, but at that age it’s like bees around honey and goals were abundant. I took part in the Ian Rush Tournament most years for a Mid Wales side. 

At the age of nine I managed to get myself scouted by Everton and Tranmere. The Everton trial never came to anything but I managed to impress at Tranmere and signed straight after the training session. I was at the club for three years which was a great experience for me and I learned a lot, but came to end at around the age of twelve due to having a new manager and the term I like to use "If your face fits you'll do well". Unfortunately for me no matter how many goals I scored or how well I played I was never going to be in his plans. However, it’s nice to see that three players out of my team, Tom Ince, Scott Wotton and Max Power have now gone onto become professionals. 

After leaving Tranmere I had a twelve month spell of having six month trials at Shrewsbury and Wrexham. Again nothing came of this. By this time I was in high school and just wanted to get back to enjoying football again after having some knock backs. I spent one season playing for Llanfair Caereinion who are now currently in the Cymru Alliance. Some of the players are still in that team that I played with all those years ago. They have a great manager in Rhys "Swarv" and hopefully they can manage to stay up this year. 

I moved from Llanfair to play for Waterloo. This was a team where all my school friends were playing and I had two great seasons there winning many trophies. By now I was old enough to sign for a youth team so I signed on with Newtown. I made my way through the system and up to the first team at around the age of 17-18. The manager at the time was Darren Ryan and he liked the way I played. I had one full season of playing in the Welsh Premier before he left. Andy Cale came in and I knew after a couple of games of just sitting on the bench and not playing that it wasn't going to work out for me under him. I managed to go on loan to Welshpool for the remainder of the season just to get some game time. 

In the summer of 2011 I signed for my previous club Llanidloes Town. They were playing in the Mid Wales division one league at the time and we just missed top spot the first season but managed to clinch it in the second. The club had two years in the Cymru Alliance and were unlucky to go down last year due to five teams going down. 

Being top goalscorer and player of the season helped me a lot in staying in this league. I didn't really want to go back down in the pyramid so when I got the phone call from Iwan I was excited to hear what he had to say. Once I knew he was interested there wasn't any other club I wanted play for. Caernarfon have always been such a big club and have a lot of history. I let him stew for a couple of weeks though!”

Have you always played as a striker?

“Yes I have always played the striker role since I can remember. It can be a tough role when you’re on a "Strikers Run" of not being able to hit a barn door, but there is no better feeling from my point of view than scoring for your team, especially if it’s a "Worldie" or a last minute winner.”

Who has been the biggest influence on your career?

“My parents have to be the biggest influence throughout my career. They both gave up a lot to give me the chance of making it as a footballer. My Dad mainly as Mum was always a bad omen, I’d either get injured or have a bad game when she came to watch so she decided to stay away!! Dad spent a lot of his time driving me all around the country to play in games and attend training when I was younger, especially when I was at Tranmere when we would be travelling up to Liverpool at least twice a week. Looking back now that is a massive commitment when you have a full time job and also the cost involved. I could probably count the games he has missed since I started my career on one hand, so I have massive respect for the both of them for that.”

Which professional team do you support?

“I support Liverpool FC. My old man brought me up supporting them from an early age. Although the club have had some good times over the years (mostly before I came along!) the current team can be somewhat frustrating to watchat times. They need to buy a few players in the summer and have a good pre-season. You can see what Klopp is trying to do at the club and hopefully next year we can be back challenging for at least a champions league spot.”

Who was your favourite player when growing up?

“There were some great strikers playing when I was growing up. You had the likes of Ronaldo, Raul and Shevchenko but for me the player who I looked up to is a bit more recent than that. Fernando Torres during his spell at Liverpool. I've lost count the amount of times I have watched his goals on Youtube for the club! His movement off the ball was class and everything he hit went in. One goal always stands out for me and it was the one against Blackburn at home. He took the ball on the chest on the right hand side of the box with his back towards goal, and somehow smashed it back across the keeper into the top corner. You asked yourself how that was even possible! Although he hasn't been as good since leaving the club, in my eyes he still is a top class player and personally I think he should have stayed at Liverpool instead of moving to Chelsea.”

What did you know about Caernarfon Town before you joined and had you played against us in the past?

“To be honest I didn't really know too much about the club before I signed, I just knew that they used to be in the Welsh Premier a few years ago. I have only ever played Caernarfon five times if I can remember correctly. The first time was when I was playing for Newtown. And it was that long ago I can’t remember anything about the game. The other times were over the past two years while I was playing for Llanidloes Town. We managed to get a draw at home but all the others resulted in a loss.”

How did your move to Caernarfon come about and did you know Iwan before you joined us? 

“Iwan messaged me through twitter basically asking me what my plans were for the season and was I interested in doing a bit of travelling. He told me his exact plans for the squad, and how I would fit into his system. I liked what he had to say straight away and I knew this was the right move for me. I didn't really know Iwan that much before I joined. I had played against him a few times but that was about it.”

Did you know any of the players in the squad? 

“No I didn't know any of the players within the squad before I signed. I knew who the players were as I had played against pretty much all of them over the previous two seasons. That didn't bother me at all, as you soon get to know everyone after the first training session.”

You seemed to settle down quickly at the Oval. Was it as easy as it looked to us from the terraces and if so, why? 

“I have to say a massive thank you to everyone connected with the club for that. They were all very welcoming and supportive which helped me settle down very quickly. It felt like I had been at the club for years and think I can say that for all the other lads who signed in the summer as well.”

I know that Iwan is determined to ensure the team is always well prepared for matches  and was wondering how the training was like last summer, and how has it been during the season?  

“That's one thing I have been very impressed with. He is very organised and knows exactly what he wants to focus on in training to get us ready for the next game. The very first training session in the summer I turned up to, the pitch was just full of cones. You just knew you were going to be dying by the end of it, and I wasn't wrong either! Saying that it felt good to get the cobwebs off. I try to get up to as many sessions I can especially with living so far away. The sessions are enjoyable and all the lads can have a good crack, but at the same time they are short, sharp and intense drills with a purpose for the upcoming game.”

From where I stand, the players all seem to get along well together and look to be a very close outfit. Would you agree with this and, if so, why do you think you’re such a close unit?

“Yes I would definitely agree with that. We are a very close team on and off the pitch. There is some great banter at training and in the dressing room leading up to games. Jay Gibbs and Joe Williams are the main culprits with ‘Weetabix head’ (Grahame Austin) being their target!! I think you can see that team bonding being taken onto the pitch as well. Although some performances haven't been up to the standard we would like, everyone pulls together to grind out wins. That all comes down to the gaffer’s philosophy of this "togetherness" that he wanted from the start of the season. You can bet your house on him saying it every weekend in his team talks. The lads give him some serious stick for it, but what he is saying is right.  We are all in this together and are all aiming at getting this club back to where it belongs.”

You mentioned earlier that you were already aware that Caernarfon Town was a big club but has it lived up to that reputation? 

“Very much so. The following that the club enjoys has to be the biggest I've ever played for. We are getting gate numbers higher than most clubs currently playing within the Welsh Premier and as a player you dream of playing in games in front of loads of supporters.”

What do you think of the Caernarfon Town supporters and have they surprised you with how much passion they have for the team?

“The fans have been absolutely unbelievable all season. They are that "twelfth man" and have helped us through many games. Even when things aren't going our way or we aren't playing well they never get on the teams back. I remember the conversation Iwan had with me about the supporters before I agreed to sign. I think his exact words were "The supporters are nuts, they absolutely love it" and I think it’s fair to say he wasn't wrong. The passion that they have for the club is unbelievable. We as players really appreciate their support and hopefully we can re-pay them by going on to win the league and league cup.”

What have been the highlights of your time at the Oval thus far?

“If I were to pick out a highlight this season it would have to be the game against Bangor in the Word Cup. It was a game you dream of playing in, a big rivalry in front of over 1000 fans. The night couldn't have gone any better either, with us winning the game and me getting the goal that clinched it. The scenes after the final whistle were like nothing I had ever seen before and it showed how much it really meant to the fans.”

Have there been any big disappointments so far this season?

“I think one disappointment this season has to be the Welsh Cup. Iwan had targeted the Cup as one he wanted to do really well in. We had many chances in the first half to put the tie out of reach but we were unable to convert our chances. Second half we never really got going and before we knew it we were 3-0 down. Although we got two goals back and slowly started to find our rhythm there wasn’t enough time left to get the goals we needed to get through.”

After a slightly slow start to the campaign, the team has been on an impressive run of form. What do you think has contributed to this?  

“It wasn't the best start to the season by any means especially after the good pre-season we had. After the draw against Holywell and then the loss at home against Prestatyn we knew we had to get a win at Denbigh and thankfully we did. You could see the relief in the changing room at getting the first three points on the board. It settled the team down and we just kicked on from there really.”

Which of the teams you’ve faced has impressed you the most this season, and which defence has been the hardest to play against?

“I’d have to say Guilsfield and Holywell have impressed me this season. They are teams like us who like to get the ball down and pass it around. We played Holywell in the very first game of the season and they did that really well and we were lucky to come out of the game with a draw. The same with Guislfield at home, when we couldn't get anywhere near them in the second half and we lost the game 3-1. Cefn Druids have a good defensive line up and it was a frustrating game for me at home, as I didn't have many chances at goal. We play them again in a couple weeks time so I’ll be looking to get myself on the score sheet this time.”

You’ve played against Caernarfon’s defence for Llanidloes and I was wondering what you remember about coming up against our back four. Is it as hard as it looks? 

“When you’re playing against the top defensive sides in the league you know your afternoon isn't going to be an easy one and more so when you’re playing against the defence who have conceded less goals than anyone else! Our defence has been superb again this season with only conceding seventeen goals. As a striker I'm glad they’re on my team this year and not the other way around!”

Summer football or are you a traditionalist?

“I am a traditionalist. It’s nice to have free weekends during the summer months when the weather is nice. Saying that though it does get very frustrating when games get called off due to waterlogged or frozen pitches.”

Everyone connected with the club would love to win the Huws Gray League and get promotion. Has this been the team’s main target all season?

“Yes it certainly has. Before I even signed, Iwan made it very clear that his main objective was to win the league and gain promotion. This was one of the reasons why I wanted to sign as we both wanted to achieve the same goal of getting back to the Welsh Premier.”

You’ve mentioned the many setbacks you’ve had along the way so would it mean to you to get back into the Welsh Premier League with Caernarfon?

“It would mean a lot to me to get back up to the Welsh Premier. Looking back I think I was a bit too young when I was at Newtown. I went away and got some good experience, especially these last three seasons in the Cymru Alliance and I think I'm now ready to give it another shot. As for Cearnarfon, we all know how much it would mean to everyone connected with the club to get back up to the Prem. We have seven massive games left and I'm confident we can achieve this and get the club back to where it belongs.” 

Woolly hats seem to be fashionable amongst the Cofis players this season, and in his Oval Ways interview Iwan poked some fun at the headgear being used by the players, including your snapbacks. What do you think Jamie, and does Iwan, as he has also hinted, possess superior fashionable sense to everyone else in the squad? 

“Fashionable??? Hahahahaha, I don't know what planet he is on sometimes! The lads give him some fair stick for the clobber he owns. We have a team night out coming up and it will be interesting to see what the "fashion king" rolls up in.”

Who’s got the best and worst music taste in the dressing room?

“The worst has to be Iwan!! I really don't know where he gets his music from, some of the remixes he pulls out are shocking, and the amount of stick he gets is hilarious. Saying that he sent a message in the ‘whatsapp’ group requesting a song from everyone as we complained too much about his "top tunes". There were some shockers there but I have to make a special mention about Pritch's song. He chose the Champions League song as it reminded him of the ten second appearance he made in the tournament a few years ago. I'm glad I wasn't him when that one came on in the dressing room!! As for good music I can’t really say as Iwan always hogs the speakers.”

Who’s your favourite singer/ group?

“I don't really have a favourite group or singer. I like a bit of house music so I’ll listen to any DJ that puts some good tunes out there.”

Who’s your favourite actor/actress?

“I’d have to say Mark Whalberg or Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. My DVD rack has got a few of their films on it.”

What’s your favourite film?

“I wouldn't say I have a favourite film. I do quite like all seven Fast and Furious films and they’re ones I could watch again and again. My misses hates them, so whenever they are on the TV I always try and sneak it on.”

According to the chairman, Arfon, he had some wise words for you before the Mold match which he believes was the real reason you scored four goals! What’s your take on this story? 

“I can’t disagree with him there. He just pointed out to me that the ball needs to go between the white sticks. I took his advice on board and took it out onto the pitch with me. It worked, so I have now asked him for the same chat before every game until the end of the season! 

On the subject of the chairman I would like to thank him for everything he has done for me personally, and the team this season. Even though I have only been at the club a year I know how hard he has worked over the last six years to get this club back to where it currently is. I know all the lads are determined to give him the perfect send off and it will be sad to see him go, but I wish his all the best in his retirement and hopefully we’ll see him at a few games next year.”

Did you see the photos of Gaz, Rob and Joe eating McDonalds after a training session recently? You’d never do that would you, Jamie?

“I did see the photo, and I must confess I have done that once this season. I do try and look after my body after training sessions and games. I usually have a protein shake, a pint of water and something decent to eat. That healthy mindset only lasts until I get home though, especially at weekends!” 

How did it feel to score four against Mold, and had you ever scored that amount, or more, in a senior match previously?

“It felt really good to get one goal let alone four, especially after not getting on the scoresheet for the three previous games. I scored four goals last season against Penycae at home for Llanidloes so I’ve equalled my record for most goals in a senior match.”

You’re a big favourite with all the supporters Jamie, and I was wondering if you have a message for the Cofi Army?

“I would just like to say again a massive thank you to all the fans, firstly for the welcome  they gave me and also for their continued support over the season. #CofiArmy.”