No Ordinary Joe.

One of manager Iwan Williams’ first signings when he joined Caernarfon Town was Joe Williams, who arrived at the Oval from Llandudno. In the two years he’s been with the club, Joe has been one of the side’s most consistent performers and has become a firm favourite with the club’s supporters. A full-back who loves to push forward, he also enjoys a tackle and, in the two years since he joined the Cofis, he’s proved that he’s no ordinary Joe.

I’ve seen all but two of Joe’s matches for Town, and whilst he is always ready for a chat, and I know Joe to be a really nice man, I knew very little of his footballing background and thoughts on the game, his team-mates and his time at the Oval. With this in mind, I felt Joe was the ideal candidate for the latest exclusive Oval Ways interview and I’m really pleased that he agreed to it.

So, a big thanks to Joe for taking the time to answer all my questions and I'm pretty sure everyone who reads the interview will enjoy it as much as I have. 

    

OW: Can you tell us about your football career up to your time at Caernarfon please Joe? Which teams have you played for, from your school days up to the present?

Joe: “I started off playing for Glan Conwy from the age of about five or six and stayed there till I was 19 I think after we won the FAW trophy. Joined Conwy with Paul Moroney winning the Welsh alliance and played for the tangies for 3 years before I moved to Llandudno winning the Cymru Alliance in my final season there. Since then I've been a Cofi and couldn't be happier at the club.”

OW: Have you always been a defender and if so, why?

Joe: “As a kid I played on the wing and believe it or not I used to score quite a few goals but as I've got older I've slowly moved back towards my own goal and I've ended up at right back.”

OW: Who have been the biggest influences on your career?

Joe: “I'd never tell him but my Dad was probably the biggest influence on me. He always taught me to work hard and never give up and that's something that's always stayed with me. Others that have influenced me were people like Paul Moroney (the scariest man in football!), Alan Morgan and Deiniol Graham. All are great managers and coaches in their own way.”

OW: Which professional team do you support and why?

Joe: “I've always supported Manchester United simply because that's who my dad supports.”

OW: Who was your favourite player when growing up and why?

Joe: “David Beckham was my idol, and he’s probably the coolest man on the planet even now. I had his boots and hairstyle but just didn't have his technique unfortunately.”

OW: Who is your favourite present player and why?

Joe; “Obviously Ronaldo and Messi are just ridiculous. I've got a few players I enjoy watching now though, players like Toni Kroos, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso and Michael Carrick. All are very underrated in my opinion but the vision they have, the positional awareness and the ability to see danger before others do and nullify it is top drawer and often goes unnoticed. Dani Alves is another one I enjoy watching play.”

OW: How did your move to Caernarfon come about?

Joe: “Iwan had been pestering me for about two months to sign and was doing my head in. He turned up at my gym in Rhos on Sea with a signing-on form, a pen and a bottle of red wine so I signed just to shut him up. But he still does my head in even now!!”

OW: Was it an expensive bottle of wine Joe, or was it just a token gesture from the manager?

Joe: “It should have been an expensive bottle the money he's on but the worst thing is I don't even like wine!”

OW: What did you know about Caernarfon Town before you joined us?

Joe: “Obviously before signing I knew Caernarfon was a huge club with a huge fan base but I didn't realise at the time just how big. It's a great buzz playing in front of the Cofi Army every week and games like the ones last season at Cefn Druids and Bangor, and against Bala, Rhyl and Camarthen in the Welsh Cup this season are all games I'll never forget.”

OW: Had you ever played at the Oval before joining us?

Joe: “I had played at the Oval many times before signing and had some memorable wins but also some heavy defeats. I always remembered it being a very difficult place to come to.”

OW: Who would make your five a side Caernarfon Town line-up and why?

Joe:  "That’s a very, very tough question and I’m not sure I can just choose five so I'll pick a 5-a-side squad.

The goalkeeper is easy. I’d have Alex the Cat Rambo with Mike Innes a distant second choice.

Me, because it's my team.

Nathan Craig because he’s simply the best player I've ever played with.

Darren Thomas who is again one of the best players I've played with. He can do things most players can't and is a very clever player.

Jamie Roberts. I really rate him and think he's one of the best young talents I've seen in a long time. He’s technically outstanding.

Jay Gibbs, because he'd be fuming with me if I didn't choose him.

Leigh Craven because he said I had to put him in or he wouldn't invite me to his wedding.

Our water boy would be Kev Bach, our physio would be Mair Williams and our cheerleader would be Richard Davies.

I have to apologise to my good mate Gareth Edwards for not picking him but you can't head the ball in 5-a- side!”

OW: Who do you least enjoy playing against in your training sessions?

Joe: “I love training with the boys and I enjoy it all. I play against Brookwell quite a lot in training as he's a left winger and you've always got to be on your toes against him. Jamie Bach, Nathan Craig, Chris Williams, they’re all quality but that can be said for everyone in the team.”

OW: If you were given the managers’ job for a day, would Iwan get into your side?

Joe: “No.”

OW: Who do you think is the most skillful player in the squad, and who is the fastest?

Joe: “Danny Brookwell is rapid and Breesy isn't far behind either. The most skilful I'd say is Clive "Rabona" Williams, he's 100% after Breesy's number nine shirt!”

OW: Were you surprised at how the team did in your first season with the club?

Joe: “Surprised, no. When Iwan spoke to me about signing for the club he told me from the off that his aim was to win the league so anything other than that would have been a huge disappointment. A club the size of Caernarfon should always be challenging for titles and it'll be the same again next season. We're not here to make up the numbers that's for sure.”

OW: What were your highlights from that first season and were there any disappointments?

Joe: “The victory at Bangor was a massive highlight. That game made me realise how important this club is to the fans, the atmosphere was amazing. I can't forget Druids away though either, again the fans were just unbelievable.”

OW: How did the club’s failure to achieve the domestic licence affect you?

Joe: “Obviously I was hugely disappointed, especially after the season we had. I more than feel the squad we had then and the one we've got now is more than capable of competing in the Welsh Premier league and without a shadow of a doubt that will be our aim next season.”

OW: Following up that league and cup double was always going to be hard. However, finishing runners up in the league, reaching the semi-final of the Welsh Cup and winning the League Cup was still a fantastic achievement wasn’t it?

Joe: “It's a season I'll never forget. Some massive highs in the Welsh Cup and winning the League Cup but also the disappointment of finishing runners up was a bitter pill to swallow. Fair play to Prestatyn though they more than deserved it. They beat us both home and away so I've got no complaints and I wish them all the best next year.”

OW: Did you believe that the team could go on a long run in the Welsh Cup, especially bearing in mind that we needed a penalty shoot out to beat Llangefni in the first round?

Joe: “I think when I look back at the Welsh Cup I forget about the earlier rounds but credit to Llangefni they gave us a tough test that day and the result could have gone either way. During the Welsh Cup you just take it one game at a time but after the Carmarthen victory you could definitely feel within the squad that the momentum and belief was there and it was such a buzz to be a part of. I'd love another Welsh cup run next year that's for sure.”

OW: Do you think the players felt they had something to prove against Welsh Premier League teams in the Cup?

Joe: “I think we know that we can mix it with the teams in that league, on our day we're more than a match for anyone. To be fair to Iwan and the coaching staff, our preparation for all those big games was bang on. We all knew exactly what to do so we had no excuses really.”

OW: What was the highlight of the run for you?

Joe: “The highlight for me would probably be the semi-final. Although we lost it was a great day and I just think in the end with us having so many players cup tied and suspended that took its toll on us as we just ran out of steam. Credit to Bala though, they were a very strong physical team and I was very pleased to see them go on and lift the trophy.”

OW: Iwan has signed three players in the last few weeks. What do you know of Gareth Evans, Rhys Roberts and Mark Griffiths?

Joe: “I've known Evo for years and played with him for a season at Llandudno when we won the league. We built up a good relationship down the right hand side so I'm looking forward to seeing him in training. Mark has always been a prolific striker and has always been a very tough opponent so I'm glad I won't have to play against him next season. Rhys is a no nonsense defender, tough in the tackle and great in the air. I've seen him try and bully Breesy a few times when we've played against Holyhead so I'll enjoy winding them both up.”

OW: Have you played or worked with Sean Eardley before Joe?

Joe: “I don't think I've played with him but I definitely remember playing against him a few times. If it wasn't for his dodgy ticker he'd 100% be making a living from playing football because he was absolutely quality. He's a great character also so I'm looking forward to his changing room banter,  he'll give Kev Bach a run for his money!”

OW: What will be the team's objectives next season and what do you think you can achieve?

Joe: “Obviously our main objective is the league. Bottom line from last season is our league form simply wasn't good enough so we'll be doing all we can to win it again, but it'll be very, very tough. The likes of Airbus, Rhyl, Flint, Holywell to name just a few will all be going for it so we'll have to stand up to the challenge.”

OW: Finally Joe, do you have a message for the Cofi Army?
Joe: “Just to say thank you for your continued support and dedication. I can assure you we'll be working harder than ever over pre-season and we'll all be looking forward to seeing you at the Oval for the start of next season. Best fans in the world!”

Tale of Two Cups and Changing Perceptions.

The words Caernarfon, Welsh, Cup and Town do not have the slightest bit of history of appearing in close proximity to each other. The Canaries have never won the nation’s premier knockout cup and the FAW’s engravers last spell-checked our name twenty nine years ago, when we enjoyed a rare run deep into the latter stages of the competition.

The club has a rather more interesting history with the Football Association of Wales however, ranging from court hearings to exile to hand-slapping, none of which I’ll get into here but all of which you’ll find on the internet without too much difficulty. In all, I would surmise that the relationship has not always been the best example of what it should be between a football club and its governing body!

However, the team’s exploits over the past few months seems to have changed perceptions somewhat regarding both matters as the Cofis made a very rare appearance at the business end in the cup and, in addition to giving all the club’s stakeholders an exciting run to the semi-final, the players and supporters even seem to have impressed the powers that be at the FAW! More of that later….

So, what of the semi-final itself and was the big day against Bala all that it had promised to be? In short, I believe the answer is an unequivocal yes and, for once, not even a heartbreaking late defeat could spoil the experience, although some of us are still probably analysing the match and trying to fathom why the Lakesiders were able to field a full complement of players after the break. That’s another one for later….

After what felt like an eternity between the quarter final victory at Llanfair and our opportunity to shine once more on the national stage, the big day was upon us and, as if I was not already nervous enough, I kicked off the day by saying a few words about the match on Radio Cymru’s ‘Ar y Marc’ show. I’ll be honest and say that, as much as I enjoyed looking forward to discussing the impending encounter I also had a hidden agenda. Having read so much stuff on social media about how Bala were the overwhelming favourites and that Caernarfon were to all intents and purposes there to make up the numbers, it was nice to get an opportunity to remind everyone that, whilst Colin Caton’s men are a good side, the Canaries are also a pretty decent outfit. It seemed to me that many people had forgotten our record under Iwan in all competitions and also our victories over Carmarthen and Rhyl in earlier rounds so it was nice to remind everyone.

The venue for the tie was Rhyl’s Belle Vue, presently known as the Corbett Sports Stadium and, as I haven’t been there for a few years I was immediately transported back to the late nineties as I approached the ground. I can’t remember for sure when I last walked through those turnstiles but I do recall that it was a midweek match, Town lost and I felt utterly deflated on the way home! The journey had actually been a much more enjoyable experience as my less than sober passenger proved to be a rather amusing raconteur!

The first thing that struck me as I walked into the ground was that it is still very much a real football stadium, with a traditional feel to it. I’m not too keen on all these identikit stadia that seem to pop up in every town and city these days and so it’s always nice to visit a proper ground! The Oval has the same ‘feel’ to it although if anyone prefers their matches to be played in a modern, generic stadium there might be one not too far away from us. I was lucky enough to be able to visit the 'home' dressing room and was very impressed with it. Spacious with lockers, fridge, large television, it certainly looked professional and shows what can be done worth more traditional buildings. This is certainly something for us at Caernarfon to look ponder as we continue to work on the ground.

The match itself was a real thriller and, for most of it I felt we were going to get the victory that many outside the club had assumed was beyond the Cofis. Bala had enjoyed plenty of early possession but Town’s defence seemed to cope well with everything, although Joe Williams headed a Stuart Jones effort off his line whilst Alex Ramsay pulled off a super save to thwart a Jones piledriver from close range. Town were in the ascendency after the initial period of Bala pressure and Darren Thomas and Nathan Craig both went close to opening the scoring before the former forced an own goal after causing havoc in the Lakesiders defence with a trademark run off the flank. The Cofi Army were in fantasy land as Messi and his team mates celebrated in front of them and Bala looked shaken as Town took the match to them, Nathan Craig going agonisingly wide to doubling the lead with a volley from an acute angle.

Kevin Roberts.

The only real flashpoint in the whole match occurred when the referee was getting ready to signal the end of the half and Kevin Roberts found himself on the end of a really poor looking challenge from Chris Venables.  The man in the middle was well-placed to see the incident but decided that a yellow card was sufficient punishment for the Lakesiders’ playmaker. I believed at the time that he was lucky not to have been given his marching orders and, having watched the incident a few times since, I am even more convinced about it now. Like most people I’ve spoken to about the incident, I think the referee was rather too lenient with this particular decision.

There was a shift in the balance of play after the break as Caton introduced Lee Hunt to the fray and, as Caernarfon’s backline found themselves under increasing pressure, the striker proved his quality,  finding the net twice as Bala eventually clinched a 3-1 verdict.

It goes without saying that the defeat was heartreaking, especially considering that Caernarfon were ahead with just fifteen minutes to go. In my opinion, although Bala were dominating possession in the latter stages, they were also looking desperate in their search to get back on level terms. To be fair to them, they deserve huge credit for finding a way to breach Town’s excellent backline and going on to win the match and I was pleased that they beat the New Saints in last Sunday’s final. With all due respect to TNS, seeing another team win one of the game’s two major trophies to break the New Saints’ stranglehold on Welsh football must be a good thing for the game in Wales and it goes to prove that favourites don’t always come out on top.

With regards to the Canaries, no amount of credit seems enough to give Town’s management, players and supporters for their performance on the day. Iwan and his backroom staff had prepared the team exceptionally, the players had shown they can live with the Welsh Premier League runners-up and the supporters showed what everyone at the club already knows, that they’re the best in the country, and by a long way!

I heard a Welsh football podcast recently and one of the speakers said words to the effect that the Cofi Army had sprinkled some magic on this season’s Welsh Cup and how right he was. The official match attendance was eight hundred and twenty seven and you can be sure that six hundred of those were backing the team in yellow and green, and what an atmosphere they created! My son is twelve years old and decided to stand behind the goal with the Cofi Army and he absolutely loved it! There were young kids and the not so young in full voice and doing their best to push the side on and together, they very nearly did it! For anyone asking why we have our One Club ethos, and what it actually means, I’d advise them to take a look at a video of the match!

Colin Caton showed a great deal of class when speaking in front of the cameras after the match when he said the Caernarfon fans are the best in Wales and, if anyone had any doubt about it beforehand, the opinion of such a well-respected manager should go far in dispelling those doubts.

Welsh Cup Outstanding Contribution  Award.

Of course, everyone at the club already knew it and, after our amazing Welsh Cup run, it seems that even the FAW has finally acknowledged it. The governing body invited representatives from  Caernarfon Town to the Welsh Cup final on Sunday and presented the club with a Welsh Cup Outstanding Contribution Award. The inscription on the award sums it all up really (see photo) and I was made up that Iwan received it on the club’s behalf. He’s been the main reason behind our success in the past two seasons and it was great to see him being presented with the award by national team manager Chris Coleman. I’ve heard many people saying over the years that one of the best things about being a footballer is that there is always an early opportunity to bounce back from defeat, however heartbreaking it may have been. The old saying proved to be true for the Cofis as seven days after the Welsh Cup exit, the players had had another semi-final to play, this time against Holyhead Hotspur in the Huws Gray Cymru Alliance Cup.

Just two days prior to our trip to the New Stadium, the club received the excellent news that we had achieved the FAW’s Domestic Licence. As everyone with even just a passing interest in Welsh football will know, our failure to get the licence last summer cost us promotion to the Welsh Premier League and we as a Board promised Iwan that we would do everything we could to achieve it this time around.

I may be on the Board but I can’t lay claim to being part of the work that went into gaining the licence and, whilst many people have helped along the way I think it’s fair to say that vice Chairman Marc Roberts, Board member Darren Billinghurst and Iwan himself have been the main players in the successful process.

Now that we have it, there is no way we can let the club fall back into the position of not achieving the licence in the future, and I know the Board is determined to not only ensure this but to also push the forward and reach other targets that will put us on another level again.

So, Holyhead Hotspur stood in the way as we looked to book a third Huws Gray Cup final in four season and, if I’m being honest, I don’t think they ever seemed like upsetting us on the day. Iwan stuck to the same line-up that started against Bala and was rewarded with a thoroughly professional performance from his players.

Jamie Breese scoring

the winner against Holyhead.

The player who so blatantly got Alex Ramsay sent off in the league match between the sides in January was on the field again but this time thankfully Lee Harvey Oswald decided to stay at home and Greg Louganis-lite managed to stay on his feet, which was a real bonus for us. Jamie Breese put the Cofis ahead early on and apart from a few half-chances near the end of the match, the hosts rarely looked like getting back on level terms thereafter. It was an excellent finish by Jamie and needed to be, as former Town stopper Paul Pritchard played well against us for the third time this season. As a bonus for me, I also managed to capture a decent shot of the goal, and I was pleased that the master of North Wales sports journalism, Dave Jones, used it in his online update. Great stuff!

Jay Gibbs.

There were many stand-out performers for Town on the day and whilst Kevin Roberts was named the supporters man of the match I also felt that Jay Gibbs did really well when he came on as a second half substitute. Jay is one of my favourite players and his workrate in the latter stages of the match was a vital factor in keeping Holyhead from finding space to create an equaliser. There was one worrying moment in the second half when Nathan Craig was forced to leave the field because of injury but thankfully he was back in action seven days later. 

There was a surreal moment in the second half when one of the home supporters began talking about the match with us and slipped into the conversation that Caernarfon Town are paying player wages of over three thousand pounds a week. It was an odd statement to make and way, way off the mark but it does go to show how some supporters see other clubs, and how wrong most of them are.

A very happy manager.

All that was left for me to do before setting off for home was carry out a post-match interview with match winner Jamie Breese and, as always, he obliged. Jamie is quite reserved and I know he doesn’t enjoy going in front of the phone camera but, as always, he was excellent and put my ramblings to  shame!

I bumped into a smiling Iwan on the way out of the ground and he looked understandably happy. His players had responded superbly from the Welsh Cup exit, and in so doing, had booked a place in the league cup final. They had also proved a point by exorcising the memory of their last visit to the ground. No wonder the manager looked happy!

Un Clwb.          

             

Legends, Suspensions and Starsky's Hand Me Downs....

The title of the last blog was Month from Hell, due to my writing it in the middle of the team’s four week long road trip to mid-Wales. The results had been excellent during the ‘adventure’ but I think we were all ready for a home match and our return to the Oval turned out to be a very special day for the club.

It turned out that Iwan Williams’ squad was not the only group of Caernarfon Town players to return to the ground, as March 18^th also saw a special get-together of our famous FA Cup side of 1986/87. Cofis supporter Alex Philp had somehow managed to arrange a reunion of that legendary side and not only did most of them turn up to the special evening held to commemorate their efforts of thirty years ago, but they also managed to make it to the match to support the present players in their efforts against Holywell.

There was a special feeling at the ground as John King’s side took to the pitch before kick-off and watching them pose for a photo with the present squad was superb. Seeing Nathan Craig, Austin Salmon, Darren Thomas and Ray Woods lining up together with their respective team-mates was a great moment, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many of today’s squad would have got into Mr King’s side? Every supporter who’s been lucky enough to see both teams will have their own opinion but one thing’s for sure, putting both squads together would have given us a seriously impressive side. An idea for a future blog maybe, but one thing I have no doubt about is that, despite the perceived riches and advantages of those clubs who presently monopolise the game in Wales, a mixture of these two Caernarfon squads would prove more than a match for every other team in the Pyramid system.

The old and new guards.

Jamie Breese finds the net against Holywell. 

The match against our opponents from Halkyn Road turned out to be a real cracker as the Cofis steamrolled the Wellmen in a blistering first half performance that blew Johnny Haseldine’s men away. The visitors are a good, tough side and had been enjoying a fine run of results leading into the match, with former Town player Jamie McDaid impressing since joining them in January, so a tough encounter had been expected. However, once Darren Thomas scored in the seventh minute, the Canaries turned on the style and went into the half-time break four goals ahead. The Cofi Messi was simply unplayable for the first half an hour, during which he completed an impressive hat-trick, and in that type of

Kevin Roberts may need to work on his goal celebrations....

mood I don’t think there’s a better playmaker in the Welsh Pyramid. Jamie Breese added a fifth soon after the restart and whilst Holywell managed to pull two goals back, a rare netfinder by Kevin Roberts restored a fairer reflection of the match. Kev doesn’t score many so it was good to see him finding the net although he may need to work a bit on his goal celebration!

Ray Woods, Player of the Season for 1986/87.

The victory, and performance, was a great way to start the 86/87 celebration and the actual reunion itself was a memorable event, where we enjoyed watching a superb hour-long dvd of the FA Cup  run on a big screen in the team’s presence. This was a special experience as I was a teenager at the time of those halcyon days for the club and that group of players obviously mean a great deal to me. Russ Hughes, Huw Williams, Dave Higgins, Ken Jones, Dave Wignall, Steve Craven, Ray Woods, Phil Wilson, Stuart Clynch, Bobby Tynan and Ian Cockbain are all names that bring back lots of great memories to Town supporters and it was greatto meet them all during the reunion. The dvd itself was excellent, and I’m sure it must have brought back sweet memories for the players, many of whom told me they had never seen most of the footage before, which I find quite remarkable. Having said that, those cup matches took place thirty years ago and not everyone had video recorders back then, not to mention Sky + and whatever other gadgets there are to record programmes on today. How times have changed!

Steve Craven, Top Scorer in 1986/87.

Highlights of the evening were seeing Ray Woods and Steve Craven receiving their long overdue Player of the Year and Top Goalscorer awards respectively for the 86/87 season, hearing Phil Wilson explain how he got his ‘permatan’ all those years ago, listening to the players’ stories and hearing a number of refrains of the classic ‘Johnny King’s Cofi Army’ chant from those who used to watch the side from the terraces. Alex Philp was an absolute star for organising such a wonderful event, and special thanks are also due to Phil Jones and Jamie Richardson of the Canaries club for assisting him. Caernarfon Town chairman Richard Morris Jones also deserves a mention for providing the best comedy moment of the evening when a clip appeared on the dvd of him introducing the Barnsley match to the television camera. Richard’s delivery was as slick as I remember from his time on our screens in the seventies and eighties so he got full marks for that. I cannot, however, say the same for his choice of clothes as, standing on the Oval pitch with microphone in hand and the Welsh Guard Brass Band behind him, he looked for all the World as if he was wearing ‘hand me downs’ from Starsky or Hutch!

Reunion Booklet Cover.

On a personal note, I had been delighted and rather proud when Alex asked me last summer to put together a commemorative booklet for the reunion and Ii had a great time working on it. I’m sure I’ll be writing about the whole process in a future blog, and am looking at the possibility of working on a more in-depth publication in the future but what I can say is that the booklet was a very enjoyable, albeit rather stressful experience, though the latter only because the team’s achievements deserved a quality product. Whilst I was very happy with how it turned out, there was some pressure to get it right and I just hope the players thought it was an accurate reflection of their heroics! Interviews with Huw Williams, Ken Jones, Ray Woods, Russ Hughes and Phil Wilson certainly made added authenticity to it. 

It really was an excellent day and one I felt proved that whilst Caernarfon Town has a rich history that needs to be celebrated, we also has a very promising future to look forward to, as shown on the pitch that afternoon. I caught up with Ray Woods during the reunion and he was very complimentary about the present side, and manager, so that is proof enough to me that we’re on the right path!

Iwan, back on the road with the Cofis!

We were all back on our travels seven days later, although thankfully not on the A470 this time as we got to use the relative luxury of a decent road to Mold. My son Iwan accompanied me for a rare away trip and we had a great time, helped in part by a dinner-time stop at Subway and an impressive cheeseburger at the ground! Iwan has always enjoyed watching the Canaries and was a regular at home matches up to the end of last season when he became so disillusioned that off the field matters had cost the team promotion that his interest waned. It’s taken him a few months to get back into the swing of things but he’s back in the groove and I’m delighted about it!

The match at Alyn Park was a peculiar one, with the Cofis dominating large parts of the encounter and going a goal ahead but ending up scrambling for a point after the hosts hit a ten minute purple patch during which they scored twice.

Although the sides’ respective league positions suggested that Caernarfon were favourites for the points the hosts were battling to survive in the Huws Gray Alliance and played like it. They gave an excellent account of themselves on the day and deserved the draw, although Nathan Craig’s late equaliser on its own was worthy of all three points. I’ve mentioned in the blog after past visits to Mold that it’s an away day I always enjoy and if ever points were awarded for friendliness of stewards and staff, they would be nowhere near the wrong end of the table! The staff there are always good for a chat and have plenty of time for everyone, which is not always the case at a select few grounds, where all you get is a nod and scowl and, if you’re lucky, a decent car park with no potholes in sight!

Alex Crofts.

A share of the spoils may not have been what we wanted but the match was far from a disappointment as there were a number of positives for the Canaries to take out of it. The performance of young goalkeeper Alex Crofts was the highlight of the day for me, as the young glovesman enjoyed an impressive debut. We’re spoilt at Caernarfon to have Alex Ramsay between the sticks and so I was surprised to see our number one sitting on the bench as the team walked on the pitch, but the reserve keeper proved a very able deputy and a fine early save to deny a certain goal settled him down well as he showed his potential with a good, solid display. A very promising debut by the keeper, who has obviously impressed during his first season with the club’s second string.

The supporters voted Leigh Craven as man of the match as he followed up a great performance against Holywell with probably his best in a Town shirt. We all know that he is a fine footballer but sometimes I feel Leigh doesn’t always get the credit he deserves. He isn’t the type of player who will score double figures every season from midfield but he has many other strengths, including being excellent at keeping possession and he has a great engine. He’s also a really nice guy and it’s been good to see him back at the Oval in recent months!

Leigh Craven was man of the match against Mold.

I mentioned earlier that the match had been a peculiar affair and to continue with this theme, I found myself for the first time carrying out post-match interviews that did not include one with the Caernarfon manage! The fixture with Mold was the first of a three match ban for Iwan and, whilst it had been odd not seeing him in the dugout alongside Alun, Richard and Mike, it seemed even more surreal that I couldn’t interview him.

The FAW’s suspension included all media duties in addition to match duties and so I put the phone in front of Alun Winstanley and found out that he, just like the gaffer, is another member of the management team who is a straight talker and needs just one ‘take’ to get his point across! I’d heard that Alun is a hard task master and, from talking with him after the match, I can well believe it! All thoughts after the match turned to Rhyl and our Welsh Cup Semi-Final with Bala Town, which I’ll be looking at in the next blog….  

Alun Winstanley (left) and Mike Innes at the Mold match.

Before finishing I just have to mention the manager’s recent three match suspension. Iwan was sent off during the match at Holyhead Hotspur on February 4^th and, after a pretty lengthy, he was finally handed his punishment, which was to begin on March 24^th. This means that it had taken seven weeks for the suspension to kick in! I won’t pretend to know how the FAW goes about this type of thing but what I do know is that the process is ridiculously long-winded and, in Iwan’s case, resulted in him having to sit out the biggest match of his managerial career to date.

It would be too easy to point out that the referee who sent Iwan off at Holyhead left both sets of supporters perplexed at his red card to Alex Ramsay that led to the manager’s dismissal, though in his defence the Greg Louganis wannabee (replace Mr Louganis with Tom Daley if you’re under forty years of age!) wearing blue and white stripes hardly helped.

Although the man in black was definitely out of sorts on the day, once his decision had been made it was left to the FAW to determine the punishment. And this is where I have to question the their  process of determining the suspension and the surprisingly long amount of time it took to implement. Why did it take seven weeks from the day of the incident for the suspension to begin,  and does the FAW really need so long to reach a decision? If the answer is yes then there must be something wrong with their processes, and they need to re-assess and adjust them as quickly as possible.

The questionable delay in implementing the ban resulted in Iwan having to sit out the Welsh Cup semi-final with Bala and, as far as I’m concerned, this was unjustified and unfair on him. One or two people have suggested to me that the timing of the ban which resulted in the manager sitting out our biggest match in twenty nine years was not totally coincidental but I would never subscribe to such claims.

I would never question the FAW’s integrity and their wish to ensure fairness but in my opinion Iwan and Caernarfon Town deserved better than the fiasco they served up in taking so long to implement their ban.

#UnClwb

    

 

Month from Hell and On the Cusp of Something Special.

In the days following the Welsh Cup win over Llanfair United I think it’s fair to say that everyone connected with Caernarfon Town had a spring in their step. For the first time in nearly three decades we had a semi-final in the competition to look forward to and, as if this wasn’t already exciting enough, we had further cause for celebration when, just days after the quarter-final victory, Iwan  Williams signed a two year contract to stay on at the Oval.

I know the manager will not want me to sing his praises on here or anywhere else, but as this is my own blog then I’ll be doing it anyway! For me, Iwan signing the contract is probably the most positive news we’ve had for many a year. In fact, when considering what he’s already done since arriving it probably ranks up there with John King’s appointment in the eighties.

The success he’s brought us on the pitch has already been widely reported on but what may not be quite as obvious is the work he does behind the scenes. Iwan introduced the ‘one club’ ethos to Caernarfon when he joined and as a Board member I can confirm that he makes absolutely sure we implement it! The ethos has made a huge difference to the way we see and do things and at our latest meeting we had representatives of the Canaries supporters club, the academy and the ladies team in attendance and this has become very much the norm in recent months. There’s more we can do, and we will, but there’s a definite feeling of togetherness at the club and whilst it would be wrong to deny that success on the pitch helps foster this feeling, it would be equally wrong to deny that the manager’s ethos is just as important.

Former chairman Arfon Jones started the ball rolling when he and a handful of supporters helped save the club seven years ago and he made it clear then that he wanted Caernarfon Town to be something it had not been for a long time, a community club in its true sense. I know how hard Arfon worked towards this end because I was present at all those committee meetings he chaired when he would remind everyone of the message and what the club should be about. When considering where we were back then, he worked wonders in getting so many people to re-invest their passion for the club and Iwan’s arrival in 2015 has pushed things on again.

Iwan with chairman Richard Morris Jones.

The first time I met Iwan was at his interview for the manager’s post and one of the first things he mentioned was his ‘One Club’ ethos. If I’m being totally honest I probably felt at the time that it might be an uphill battle to get his ideal going but such was his enthusiasm and belief in it that I couldn’t help but be impressed by his plans and how to make it a reality. In the last two years he’s implemented his ideas and from what I’ve seen I believe that the club’s stakeholders fully believe in the ethos. I am absolutely convinced that we’re on the cusp of something special as a club and securing Iwan for another two years will give us the chance to finally punch our weight in the game.

It was with great pleasure that I met with the manager and chairman for a quick photo shoot and interview to announce the news and the response when we put it out on the website and social media was excellent, proving the most popular item we’ve released in recent years.

Danny Brookwell against  Guilsfield.

The day following the announcement the team was back in action for the third of four consecutive trips to mid-Wales, this time to play Guilsfield. I’ve mentioned in past blogs that visits to the Community Centre Ground can be quite difficult, not only because the Guils are always tough opposition but also because, despite their small home following, there is always someone on hand to offer match officials and visiting supporters alike plenty of advice of the vitriolic kind. I am, of course, referring to my old acquaintance, the purple faced one, who seems to think that every refereeing decision against his team is an injustice of biblical proportions. Unlike my past visits to the ground, however, at least he hadn’t brought his mates with him this time around and so he was slightly less animated than usual!

Alex saves a late penalty at Guilsfield. 

The match itself was an entertaining encounter, despite remaining goalless, and whilst Caernarfon were the better team for most of the encounter I thought the hosts just about shaded the final quarter of an hour of the match and it was thanks to an excellent penalty save by Alex Ramsay late in the match that we managed to hold on to a point.

Alex was excellent throughout and, considering Guilsfield’s direct approach, he needed to be. Danny Barton’s side are always tough opposition and rarely deviate from their playing style, being as direct as they can at pace and throwing everyone and everything into the penalty area where they try and bully defenders. Such is the aerial bombardment from them that I imagine playing the Guils must be bottom of every centre back’s list of ‘favourite places to play’. I’m not criticising them though because they’re a decent side and always give it their best shot. They also have one of the best players in the league in Chris Cathrall, who always seems to play well against us.

Nathan Williams. 

Nathan Williams was named the Cofi supporters man of the match and rightly so. As already mentioned, Guilsfield threw everything at Caernarfon’s defence, especially in the latter stages and Nathan dealt with it all superbly. Considering that he is still to reach double figures in matches at this level, he is already proving to be an outstanding addition to the squad and, as we all love local lads in the squad, he has already become a favourite with the supporters. Iwan keeps mentioning him in our post match interviews and it’s not hard to see why.

A return visit to Llanfair awaited us seven days later and whilst another three hour round trip was the not what any of us wanted after so many away matches, I was consoled by the fact that it would be our last to Powys this season.

One thing I felt sure of on the way to the match was that the hosts would be doing everything possible to avenge their Welsh Cup defeat and I expected them to put up much more resistance this time around. The pitch was still understandably heavy although it looked much better than it had two weeks previously and I was not surprised at all to see a much smaller crowd this time around! There may not have been buses full of supporters for this encounter, but the local constabulary still deemed it necessary to send three of their finest to the match, which was rather puzzling, but at least they could enjoy the football!

As predicted the match was much closer this time around and the opening quarter was pretty even, although the hosts were again finding it difficult to deal with Gareth Edwards at set-pieces. Having scored twice in the cup match Gaz was again giving them all sorts of problems with his height and whilst he couldn’t find the net this time around he went close on a number of occasions in the early stages. Jamie Breese and Danny Brookwell also went close to scoring before Llanfair were given a boost when Rob Jones was given his marching orders in the twenty fourth minute.

Rob Jones. 

I could not see the incident clearly from where I stood but was told at the time by a home supporter that the referee’s decision was very harsh and so, not for the first time in recent weeks I was left wondering if certain players get a rougher ride than others where match officials are concerned. I mentioned in the last blog that Jay Gibbs seems to get more than his fair share of questionable decisions against him and I think the same can be said about Rob. This was his third red card of the season and I’m not convinced that they’ve all been warranted. One of the problems for Jay and Rob is that they are both ready to tackle for the ball and, whereas midfielders have always been expected to do this in the past as they try and gain control in the engine room, officials are making it increasingly impossible for them to try and win the ball. As soon as a player challenges another for the ball, the whistle is blown and, more often than not, a card is shown. Goodness knows where this epidemic of the game started or will go next but it must be as frustrating to the players as it is to supporters. It also needs to stop, because players are getting booked and sent off for just looking at the ball these days. I spoke with Rob after the match and he was frustrated with the decision and I could see how upset he was about it too. Rob has plenty to say on the pitch and seems to enjoy the vocal jousting always available with opposition but off the pitch he’s a really nice guy and I hope he gets a bit more luck with match referees in the future because it’s a shame to see him miss matches  because referees cannot seem to accept that tackling is part of the game.    

Jamie Breese worked his socks off at Llanfair. 

So the Cofis were down to ten men but it did not seem like it and, after an initial five minute burst by the hosts following the sending off, Caernarfon regained control and went ahead before the break when Danny Sullivan finished from close range following a melee in the penalty area. Rhys Stephens’ side got back on level terms soon after the break with an excellent Paul Griffiths strike from twenty yards and the hosts certainly had their tails up at this point. Caernarfon weathered the storm however and eventually clinched the points courtesy of a fine Darren Thomas strike.   Although the match had been much closer than the one two weeks earlier, it had still been an impressive victory for Town under the circumstances. Llanfair are fighting to stay in the league and so every match is a cup final for them now but the Cofis showed that, whilst they’ve lost the league title, they want to secure the runners-up spot and showed real determination to hold on to their lead in the closing stages when the hosts threatened to equalise.

My man of the match was Jamie Breese, who showed once again that there is much more to his game than goals. We all know that our number nine can score, and he is likely to top our scoring charts again this season, but there is much more to his game than this and, quite apart from bringing other players into the game with his ability to link-up play, his workrate during this, and every match  is outstanding. He may not have scored against Llanfair but he worked his socks off and in my opinion was our main man on the day.

Chris Williams enters the fray against Llanfair. 

Another massive positive from the match was the introduction of Chris Williams as a second half substitute. Chris suffered a bad injury last October and so it was great to see him back in action for the first time in five months. There's no need for me to say how good Chris is and how much of a boost it must now be to have him back in contention for the first team. He slotted in seamlessly for the final thirty minutes at Mount Field and did a great jon just in front of Nathan Craig on the left flank. So, our month from hell on the road to mid-Wales was finally over and we could look forward, at last, to a long-awaited return to the Oval for a match with our friends from Holywell, and a rather special reunion with our FA Cup legends of 1986/87. I’ll be taking a look at this special day in the next blog…. 

The Enforcer, the Smiler and a Closed Stand.

All things considered, the 2016/17 season is heading towards an exciting conclusion for Caernarfon Town. The Cymru Alliance League title has deservedly gone to Prestatyn but Iwan Williams and his players can still provide the Cofi Army with a memorable end to this campaign. As I write, we’re close to securing runners-up spot in the league, there are two semi-finals on the horizon and, whisper it quietly, the possibility of a first Welsh Cup triumph for the Canaries.

During the three weeks since the last blog the Canaries have play four matches, all away from home, with an impressive return of three victories and a draw. Of course, the highlight since the last blog was the outstanding 7-0 triumph over Llanfair United in the quarter finals of the Welsh Cup but the three other matches were no less impressive, for a host of reasons. I’ll be discussing the first of those, at  Conwy, and the Welsh Cup tie this time around, and hope to cover the matches at Guilsfield and Llanfair (again) in another blog in the next few days.  

Jamie Breese was on the scoresheet at a wet and windy Morfa.

Having won at Caersws, Caernarfon travelled to Conwy for a re-arranged midweek encounter under the floodlights and, despite a sluggish start, the Cofis managed to bounce back from a half-time deficit to gain a 3-2 victory. I always enjoy my trips to the Morfa Stadium and imagine it’s something to do with the fact that, more often than not, it’s been a lucky ground for the yellow and greens. We’ve won cups there, high intensity clashes with the hosts in the League of Wales and, more recently, a Welsh Cup tie there earlier this season. There are two things you can always be sure of when playing at Conwy, a warm welcome from everyone at the club and a bitterly cold breeze wherever you stand to watch the action. In fact, I could also probably add that they always seem to have a new manager at the helm whenever we play them! It puzzles me that Conwy have changed their manager quite so regularly in recent years as they have a great set-up and a decent catchment area and yet, for some reason, no one seems to last long in charge of the first team. I heard a rumour a few weeks ago that a former manager of ours was approached to take on the hot seat and, if the tangerines board are looking for someone to turn things around there, I’m sure he’d have been a decent option for them!

Such was the heavy rain that had fallen throughout the day I half expected the match to be called off but was pleasantly surprised to see the floodlights on as I arrived and, upon hearing that the pitch was playable, decided to make my way, with everyone else, towards one of only two sheltered areas that are available to the supporters, the main stand itself and a covered standing area alongside one half of one side of the pitch. 

Town attack the 'Closed Stand' End at Conwy.

It was disappointing to see that the impressive stand behind the far goal was once again off limits to everyone, for what I can only assume were for safety reasons. This was my fourth successive visit to the Morfa and the stand has been cordoned off and, considering the lack of shelter against the elements around the pitch, the matter does need to be addressed. Half a dozen Cofi Army members braved the wrath of one of the security guards by sitting there and they successfully managed to watch the first half from their dry vantage point behind the goal.

Beginning of the End? 

The match itself was a real battle and it took the appearance of Darren Thomas as a second half substitute to tilt the balance in the Cofis favour. The heavy pitch and incessant downpour didn’t stop Messi turning on the style and he popped up late on to score a deserved winner. When I caught up with Iwan after the final whistle for our post-match interview he could barely walk after injuring himself early on in the game. I think he’s received some banter about taking himself off after twenty minutes and has hinted at hanging up his boots but, such is the need to ensure his small group of Welsh Cup eligible players are kept fit, I have a feeling we may still see him in action before the end of the campaign! He posted a message on the Oval Ways Instagram account next to a photo of himself taken at the match declaring it was ‘the beginning of the end’, but we’ll have to see. The lure of the yellow shirt may prove just too strong for him yet!

Jay Gibbs.

One final point I have to make about the match was the yellow card shown to Jay Gibbs. I’m still not sure why referee Andy Harms decided to caution Jay but sometimes I feel that certain players need only be named on the team sheet to ensure themselves a card and I believe Jay is one of them. This is something I’ve felt throughout the past two seasons and whilst I’m sure no official, or player, goes onto the pitch intent on making pre-ordained decisions, I certainly believe Jay is being harshly treated by match officials.

Three days after our soaking wet trip to Conwy we headed to Powys for the Welsh Cup quarter final and what a special day it turned out to be! Bearing in mind the teams that were still left in the competition I don’t think it’s being too disrespectful to Llanfair United when I say the Canaries were given a pretty decent draw in the last eight and certainly if someone had offered me an away match with a side struggling at the bottom of our league at that stage then I’d have been more than happy with it!

The team arrives at Llanfair's ground.

We all know that the road down there is not the most enjoyable to travel on but once we arrived it seemed that the village had been transformed into Llanfair-Caernarfon for the day! I made the trip down with my mate Bobby and the first people we saw upon arrival were members of the Cofi Army stepping off their bus and heading towards the vicinity of the Red Lion. We saw many more Town supporters on the way up Broad Street and again when we decided to test the culinary skills being offered at Catrics Fish Bar. I’m pleased to say that Captain Birdseye passed his test with flying colours and so we headed back to the ground praying that the light rain would stop and hold off for the match. Of course we should have known better and, as soon as we got there, the heavens opened and remained thus for most of the afternoon. Despite this a good crowd had turned up and I’d surmise that around three quarters of those in attendance were Caernarfon supporters. Luckily, our hosts had added two small sheltered stands at the ground since our visit last year and therefore most of the travelling party were rescued from the downpour. With fans on both sides of the pitch, it made for a great atmosphere.

The teams get ready for their quarter-final clash. 

Although I felt the Canaries were favourites to get through, Llanfair had defeated us 4-2 at the Oval this term and, as Carmarthen and Rhyl had found out against us in earlier rounds, league positions and a perceived sense of superiority does not guarantee success so it was imperative that Caernarfon did not take their opponents lightly. As suspected, Iwan and his staff are too professional for that, right from the off, it was obvious that the Cofis meant business, going ahead in the fourth minute and surging into a three goal lead inside twenty minutes. Llanfair seemed shell-shocked and could not manage to recover from the early onslaught, with Town going on to complete an impressive 7-0 victory.

Not your orthodox centre half. 

Kevin Lloyd. 

When taking into account the conditions, which included an extremely heavy pitch, Caernarfon played very well and some of the goals, especially those by Kevin Lloyd and Clive Williams, were superb. Kev’s movement for his goal was outstanding, beginning the move in midfield before perfectly timing his run to meet Danny Sullivan’s cross in the six yard box and one of the highlights of the afternoon was seeing him run towards his friends in the crowd to celebrate. Clive’s contribution to the score was an absolute stunner as he latched onto a Darren Thomas ball in the box to finish first time into the top far corner of the net. Not a finish you’d usually associate with a centre half but everyone who sees him playing regularly will know that Clive is not really an orthodox centre half! 

Kevin Roberts may not have scored on the day but he was voted man of the match by the supporters and fully deserved it. With the pitch as muddy as it was Caernarfon needed an enforcer in midfield and, as always, Kevin excelled at the task. I’ve watched a lot of football at all sorts of levels and I can’t remember seeing anyone win as many tackles in ninety minutes as Kevin did in this encounter. He was like a one-man wrecking ball on the day and proved again how correct he was to reverse his decision to retire from the game last summer. Gareth Edwards also deserves a special mention for his contribution, the big defender having become a father for the first time just a day before the match and enjoying little sleep for the best part of forty eight hours in the lead up to the tie. He opened the scoring in the fourth minute and completed his brace to put us three ahead so all in all, I would say it must have been a perfect weekend for Gaz! 

It was undoubtedly one of the club’s most important victories in recent years and it’s a special achievement to reach the semi-finals of the nation’s most important cup competition. Unlike the English FA Cup, which can seem a hindrance to some of England’s cash loving clubs and their owners who see the Premier League as the be all and end all of their very existence, the Welsh Cup has retained its importance and prominence in our game and it’s a massive boost to everyone involved with the club to reach the final four. As has been well-documented, this is the first time we’ve reached this stage for twenty nine years and it was great to see the manager who last took us this far, Phil Wilson, sending a message on facebook to congratulate the side: “Well done to the team, I was player manager the last time when we took Cardiff City close over two legs. I think you have a much better chance this time to reach the final. Good luck!” 

The Enforcer and the Smiler!

We've been drawn to play Bala in the semis, and will take on the Welsh Premier League side at Rhyl's Belle Vue on April 1st. We'll be the underdogs again, but buses are being arranged, train seats are being booked and the players will have the Cofi Army to spur them on. I can't wait to see what happens!

Speaking with Iwan after the quarter-final it was plain to see that he was as excited as all of the supporters at the victory and from what I’ve heard I believe that he and the players enjoyed themselves with the fans on the way home, which is exactly how it should be! We know he has a special bond with the Cofi Army and a few days later the manager would have further good news to share with everyone who follows the club. I’ll be covering this and the two matches that followed the Cup win in the next blog.