I Will Love It and Who's That Coming Over the Hill....

“I Will Love It If We Beat Them…” 

Successive victories over Denbigh, Conwy and Flint had given us a boost following a tough start to the season and the team seemed to be improving with each match. However, one thing that had concerned me at Flint was the small squad Iwan had at his disposal. 

In one of the pieces we put on the club’s website during the summer months the manager made it clear that he planned on having a compact squad that would be small on numbers but hopefully big on talent. Of course, the problem with this is that we’d be reliant on enjoying an impossibly injury-free season and, whilst I know Iwan would have already been thinking of ways around this, and having both himself and Gareth Parry available to play would obviously be a big help, I’m not sure he, or anyone could have anticipated the spate of injuries we suffered in the opening weeks. As a result, just twelve players were available for selection at Flint and this was reduced further when Kevin Roberts left the field at Cae y Castell. 

All this made for less than ideal preparation for our Word Cup tie at Bangor City. Knowing that we were struggling for players on this of all nights was worrying enough but the fact that the Citizens had comfortably defeated Airbus UK just four days earlier added to a slight dampening of my enthusiasm for the match. This was not a lack of belief on my part in the management and players, rather that City might prove a better side than I had believed them to be and obviously we wanted us to face them with a full squad. Despite our lack of numbers however, I still felt we had a chance of winning. 

“I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them. Love it.” 

It goes without saying that I had been looking forward immensely to the match and was desperate for the side to triumph. Whilst driving to the ground I kept thinking of that famous Kevin Keegan quote from 1996 when he was manager of Newcastle and his side were fighting for the Premier League title with Manchester United: “I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them. Love it.” Granted, I didn’t voice this in front of an audience of millions like Keegan did, but he could not have meant it any more than I did. 

I have good memories of watching matches at Farrar Road as a younger when they were doing well in the Alliance Premier League and whilst they have in the past been one of the biggest clubs in Wales I think it’s fair to say they’ve been going through a difficult time recently, both on and off the pitch. 

There has always been a great rivalry between the two clubs and the Citizens have usually had the upper hand over the Canaries in the past few years. However, I feel we have closed the wide gap that once prevailed and as a club we are much more representative of the local area we are part of. Put it like this, there was only one set of players speaking in Welsh at Nantporth on the night and they didn’t play in blue! 

Luckily for the Security firm, Kevin Roberts turned the other way....

I arrived at the Ground early and the first thing I saw filled me with dread. It wasn’t the sight of the twenty two strong security team standing in the car park that worried me but the fact that Town midfielder Kevin Roberts was standing nearby, and was not looking best pleased. Now I don’t particularly like The Kaiser Chiefs but their song ‘I Predict a Riot’ instantly sprung to mind. Thankfully for the security team, Kevin was not about to put them to bed with a medley of his best tackles and I soon learned that his obvious frown was due to being ruled out of the match through injury.

Panic over and once inside the ground I bumped into former Town assisting manager Dave Cavanagh who now works with one of Bangor’s Academy sides. Cav is always good for a laugh and he shared one or two great stories about players at some of his former clubs that I could not possibly share on here! But if he should ever decide to write a book, I’ll be one of the first in line to buy it! 

The pitch itself looked magnificent, and I was also impressed by the Main Stand, which is bigger than I had realised during a previous visit to the ground. I have heard some people say that the venue is yet another example of the modern identikit grounds that are being built by non-professional clubs and whilst it may lack the character of Farrar Road, it is nevertheless a great looking venue. 

There’s no need for me to go over the match in detail but what I can say is that Caernarfon deserved the victory. Despite one or two comments on Twitter (from the vicinity of Anglesey per chance?) stating otherwise, we were the better side on the night. The Canaries had the best opportunities in front of goal and looked fitter than the home side, finishing stronger in both halves. Iwan has spoken about the importance of high fitness levels and it was obvious to me that, despite our small squad, and the introduction of no substitutes, the Canaries looked the sharper outfit at the final whistle. It spoke volumes about the fitness work Iwan and his staff carried out with the players during the summer and also suggests that training facilities are at least just as good in this area as they are up the Coast!

It was a satisfying night to be a Caernarfon supporter, and the reaction at the final whistle from the Cofi supporters was brilliant. There are a few clips doing the rounds on youtube of the celebrations between the team and players immediately after the match and they’re worth seeing if you catch them. 

As this is a personal blog I think it’s fair to share my own thoughts on the security policy at the match. In the days leading up to the tie, Bangor City FC issued a statement that read thus: ‘The area for Caernarfon Town fans will be one hundred seats in the main stand, with a managed sterile area between both sets of fans. Standing area for Caernarfon Town fans will be from the end of the main stand to the corner flag near the turnstiles.’ 

The general consensus amongst Caernarfon followers beforehand was that there could be anything up to five hundred Cofis in attendance and so I could not have been alone in thinking the allocated area would probably not be sufficient. This became obvious a few minutes before kick off when the crowd in the standing area was three or four people deep, meaning that children and many adults could not see the match. To be fair, Bangor did open a second section in the main stand for visiting supporters at half time but this hardly helped those who had to remain standing and could still not see the action. I can see why Bangor City implemented a security policy. We all know what happened during the Challenge Cup final between the sides at the same venue two seasons ago and I think it was understandable that they erred on the side of caution this time around. However, I always felt that the allocated space was never going to be sufficient and it would have been much better for the whole area at one end of the pitch to also have been allocated to Caernarfon supporters, or at least to have been made available once it became obvious that people could not see the match. This would have meant everyone could have seen the action whilst also keeping the segregation intact. 

I would not go so far as to say the situation invoked memories of those dark days in the eighties when away supporters were forced into ‘pens’ at grounds, but with so many security personnel on hand I think the problem could have been easily rectified. I spoke with one of those security officers later and he told me, not surprisingly, that Town supporters had been impeccably behaved and I hope this message was relayed to Bangor City FC so that every Caernarfon supporter can get to see the game next time we play there. After all, if you pay £8 as an adult and £6 as a child to get into the ground you are entitled to see the match. 

On a more positive note, I can think of many highlights to savour from the evening: 

Nathan Craig and Jay Gibbs ruling the roost in midfield and showing they can get stuck in whenever they feel the need to. 

Seeing our old Gaffer, Lee Dixon, in the Main Stand exchanging some mild banter with the Caernarfon Town committee. 

The goal, and Iwan’s celebrations when Jamie scored. 

The Cofi Army and their celebrations at the final whistle. 

Special mention should also be made of one or two decent chants from the Cofi Army, including a song about Jamie Breese and a specially adapted version of the old Automatic song “What’s that Coming Over the Hill.” Priceless. 

I could go on and mention a few other things that made me smile on the night but if you’re a Caernarfon Town supporter you’ll know exactly what they are! 

On the way out of the ground I bumped into Jamie Breese and I could not resist a photo with our match winner. I mentioned in the last blog entry that I think he can become a key figure for us going forward and I am certain he will score the goals that can take us to a new level of success. I also saw some of the players and the manager and not surprisingly we all had big smiles on our faces. 

Whilst some will say it was nothing more than a victory against a side from a higher league, I would argue that it was more than that, and on more than one level. The committee at Caernarfon Town has always tried its best to do things the right way, and to try and create a community club that the Town’s people can be proud of. We have also tried our best to give local players the opportunity to play for the club. It may not always seem like but as a member of that committee I know it’s true. Most of our team at Nantporth were locally based players who train in this area and the performance just goes to show that you don’t have to fill your squad with players from up the Coast to have a decent team. 

I've come to the conclusion that Kevin Keegan was right all those years ago and whilst his side could not quite manage to put one over their great rivals at the time I am pleased to say that the team I follow was more than up to the task. 

It was a memorable night and I loved it!

Jamie Breese, Kev Roberts and Dubious Penalties?

The First Month Part Two.
Caernarfon’s first victory of the season, at Denbigh, must have been a huge relief for Iwan Williams and the players, not to mention the supporters, and in addition to giving us all a real boost I hope it proved to the manager that the style of football he wants the team to play can work.

The first three matches had all been against sides that play a much more direct style than the Canaries and, whilst Holywell and Prestatyn had given the team problems with their physicality, I think the players got to grips with this side of the game much more at Denbigh and got their just rewards. They certainly matched the hosts’ physically whilst the playmakers in Town’s line-up gave us the edge, a pattern I believe, and hope, we’ll be seeing plenty of this season.

Gareth Edwards dealt well with Conwy's aerial threat.

Conwy Borough visited the Oval five days later and provided another stiff test, although the match was not the most entertaining I’ve seen. Again, Conwy set up solidly, looking to keep things tight whilst playing mostly on the break. However, unlike the previous home match against Prestatyn, the Canaries showed much more patience going forward and although the free-flowing football of pre-season was only fleetingly seen, I thought the players did well. Jay Gibbs and Nathan Craig just about edged the midfield battle, although Conwy’s Rob Jones had an excellent evening and was a real nuisance throughout. He was Conwy’s best player on the night and must have impressed Iwan, as he has since brought him to the Oval.
For Caernarfon, special mention must be made of the defence on the night as, despite needing to re-shuffle after an early injury to Chris Williams, they gave Conwy little change and Gareth Edwards in particular dealt confidently with the aerial threat posed by the visitors.

Ellis Healing in action against his former club, Conwy.

Town’s winner came from Ellis Healing, who scored from the penalty spot against his former club. I was not too far away from the action when he was brought down just inside the area and thought the referee got it right, although Conwy’s management team were less than happy about the decision. That is to be expected of course, but I had to laugh when I read the match report on Conwy’s official site the following day, where it proclaimed Caernarfon had been awarded a ‘dubious’ penalty. Really?  How many times do we hear people call penalties ‘dubious’ whenever it’s one against their own team? Seeing this on the club’s site suggested a touch of sour grapes from the author and whilst I know only too well how hard it is to try and be impartial when writing match reports, this type of thing never looks good. 

We were on our travels again a few days later and my usual away day companion, Bob, didn’t fancy the trip so I was on my own. I’ve been watching football with Bob for well over thirty years and the last five seasons have seen us miss just a handful of away matches so it’s always odd when I’m travelling solo. To be fair, I couldn’t really blame him for giving it a miss as even I have to force my way up the A55 when we’re playing up the coast. I put this down to my fellow Caernarfon Town committee member Kevin ‘Becks’ who apparently has something to do with putting cones down the lanes at ridiculously regular intervals!

A very quiet welcome at Cae y Castell.  

I arrived at the free car park in plenty of time and it was so quiet that began thinking the match had been called off for some reason. This might have been something to do with a previous visit to Cae y Castell two years ago when we arrived at the venue only to be told that the match had been postponed, just twenty minutes before kick-off! Thankfully there was no such call this time and my mind was put at ease when I saw John Watkins perusing his match programme the other side of the turnstile.

The match itself was a much more entertaining affair than the one at the Oval in midweek although it very much followed the now customary pattern of the Canaries dominating

Jamie Breese.

possession and spending most of the match looking for ways to unlock a resolute defence. The team played really well and deserved the three points and whilst we won courtesy of an own goal, it may as well have been credited to Jamie Breese because he created the problem for the Flint defence out of nothing and did everything but find the net himself. When Jamie signed during the Summer I thought he would be in the team to put away chances in the box, a 'goal poacher' in the mould of someone like Gary Lineker, but how wrong was I? Yes, Jamie is a great finisher but he is so much more than that and I can honestly say that I can’t remember a striker at Caernarfon who ever worked as hard as he does over the course of a match. Iwan’s system of using so many flair players in the team means that Jamie has periods in matches where he ploughs a lone furrow up front and he works his socks off doing it. He’s already proved a favourite with the supporters in his short time at the club and I imagine he will be a key figure for us in the future.

A rare cameo from Iwan.

There was a decent sized Cofi Army in attendance and the players’ celebrations with some of them after the goal was worth the entrance fee alone. Iwan often talks of being one club, and everyone pulling together in the same direction, and I think the celebration was a great way of proving that players and supporters have already got a great rapport.

If there was one negative aspect from the afternoon it was seeing Kevin Roberts walking off the pitch injured. I can only assume that he must have either kicked a rock or tackled himself, as no other footballer could possibly have given him a knock in a tackle! Iwan made a rare appearance as a replacement in the final minutes and found enough time to get in two bone shakers of his own in midfield, which shows that he, too, loves a tackle! 

Kev Roberts with his bag of ice......

Before setting off home I saw Kevin emerging from the dressing room with a slight limp and a bag of ice cubes. Having got over the shock of what I was seeing I managed to take a photo as proof that my eyes were not deceiving me and Kev assured me he’d be back to full fitness in no time, which was no surprise!

So, another tough match, and a third successive victory for the Cofis, who again proved that they can ‘win ugly’ when needed. I think we were all still waiting to see the free flowing football we'd been hoping for but I’d much rather see the team grinding out wins than playing pretty football and losing. With the players Iwan has in his squad I am convinced it is just a matter of time before the team starts putting on the style and winning matches by more than the odd goal. 

For once, the A55 was clear on the way home and there was the prospect of a very interesting match against our greatest rivals, Bangor City, on the horizon….

      

A Reality Check and How Many Times....

The First Month Part One.

Four weeks have passed since the last blog and, on the whole, it’s been a great first month of the season for Caernarfon Town.

I wrote the last entry following the team’s first match of the campaign, the goalless draw at Holywell and, since then, the Canaries have had a pretty good time of it, bar the home defeat to Prestatyn.

Reality Check.

As a Caernarfon Town supporter the Prestatyn match has obviously been the team’s only real low point so far and if ever a defeat provided a reality check, then this was it.

Prestatyn proved more than a handful for 'Pritch' and his defence.

Following an excellent pre-season campaign, confidence was high amongst everyone at the club, and when Daily Post reporter Dave Jones named the Canaries as his favourites to win the Cymru Alliance League, he seemed to be merely justifying our belief that the team has a real chance of returning to the Welsh Premier next March.

However, I’m not sure how many of us had quite that same belief following the defeat to Prestatyn, when the team was very much second best to the Seasiders on the day. From what I have heard, Prestatyn have retained the majority of the team that got relegated from the top tier last term and they certainly looked a very physical, and direct side at the Oval. In fact, as  far as I’m concerned they are the perfect example of the type of teams we will come up against every week the season. 

We already know that Town manager Iwan Williams wants to play an expansive, high tempo style, with lots of quick, smart passing, and we had seen it during the pre-season friendlies, but Prestatyn didn’t allow the players to get into their rhythm and, for want of a better word, bullied us out of the match. There were one or two positive passages of play from Caernarfon, especially in the first half, and if we had held on to the lead following Nathan Craig’s opener until half-time, things could have been different, but there’s no denying who was the better side on the day.

Ellis Healing impressed on his Town debut.

One bright spark of the day was Ellis Healing, who came on as a second half substitute and showed enough glimpses to hint that he could be an excellent addition to the squad. Quick and skilful, Ellis fits into the team’s playing style perfectly and Iwan has done well to bring him to the Oval on loan from Airbus UK.

One point from two matches was not what most people would have expected and the first week of the season underlined just how hard it will be to push for the title in a league that probably surpasses the Welsh Premier for competitiveness, if only for the fact that The New Saints are so dominant at that level.

A few days after the match Iwan sent me an email to publish on the club’s website in which he gave his reaction to the defeat and I was mildly surprised, but also pleased, by how forthright he was: “…..the performance was well and truly below par. We scored early on and instead of shutting up shop for five minutes we showed naivety and went looking for a second goal which left us exposed at the back. You can have all the talent in the world but you also need heart and desire which we lacked in certain parts of the game on Saturday. However, I will continue to back my players to the fullest. I will be looking for leaders this week and I believe that I have plenty of strong characters within my squad.”

Iwan and his assistant Gareth Parry had plenty
to discuss following the Prestatyn reverse.

I don’t think anyone could ask for a more honest appraisal than that and I have rarely heard, nor read about, managers at any level (except for the ‘Little Fergies’ in junior football, but that’s another matter!), stating quite bluntly that the team had underperformed.

Of course, certain factions on social media were not slow in highlighting the slow start to the campaign, and could not wait to reference Dave Jones’ pre-season prediction. There were even some calling the Presatyn match a ‘six pointer’, which was ridiculous for just the second fixture of the season, and I certainly had the feeling that people from outside the club and supporters were looking closely at Iwan and the team, and waiting to see how they would respond.

The response came a few days later at Denbigh, and I’m pleased to report that it was an excellent one!

We have not done too well at Central Park in recent seasons but it’s a venue that I always enjoy visiting. The surface never fails to look good and there’s a decent welcome to be had by the club, if not by all the ‘older’ local supporters who frequent the ground (an episode you can read about on page 192 of the ‘Oval Ways’ book).

Iwan got his selection spot-on against Denbigh.

I saw the team sheet upon arrival, and noted that the manager had made two changes, with  Clive Williams and Ellis Healing named in the starting eleven at the expense of Grahame Austin and Kevin Roberts. It was an interesting decision by Iwan, with Grahame and Kevin having been stalwarts of the team in recent seasons but it also showed he isn’t afraid of making hard decisions, which is something every good manager is expected to do.        

Iwan’s selection on the night was the right proved spot on as, from the very first minute Town bossed the match. Despite going a goal down and missing a few opportunities to equalise, the players stuck at it and their perseverance finally paid off with two late goals to win the match. Having ‘knocked on the door’ for the whole of the second half, once Gareth Edwards rose at the far post to head in the equaliser, there was only ever going to be one winner and I think it’s fair to say that we were all thrilled it was Jamie Breese who got us the winner. Jamie arrived at the Oval with high expectations and I am sure he will prove to be a match winner on plenty of occasions for us again during the course of the season.

Gareth Edwards rises at the far post to equalise.

He deserved his goal and the celebrations with the Cofi Army after his effort found the net was a great way to mark his first competitive goal for the club.

I take photographs during most matches in the hope I can manage to use one or two on the club’s website and facebook page and, although I am the first to admit I’m no Richard Birch, from time to time I do manage a good photo. However, most are unusable and two such examples are the shots I took of Gareth and Jamie’s goals, which are out of focus, and generally just a blur. As this is a personal blog, I’m including both here, if only to give people an idea of how they looked from where I stood. So near to being good photos, but oh so far….   

Jamie Breese nets the winner at Central Park. 

On a personal note I had been due to attend a family wedding but used a ‘Get Out of Jail’ card with my wife to attend and will, I fear, be paying my instalments for quite a while.  However, the team’s performance was worth it, and the manner of the 2-1 victory was probably just as pleasing as the three points.

How Many Times?

I left the ground with a huge smile, not only because of the victory, but also because Jamie’s winner had instantly pressed a ‘mute button’ on Denbigh manager, Gareth Thomas, who would be odds on favourite for any award given to the least imaginative shout of the

The referee should have given Gareth Thomas his answer
before kick-off.

season. His default shout whenever any of his players were challenged, tackled or generally just fell over, was ‘How Many Times, Ref?’

He bellowed this out at the man in black throughout the ninety minutes and stopped only when we went ahead. I spotted Thomas enjoying a chat with the referee and his assistants before kick-off and just wish they had answered his question at that time!
The Canaries have played four more matches since the visit to Denbigh, and I’ll be catching up by taking a look at them in the next entry, to be published in a few days….Paul. 

Cofis 'Refuse To Lose'!

When the season’s fixtures were announced over the Summer, I’m sure I was not alone in thinking the Canaries had been handed a tough opener. The Cymru Alliance is a tough league and there are no easy matches, but I can certainly think of one or two more appealing openers than having to travel to Holywell to face the reigning Welsh Alliance League Champions.

Their manager John Haseldin has been at the club for a number of years and has been successful in turning things around for the Wellmen. He has always had a good side there and, having seen them enjoy a remarkable promotion winning season last time around, I think everyone connected to Caernarfon Town would have expected a difficult challenge on Saturday. And this is certainly what the team got!  

This was my first visit to Halkyn Road since that infamous evening in March 2013, which saw firecrackers, sending offs, a rather disjointed performance from an inexperienced referee and his  linesman and, ultimately, defeat for the Canaries, who were so near at the time to clinching the league title and promotion. It was such an odd and disappointing night that I felt it warranted a chapter in my ‘Oval Ways’ book, which I titled ‘The Battle of Halkyn Road’. A tad over the top maybe, but it conveys how I feel about the experience. 

Thankfully, Saturday was nowhere near as dramatic but one thing is for sure, the football on display  was every bit as good, and exciting, as had been expected. 

Welcome to Halkyn Road.

The first thing I noticed when walking through the old entrance is that the club has built a fence to properly enclose the pitch and added a new turnstile block. It is certainly a massive improvement from the old entrance and, just to finish the job off properly, there was even a Welsh speaker operating the turnstile itself. Surprising, but impressive! Incidentally, I took a quick look at the old turnstile near the main stand and was pleased to see that, although closed on the day, it is still there, and still proudly sports the club’s motto ‘Refuse To Lose’.

Another addition to the ground from three seasons ago was a very smart looking clubhouse, which my mate Bob told me serves 

My son Iwan at the new turnstile block. 

a decent pint of Worthingtons. I’ll take his word for that but my son  Iwan and I can certainly vouch for the cheeseburgers they serve! Someone told me at the match that Holywell paid for the clubhouse with money they received from their Welsh Cup run two season ago and whilst I have no idea as to how accurate this is, I do know that it’s been an excellent addition to Halkyn Road.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of attending your teams first match of the season. The hopes, fears and a nervous tension are unique to the opening day of a new campaign and Saturday was no different. In fact, the feeling was probably more intense this year as Caernarfon are under a new manager and, although the team has done well in pre-season, there are a number of new faces in the squad, and so they’re all still gelling as a team.

However, as we travelled up the A55 the mood amongst us was one of quiet confidence that the team could get a positive result and, after a very good first half performance, I felt we could go on to  win the match. I’m sure there’s a cliché about former strikers finding the net against their old sides and the Cofi Army must have been thinking along these lines when they saw that former Town striker Steve Lewis was in Haseldin’s starting line-up. ‘The Beast’ received some criticism when he arrived at the Oval last season, mainly because he did not look in the best of condition, fitness-wise, but he proved before the end of the term that he has plenty to offer as a frontman, and is a real handful for any defence.    

Holywell started well but the Canaries had improved after a slow start and were the dominant force for the majority of the half. Michael Platt made a number of good saves during the first forty five to keep the Wellmen level, and they could also thank the linesman for spotting an infringement in the box when Nathan Craig put the ball in the net in the eight minute. I’m not sure what he actually saw, but, judging from my photo, assume it was an offside verdict against Jamie Breese?

Nathan found the net with this effort, but his 'goal' was disallowed for an infringement.  

The Oval Ways Man of the Match was 'Pritch'.

To be fair to Holywell, they were excellent in the second period and created a number of decent opportunities, although nothing special enough to beat Town’s number one, and my man of the match, Paul Pritchard. I’ve been saying for the past three years that ‘Pritch’ is the best keeper outside the Welsh Premier League and probably on a par with the best in the top tier too. He was in inspiring form all afternoon and, together with an impressive never say die attitude from the whole team, Town came away from the match with a deserved point.

I’ve read a few messages on Social Media from people of a Holywell Town persuasion who feel their team deserved to win but I would point out that the Canaries were much the better side in the first period and could have been two or three goals ahead at half time. Platt also made a superb save to stop Toby Jones scoring a late winner, whilst Jay Gibbs too had a decent opportunity for the Cofis before the final whistle. Taking the match as a whole, I’m sure both managers felt their team could have won, but I believe the draw was a fair result.

Toby Jones' late effort is pushed wide by home
Holywell stopper Michael Platt

It’s impossible to make any predictions after the first match of the season but things that I learnt on Saturday were that Caernarfon can play fast, decisive football in patches (as showed in the first period, during which Jamie McDaid was outstanding) and. despite Hollywell’s motto, they are not the only team to ‘Refuse To Lose, as the Cofis showed in the second half.

Finally, whilst pre-season friendlies serve a purpose and help teams prepare for the new term, Saturday’s thriller at Halkyn Road showed that the real thing is finally back. I can’t wait for the next instalment this Saturday as Town host Prestatyn and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be another cracker!

Come on the Town!

   

This Can Be Our Year!

Nathan Craig has enjoyed an impressive pre-season in midfield. 

The Canaries have played four friendly fixtures since the last blog, all of which have been encouraging to varying degrees. The victories over Llangefni and Gwalchmai were probably to be expected, and although both teams are from lower leagues, they still provided tough opposition, especially in the first half of our encounters.

From a personal point of view, when Iwan had announced his pre-season fixture list I had been particularly pleased to see that Gwalchmai were amongst our opponents, as I wanted to meet up with their manager Paul Owen. Those who have read my book ‘Oval Ways’ will know that I mention Paul in it a few times, making a few observations about his touchline antics during our past matches with his team. I had thought long and hard before deciding to include my comments as I did not want to offend Paul but, since then, he has been in touch to say that he enjoyed the book and had taken no offence.

With Gwalchmai's Paul Owen, a great sport!

Thankfully, Paul was true to his word, and whilst at the Oval we had a laugh and some banter about my observations. He’s a good sport, a nice guy, and agreed to pose for a photo. Thankfully he decided not to throw the punch!

The team’s performance in the 3-2 win over The New Saints was probably the best I have seen in pre-season, and the victory was thoroughly deserved. As expected, TNS enjoyed plenty of possession but the Canaries worked extremely hard to stop them from settling down, and it was brilliant to see us looking so dangerous going forward. Jamie Breese showed his predatory qualities with a fine finish on the night whilst Jamie McDaid continued his fine scoring run from last season and I don’t think anyone could have argued with the final score.

Jamie Breese scored against The New Saints
and is looking the business for Caernarfon.

I spoke with The New Saints’ Press Officer, Stewart Bloor, before the match and he was telling me about the club’s recent European escapades. He relayed a few stories from the trip to Videoton and had me imagining how fantastic it would be if Caernarfon could one day manage to make it on to foreign soil for a

competitive match. It would certainly be an interesting affair with a travelling Cofi Army! Something else Stewart mentioned is that, as the Saints’ Press Officer and Radio commentator, he genuinely feels he is ‘living the dream’. Trying to do my bit for Caernarfon Town, I can certainly resonate with that!   

Incidentally, it was good to see our former manager Lee Dixon back at the Oval on the night. He was taking part as Stewart’s guest on TNS Radio and, having listened to the broadcast a few days ago, the old Gaffer did a decent job too, although he seemed to talk more about local eateries than the football! Seriously, the commentary was excellent and worth a listen and, just in case the listener was not aware, Stewart reminds us regularly that the New Saints had made a number of changes to their usual line-up for the match! Not that he was making excuses, of course!! Here’s the link: http://www.tnsfc.co.uk/tnsradio/

Town completed their pre-season preparations at Airbus UK Broughton on Saturday and, despite the 0-2 defeat, the players again shone against Welsh Premier League opposition. To be honest, I thought Caernarfon were the better side in the first period, and could have been two goals up had it not been for excellent saves by James Coates in the home goal. Airbus were on top in the second half but even so, we had opportunities to score and all in all, it was an excellent showing against a top side. It is also worth noting that the Canaries were without Joe Williams, Gareth Edwards and Jay Gibbs on the day, which proves how strong the squad is. Former Town midfielder Jordan Barrow lined up for the home side and played well, but for me the outstanding performer of the day was Nathan Craig, who continued his impressive pre-season form with another excellent display in centre midfield.

This was my first visit to the Hollingsworth Group Stadium and I was impressed. Bathed in sunshine, the 3G pitch looked immaculate, as did the ground, its three stands and facilities in excellent condition. The club staff were very friendly and I was really pleased to have made the trip with my son, Iwan. Just as importantly, I also dropped my wife off at the nearby Retail Park and am therefore also in her good books, which should come in handy when the league season kicks off!     

So, things are looking good for Caernarfon Town. Pre-season has been good, Iwan has settled well at the club and all the new players seem to be quality additions. I always tend to err on the side of caution at the start of every season but I just can’t this time around as I believe we’re in with a great chance of winning the Cymru Alliance League. Having declared this I will look foolish if we’re not crowned champions in April, but the simple truth is I believe that, this time next year, the Cofis could very well be looking forward to a return to the Welsh Premier League.

Of course, other teams will also fancy their chances, with Cefn Druids and Prestatyn obviously looking to bounce immediately back into the WPL after last season’s relegation, and you’d expect Porthmadog and Guilsfield to be targeting an improvement from their solid campaigns last time around. It will also be interesting to see how old friends at Holywell Town fare in their first season in the second tier following promotion from the Welsh Alliance.

Iwan looks on during Saturday's match at Airbus. 

We face the Wellmen in our season opener on Saturday, and I’m sure their manager John Hasseldin will give us a warm welcome! As many of you will know, when Caernarfon won the third tier in 2012/13 we had a fierce rivalry with Holywell and they pushed us hard in the league, but I always felt we were the stronger side and proved it by not only winning the Cymru Alliance, but by also  knocking them out of the FAW Trophy at the semi-final stage and defeating them in the Cookson Cup final. I haven’t seen them since those days so have no idea if they’ve improved as a team but do know that we certainly have, and whilst it will be a opener at Halkyn Road, I’m sure the Canaries are more than ready and able to rise to the occasion.

So, my final thought on the eve of the season is that whatever the strengths and expectations of our rivals, I am quietly confident that Caernarfon Town’s squad is good enough to finish off the job that the current committee started five years ago, which is to get the club back into the Welsh Premier League, and to do so with a team and ground to be proud of. I'm convinced this

can be OUR YEAR!

Pob lwc I Iwan, y tim hyfforddi ac y chwaraewyr I gyd! Amdani!!    

       

Best Summer Signing, Barnsley and Jamie Breese....

The trip down to Rhayader on April 4^th for the final match of last season seems a long time ago and it’s hard to believe that I had to wait 101 days to watch the team in action again. But that’s exactly what happened and an unbelievably long off-season came to an end for me last Tuesday when I went to the Oval to watch the Canaries host Llanberis in their first home friendly of the Summer.

In that time, of course, there have been a number of changes to the squad, most of which I have mentioned in the blog and so, if anyone’s been paying attention, you’ll already know that Darren  Thomas, Ywain Gwynedd, Steve Lewis and Dave Morley have left, whilst a number of players have been drafted into to the squad by the new Gaffer, Iwan Williams.

Having missed the first pre-season friendly at Rhyl I had been looking forward to seeing some of the new guys in action and from what I’ve seen, each one looks impressive.  Jamie Breese has probably been the highest profile signing and, having been top scorer in last season’s Cymru Alliance League I think it’s fair to say there is a fair amount of pressure on him to find the net regularly for us. Some players struggle to settle in when they move to a new club but our new striker seems to have hit the ground running. Jamie has been on target six times in his first four matches and so the signs are encouraging that he will chip in with more than his fair share of goals next season.  

Jamie Breese (right) celebrating his goal against  Llanberis.

I suppose it’s a little unfair to concentrate on Jamie and, in the two matches I've seen, it seems that all the new players have quality but, as is the norm in football, goalscorers get the lion’s share of the limelight and our new number nine has certainly made a massive impression at this early stage. As with most of Town’s supporters I was disappointed that Darren Thomas left us and have been worrying at how it will affect the team but with Jamie McDaid and Toby Jones teaming up with Breese up front, and Gareth Jones Evans supporting them, I am confident that the frontline is full of goals and so, if the defence can get anywhere near the form they showed last season, the signs are positive that Caernarfon can go one better than last time and finally get back onto the top

Gareth Jones Evans. 

table of Welsh football. It’s early days, but we all have to dream, don’t we?

As expected, the two recent home friendlies against local opponents proved tough tests for the Cofis  but I’m sure that this is what Iwan would have wanted at this stage of pre-season. Both Llanberis and Llanrug Utd are good sides and were bound to provide stiff opposition so it was great that the team came through the matches without injuries and, although it doesn’t really matter, with victories. I mentioned in the last blog that Llanberis had started their pre-season training early with the first three weeks seeing them work extensively on their fitness. This was apparent at the Oval as they looked strong at the end of the match, something that their assistant manager Geraint Jones told me he was particularly pleased with. Town deserved the victory as we dominated possession but the Darans definitely impressed me with their workrate.

This week’s match with Llanrug was very different in that I think they possibly try and play more football than the Darans, and so it gave the Town players a bit more space to play the quick passing style Iwan is keen to implement. It was nice to see two former Town captains back at the Oval, with Dylan Owen looking to pull the strings in midfield for Llanrug and Neil Thomas trying to sniff a goal up front.  It’s always good to see Dylan back at the ground and it was typical of him to try to score from the kick off! I’m not too sure that Remy would have been able to save his audacious effort if it had been on target and although he didn't find the net, Dylan showed he still has plenty of talent on offer. He is still a Caernarfon supporter and it was pleasing to hear him say after the match that we’ve got a really strong team this season. It was also good to see Neil back and the ‘fox in the box’ was still putting himself about up front, and proving a handful for Town’s defence. Everyone who has followed Town in recent years will know all about Neil’s impact at the Oval in his one season with us, when he led the side to the memorable treble in Lee Dixon’s first campaign in 2012/13 and it was interesting to see him lining up against us.

Not the Cofi Messi!

Town’s chairman Arfon Jones is known as being a smooth talker when needed but, when I called into the Oval on Monday night, I believed for a few fleeting seconds that he had surpassed himself when I thought I saw Darren Thomas back at the ground and, even more impressively, that he was actually working on the pitch itself! Alas, upon closer inspection, I saw that it was not the Cofi Messi but the chairman himself cutting the grass in the temporary absence of our groundsman Wyn Owen and, whilst I know Iwan has made some excellent signings for the club since arriving, seeing Arfon working on his own at the Oval confirmed yet again that he has been Caernarfon’s best signing of the Summer.

Whilst at the ground on Monday I took a few photos of the Hendre End stand to share on here and was reminded of a rather interesting time I experienced near the turnstiles at that end during the famous FA Cup match with Barnsley in January 1987. In those days, with crowd trouble rife at football grounds across Britain, segregation of the supporters was imperative and so the club had had to erect what can only be described as a ‘cage’ for the away fans. I knew the club’s treasurer at the time and a friend and I offered to sell programmes on the day for which in return we gained free entry to the match. An hour before kick off we made our way into the zinc hut that called itself a ‘temporary programme stall’ in the corner next to the turnstile. 

Site of the VERY temporary programme stall....

Unfortunately, and unbeknown to us, the club had failed to mention that the Barnsley supporters had no access to the toilets and, well tanked up, they started using the back, and top of the ‘temporary programme stall’ as their WC. They also started kicking and tearing it apart at the front and, with ashen faces and sweat-filled mullets (it was the eighties!) we quickly made a dash for the exit, onto the pitch and into the relative safety  of the Cofi supporters. A memorable, if frightening few minutes for the eighteen year-old me and whilst I can smile about it now, it wasn’t so funny at the time!

Now a quick word about our cancelled 

Clive Williams during the match with Llanrug.
Former Town captain Neil Thomas is in the background.  

friendly at Llandudno. When it was announced that we had to pull out of the match due to a large number of players being unavailable because of holidays, work commitments etc most people could see that it was the correct decision. It was quite simple really – we didn’t have enough players available to play, and to make the most of the match. As invariably happens, of course, some people are not slow to start criticising other clubs and so it came as no surprise when one or two decided to have a go at us, mostly questioning why Caernarfon couldn’t field a time when we pay so much wages. These ‘keyboard warriors’ must obviously be  unaware that the club does not pay anyone during the close season and, just as importantly, how would they know what the team budget is? Says it all really.

Finally, I am really pleased to say that Oval Ways will be sponsoring Clive Williams for the upcoming season. When it was announced that the club was offering the opportunity to sponsor each player for the new campaign, I had absolutely no hesitation in linking the name to Clive. He has been with the club for three seasons, is someone I believe could easily play in the Welsh Premier League and, just as importantly, he is a genuinely nice person. Sponsoring Clive is brilliant and I am sure that he will have a very successful 2015/16 season.

I’m not too sure what Instagram is but Oval Ways is now on it and I will do my best to share a few nice Caernarfon Town photos on there. If you fancy having a look from time, the name is ovalwayscaernarfontownfc

Come on the Town!

Paul. 

   

Just a Friendly but....

Pre-match at Rhyl.
Photo by Iwan Williams. 

I don’t get to see any football for months and then, typically, I need to be in two places on the same night to watch two of my favourite teams! This is what happened to me last Friday, when I was faced with the choice of heading to Belle Vue to watch the Cofis play their first pre-season fixture against Rhyl or accompanying my youngest son, Iwan, to Llanberis for the Eco’r Wyddfa tournament. I love Caernarfon Town, but love my son more, and so it was that I spent the evening at the foot of Snowdon, helping Haydn Jones coach Waunfawr’s Under 11’s team. Some of you may already be aware that Haydn also happens to be Caernarfon’s Head of Academy and therefore you will not be surprised to hear that  it was not strictly a Caernarfon Town-free evening for me!

As normally happens whenever I have to miss a match, the ever reliable John Watkins proved an invaluable source of information as he kept me regularly updated on what was happening in Sunny Rhyl, and I don’t mind telling you that I was delighted with his messages, although slightly surprised. To be honest, I had not been expecting a 3-0 victory against the Welsh Premier League side! 

With Caernarfon's Head of Academy, Haydn Jones(far left)
and Waunfawr's Under 11's team.

I understand that it was a friendly, and every team uses pre-season fixtures to build fitness and try out new players and formations but no one ever wants to lose a match of any kind, and therefore you can be sure that Gareth Owen and his players will not have been too pleased about the defeat, especially in front of their own supporters and against lower-league opposition.

Obviously, I cannot pass judgement on how well the team played but, from what I have heard, and also what I have read on social media, Iwan’s philosophy of playing a high-tempo style of football was well - implemented by his players. This augers well for the future as the team did not start training together until Saturday, 4^th July and so it suggests that the

Nathan  Craig during the first pre-season training session.

players have enough about them to quickly take on board the managers’ instructions. Iwan himself alluded to this when commenting on the match: “The amount of detail I’ve given the players and the way they delivered it tonight was tremendous.”

I have spoken briefly with two of the players this weekend and they had both really enjoyed the match, whilst also saying that they are looking forward to completing the tough looking training programme that lies ahead before the new season begins. The style the team will be playing next season will need fit players and the new Gaffer and his first team coach, Alun Wynstanley, have put together a programme that will ensure the team is ready for the big kick off.

Photo by Iwan Williams. 

There is plenty of action to be seen before then, however, beginning with the visit to Llanberis to the Oval on Tuesday, 14^th July. This will be a different test for the Cofis as it is a local derby and the Darans will be very keen to put on a good display. Llanberis are a decent side and will definitely provide a physical challenge for Caernarfon. Past matches between the sides have always been close and I expect the same this week. One thing is for sure, the visitors will be a fit group as they have been training for a few weeks and, from what  I have heard, most of this has been done without a football! I know their assistant manager, Geraing Jones, and he will have been working hard on the players’ fitness so I’m sure we’re in for an exciting match on Tuesday. 

Photo by Iwan Williams. 

I wonder if Marc Lloyd Williams will turn up in the Darans team? He has often stated how much he enjoys playing against the Canaries so I suppose it’s a possibility, although I imagne it will depend on whether or not the television cameras are there….

The Cymru Alliance League 2015/16 fixtures were finally announced last week and, not surprisingly, it created one or two talking points amongst supporters. The first match is always highly anticipated and an interesting trip to Holywell awaits the Canaries on the opening day. Town supporters will know all about the tight matches we had with the Wellemn during our treble season of 2012/13, and I’m sure it’s going to be no different in August.

Haseldin has done a great job at Halkyn  Road and his team were tremendous in winning promotion last term. Holywell will be confident of a good showing and Haseldin will have them up for it but Caernarfon have improved a lot in the last three years and the team has nothing to fear. I can’t wait for the match, and will look forward to seeing if they still have those ‘Refuse To Lose’ posters that were up at the ground during our treble year.

The other matter that raised its head when looking at the fixture list was that we have again been given an away match on the Saturday closest to Christmas day. Although I can think of worse places to go than Conwy on December 27^th, it’s disappointing that we have to travel for the third successive year for our Christmas fixture. A twenty minute drive up the A55 is not a massive hardship but it would have been nice to have been given a home seasonal match this year, for the first time since 2011.

It was great to hear that former Town player Jordan Barrow (left)played his part in Airbus UK's impressive 2-2 draw at AK Lokomotiva last week. Caernarfon supporters will already know how good Jordan is following his spell with us in 2013/14 and although his side crashed out of the Europa League, it was still an excellent achievement by the Welsh Premier League outfit.

So, it's all systems go for Tuesday's friendly with Llanberis and, following a lot of hard work carried out over the last three months, those who have not been to the Oval for a while will be impressed by what they see. I am biased, of course, but the old ground is looking brilliant!  

Paul.