Interviews, Nemo, Four Victories, One Club.

We’ve had four weekends and four victories since the last blog and, having finished off last time with a look at the side’s frustrating home draw with Caersws, I’m delighted to say that this latest entry is pretty much a frustration-free zone.

Although the draw against the Bluebirds could probably be seen as two points lost in our attempt to retain the Cymru Alliance title, I think the team showed lots of character to claim a point on an afternoon when the players found it hard to click into gear. On a positive note, the league’s early pacesetters, Prestatyn Town, failed to take advantage because they  also drew on the day and therefore the gap between the sides remained just two points, with the Seasiders also having a match in hand.

There was a timely break from league action for the next two weeks as Iwan and the players switched their attentions to cup action, firstly with a short trip up the A55 to Comwy for a Welsh  Cup tie. I always enjoy visiting the Morfa because it’s a proper ground, with stands and terraces, and it also helps that the Canaries always seem to do well there!

Borough had announced a change in management in the days leading up to the match, and Will Ryder was their latest pick to try to return the Tangerines to former glories. A change in the hot seat  can usually go one of two ways, the new man can either immediately re-invigorate a struggling side as players try to impress him, or his new charges may take a long time to understand and adopt his new

Messi. 

ideas. I’m not too sure how the change affected Conwy though, as Caernarfon were outstanding on the night, and comfortably booked a berth in the second round courtesy of a 5-1 victory. Leading the way for the Cofis was our talisman, Darren Thomas, who ran the show from his position just behind Jamie Breese, and chipped in with two goals. Prior to the match, there had been much talk of the possible influx of new players to the hosts line-up but this did not materialise and whilst I have no idea how their new manager saw the match, I do know that our gaffer was delighted with the result! Iwan is desperate for a good run in the competition, and I know that he’s still disappointed by last season’s exit at the hands of Goytre so when I interviewed him after the match, he was in great spirits.

Talking of the post-match interviews we’ve introduced this season, they seem to be quite popular, judging by the number of views received on facebook and twitter. The feedback has been positive thus far and whilst I appreciate that I’m no Michael Parkinson I hope that, together with Iwan and the players, we’re able to provide supporters with a useful addition to the match reports.

Before moving on from the Conwy tie, I must admit that a most enjoyable Friday evening watching Town win under the floodlights did have one worrying moment when a Caernarfon supporter shared with me his secret of keeping warm at football matches. Expecting a tip that I could possibly use myself during the coming months I was somewhat taken aback when he told me that his secret weapon against the elements are his wife’s tights, which he was wearing at the time. It was a rather awkward moment when he blurted out the words, and I’m sure he immediately regretted imparting the information so, for fear of embarrassing him, and just in case his wife doesn’t know he borrowed her undergarments, I’ll keep his identity to myself, however tempting it is not to!  

The following week saw us travel to Powys as the team began its defence of the league cup with a tricky looking tie at Caersws. It seemed strange playing them again just fourteen days after the 1-1 draw at the Oval and I think everyone expected another tough, and close encounter with Graham Evans’ side and whilst they certainly played to the same level again, Town were much better this time around and were worthy 3-0 victors.

Kev Lloyd, playing better than ever.

It was an entertaining match with both sides creating goalscoring opportunities and it was due only to the expertise of the two goalkeepers that the score was kept relatively low. Both Keighan Jones and Luke Evans pulled off some fines saves and, whilst Caersws could count themselves unlucky to concede two own goals, Caernarfon’s three goal winning margin seemed a fair reflection of the difference between the sides on the day. Incidentally, Town’s third goal was very well taken by Kevin Lloyd who, in my opinion, is playing better than ever since he returned to the club earlier this season. When I spoke with Kev during the summer he told me he had been surprised to still be playing at this level but I hope he doesn’t feel like that now, because he’s been brilliant during the past two months. During the somewhat arduous trip to the match I had decided that if the team won I’d ask the goalscorer(s) for a photo together but, bearing in mind the two own goals, I thought better of it!

Gaz Edwards carrying out his new second job as our 
woodwork strength tester.

It was another good away performance from the team and whilst this latest visit to one of my favourite away grounds was a most enjoyable one I feel I need to point out that the match officials did not have the most consistent of afternoons. I know that the referee and his assistants have a thankless task and that one of the teams and their supporters will always disagree with every decision they make but on this occasion, I thought the standards dipped below the acceptable levels. For those who may not have been to the Recreation Ground, the home dugout is situated nearer the corner flag than the halfway line and therefore the Caersws management team and substitutes sit directly behind the linesman running that touchline. This means the official is put under immense  pressure by the hosts’ management whenever there is a decision to be made, or not, and I’m afraid that during this match it seemed that their constant appealing may have swayed the assistant’s decision making on occasion. I’m not criticising Caersws because they’re obviously trying to gain any advantage they can but the proximity of the dugouts to the linesman is something I believe the Cymru Alliance League should look at.

Iwan Williams, manager and magician.

Iwan was in a rush to get off after the match but still had time to carry out his customary trick of fitting a coach load of gear in the back of his car before setting off! (see photo). 

The Cofis were back in league action seven days later when Conwy Borough were the visitors. This match had originally been scheduled to be played at the Morfa but, due to groundwork being carried out there, the clubs agreed to a switch of venue and I hoped that the players could find a way of replicating their away form on home turf as they seem to have been playing better on their travels this season.

The match started well and we were dominating possession but, having failed to find the target early on, the Tangerines took advantage and went into a surprise lead which they soon doubled. As blasé as it might sound now I didn’t feel overly concerned at two goals down because the players had opened up Conwy’s defence on plenty of occasions during the first match and opening half an hour of this encounter to suggest they could bounce back and take at least a point and, from the moment Kev Lloyd pulled a goal back, it seemed almost inevitable that the Cofis would go on to win the match. Danny Brookwell hit the target to ensure that the teams were level at half-time and the Cofis put on a powerful display after the break to find the net on three more occasions, through Nathan  Craig, Cory Williams and Gareth Edwards. 

Cory Williams made an instant impact against Conwy.

A special mention here to Cory, who came on off the bench and scored with his first contribution, cutting inside from the right flank before beating his marker and curling an effort into the bottom far corner of the net. An excellent strike from him that shows the quality he has and I’m sure we’ll see plenty more of the same from him in the future.

As has become the norm of late, I carried out a post-match interview on video with Iwan and he was as forthright as ever in his comments. This time, however, he was under the added pressure of having been challenged by his players and coaching staff to include the word ‘mushroom’ in his interview, which he just about managed, although I’m not sure how was able to carry on after getting his word in! Cory was also given a challenge in his interview and came up trumps and whilst I’m not convinced it’s the best idea they’ve had (thinking mainly of making my job harder!) it’s a great sign that there’s a good craic in the squad.

I felt that the manner of the victory over Conwy might prove a turning point in the side’s form at home and there couldn’t be many tougher opportunities to test the theory than the visit of Guilsfield to the Oval on Saturday.

Anyone who has even a passing interest in the Cymru Alliance League will know that he Guils are a very strong side and have been for a number of years. The squad may change slightly from time to time but one thing you can be sure of when playing Danny Barton’s side is a real challenge, both  physically and mentally. They are a very tough side to break down and can muscle most teams out of matches, as proved when they beat us at the Oval last term. That defeat still rankles with Iwan and I know he was even more desperate than usual for his side to gain victory this time around. The players did not let him down as they put on a superb performance to win by five goals to one in what I feel was the best home performance of the season thus far.

Dany Brookwell opened the scoring against Guilsfield.

There were many strong performances on the day but it was Darren Thomas who stole the show with a virtuoso showing, running the match from his free role on the park. Guilsfield had no answer to Town’s frontline as Messi prompted Kev Lloyd, Jamie Breese and Danny Brookwell 

with his clever runs and interplay. Following Darren and Danny’s early goals, Nathan Craig got a brace to give him eleven goals in as many matches this term whilst it was great to see Breesy finding the net again after looking slightly frustrated in the last two matches. Jamie has been the league’s top scorer for the last two seasons and whilst I believe he is the best striker in the league there’s much more to his game than scoring goals. His work ethic is second to none and I would love to see the distance he covers in matches. Three words that describe Jamie to me are: Striker. Team. Player. 

Recent signing Danny Sullivan. 

I’m sure that one or two teams would have been looking at our match with Guilsfield with interest, and maybe expecting us to drop points, so to beat such a strong side by five goals to one was some statement by the team although, typically of Iwan, he was still not totally satisfied, and gave the side a seven out of ten for the performance! Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, the word of the day for the manager was Nemo (I kid you not!) whilst Nathan had to find a way to get washing basket into his post-match interview! I’m not sure where all this silly word nonsense will end, but I’ll be trying my best to keep it clean!

Despite being on such a great run of form the manager has strengthened his squad even further in recent weeks with the addition of two quality signings, Danny Sullivan from Flint and Charley Robertson, who had to wait an astonishing thirty one days for international clearance to don the yellow shirt. Both have made their debuts for us now and I'm sure they'll be looking to get into the side as soon as possible. Competition in the squad is healthy and we've got it in spades!   

Saturday was a special day for the club as a whole because we had been invited by the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum in Caernarfon to lay poppy crosses in the Garden of Remembrance at the Castle. To be given such an opportunity to pay our respects to those who gave their lives for us in wartime was an honour and privilege for the club and the time we had at the Castle is one of my proudest as a supporter. We had representatives from the first team, the ladies team and the Academy and it was very emotional to be there together.

Finally, I’ve been busier than usual on Press Officer duty recently and couldn’t be happier about it! In the past week or so the club has been

able to announce a car deal with B & K Williams Garages and we are also putting something together about the huge contribution the Canaries club have made to the club in recent months. Everyone who lives locally will know that co-owner of B & K Garages. Kevin Williams, is a keen fan of the club and so it’s great that he’s been able to help us secure a great deal for a car that will enable Nathan Craig to carry out his duties as the Head of the Football in the Community project. As for the Canaries, I can say from personal experience that their support has been critical to the club in the last eighteen months, and especially so over the course of the last six months. They are putting money and time into the maintenance of the Oval and I think we’d have been struggling without them during this transitional period for the club’s Board. They have three seats on the new Board and I’m sure we’ll keep on working together to improve all aspects of the club.        

Iwan has brought the One Club motto to Caernarfon Town and whilst there may still be a way to go before we fully reach that point, I’m more confident than ever that we will get there.

Come on Town!   

                            

Normality, Defunct Toffees and Four Weetabix.

The last blog was something of a whistle stop journey through the first month of the season during which I reviewed Town’s first seven matches of the campaign and covered the changes in personnel as the manager tried to finalise the make-up of his squad. I likened the opening weeks to being on a rollercoaster due to the side’s patchy results up to that point but thankfully things have since settled and we’re now very much back to normal with just three matches, consisting of two victories and a draw, to look back on.

The first of those was against Holyhead Hotspur and encounters between the sides are usually really tight affairs, although it does seem that we’ve usually had the upper hand in recent years. I’m not sure how other people see matches between the clubs but I’ve always thought of them as ‘local derbies’ and certainly they’re always played in this spirit, both on and off the pitch. Both clubs have passionate supporters and there is always plenty of banter between both sets, usually at ‘The New Stadium’ where Holyhead’s finest are especially vociferous. They have one particularly vocal follower who goes by the name of a now defunct famous toffee sweet and whom I last saw being given a verbal, and very public, warning at Holyhead’s ground by one of their stewards. I’m unsure as to the cause for such action but I’ll harbour a guess and say that it might have been something to do with a refereeing decision against his side. Anyway, it was good to see that he had made the trip to the Oval for the match, and also somehow reassuring to see him take his customary place, not too far away from the linesman, where he proceeded to offer his advice to all three match officials, his speciality obviously concerning the intricacies of the offside rule.  

Keighan Jones. 

Due to the proximity of the clubs there is always a good chance that one or more of the players will have played for both sides and this in itself always adds some spice to the encounters. This time around, it was the turn of our former keeper Paul Pritchard to play the pantomime villain as he faced the Cofis for the first time since leaving during the Summer. ‘The Cat’ needs no introduction on here, as everyone who supports Caernarfon will know all about his two stints with the club, the first as a member of Wayne Phillips’ Welsh Premier League squad during 2002-2004 and more recently when Lee Dixon brought him back to the Oval in 2012. During the past four seasons I think he’s proved without doubt that he’s the best keeper in the league and, as far as I’m concerned, he’s the best I’ve seen playing for us, although I would also say that he’s the worst dressed keeper we have had. By far!

The Harbourmen are never anything less than a tough nut to crack and they proved it again two weeks ago, arriving at the Oval in decent, if not great form, and on the back of a confidence boosting 8-1 victory over Mold. It wasn’t the most exciting of encounters but the players deserved the victory, despite a dogged rearguard action by Hotspur, and an excellent performance from ‘the Cat’, who pulled off a string of saves to keep his side within touching distance until the final minutes. In the end, a Nathan Craig penalty and a late James Breese strike were enough to clinch the points and give the Cofis a fourth straight league victory. 

Before moving on, our new keeper Keighan Jones deserves a mention for such an assured display on his debut. Having only recently signed for the club he was given an early opportunity to impress following an injury sustained by Paul Whitfield against Flint and he certainly looks a safe pair of hands for us. I feel sorry for Whitty though, as he had done really well since replacing Mike Jones earlier in the season but it just goes to show how important it is to have two quality glovesmen in the squad. In Keighan and Whitty we certainly have this and we also have Alex Crofts in the reserves who has impressed thus far this season. 

Next up was a trip to Ruthin and, never having been to the ground, or even the town, before, it was nice to visit somewhere new and I was really impressed by the excellent set up they have at the Memorial Playing Fields. The admission fee of £4.00p was very decent, and there was also a convenient car park at the ground itself. The dressing rooms were situated in what looked like a fairly old building, with a clubhouse running adjacent to the dressing rooms. This, of course, proved very handy for the travelling Cofi Army, who wasted little time in checking it out!

The Cofi Army in Ruthin. 

As always, the first face I saw at the ground was the fountain of all Cofi knowledge, John Watkins, who informed me that former Town player Danny Jellicoe would be lining up for the hosts. I’ll be honest and say that this was rather surprising news as I thought Danny had retired from playing a few years ago and yet, here he was, warming up with his team-mates. I believe he’s still just hanging on to his thirties and to be fair, he did a great job marshalling his defence. Ruthin had appointed  Chris Williams as their new manager just a few days earlier and this obviously had a positive effect on the side, as they performed much better than you’d expect the league’s basement side to.

The match itself took on a vaguely familiar pattern as we dominated possession and created plenty of opportunities but couldn’t quite manage to take advantage in front of goal. However, when a side has so many match-winners in the line-up, there’s always a chance one of them will find the target and this time it was Darren Thomas, who made a goal out of nothing as he picked the ball up in midfield before driving forward and placing the ball neatly into the corner of the home net. At that time, I half expected the floodgates to open but Ruthin dug in and defended magnificently to keep their goal intact for the remainder of the match. In addition to their defence, I thought Will Owen was outstanding for the hosts.

Town fully deserved the victory and I know that some of the players may have felt frustrated that they didn’t win by a wider margin but, as Iwan said in his post-match interview, a win’s a win and the result ensured a fifth successive league victory.

Danny Brookwell in full flight against Ruthin. 

Another positive to come out of the match was the second half introduction of Danny Brookwell and Rob Jones, who added to their midweek cameos against Holyhead with a longer run-out this time around. Rob added some composure in the middle whilst Danny looked electricifying as he ran at the home defence. I’m not sure there’s anyone faster than Danny in the league and I was tempted to feel sorry for the right full back who had to mark him for the final half an hour! His face as he headed for the dressing after the final whistle told its own story! 

Nathan Craig.

Before heading for home, I conducted interviews with Iwan and Nathan Craig and was found out that Nathan needs four weetabix for breakfast on match days to ensure he gets on the scoresheet! 

The side was back at the Oval on Saturday where Caersws were the visitors. The Bluebirds seem to have strengthened their squad over the Summer and look a stronger outfit than last season although, if truth be told, following a blistering start to the game from the Cofis, I thought we were in for a decent victory. Once again we dominated possession early on without finding the net and, as the match wore on, Caersws gained in confidence and started to play some good football of their own. Having gone into the lead courtesy of a Sean Evans free-kick, the visitors seemed content to sit back, especially having gone down to ten men mid-way through the first half and, despite Town’s dominance and many opportunities, it took a late Jamie Breese goal to get the draw that was the least we deserved. Darren Thomas very nearly secured victory with the final meaningful kick of the match when the ball landed at his feet two yards from goal, but he couldn’t quite manage a clean contact and the opportunity passed.

Jamie Breese secured a point against Caersws with a late goal.

To be fair to Caersws, anything but a draw would have been harsh on them and, whilst the Town players were frustrated at failing to win I think it’s worth noting that they showed a lot of determination to get something from the match when things had not quite been falling for us in front of goal. The supporters man of the match was Darren Thomas and I can certainly see why but, for me, Sam Ashworth was the stand-out performer following his introduction from the bench early in the second period. I thought Sam’s composure and drive from midfield made a huge difference to the side and, at just sixteen years of age, he is already playing beyond his years. Iwan mentioned Sam to me during the summer and said he is a real prospect, and how right he was!

Talking of prospects, it’s been great to see our striker Corrig McGonigle knocking in the goals at Glantraeth in the last two weeks. He’s gone there on loan to regain match fitness and certainly seems to doing that, finding the net three times in his two matches for Warren Gibbs’ side.

Hopefully, we’ll get to see him back in the yellow shirt in the not too distant future.

When Dave Jones asked me a few weeks ago if I fancied putting together my favourite Caernarfon Town XI I jumped at the chance, but did so without fully realising how hard a task it would be! It was almost impossible to look beyond our famous FA Cup side of 1986/87 because that was, without doubt, the finest team I’ve seen in the yellow shirt. However, I also feel that we’ve had other outstanding players who either might have strengthened that side or who are just my favourites. The truth is, of course, every supporter would pick different players in their favourite XI’s and really, I could have named three or four sides of my own picks. What it did prove is that I’ve been lucky enough to have seen many wonderful players representing the side, and I count the current squad in this, and such is the status of the club I’m sure that this will continue to be the case in the future.

Darren Thomas would always be in my favourite XI.

We’ve got another big match coming up this weekend, as we head to Conwy in the Welsh Cup. Iwan has made it clear since joining the club that the cup means a lot to him and I’m sure he’s as desperate as all the Cofi Army to see us enjoy a long run in the competition.

The league title is the priority, but how much would we all love a run in the Welsh Cup?!

Finally, as is often the case in football, some people enjoy criticising other clubs and love to hide their remarks behind the banner of 'banter' and I've read and heard plenty of this since the start of the season. However, we're less than two months in, are unbeaten in six matches and currently lie second in the league. And the players are only just getting started! 

Come on the Town!

        

Rollercoaster: John Travolta and an Eventful Start....

Riding an early season rollercoaster was not what I had expected and probably doesn’t accurately describe the fledgling campaign thus far but, if for some reason you’re reading this and haven’t been following Caernarfon Town, or might have missed a match or two, at least the analogy will give you a general idea of what it has been like to be a Town supporter during the first four weeks of the season. 

After a particularly busy pre-season programme, it came as something of a relief when we were finally able to welcome Penrhyncoch to the Oval for the season opener. As I’ve already mentioned recently, the summer friendlies had been a mixed bag, where the team won the matches they’d been expected to, but lost against the more fancied opponents, such as The New Saints and Aberystwyth. Iwan had used some of the fixtures to take a look at a fair number of the reserves and whilst I had found it an enjoyable build-up to the season, seeing new players, and trying to guess the make-up of the first team, especially when taking into account the changes made to the squad since last year’s double triumph, I was more than ready for the real action to begin on August 13th.

Penrhynchoch were a decent side but had obviously travelled from Mid-Wales with a gameplan to put everyone behind the ball and hope to escape with a point. Caernarfon struggled in the opening half and I was very much reminded of our stalemate with Gresford last season when they parked the bus, and keeper Jonathan Hill-Dunt, in front of goal and got the draw they were looking for. It didn’t quite work out that way for the Roosters though and an impressive second half from the Cofis led to a 3-1 victory, thanks to a Cory Williams goal and Darren Thomas brace. 

Meilir Owen.

It was good to see former Town striker Meilir Owen back at the Oval, although this time instead of terrorising defences as he used to thirty years ago, this time he was running the line in his recent defection to the dark side! To be fair to Meilir, he had an excellent game and is just the type of person we need to manage matches, either in the middle or on the touchline. .

This was followed by a trip up the A55 for a Friday evening fixture with Denbigh Town and I was certainly expecting a tough match. Central Park is one of my favourite away grounds, where the pitch is excellent and we always get a warm welcome. This time was no different, and I was pleased to see that work was being carried out on their Main Stand, which will be double its’ original size once the project is completed.

Readers of a certain age will remember the football programme 'Saint & Greavesie' and Jimmy Greaves’ oft quoted saying that football is a funny old game, and rarely can this have been truer than for this thriller!

The stand at Denbigh. 

Town started impressively and led 2-0 at half-time although, truth be told, we could have been further ahead at that stage, such had been our dominance. Then, when Jamie Breese put the Cofis three ahead in the seventy third minute, I think most of us in the ground felt we’d clinched the points. Denbigh did not see it that way, though, and they produced a stunning fightback to clinch a 4-4 draw, salvaging the point with the final kick of the match. If I’m being honest I was slightly relieved that the final whistle was blown immediately after the point clincher as it seemed the hosts looked like scoring each time they attacked in the final twenty minutes.

Having been 3-0 and 4-2 up late in the match, of course it was disappointing that the team could not manage to hold on to victory but credit should also be given to Denbigh for refusing to give up, despite the uphill battle they faced for most of the match.

I have heard a few supporters bemoan the fact that the referee played seven minutes of injury time on the night, during which the hosts scored two goals and I agree that it seemed unwarranted. Having said that, I would have settled for a point before the match so it wasn’t the disaster some would have us believe, although it definitely felt like a defeat on the night! I had carried out a video interview with Iwan for his post-match comments after the Penrhyncoch match and had hoped to do likewise at Denbigh but, considering the disappointment of dropping two points, I decided against it. I know the manager would have been prepared to give his verdict but I might have had to put an 18 certificate on it to share it!  

Not our day against Prestatyn.

Our next match was another tough looking challenge as Prestatyn arrived at the Oval with two impressive victories already under their belt. Last season they had outplayed us on the way to a 4-2 victory and had looked very strong, making their subsequent implosion rather surprising. Unfortunately for us, Neil Gibson’s men seemed to have regained their swagger and proved too strong for the Cofis, running out comprehensive 4-1 winners at a stunned Oval.

I can’t really add too much about the match as, from a Caernarfon Town supporters’ point of view, it was very disappointing that Prestatyn seemed so much better than us. I don’t believe they are, and it may have been just one of those afternoons when the team just can’t get out of first gear but it worried me that the side had conceded four goals for the second successive match as they had enjoyed such an excellent defensive record on the way to the title last year.     

So, four points from the opening three matches mirrored last season’s start to the campaign and, as it didn’t end up too badly at all in May, it was hardly a time for panic. It was also easy to forget that the team was getting used to a new goalkeeper, Mike Jones, and were doing so without a mainstay of the defence, the captain Grahame Austin. Added to this was Danny Brookwell’s absence and also Nathan Craig’s for the past two matches, all of which will not have helped in the grand scheme of things.

Job done after a battling victory over Porthmadog.

The players had the perfect opportunity to bounce back to winning ways just three days after the Prestatyn defeat when they took on our neighbours Porthmadog at The Traeth. As we all know, this fixture has become a staple part of the local football scene in recent years with large crowds usually turning up to witness the Gwynedd derby. This match was no exception and nearly six hundred spectators paid for the privilege of watching the sides go head to head. Of course, Port have a number of former Cofis in their squad these days, which always adds a little spice to the proceedings, and it was good to see Cai Jones, Gareth Jones Parry, Jamie McDaid and Ywain Gwynedd taking part, although for this once I hoped they wouldn’t be at their best!

Nathan Craig marked his return to the side with an exquisite goal in the opening minute, somehow caressing the ball into the top corner of the net from twenty five yards out to give us the perfect start. Jamie Breese added a second and this proved enough for the points as, despite the hosts pulling a goal back before the break, they failed to truly threaten an equaliser for the remainder of the evening. It was an impressive victory for Town, ad very much required when considering the previous result. It was an interesting team selection from Iwan, as he moved Tom Quinn to defence  from midfield, and brought Kevin Roberts and Corrig McGonigle into the side. The selection worked a treat as Town attacked with verve and looked solid throughout, and they thoroughly deserved the victory.

Kevin Lloyd. 

Following such a convincing performance, the next match could not come quickly enough and I hoped the players would be able to repeat their midweek performance when they took on Gresford at the Oval on the Saturday. As previously mentioned, the team from Clappers Lane proved a hard nut to crack last season and I was expecting more of the same from them, especially when I saw that Hill-Dunt was still between the sticks for them. This time around, however, he had much less of an impact on the match, as the Canaries proved lethal in front of goal, finding a way past him five times before the end of the afternoon. A brace from McGonigle and a Jamie Breese hat-trick were not the only highlights of the match however, as there was also the return of Cofi favourite Kevin Lloyd to the squad.

I think it’s fair to say that supporters were sad to hear that Kevin had decided to leave the club during the summer and I, for one, had hoped he would have stayed on. At the time, Kev gave his reasons for leaving as added work commitments and so it was great to hear that he and Iwan had agreed his return to his hometown club. Kevin is one of us, a true Caernarfon Town supporter, and so we know what it means for him to put on the shirt, and he proves it every time he plays. I really hope he decides to stay on with us now for the long term because he’s a cracking player, and always fully committed to the cause.

Midweek saw us take a break from league action as we welcomed Welsh Premier League side Rhyl to the Oval in the Nathaniel MG Cup, formerly known as the Word Cup. I had been looking forward to this tie as it would be a good test for the side against decent opposition from the top tier and I was quietly confident the players could progress to the next round.

I thought the Cofis started well and probably shaded the first half, although Rhyl did seem a useful outfit and certainly not as bad as their recent heavy defeat to TNS would suggest.

I didn’t feel that the 1-2 half-time scoreline was a fair reflection of the action up to that point but having scored on the stroke of the break, I felt the team were in with a real chance of winning after the restart, but it didn’t pan out this way and the Lillywhites ran out 5-1 winners.

To be fair to Caernarfon, Iwan obviously told the players to go for it in the second half and I thought they put Rhyl under a fair bit of pressure in the opening minutes after the break. However, they couldn’t find a quick equaliser and the visitors made the most of the spaces available to them as Caernarfon attacked, and punished the Cofis with three more strikes.

It was a peculiar evening because the ground felt a bit flat even before kick-off and the scoreline seemed to flatter the visitors, although they certainly deserved to win. It was very reminiscent of the Prestatyn defeat in that the players just couldn’t seem to click into any pattern of play and when that happens, you need a little luck to pull you through, and this was also in short supply on the night.

I don’t want to dwell too much on defeats so will just say that, judging by the faces of the players as they left they ground, they were as disappointed as everyone else at the result.

I carried out a short video interview with Iwan on Friday evening and he spoke at length of how frustrated he had been at Wednesday’s performance and how he expected the players to knuckle down and show what the club meant to them by putting in a much improved performance in the next match, which would be at Flint on Saturday. 
Something I forgot to mention about my visit to the ground last year was the car park available next to the clubhouse, which must be amongst the most picturesque in Welsh football, situated as it is next to Flint Castle (photo).

Flint Castle.

I had heard rumours over the Summer months that the Silkmen were gunning for the title this season and to be perfectly honest I would not expect anything less from them. Unlike us, they achieved the FAW Domestic Licence in April and therefore, very much like us, seem determined to return to the top flight at the earliest opportunity.

The sides had enjoyed an identical start to the league campaign before the encounter but that is where the similarity ended as Caernarfon outclassed the hosts and were full value for the 6-1 victory. I had expected a reaction from the players from the midweek defeat but had not expected us to outplay a team that many people have been tipping to challenge for the title this year. Of course, it’s still early days and they may well do just that, but on yesterday’s evidence, the Cofis are a much stronger outfit. Nathan Craig scored four goals, including two free-kicks that gave Ben Jones no chance in the hosts’ goal. The first of these included a bit of banter between Nathan and the goalkeeper and suffice to say, Jones fell for it, and got caught out by the free-kick!

The Cofis were in imperious form against Flint.  

It was a much improved performance from Town and the return of Darren Thomas certainly made a difference as the Cofi Messi danced his way around players for the whole match, looking to strike at goal or create opportunities for his team-mates. It was, without doubt, the best performance of the season so far by the team and I feel sure that they can now carry on this form and go on a long run of good results.

This time, I did carry out a post-match interview with Iwan and managed to complete it after an aborted first effort, due to schoolboy banter from one of the players! I’ve posted the aborted recording on the Oval Ways Instagram account if you’re interested!

Nathan Craig during the match at Flint. 

Before moving on, I must commend the excellent pre-match music selection that was offered at Cae y Castell, as disco tunes from the seventies streamed through the speakers, which included The Bee Gees classic Night Fever. Nathan Craig must have heard the song whilst warming up because he did a fair impression of a swaggering John Travolta as he led the Silkmen, and especially their goalkeeper, a merry dance for ninety minutes!

So, that’s a quick run-down of the first seven matches of the season, and the reason why I used the rollercoaster analogy at the beginning of the blog. We’ve had ups and downs, highs and lows and not much in between thus far on the pitch, and when you add the departure of Jay Gibbs, the return of Rob Jones and the introduction of our third new goalkeeper, Paul Whitfield, it has been a pretty eventful start to the campaign!

I wonder what I’ll be writing about in the next blog?

Come on the Town!

All photographs used in this blog are copyright of Paul Evans. 

One of King’s Men. An Interview with Phil Wilson.

If you mention Caernarfon Town Football Club and the FA Cup to most people over thirty five years of age in Gwynedd with even the slightest interest in the beautiful game, there’s a very good chance that the first name that will spring into their minds is John King.
Mr King, of course, was the manager with the golden wand who weaved his magic and transformed a struggling Town side from bottom of the Northern Premier League into one of the top non-league sides in the British game during his short, but historical, stint as manager.
The crowning glory of that stint came when he masterminded the side to the third round of the FA Cup in 1986/87 before the Canaries got knocked out in a replay against Barnsley at Oakwell, succumbing to a solitary Rodger Wylde strike in front of over eight thousand fans, of which I was one.
The manager, and the wonderful team he put together for us to support will forever be held in the highest of esteem by Town supporters, and rightly so. They put the club on the back pages of the national press and on national television and, for those few months, we were amongst the big boys in the World’s greatest cup competition!
Next year marks the thirtieth anniversary of those halcyon days and I am very happy to be able to publish an exclusive interview here with Phil Wilson, a mainstay of the side who was also Mr King’s first signing when he took over at the Oval.
Phil went on to take over the hot seat after Tommy Smith failed in his attempts to replicate Mr King’s success, and has enjoyed a long, and very successful career in the game. I’ll let Phil tell you all about it and also of course, about his time at Caernarfon Town.

Question: First of all, can you give us an overview of your career in the game Phil?
Phil: “I started at Tranmere Rovers and played in the A, B and reserves sides. I had a bad knee in my last season there and I played when I should not have which did not do me any good. I had my cartilage out and went moved on to play in the Cheshire League for New Brighton and Winsford. I was a Striker and was scoring a lot of goals and a number of league clubs came in for me so I ended up going to Blackburn. I would not sign full-time though as I was half way through my teacher training at college. I started very well with Blackburn and had some first team games in pre-season. I was not really a goal scoring striker and so they moved me to right wing where I played well. But it never really worked out there and after going out on loan to Wigan, who were then a top non-league team, I moved to Runcorn and started playing in modfield and this is where I played until the end of my career.
Before the Conference we won the Northern Premier League and lost in FA trophy semi-finals three times. We were one of the best non-league teams in the country and I played there for six great years. Altrincham, when the Conference started, paid a decent transfer for me and we won the Conference but I had a falling out with the manager and went for a short spell to Mossley, where we won the Northern Premier League and lost in the 1980 FA Trophy final at Wembley. I then got the move I wanted by going to Northwich, also for a decent fee. I had had four very good years with them in the Conference and played in two Trophy finals at Wembley, beating Bangor in the 1984 final.
When I was thirty six, with a bad knee and drifting down the leagues John King, who was my manager at Northwich, wanted me to go as player coach with him at Caernarfon. It gave me a new lease of life and you know the rest! I even went back to playing in the Conference with Northwich when Tommy Smith took over at the Oval. I then managed you for two seasons, one of which was very successful. I was still playing at Rhyl at thirty eight when Stalybridge Celtic offered me the manager’s job. We won the league and I managed them for two seasons in the Conference. Other manager jobs I held were at Leek where we won the Northern Premier League and got to the Conference, I was at Northwich for two and a half years in the Conference where we finished high, I returned to Stalybridge and won the league again and we got promoted to conference. I was next at Southport and managed Lancaster to promotion to the Conference North before my final job at Barrow. I went back to Blackburn as a European scout after that and I am still there now, doing all the match assessments on our opponents.”

Q) You obviously had a very impressive playing career and I was wondering what were your highlights as a player?
Phil: “The Highlights were playing at Wembley three times, winning three league titles, a number of first and second round ties in the FA Cup and a couple of third round ties including Caernarfon.”

Q) How did your move to Caernarfon come about Phil?
Phil: “I was thirty six and dropping down the leagues and John King phoned and asked me if I fancied it at Caernarfon.”

Q: Things did not start too well at the club for Mr King, results wise, and legend has it that he was having second thoughts about it soon after arriving. I have also heard that you were instrumental in him staying. Can you give us an insight in what happened and how you managed to persuade Mr King that there was some potential here?

Phil: “They were bottom of the Northern Premier League, he went to watch them and they lost 9-2 at home. Our first game was Macclesfield away and we lost 7-2. I played. I drove him to the game and on the way home he said he was packing it in as it was a hopeless cause and it would be too difficult to turn the team around. I took him down to a Rugby club I played squash at and persuaded him to give it a go. Part of the reason was I wanted to continue playing at a good standard but if he had not stayed he would not have had that FA cup run and it was that run that put him back in the limelight, in the papers and on TV and this got him the job at Tranmere. The rest is history what a fantastic manager he was .
Let’s get something straight, he did not stay because of me, but we talked about who we could bring, players like Kenny Jones (who was older than me), Steve Craven and Ray Woods and we eventually built a great team. Martindale, Higgins, Salmon and Russ Hughes, together with Huwey (Huw Williams) and some of the other good local players. I was past my best but I was reinvigorated, I loved it! I played in some very good non- league teams but that side on the day was as good as any.”

Q: As a mainstay of the side, it must have been an exciting time to be playing for Caernarfon?
Phil: “I am positive that if we had not gone so far in the FA Cup we would have won the league easily and been promoted to the Conference. Those two years and my first season Managing Caernarfon were great years.”

Q: I sold programmes at the Stockport tie and remember arriving at the Oval a few hours before kick-off to sit in on a police briefing and you were running around the pitch on your own. I’m pretty sure you missed out on that match and was just wondering what do you remember of that day, and the whole Cup run itself?
Phil: “I was warming up at the Stockport game because I had been injured for a couple of weeks and was not fit. For us to go and win at York was a fantastic result as they were a decent first division team. The Barnsley tie, our chance was at home and we had a couple of opportunities to win and I was an inch away from getting on the end of a free kick. 1-0 flattered us in the replay.”

Q) You mention that John King was a great manager and I know that everyone would agree with that but I was wondering what made him stand out so much? What were his strengths?
Phil: “John King was a great Manager he made you want to play for him. He had lots of experience and knew how to get the best out of you.”

Q) How far do you think Mr King could have taken the club had he not returned to Tranmere Rovers?
Phil: “If Kingy had stayed at Caernarfon I think he would have produced a team that would have won the league and been promoted to the Conference. However, Caernarfon would never have been able to financially compete in the league, just like Bangor found out. It was his fate that he was able to go back to the club he knew best.”

Q) Can you describe a typical day for you as a player for Caernarfon on match days? How did you get down here, and with who? Also, where did the team train Phil and how many times a week?
Phil: “We would leave the Wirral at 11:30 and drive to pick up some of the Liverpool lads at a hotel near Ellesmere Port. We would go to Caernarfon and go to a pub, the Black Boy I think, and meet all the lads for tea and toast at 1:00. Then we would go to the ground for 2:00. Kingy liked having all the lads together to build team spirit.”

Q) Where did the team train and how many times a week?
Phil: “We trained at Deeside on a Tuesday and Thursday when there was not a midweek game and he only brought the local players through for big games, so they normally trained with the Reserves at Caernarfon. I normally took most of the training.”

Q) What do you remember of the Oval ground, the club itself and some of the characters there at the time?
Phil: “The Oval pitch was not up to today's standard but was ok. The ground was good especially when there was a good crowd. I remember scoring a header against Shrewsbury to win in the Welsh cup and the stand by the social club was nearly full. It was the year when I was manager and we lost to Cardiff in the semi-finals.
There were a lot of hard working people there and they were always very friendly. I remember a young John Watkins.”
Q) What happened to the members of the famous FA Cup side, Phil and do you still keep in touch?
Phil: “Russ Hughes went on to play for me at Stalybridge, as did Steve Craven. Ray Woods played for me in the team that finished third when I was manager and he went on to Wigan and later Coventry. Did you know Higgy, Martindale and for a short spell Steve Craven all played for Tranmere with Kingy, and both Martindale and Higgy did so for a number of years and had great success there. I, at 38, played for Northwich with Austin Salmon in the conference before returning to Caernarfon when Tommy Smith left.”

Q) You had a successful period as manager of the team too, especially in your first season, and brought in some very good players. What do you remember of that team and how did you find the experience of managing and creating your own side? I think we finish third in the NPL in your first season in charge which was very impressive!
Phil: “I enjoyed managing and don't forget the year we finished third I was still playing. Do you remember me bringing a young Ian Woan to the club, and he went on to play for Nottingham Forest and is now assistant manager at Burnley. I also got him to go to Runcorn where, after a few months, he got a move to Forest.
My first sacking was at Caernarfon the season after we finished third in the Northern Premier League, which was better than the FA cup team. We lost in the qualifying round of the FA cup away in the North East and after the high expectations from two years previously I was sacked. I learned there was no loyalty in football. It is funny that in my first season managing Stalybridge I took over with the team in the bottom two in November and we played at Caernarfon in the final match of the season. We won and they went down and probably never reached the heights again.
When I came back later on to help Terry Murphy out, the then manager who was ill, it was a bad move for me. I had been managing in the Vauxhall Conference, the top non-league in the country, and then player manager at 39 in the first division of the Northern Premier League. My heart was not in it, and I left in pre-season to go and manage Leek Town.”

Phil in action whilst player manager at Caernarfon. Photo by Richard Birch.

Q) You obviously played and managed at a very high level of football and I was wondering what your day job was and did you find it hard to try and juggle both careers?
Phil: “I was a PE teacher and then later an Advisory teacher for Looked After Children. I did not find it hard because football has always been first in my life whilst my teaching paid the mortgage.”

Q) How do you think today's equivalent of the Conference League, the National League, compares with the one you played in?
Phil: “The Conference has become a full time league with only a couple of clubs now being part- time. I was one of the few part time managers even when I was managing in it in the nineties and early in the 2000's. I would not go full-time because managers get the sack and I would still have a teachers job to fall back on. Incidentally, I was only sacked three times in twenty years. The league is no better than it was except it is now full-time. In my day the top non-league players were better off in the non-league with a good job and earned more money. They did not want to be full time.”
Q) You must have seen many changes in the game over the years and I was wondering what you think of the game today? Has it changed for the better?
Phil: “The game does not seem to have the characters and leaders that were around in my day Technically it has improved but heart and determination is lacking.”
Q) When did you join Blackburn Phil, and in which post, and what does your job entail these days?
Phil: “I joined Blackburn after my last job at Barrow, It was only supposed to be until I found another club but I never ever went for another job. I was going all over Europe watching games as well as a lot Premiership matches, I had no pressure and after about a year I was happy to continue to do it. I have been there nine years and now we are no longer in Premiership I do all the match reports on our next opponents.”

Q) Finally, can you sum up your time with Caernarfon Town in one sentence?
Phil: “As I have said earlier the three years I had there, two with Kingy and then the season we finished third, were some of the happiest I had as a player because at my age I thought I was finished and I proved myself wrong.”

A massive thank you to Phil for taking the time to answer my questions and being so honest with his answers. As someone who looked on from the terraces as the team he played in, and later managed, proved a match for everyone over a three year period in the eighties, it was great to hear his side of the story, and also to learn about his long career in the game. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did!

Ray Woods, a Massive Step Forward and Kev Bach - Again!

The legendary Ray Woods. 

After what seems like a particularly long pre-season preparation period we’re just days away from the new season and, just like everyone else connected with Caernarfon Town Football Club, I’m very excited at what lies ahead. 

I must say that, as much as I’ve enjoyed all the pre-season friendlies over the past five weeks, they’re no substitute for the real thing and I’ve been counting the days to the big kick off ever since the league cup final in May. I’ve attempted, in the last two blogs, to describe what’s been going on, in and around the club, since then and I hope that the club’s various press releases and social media updates have been a help in keeping everyone relatively up to speed with everything. All that’s remains for me to do now then is to quickly cover the last two friendlies and mention a few things that have happened and may be of interest since the last blog.

The defeat to The New Saints at the end of last month was followed with a run-out for the reserves  against a decent Llanrwst outfit. It was an excellent performance by the youngsters and I was particularly impressed by their attitude in the second half, when they found a way to win after losing  their two goal lead. Iwan had decided to include one or two senior players in the starting line-up to help the youngsters settle and they did this in great style, scoring twice without reply in a very good first half. The manager brought the senior players off at half-time and Llanrwst got back on level 

Corrig scores his second against Llanrwst. 

terms by enforcing a more robust approach but, just when it looked as if the Roosters would go on to win, Town’s youngsters showed their mettle and fully deserved their late winner by Herbie Hofstede. Everyone had played well but Corrig McGonigle stood out for me, finding the net twice and setting up the winner. He has been very impressive so far and seems to be a real goalscorer, and who doesn’t love one of those in the side?

GAP Connahs Quay had been scheduled to visit the Oval for our final warm-up match on Saturday but, due to being stuck in traffic on the A55, they could not make it to the ground so the match was called off. There was no blame at all on Connah’s Quay but it was such a disappointment  to call it off less than two hours before kick-off although, thanks to social media, I think we managed to get the message out to most of the club’s supporters. 

Ray Woods near the spot he struck from a free-kick for the Cofis. 

Despite the disappointment, however, on a personal level I still had an enjoyable time at the ground as I got to meet one of the club’s greatest ever players, Ray Woods. Those who are old enough to remember John King’s brilliant team of the mid-eighties that propelled the Canaries onto the back pages of all the main national papers and onto our television screens will know how good Ray was. He was undoubtedly one of the team’s brightest stars, causing havoc as he ran at defences on the right wing and I can well remember seeing him taking on, and dribbling past left backs at will. He was so good, in fact, that he went on to play for Coventry City in the then equivalent of the Premier League, becoming manager Terry Butcher’s first managerial signing, the former Ipswich star paying Wigan £200,000 for Ray’s services. The last time I saw Ray was when he lined up for the Sky Blues against Liverpool at Anfield in the early 1990’s, he had an excellent game on the right flank and was just as good as I remembered him from his Oval days. Unfortunately, a troublesome groin injury led to repair damage to his stomach and a change of manager resulted in Ray’s time in the top flight coming to a premature end as he returned to Wigan after three years at Highfield Road.   

Now fifty one, Ray had hoped to catch his old side in action on Saturday but things didn’t quite work out that way. However, he still spent a good hour at the ground and it was great to meet someone who I’ve held in such high esteem for the past thirty years. Having just married two weeks ago, it was also really nice to meet his wife Faye and they have promised to visit again in the not too distant future. Before they left the Oval, Ray walked onto the pitch and we discussed his time with the club. It was brilliant to hear him talking so fondly of the club, and the team he played in and he shared a few great anecdotes, whilst also mentioning a goal he scored for the Cofis all those years ago from a free kick at the Hendre End. I was also pleased to hear him say that the ground looks wonderful these days and how pleased he was that it had been developed so much. Of course, it was a golden opportunity for me to take a photo with one of my heroes as a teenager and I didn’t pass it up! Before leaving, Ray also posed with this season’s new shirt and was rather impressed with it! (see top of blog entry).

Town's new keeper, Mike Jones. 

The following day I received a message from him to say how much he’d enjoyed the visit to his old ground and that it had felt very much like going back home. A really nice thing to say and, if at all possible, I will hope to carry out an interview with him for the blog in the not too distant future. Ray Woods, what a player he was!  

Before moving on from those halcyon days of the eighties, I’m pleased to say that I’ve recently been in touch with another member of that legendary team, Phil Wilson, and Phil very kindly agreed to an interview with me which I hope to publish in the next week or two. Just like Ray, Phil is a real gent too, and has plenty of interesting to say about his time with us and his long career as a player and manager.
Back to the present team now, and this week’s match with Nantlle Vale. The Canaries were much too strong for Vale, and whilst I didn’t learn anything new about the side I’m sure it helped both teams to reach the fitness levels they’ll require for the season. Following Saturday’s cancellation it was important that the players had a final run out before the real action begins and so it served a purpose. Just as importantly it also gave our new goalkeeper, Mike Jones, an opportunity to play behind the defence for the first time, which can only be a good thing. Incidentally, I had a quick chat  with Mike on Saturday and he is really excited at joining Caernarfon and seemed quietly confident we can do well this season. He has a great attitude and I’m sure will be a success at the club.

Iwan and Jay with Margaret Jones of Gofal Bro Cyf.

It’s also been a nice surprise to see that Kevin Roberts has returned to the fold, having originally decided to return from the game during the summer. I was disappointed to see him go last month so am really pleased that he’s back with us. I’m sure I’m not the only one who will be looking forward to seeing a few more of his bone-crunching tackles over the course of the campaign! 

Away from the pitch, there’s been a very exciting development at the club with the announcement that Gofal Bro Cyf have become our new main sponsor. As was stated in the official press release, the sponsorship deal is the biggest in the club’s history and in my opinion it’s a massive step forward for us if we are going to compete with the top clubs in the country. It was nice to meet the company’s proprietor, Margaret Jones, and her staff at the ground on Saturday and it’s good to know that we’re being backed by such a reputable company and, just as importantly, by such nice people. Let’s hope we can give them plenty of coverage during a successful campaign! 

Gareth Edwards in the new training kit.

We only had one home and one away shirt on the day and so I was limited as to the photos I could take so Jay Gibbs thankfully  agreed to pose for a few shots in addition to the usual ‘sponsors photo’. I don’t think Jay was too comfortable at taking the photos but he stuck it out, and did a great job. I would have hated to play against him (not that I was ever good enough to have done!) because he is such a competitive character, but off the field he is a gentleman and always very helpful, and I was very grateful that he helped me out on Saturday. Thanks Jay!

The new kits will be available to buy soon but, for now, if any of you fancy getting yourself the new training gear the players are using, here’s the link to where you can order them directly:

http://www.totalteamwearuk.com/clientshops/caernarfontownfcacademy/default.htm

This time last year I wrote a blog entry titled ‘This Can Be Our Year’ where I stated that the 2015/16 season could a very successful one for Caernarfon Town. If truth be told, whilst quietly confident about our prospects there was also an element of the unknown as we had a new manager and a few new players in the squad. This year, however, I know exactly what kind of manager Iwan is and the calibre of players we have at the club and, whilst I’m well aware that other teams will have strengthened during the summer, I am confident that the 2016/17 season will be a very exciting one for the Cofis and that we have a good opportunity to return to the Welsh Premier League at the end of the new campaign.

It’s going to be a long season, but everyone at the club is ready for it!

Come on Town!!