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.