Month from Hell and On the Cusp of Something Special.

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

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

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

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

Iwan with chairman Richard Morris Jones.

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

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

Danny Brookwell against  Guilsfield.

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

Alex saves a late penalty at Guilsfield. 

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

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

Nathan Williams. 

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

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

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

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

Rob Jones. 

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

Jamie Breese worked his socks off at Llanfair. 

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

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

Chris Williams enters the fray against Llanfair. 

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

The Enforcer, the Smiler and a Closed Stand.

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

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

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

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

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

Town attack the 'Closed Stand' End at Conwy.

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

Beginning of the End? 

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

Jay Gibbs.

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

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

The team arrives at Llanfair's ground.

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

The teams get ready for their quarter-final clash. 

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

Not your orthodox centre half. 

Kevin Lloyd. 

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

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

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

The Enforcer and the Smiler!

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

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