For the past decade, Caernarfon Town has kept to a strict
policy of ensuring the first team is predominantly made up of local players and
every manager over the past ten years has signed up to and followed up on it.
The success the club has had during this time, on and off the pitch, is proof
that the policy has worked and so, every summer, I always look forward to
seeing who we bring in, fully expecting to see the latest talented local player
joining our ranks. Gruff John is a name that most Caernarfon supporters will have
know for a number of years, not only because of his time at the Oval as a
youngster but also due to his consistently excellent performances over many
seasons for Porthmadog. There have been many rumours over the years that we had
been after his signature and so, like most Cofis I’m sure, I was delighted that
Gruff joined us last summer.
I met him at the Oval for an interview and photographs on
the day he signed and something that stood out for me is that he was so
determined to show the Caernarfon supporters what he had to offer as a member
of the squad. Gruff’s performances this season have shown that he has plenty to
offer and that determination to prove himself has made the transformation from
Cymru Alliance League to the Cymru Premier League seamless.
Gruff is another of those unsung heroes who goes about
his job quietly but effectively and I am really pleased that he agreed to an
interview for the blog. There’s no point in asking a dozen questions just about
favourite soap operas etc so, as always with these player interviews, I’ve
given Gruff a fair chunk of questions to answer, thirty in all, and they’ll be
published in two parts.
Huge thanks to Gruff for taking the time to take the time
to so this and I do hope you all enjoy the first part as much as I did in putting
it together…….
Which teams have you played for, from school days to this
season?
Gruff: “I played for Bethel FC in
junior football up to sixteen where we had a huge amount of success. Over this
time I played for Caernarfon academy and then on to Bangor academy. I had a lot
of success with the school football team in Ysgol Brynrefail over the school
years, winning three Welsh Cups and playing in five finals. When I was sixteen I
was with Wrexham FC for a short period. In the same season I captained the
North Wales team and later on went on to receive international caps with Welsh
schools and the Wales semi-pro under eighteens team. I then went on play for
and captain the under eighteens team in Caernarfon. In senior football I started
at Llanrug and then played for Porthmadog for six years.”
Although you have mainly played for Caernarfon this
season in defence, you have also played in midfield for us. What is your
preferred position and why?
Gruff: “I’ve played so many different positions it’s
very hard to pick just one! Managers have always referred to me as a versatile
player which I take as a compliment and I just try to do be the best job I can
in any position and learn as much as I can. For Eards this season I’ve played
LB, RB, CB, CM, CDM and even came on up top, and in every position I’ve had to
deal with something new which is great for developing as a player. I’d say by
now my preferred positions would be right back and CDM, I enjoy defending but
do like to contribute in attacks and get a few assists and goals in!”
Who has been the biggest influence on your footballing
career?
Gruff: “It’s quite hard just to pick one because I’ve
learned different things from different coaches and people over the years. In
junior football I learned a lot about aggression within football and getting
that winning mentality under Paul Williams with Bethel, but at the same time in
Bangor academy under Mel Jones I learned a lot about shape, tactics and doing
your job correctly, so both contributed to developing myself as a player. Then
in senior football I always look back at Aled Owen who introduced me to senior
football with Llanrug and helped me with the move to Porthmadog where he gave
me the confidence to play at a higher level at a young age. At Port I had to
learn quickly with Gareth Parry about self-discipline and learn the style of
play they had, it was tough but as I got older and understood more about the
game it definitely helped me improve as a player. When Craig Papyrnik came in
as a manager we had a great squad and a good feeling around the club, we played
for each other and he made sure of that. He has a great passion for the game
and he believed in me as a player which showed in my performances last season, I
had more confidence and for that I’d say he’s had a great influence on my game
in the last couple of years. But above all I’d have to say my biggest influence
is my grandfather. From when I was young he’d drive miles and miles to come see
any game he could and would enjoy every game. He's always been there with any
important decision with football and will always ask what's going on. By now
he’s gotten too old to be able to come watch but I’m so glad that I got the
move to Caernarfon Town because now he can watch the live games and highlights
which allows him to enjoy the games again.”
Which professional team do you support?
Gruff: “Liverpool, the Premier League champions, I
hope!!!”
Who was your favourite player growing up?
Gruff: “My favourite player was and will always be
Zinedine Zidane. I always loved watching him play, he looked like he glided
over the pitch with his effortless dribbling skills and pin-point passing, and
he had the best first touch and technique. He was such a clever player and went
past players without touching the ball just by moving his body and he'd score
loads of screamers, just pure class!”
Who is your favourite current player?
Gruff: “It has to be between big Virgil Van Dijk and
Kevin De Bruyne but I'd probably have to say De Bruyne overall. Anytime a team
plays against Man City and he gets on the ball I think he's going to make
something happen. He has the ability to create something from nothing which is
exciting to watch. He reminds me of the centre midfield players I've enjoyed
watching over the years and there is nothing arrogant about him which I like,
he gets on the pitch and destroys teams, simple.”
Your played for Caernarfon as a youngster, when was that
and did you enjoy the experience?
Gruff: “I played for Caernarfon for the first time
when I was around nine or ten where I played for the academy. I played with
some players in the that academy team that have also played for the first team
by now, Alex Jones and Jamie McDaid. I also played for and captained the
Caernarfon under eighteens team. The manager was Bryn 'Bibs' Williams and the
assistant manager was the Cofi Army's Jamie Richardson so there was never a
dull moment! All the lads in the team were local lads and had either played
together or against each other in past seasons. We had a brilliant squad full
of good quality. The best of our successes I'd say would be winning the North
Wales Coast Cup and winning 8-1 in the final, no team could get close to us in
the competition. It's nice to have those memories and being able to play again
now on the Oval.”
You made a name for yourself at Porthmadog and how hard
was it for you to leave them.
Also, how did your move to Caernarfon come about last
summer?
Gruff: “It was very hard to leave Porthmadog, it's
a great club with loads of good people involved. I was there for six years so I've
had brilliant experiences on and off the pitch with the team and have made some
life-long mates. Similar to Caernarfon, Port has volunteers working so hard for
the club and they all do it for the love they have for football and Porthmadog
FC which is amazing. They were always very kind and supportive and helped me a
lot when I got injured two years ago for which I am very thankful to them. I've
also had the pleasure of meeting some great players and managers and coaches
there over the years. I'd probably say that last season was my best season with
Port so it was especially hard to leave over the summer but I'd always said I
wanted to play in the Welsh Premier and so what better way to do it than with
my local club? Fish contacted me first and asked if I would be interested to
have a chat with him and Eards before pre-season, so this is what happened and
it all went form there. I liked the sound of their plans for the season and
they listened to and encouraged my ambitions as a player. Once I had the
meeting with Eards and Fish and knew what I was there to do, my mind was made
up. “
What was your initiation song after joining
us?
Gruff: “To be honest I've not had to sing yet, but the lads have seen some
videos of me singing and have heard me singing in the car on the way back from
games so they know I've got a beautiful singing voice! If I were to sing I'd
pick 'Can't help falling in love' by Elvis or I'd go with anything from Bryn Fȏn!
Two legends!”
What, if any, changes have you seen at the Oval between
since you played for us as a youngster?
Gruff: “With the
success the club has had over the last couple of years there has obviously been
big changes made and the club has developed so much by doing this. The
professionalism around the club has improved and the standards have gotten
higher which means the club is going in the right way to improve further again.
The one thing that has stood out to me as a player is the quality of the ground
and the pitch itself. I played on the Oval so many times as a grew up and the
pitch did not get better, but when I signed this season I thought the ground
had improved and that the pitch was in great condition and has been kept in
this condition throughout the season.”
Did you know Sean Eardley or any of his
management team before you joined us?
Gruff: “I didn't
know that much about Eards before I joined and had only seen pictures or videos
of him with the team from last season. I knew more about Fish and remember
him from the Port and Penrhyn games but I had never really spoken to
him, I only remember him shouting at me from the side! I knew
Rhys from school days in Ysgol Brynrefail, and a big shout out to him for
looking after my ‘hammies’ this season! Despite not knowing the management
team that much, once we met up and had a chance to chat it didn't really matter
because everything moving forward was easy and we've gotten to know each other
throughout this season, they've been great.”
Had you played
with any of the players already at the club before, or knew some of them?
Gruff: “I had
played with Cai 'trwyn' Jones , Daz and Sion Brads before at Porthmadog. I
had only trained with Leo when he came to Porthmadog training sessions in
pre-season, normally he'd beg me to teach him a few things before
he went back to Wrexham!! I knew who Ryan was because he used to play against
my little brother and I'd seen him around town a few times, he loves a good
pint! I had played against a few of the other lads but didn't really know any
of them.”
I carried out an interview with you when you
signed and you told me then that you wanted to show everyone what you can do on
the pitch. Do you think you’ve been successful in doing this?
Gruff: “I think I've showed
in most games what I can offer and showed that I can do
a job in defence. I do feel I have more to show in my attacking abilities
and what I have to offer going forward. Obviously it’s my first season with the
lads so the main thing I wanted to do this season was to do the
job that was asked of me for the team, and learn from game to game
and I feel I've achieved this. It's been a great season and I've really enjoyed
learning about different teams, new styles of play, playing against quality
players and learning something new from each battle and game. I hope that I
can continue to develop and learn about the league and teams and continue to
show what I have to offer for Caernarfon Town.”
You also said that
you were aware of the club's support before you joined us so has it lived up to
your expectations?
Gruff: “Yes and
more! The reaction I had when I singed was unbelievable, I had messages from
loads of fans on social media and people would come up to me in Caernarfon
introducing themselves and wishing me luck for the season. I'm a local lad so
it was nice to get such a positive and welcoming reception from the fans. Also
the sound around the ground in games is amazing, whether it be from the Cofi Army
or some familiar faces around the ground, the buzz they bring to games is a
massive extra for us lads. The boost we get from a chant or a clap pushes us
that extra bit further to make sure we get the result!”
 |
| Gruff celebrating his goal against Barry Town |
How
did it feel to score in front of the Cofi Army?
Gruff: “When I scored
the first goal I didn't know what to do! A lot of the lads run towards the Cofi
Army, I'm not used to doing anything like that so I just stood there smiling
and I think the lads saw that so just ran towards me. When I got my second
which nobody expected, I just stood there laughing as the lads ran towards me
again, so I've told myself the next goal I score I'm going straight for the
Cofi Army! Both times I've scored, the volume from the Cofi Army has just made
me smile and I've had this massive buzz after each time. The support is
just class and there's always a laugh to have with them after the game.”
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