Danny, the Boss and the Final Word.

A full month after the end of the 2015/16 season I am, albeit rather belatedly, able to post this final blog of a spectacular campaign for the Cofis. I’ve already twice tried to write this ‘last word ‘ but my first two efforts, as so often happens, ended up being much too long, and were posted as separate entries, being the last two blogs. However, with just the league cup final to look back on, I think I may just about manage it this time, so here goes….

With the league title trophy already safely tucked away at the Oval, or, if rumours are to be believed, in the club President’s bedroom, the side headed to Conwy’s Morfa Ground in search of a coveted league and cup double.

Squaring up to the Canaries in the final were Flint Town United and, although it’s fair to say that Caernarfon were favourites to get their hands on the Huws Gray League Cup, it was certainly not a given that they would as the Silkmen had looked a very good side when we had played them in the league, especially on their own ground early in the season. Despite having lost six successive league matches between March and April, which included a 4-2 defeat at the Oval against us, Aden Shannon’s outfit had won their last three matches going into the final and would certainly provide stiff opposition.

Toby looked sharp in the league Cup final.

It was slightly disconcerting during the week leading up to the final to read silly rumours on social media about managers of other clubs contacting Caernarfon players to enquire about their plans for  next season. It all seemed a bit like a case of one or two people trying to unsettle the side before a big match because I can’t imagine that any decent manager would do anything so silly.       

I enjoyed a new, and very unexpected, experience on the day of the final when my wife, Valmai, also known as the Boss in our household, declared that she would be accompanying my son Iwan and I to watch the match. Having immediately suspected an ulterior motive (an early morning shopping spree in Llandudno maybe?) she assured me there was none and that she simply wanted to see this great side I’d been banging on about all season. Fair enough, but I did have to point out that Messi was cup-tied following his short sojourn to Aberystwyth, so the country's best number ten I’d also been banging on about would not be on the field! 

The match was not the greatest and, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t care. All I wanted was to see Grahame Austin lift the cup for the second time since he joined us three years ago and this is exactly what he did after a tight, and unspectacular contest.

The sides began cautiously which was understandable given the stakes, but Danny Brookwell and Toby Jones were looking very sharp on the flanks and it came as no surprise that it was the former who opened the scoring when he powered past a defender before slotting the ball past the keeper in the sixteenth minute. It was a great finish by Danny and I was lucky enough to manage a decent photo of it. It’s not a Richard Birch-quality shot but, as I haven’t seen any others of the goal I’m pleased I was alert at the time!

Danny slides in the opener against Flint. 

Toby, Nathan Craig and Jamie Breese all had decent efforts following the opener whilst Clive Williams struck the bar just before half-time but, in reality, there was very little goalmouth action for the remainder of the match. To be honest, Flint enjoyed plenty of possession in the second half and Caernarfon were content to soak up the pressure and play on the counter-attack, where Toby and Danny were proving such a threat.

The players celebrate Nathan's goal from the penalty spot. 

The match was all but settled seven minutes from time when Danny was brought down in the box by  John Hill and Nathan Craig stepped up to double the lead from the penalty spot. Despite conceding a wonderful consolation goal by Stewart Carroll late on for Flint, Nathan’s netfinder proved enough to secure a second piece of silverware for the champions.

If I’m being honest, I thought the players in yellow and green looked a little tired and who could blame them after such a challenging last month of the campaign. I accept that the legacy of a wet winter meant every team in the league had been forced to play a high number of matches in a short period of time but only one set of players also had to cope with the massive disappointment of a failed Domestic Licence application keeping them out of the Welsh Premier League. This must have had an effect on the players and so I think they did exceptionally well to keep playing, and winning, despite the circumstances.

Jamie Breese couldn't quite manage to put away this opportunity.

Taking into consideration the opportunities created during the ninety minutes, I think Caernarfon just about deserved to win, although I know that whoever writes Flint’s match reports certainly wouldn’t agree with me! According to the Silkmen’s reporter their defeat was largely down to refereeing decisions and their own profligacy in front of goal and, whilst everyone is entitled to their opinion, I certainly don’t think the referee had such a pronounced bearing on the result. Most  matches consist of a number of key moments involving the players and this was indeed the case in the final. Clive hit the bar for Town, Jon Culshaw cleared a Nathan Craig corner off the Flint line, Jamie Breese twice went close to scoring when well placed, and Paul Pritchard made two fine saves to keep the Cofis ahead when just a goal in front. Near misses and mistakes are par for the course and obviously have a massive influence on results. The referee of course can also influence things with his decisions but I don’t think he did this time as his two big calls seemed straightforward to me. The first was his decision to give Phil Clarke an early bath for a reckless challenge on Danny Brookwell and the second was the penalty he awarded for John Hill’s foul on Danny in the box. I don’t think the man in the middle had any choice in either matter and it’s a shame that any suggestion to the contrary had to appear in the report.

Danny Brookwell.  

One final point about the match concerns the man of the match award, and the bewilderment that a supporter standing next to me showed when he asked why it hadn’t been given to Danny Brookwell (above). I can’t answer that, and can only guess that whoever made the decision was obviously looking for something other than an eye catching performance by Danny that saw him scoring one goal and help create another. I would also add Toby Jones as an equally deserving recipient but it goes to show that the game is all about opinions.  

Of course, my job as the club’s media officer was only half completed at the final whistle as I needed to ensure a few decent photos were captured of Grahame Austin receiving the cup, the team celebrating and, if possible, some individual shots for the players with the silverware. I love my post with the club, it’s the best one I could have, bar managing the team and wearing the number nine shirt and I think Iwan and Breesey are pretty much nailed on for those, so really I’ve got the best job available to anyone. That said, it can also be slightly stressful on this kind of occasion because I was responsible for taking the club’s photographs for the website and social media and I really would hate to let anyone down with poor shots. However, on this occasion I just about got away with it and got some nice photos although it was largely thanks to the players posing for individual photos after the match.

Grahame Austin collects the league cup for the second time as captain of Caernarfon Town.  

In all, it was an excellent afternoon, and securing the double in lovely sunshine and in front of the Cofi Army was a great way to end a memorable season for Caernarfon Town. Looking back to twelve months ago and our first interview with Iwan for the managers’ post, I think we all felt he would be an excellent appointment but I doubt that any of us could have guessed quite how good he would prove to be in such a short period of time. There are numerous highlights to look back on over the course of the campaign and one of mine happened before a ball was kicked competitively. Iwan’s appointment as our manager was the best decision we’ve made in a long time and ranks as a definite highlight of the 2015/16 season. He had a hard act to follow but he’s done it, and taken us to a totally different level.

Clive Williams paying for his efforts as he tries
to kneel down for a photo with the silverware.  

So, the 2015/16 was finally over. The Cofis had won the double, the new manager had been a revelation, the team proved to be our best in a very long time and my wife had finally been to a Caernarfon Town match. What more could I have asked for as a Caernarfon Town supporter? 

As I hopped off the Caernarfon Town rollercoaster in preparation, and not a little fear, of a period of weekend shopping and day trips with ‘the boss’ I suddenly reminded myself of the hard work that needs to be done during the close season. Iwan contacted me just a few days after the final and it was very much a case of ‘business as usual’ and, to be honest, this is how it’s been for the past month, and I really wouldn’t have it any other way! 

I’ll be looking at what we’ve been up to in the next blog entry….

One Club Ethos and World of Sport Wrestling.

I finished the last blog by recounting how the Canaries secured the Cymru Alliance League title with an emphatic victory over nearest rivals Cefn Druids on their own ground. This was not quite the end of the season though as, whilst the league had been well and truly won there was still the exciting prospect of having the ‘double’ to play for, with the side having also reached the league cup final, which was to be the final match of the campaign.

There was no chance at all however that Iwan and his squad could take a breather before the attempt to pick up a second piece of silverware as they still had two league fixtures to play before facing Flint in Conwy and the first of these was a tough looking encounter with Holywell Town.

World of Sport's Wrestling Banter made a return at the Oval....

Everyone who reads this blog regularly will know what I think of the Wellmen and their manager and, if there’s any team you’d prefer not to play two days after winning a league title, they’d be amongst the frontrunners! They are a seriously competitive side, playing an abrasive in your face style and John Hasseldin knows how to push his player’s buttons. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that has more than a touch of the pantomime villain about him and this was re-affirmed when he and his team afforded the Cofis a guard of honour prior to kick-off. As most of our supporters will know, he is never slow at having a dig at us on social media but credit where it’s due, this was very classy of him. Of course, he was back to his usual touchline antics during the match but even that was more ‘World of Sport wrestling banter’ than anything else. 

Messi.

The match itself was no classic but it seldom is between these sides, although Town ran out comfortable winners in the end. It had been a workman-like performance in the opening half but, once Darren Thomas opened the scoring a minute before the break, there was only ever going to be one conclusion. Holywell were dogged throughout, but Town have shown throughout the season that we can more often than not find a way to get a positive result, and there is none better than the Cofi Messi at providing the spark that makes something happen out of nothing. Like every other supporter I was thrilled to see him return to the Oval after a brief sojourn with Aberystwyth and, whilst Jamie Breese, Jay Gibbs and Danny

Brookwell have, quite rightly, been enjoying the headlines during the season, Darren has been his usual, sparkling self, igniting the team in his inimitable style. The goal was typical of him, showing a cool head when the goalkeeper stopped his first effort and, despite being surrounded by three defenders, he found time to go past two men before finding the net from twelve yards. He also popped up with an assist for the second goal when he headed the ball across the six yard area for

Jamie Breese.

Breesey to finish off and it was left to Jay Gibbs to have the final say, the midfielder scoring from an impossibly acute angle, although the Holywell players claimed they had stopped playing due to an injury to Jamie. It’s a shame the referee failed to notice their efforts for the game to be stopped but it didn’t change the outcome of the match and the only downside to an enjoyable afternoon was the injury to our number nine. If there was a silver lining to be had as he limped away from the ground, it was that, with the title already in the bag, Jamie had twelve days to recover before the cup final, so was still in with a chance of taking part.

Caersws provided our final test of the league campaign and, where the Holywell encounter had been more of a war of attrition, our match with the Bluebirds was anything but! The afternoon started well when the players were welcomed onto the pitch by players and staff of the club’s Academy, who stood in the circle centre to acknowledge the team’s success. The first team players seemed as pleased by the reception as the youngsters and if ever there’s been an example of the ‘One Club’ ethos Iwan is pushing through at the club, this was it. It was excellent to see the first team and  Academy players and staff lining up for a photo, and it’s definitely been one of the highlights of my time supporting the Cofis. Brilliant stuff!

The players are welcomed onto the pitch by staff and players of the club's Academy. 

Celebrating Danny Brookwell's opener against Caersws.

The match started with a bang, as Town got out of the blocks faster than John Terry when there’s a trophy to be lifted and photographed with. The Cofis surged into a four nil victory inside eighteen minutes and, at that stage, the team was playing as well as I’d seen them during the season. Uncharacteristically, the players seemed to switch off for a few minutes and this let Caersws back into the match, as they fought back to trail by just 5-3 at half-time. Typically, the players got back into the groove after the break and found the net three more times before the final whistle. Darren Thomas had undoubtedly been the star of the show and he hit an excellent hat-trick to cap off a fine display.

The league's representatives began proceedings immediately after the match by presenting Iwan with his manager of the month award for March, which was richly deserved after his side's 100% success rate of five victories, in which they scored seventeen goals and conceded just two. 

Iwan receives his Manager of the Month award for March.

The league trophy was then handed to Grahame Austin in front of the home supporters at the Clubhouse End of the ground and that ‘One Club’ ethos shone through for the second time on the day as the players celebrated with the supporters. It was an excellent way to round off the title winning campaign and, from a personal point of view, I loved every minute of taking photos of the players with the fans, and individually with the cup. It was a memorable afternoon in every way and my big  hope now is that Iwan and the team can repeat the feat next season so that we can finally get back into the Welsh Premier League. Five hundred and ten supporters walked through the turnstiles to see the match and there aren’t many, if any, teams that can match that in the top tier. The team and the supporters deserve to be there and the club’s Board simply has to make sure that we’re in a position to get there as soon as possible, with the 2017/18 season unquestionably the objective!

The Canaries Club held their presentation evening for the players immediately after the match and it was the perfect way to celebrate the team’s achievements. I’ll be writing a report on the event for the club’s website soon but must mention here how good it was to see the club’s former chairman, Arfon Jones, in attendance. He was rightly given a standing ovation when he took the microphone and was his usual forthright self when addressing everyone. I’ve been on the club’s Board with Arfon for six years and no one has worked harder than him in dragging the team from obscurity to where it is now. The club’s been a massive part of his life, especially during the time of his stewardship of the Canaries, and I certainly hope we’ll still see him at the Oval and on our travels next season. In the meantime, he can practise his swing on the golf course and, from what everyone has told me, he desperately needs it!

Whilst on the subject of the presentation evening, it was great to see Caersws staying on at the supporters club for the duration of the awards and I thought it was a great gesture by them. Of course, Iwan played for the Bluebirds last season and from what I gather is friends with their manager Graham Evans, so I’m sure it would have meant a lot to our manager that is former club  made the effort to hang around.

The 2015/16 Huws Gray Cymru Alliance League Champions.  

I had intended to include the League Cup final in this blog but, as it’s probably already overlong, I’ll include it in the next entry, which may also include some recent news, including Iwan’s never-ending appetite to improve the team, both on and off the pitch.

Un Clwb.           

A tough schedule and Cofis devastating at the Rock.

I’ll be honest and admit that last week’s blog was the toughest thing I have had to write but failing to address such a difficult time for the club was not an option and before carrying on I want to make it clear that I hope I did not offend anyone when discussing the domestic licence failure. I know that the club’s Board is already working hard with Iwan and the Canaries Club to put into place a structure to move us forward and it’s exciting to see how things are progressing behind the scenes. With a bit of luck there will be a number of positive press statements coming from the Oval over the next weeks that will prove this, and hopefully help us kick-start the next phase in the club’s resurrection.    

Having finished the last blog by mentioning how impressively Iwan and the squad had played in defeating Llanfair United just two days after receiving the disappointing licence news I can’t wait now to turn my attention to the players’ unstoppable march to a league and cup double, although it will take a second blog to cover the final three matches of the campaign. 

The Cofis had three more league matches, and up to two cup encounters to play following the 6-1 victory over Llanfair and, on paper, it looked a tough schedule. The powers that be at the Cymru Alliance League had, for some reason, decided that the final sequence of matches would start with encounters against Prestatyn, Cefn Druids and Holywell in the space of six days which I thought was a bit much when considering that both the league title and league cup were at stake. All three outfits are strong, physical sides that had already given Town tough matches earlier in the season, so the schedule promised to be another big test of the players physical and mental strength but, as ever, their response was magnificent.  

First up was the league cup semi-final at home to Prestatyn. In my opinion, the Seasiders have been the best side to have visited the Oval all season and it’s been a mystery to me why they've been languishing in mid-table for most of the campaign. They were superb when defeating us on their last visit to the ground back in August but a lot of football has been played since then and, in all honesty, this encounter was a very different affair to that earlier clash. Although Caernarfon were made to work hard for the 2-0 verdict, I still thought the side was comfortable for large periods of the game and had a gear up the sleeve if ever it was needed. The victory was secured with goals from Jay Gibbs and Jamie Breese and if ever one player has improved over the course of a season, it’s Jay. I know I'm repeating what I've already said in earlier blogs but the midfielder has been outstanding this season and especially so since January. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the team’s run of sixteen successive victories at the end of the campaign has coincided with his impressive form and in addition to his all-round game, he’s also proved to be something of a free-kick specialist, finding the net on numerous occasions with his set piece efforts over the past months.

Jay Gibbs added another superb free kick goal against Prestatyn to his ever expanding list of netfinders.

The team has scored many spectacular goals this season and I decided a few weeks ago to introduce an award for the ‘Goal of the Season’. Just a few days before the Prestatyn tie I had asked supporters, through social media platforms, to vote for their goal of the season and whilst everyone who supports the Canaries will know that Nathan Craig was the recipient of the award, I don’t think it will come as a surprise that Jay featured in the list of goalscorers more than once and, on the way out of the ground after the Prestatyn tie I received a number of nominations for his strike that night, a cracking free-kick from twenty five yards that is still doing the rounds on youtube and facebook which you shoudl seek out if you haven’t already done so. Incidentally, Jamie Breese’s goal to seal our berth in the final was pretty good too!

Iwan finalising his team before the Druids match.

Next up was a trip up the A55 for a match that I'm sure most followers of the Cymru Alliance League would have been looking forward to immensely. Cefn Druids had been clinging on to the Cofis’ coattails at the top of the table for most of the season and, although Denbigh Town had enjoyed a superb late run of form to temporarily overtake Huw Griffiths’ side, I think it had always looked likely from early on in the campaign that Caernarfon and Druids would be battling for the title. The team travelled to ‘The Rock’ in great form and full of confidence whilst the hosts still harboured slim hopes of pipping us for the league following a number of good results in recent weeks.

The cliff face at the Rock was ready for Jamie Breese.    

The Cofi Army was out in force and arrived at the ground in great voice, some heading to the clubhouse for refreshmnents and a singalong. The official crowd for the match was four hundred and four and I’m sure that more than three quarters of those will have been hoping for a Town victory. I don’t usually visit clubhouses when on the team’s travels but decided to do so on the day and was pleased I did because the atmosphere inside was brilliant, and I’m sure it would have made the players all feel ten feet tall as they prepared for the match. I spoke with Nathan Craig a few days later and he told me that the team could hear the Cofi Army singing before kick-off and this had given them an extra boost as they attempted to win the league on the day.

A victory for Town would see us clinch the title whilst a draw would have prolonged Druids’ slim hopes but, as we now know, the Cofis proved much too strong for our nearest rivals and overpowered them on the way to an exciting 7-0 victory. Being totally honest, I would have settled for a draw before the match as Druids had seemed such a dogged side throughout the season, toughing out narrow victories and showing plenty of mettle on the way. They had not been high-scorers by any stretch of the imagination but everyone I have spoken with during the season had suggested they’re a strong, well-drilled outfit who like to play a less expansive game than Caernarfon. Unfortunately for them, however, this type of game was not enough against the Canaries and, from the moment Clive Williams put us ahead in the third minute the hosts struggled to cope with Town’s gameplan. 

The players and supporters celebrate at The Rock.

I had arrived early at the Rock in the hope of catching a word with Iwan and he was the first person I saw when approaching the clubhouse. He was as relaxed as I have seen him before a match which was unexpected given the importance of the encounter but, of course, he knows his players well and must have felt confident that they’d get the job done. Which they did, in style! Incidentally, someone must have arrived very early that morning because he or she had already been climbing on the cliff face that dominates one side of the ground, and left a message for our striker, Jamie Breese on it! (see photo.) 

It was a pretty devastating performance by the players and my only disappointment about the day is that the incident involving one of Cefn Druids’ players that has since appeared via video on social media seemed to take precedence in the media over Caernarfon’s impressive victory and title win. There’s really no need for me to discuss the matter further as the video clip can be seen by everyone and people can make up their own minds. Predictably, I received phone calls the following day from media sources I have never spoken to before who wanted to hear the club’s official take on the matter but there really was nothing for us to say, so I declined. Isn't it a pity that those who phoned me could not have shown even a little interest in the actual match? Before bidding farewell for now I just have to mention the magnanimous way in which Druids manager Huw Griffths accepted defeat at the end of the match, ensuring that his staff and players formed a ‘guard of honour’ for the Cofis as the title winners walked back to the dressing room. That could not have been easy but it was classy stuff from the manager and further proof that there are still some people in the game that know how to behave with other teams.

Before heading for home I popped into the clubhouse and am so pleased I did because I managed to get Jamie Breese to pose in front of a unique flag that is exclusive to the Cofis. I think the shot below says it all! 

So, the league title had been won, in emphatic style, and the Canaries had just three more matches to play before the final whistle of the season. Amongst other things I’ll be taking a look at these fixtures next time around, beginning with an encounter with our old friends from Halkyn  Road….

Heartbreak, a double header and bouncing back.

First of all, an apology is in order for not adding any entries to the blog over the last three weeks. It’s not that I didn’t want to but, to be honest, it’s been a hard time for everyone at Caernarfon Town Football Club, be it management, players, supporters and committee members and I just couldn’t bear to write about something that so ruthlessly took the winds out of our sails, albeit I’m sure not on a permanent basis.

I was as heartbroken as everyone else involved with the Cofis when the FAW announced they had turned down our appeal for the Domestic Licence, thus resulting in our superb team being unable to take its rightful place in the Welsh Premier League next season.

It’s still very hard to write about the matter but the club’s committee, of which I am a member, takes full and collective responsibility for failing to ensure that the criteria was met. We had thought that everything had been submitted to a high enough standard and therefore, at the time of the announcement, I was livid and held thoughts of writing a piece on the shortfalls of the FAW. Thankfully I thought better of it and am glad that I did because there’s no getting away from the fact that we failed as a committee in our efforts to get the licence.

I can be as bullish as anyone when things go well for the club but that’s easy to do and so I must also put my hand up and admit to getting things wrong and this time we did. I feel guilty about not doing more to help in the effort to get the licence, and will always feel that I’ve personally let down the players and supporters but I also am absolutely determined that it won’t happen again and will double my efforts as a committee member to ensure that everything is in place to secure promotion when we next win the league, which will hopefully be next season!

Daily Post reporter Dave Jones has recently written about how impressed he has been by the team’s response to the massive disappointment they had felt and he is right, the players have been magnificent and have shown to everyone that they are, by far, the best team in the Huws Gray Cymru Alliance League. Over the next week or two, my aim is to show just how impressive they’ve been in recent weeks by looking back at the team’s final matches of the campaign, beginning with the double header against Llanfair United.

The stand, the snack bar and the dressing rooms (top left)
at Llanfair Utd's Mount Field.

We had originally been scheduled to travel to Llanfair Caereinion in December but, with most of the team and a number of supporters having already arrived at the ground back then, the match had been called off, rather late in the day, due to a waterlogged pitch. The late call, whilst undoubtedly the right one judging by photos of the pitch, had been frustrating to say the least, especially when taking into consideration the 140 mile round trip it takes to get there from the Caernarfon area. On that day I had been travelling in the Chairman of Vice’s chameleon car (thus called due to having turned from its original silver colour to a robust blue after we’d received news of the postponement!) and it wasn’t a pretty sight as we vented our disappointment on a flask of coffee during a pit stop, or something called very similar! Anyhow, with this at the back of my mind, I had been hoping for decent weather in the days leading up to our rescheduled visit and, despite a snowfall on the morning of the match, the pitch was thankfully passed fit to play. Backed by a coach full of supporters, the team coped well with the wet and heavy pitch to win by a comfortable 3-0 margin.

It was my first visit to the Mount Field and it certainly has a unique charm. The first thing that struck me was the rather impressive stand that dominates the otherwise Spartan ground. It holds over a hundred spectators and has been built on what I think is called a ridge that slopes to the pitch itself. The view from the dressing room area, beside and slightly behind the stand, is pretty good, and more than a par with other grounds I’ve visited this season, which I hope the photo (left) proves. The other charming aspect of the set-up were the friendly ladies serving food and drinks in the snack bar, who were kind and helpful and kept smiling throughout, despite the score. Despite, or maybe because of, the hosts’ precarious position at the wrong end of the league table, the match proved a tough one for the Canaries. Llanfair were still fighting to avoid relegation at the time and battled well, giving it a real go against the league leaders, with the excellent James Davies proving a real threat up front. Despite this, however, Town showed plenty of battling qualities of their own to get the best of not only the opposition but also the pitch, which was definitely not conducive to good football. The players coped well, however, and the vocal Cofi Army were rewarded for making the long trip to Powys with another victory by their favourites. 

Nathan Craig during the Llanfair Utd match.

The undoubted highlights of the match were the goals, from Nathan Craig’s sublime free kick from twenty five yards, to Jamie Breese’s reflex header at the far post and then, finally, to Darren Thomas’ excellent run on the way to setting up Jamie’s second netfinder, and Town’s third. It’s hard not to wax lyrical about the goals at this point but, for fear of using too many superlatives, I’ll just use one word to describe them all – Class.   

The biggest disappointment of the day was getting mud-splashed after taking up a viewing position in front of the Main Stand for the final ten minutes. Oh, and hearing from a trusted source that  Cefn Druids had scored a last minute equaliser at Holywell to keep alive their title hopes! To be fair, it did not come as a huge surprise because Druids have made it a habit to score late on in matches, although we were all surprised it had not been a penalty this time!  

So, an enjoyable afternoon and another crucial victory for Town. Having done my utmost to clear the mud off my clothes I headed for home and, dreading the long, and winding road ahead (a nod to my friend Phil Roberts, who is a big Beatles fan!), I was given a real tonic whilst driving through Llanfair Caereinion, hearing the Cofi Army singing loudly somewhere, with the words Jamie and Breese prominent in their efforts!

The flags were out at the Mount Field.

We received the devastating news about the licence during the following week but, just two days after the FAW’s announcement, the players somehow still managed to put on another excellent performance to complete the double over Llanfair, scoring a 6-1 victory at the Oval. Those of us who have seen the team play under Iwan will be aware that he has instilled a steely determination in the side and every setback during the season has seen a positive response from the players. I think it’s fair to say that the licence news was rather more than a setback and yet the squad put on another fine performance, one that took them to within touching distance of the league title.

I’ll be honest and say that, for the first time since the days of David Rowe, I was dreading my visit to the ground, although for very different reasons to the dread I felt watching Rowe's side!

As it happened, the very first person I saw in the Oval car park upon arrival was Iwan and I felt rather awkward and embarrassed. Thankfully, Iwan is a gentleman and I’ll never forget how kind he was with me. I already held him in high esteem and those few minutes confirmed why. It also made me even more determined to make amends for the licence failure!
The players and supporters were also extremely kind and, whilst everyone had questions that needed answering, which would happen in an open meeting after the match, we all got together to support the team, and they responded in style!

Whilst Llanfair had proved tough opposition at their own ground, the superior playing conditions at the Oval was much more suited to Town’s technically gifted footballers and, from the moment Jamie Breese popped up with the opener in the fifteenth minute, nodding in from close range, the result was never in doubt. What happened immediately following the goal was the stand-out moment of the afternoon as Jamie and his team-mates headed towards the dugout where they celebrated with Iwan (left). Brilliant scenes and the perfect way of showing how close the players are to the manager and his staff. 

The runner-up for best celebration of the day was Paul Pritchard’s jump for joy after seeing Chris Gethin’s penalty sail high and wide of its target late in the match. Paul needed one more clean sheet to break his own league record (achieved in 2014/15) of fifteen shut-outs in a season. Unfortunately for Pritch, James Davies stopped him from achieving the feat in the final minute of the match but there were three matches still left to reach the target and he would eventually get to do it in style just seven days later.

Paul Pritchard was made to wait for his record breaking
clean sheet. 

Following the match, members of the club’s committee met with the players, management staff and Canaries Supporters club to discuss reasons for the Domestic Licence failure and, whilst I would not have been surprised in the least if we’d been criticised and berated, everyone showed a lot of class and understanding and, although undoubtedly disappointed and frustrated with the situation, they were very fair with us. The meeting had not been easy for anyone in that room but it was absolutely right to hold it. Questions needed to be answered and the passion and commitment of everyone present spoke volumes about why Caernarfon Town is a special club.

Kevin Lloyd takes on his marker against Llanfair Utd. 

Iwan’s motto since arriving at the Oval has been ‘One Club’ and what happened in the meeting epitomised this.

We’ve had subsequent meetings as a committee and it seems there will be a number of changes at the club over the next few weeks, which I am sure will see us striding on to greater things. We need to get things right as a matter of urgency and are determined to do so. It’s the least we can do for Iwan, the squad and supporters.         

Next time out, I'll be looking back at how the team reached the League Cup final, how the league was won in emphatic style, and how old adversaries can sometimes surprise us....                     

John King, The Two Twenty Crew and the Holy Dean....

There’s only one place I can start this time around, being the recent passing of former Caernarfon Town manager John King.

John King in front of Caernarfon Castle. Photo by Richard Birch. 

The sad news instantly brought back memories of those glorious days thirty years ago when our legendary manager transformed the Canaries into the best amateur side in Wales, and one of the of finest in Britain. When North Wales’ finest sports reporter, Dave Jones, mentioned he was looking for someone to share a few memories of Mr King, I immediately put my name forward, and am so pleased I took the plunge! The following is what I told Dave and, standing by every word I said, I’m happy to reproduce them here, in tribute to a special figure in the club’s history:

“Most Caernarfon Town supporters I know feel that the team Mr King put together at the Oval is the best to have represented the club, and I would agree that it’s certainly the strongest I’ve seen since in my thrity three years on the terraces. 

The team was struggling in the old Northern Premier League when Mr King arrived and he transformed us, in a very short time, from also-rans to one of the best non-league sides in the English non-league system.

Reaching the third round of the FA Cup in 1986/87 was an extraordinary achievement when one thinks that Caernarfon defeated two football league sides in the opening two matches  before narrowly losing out to Second Division (now known as The Championship) Barnsley in the replay at their ‘Oakwell’ ground. There were three thousand people at the Oval for the first match with Barnsley and the atmosphere was electric. I remember Mr King saying that Barnsley manager Allan Clarke was sweating on the touchline during the match in fear of defeat, and I’m sure he was right! The club has had some great times since then, of course, but I doubt that anything could ever match the excitement of that Cup  run.

Caernarfon had such a good side under Mr King that we as supporters fancied our chances against anyone and the FA Cup ties were no different. The players he brought to the club were excellent, one or two of whom had played in the football league, such as Steve Craven and some who then made a name for themselves in the Professional game. Ray Woods played on the right wing for us and appeared for Coventry City in the Premier League a few years later, whilst Dave Higgins and Dave Martindale followed Mr King to Tranmere.

Whilst the cup run was undoubtedly the highlight of his tenure at Caernarfon, it is often overlooked that he also led the team to third position in the Northern Premier League, which was no mean feat in itself.

John King will always be associated with Tranmere Rovers Football Club due to his long history with them, and rightly so, but he also enjoys, and desrves, legendary status at Caernarfon Town Football Club.

One lasting memory I have of those halcyon days for the club was seeing a photograph in the local newspaper of Mr King standing in front of Caernarfon Castle under the headline ‘King of the Castle’ and this is how I will always remember him.”

I was very proud that Dave decided to use my words in the Daily Post and Caernarfon and Denbigh and, making it even better, was that he also included the photo of Mr King that I rememebered, with the manager standing in front of Caernarfo Castle. The shot had been taken by Richard Birch, who helped so much with my Oval  Ways book and Richard has been kind enough to let me use it here.

Like everyone else who was lucky enough to have witnessed that wonderful Canaries side, I have a number memories of that FA Cup run, from the massive crowds at the Oval with the Two Twenty Crew in full voice, watching former Liverpool captain Emlyn Hughes predicting on national television that we’d beat Barnsley, to the Police escort to Oakwell where we danced the Cofi Conga on the terraces.

Magical days, provided by a magical man..... 

Nathan Craig was on the mark against Flint Town United. 

Waiting to Pounce.

I'm sure I was not alone in feeling rather nervous whilst awaiting the FAW's announcement on the Domestic Licence applications last thursday. As we now know, the game's governing body refused Caernarfon's application although the club have made it clear that we'll be appealing the decision and  are confident of success. I won't pretend to know everything about the requirements of the Licence but do know that many people from within the club, including the chairman, manager, committee members and supporters have worked extremely hard to meet the required criteria. That we failed at the first attempt is disappointing of course but, despite the very few who have found it impossible not to try and criticise the club, all of whom have no links whatsoever to the club I should add, I know that the outstanding issue is being dealt with and will be sorted out in time for the appeal date of April 21st. It's an edgy, but exciting time to be a Caernarfon Town supporter, but we WILL get there!

Chris Williams (left) and the Cofi Messi.

The most disappointing aspect of the news was the rather predictable handful of people who were obviously waiting to pounce on the news and took to social media in an attempt to gloat. All rather sad, and we'll just have to see if the same people appear again in a few day’s time!

The Holy Dean of Haselwell.

Back on the pitch, it’s been a mixed bag since the last blog, although this is due only to the weather and not to what the team has been doing on it.

I don’t think anyone had expected the Holywell match to have been called off last week but the constant rain for much of the preceding twenty four hours put paid to everyone’s hopes of another classic encounter between the two sides. I’ve mentioned more than once in the past that the Wellmen are a very good side and always make it tough for the Cofis, but we have a decent record against them in recent years so it’s a match most of us look forward to.

It was rather disappointing to read a few social media messages from our old friend, the Holy Dean of Hasselwell who decided to share a few photos of the Oval pitch on his account, and seemed to suggest that the match should have been played.

Quite apart from the futility of someone making the trip to the Oval just to take photos and try to prove a point (when I could have sent him a few photos myself), maybe he forgot that clubs do not make decisions to postpone matches, referees do. He should know that every club is at the hands of the officials in such scenarios and the inspection was an early one due to the travelling Holywell would have had to do. Having travelled most of the way to Llanfair Utd earlier this year only to be told the match had been cancelled an hour before kick-off, I certainly think it’s a pretty sound idea to carry out an early inspection. So, a bit disappointing,  but hardly surprising, going by past experience of the Dean and whilst he really should have known better, at least he apologised the following day for any offence caused by his remarks. I’m sure it’s not the first, or last time, he’ll need do this.

Jay Gibbs (right, next to referee) strikes his latest perfect free-kick as he nets against Flint  Town United on saturday.  

Thankfully, Saturday’s match with Flint Town United went ahead as planned and it was an entertaining affair, where we were treated to six goals, plenty of attacking football, an extremely rare Chris Williams goal and, incredibly, a mistake from Caernarfon’s number one, Paul Pritchard!

Breesy heading towards the Cofi Army
after his goal.

When the Cofis defeated Flint at their own ground in September I thought the hosts were a very good side and the Canaries had been made to work hard for the victory. It’s been a surprise, therefore, to see them languishing in mid-table for most of the campaign and whilst they played quite well again on Saturday I thought Caernarfon had another gear in hand if required.

The match got off to a decent start with Flint showing plenty of attacking intent but, from the moment Chris Williams went on his brilliant run past three defenders and coolly slotted the ball into the net, Caernarfon were quite comfortable in victory. Man of the match Jay Gibbs struck another perfect free-kick, the ball thundering over the defensive wall and into the onion bag from all of thirty yards. I know there’s a video clip of the goal on the club’s official twitter account and I’d recommend you having a look if you haven’t done so already, it's brilliant! I’m publishing the above photo, showing the ball heading towards its target, just to show how far Jay was from goal! Town’s other goals were scored by Nathan Craig from the penalty spot and Jamie Breese, who ran onto a Gibbs pass before expertly finishing past the Flint keeper.

All in all, it was another fine performance from the team and, whilst I had been feeling nervous about the match since tea-time on Friday, the players obviously didn’t feel the same way and were impressive as they set about their business.

Messi celebrates Jamie's goal in front of the linesman, who
is wearing a rather striking pair of shorts!

Having originally intended to omit all mention of Paul Pritchard’s mistake for Flint’s second goal, I have now reconsidered, although it is only to say that the Cat is allowed one mistake every four years, which is how long it’s taken for him to make one! On a serious note though, Paul has been in magnificent form again this season, and is on the brink of setting a new league record for the number of clean sheets in a season. He is currently just one behind the record he set last year of fifteen clean sheets. 

The Cofis have just five league fixtures remaining and, still sitting top of the league, it would be easy to be over confident of success at this stage. However, I know that Iwan, his management team and all the players are aware that there is still a lot of football to play and there’s another huge test awaiting the side at Llanfair on Saturday.

I’ve heard that a busload of Cofi supporters will be making the trip to the Mount Field, so there’s going to be a wonderful atmosphere at the ground.

Come on the Town!        

Winning Ugly, late arrivals and the Cofi Army.

The last regular blog I wrote was posted a few days after Caernarfon Town’s emphatic home victory over Mold, in which Jamie Breese found the net four times. Since then, I have posted an exclusive interview with Jamie, which has proved the most popular item I’ve published on the blog thus far, with nearly eight hundred ‘hits’, whilst the team has continued its winning ways by gaining two more  important league victories, achieved in very different, but equally impressive ways.

Conwy Borough were first to test the Cofis and, to be perfectly honest, it proved rather more  comfortable than I had expected. Although the Tangerines have been firmly established in the bottom half of the table for most of the season, they had defeated Porthmadog and Caersws in recent weeks, whilst only narrowly losing to Cefn Druids, Gresford and Flint, all three of whom are amongst the league’s stronger sides, and so they were expected to prove tough opposition.

Jay Gibbs.

It didn’t quite work out that way on the day as the Cofis set about their task from the first kick and  won the match in the first half, during which they scored three times without reply. Conwy improved immensely after the break but Caernarfon looked solid at the back, and managed to add another two goals before the final whistle. Danny Brookwell was named the supporters’ man of the match and I would certainly agree that he was excellent, but Town’s stand-out performer for me was Jay Gibbs, who ran the show from midfield, being supported well by Rob Jones and Nathan Craig. I have always rated Jay as a quality footballer and believe that, during the past four or five weeks, he’s been playing his best football in a Caernarfon Town shirt. His performance in the first half at Y Morfa was sensational and I totally agree with the supporter who told me at half time that ‘Gibbs played like a magician in that half!” I’m really pleased that Jay is playing so well because there have been suggestions in the past, from those outside Caernarfon Town FC, that he can be a bit temperamental but I see him more as a winner, plain and simple. He’s not slow at showing his frustrations on the field and that’s one of the things I like about him. He’s now finding the perfect balance in his game and must be amongst the best midfielders outside the Welsh Premier League. Hopefully, he can soon show everyone that he can be just as good in the top tier!

The team meant business from the off at Conwy. 

I always enjoy visiting Conwy’s home and must say that Y Morfa looked in fine fettle. Whilst I can’t comment on the pitch itself, the surroundings seemed to have improved since last season. I’m not sure if they’ve carried out much work there in the past year but the stadium looked tidier and, of course, they have an excellent clubhouse inside the ground itself, which I’m sure came in handy for the travelling Cofis! Talking of the Cofi Army, a fair number of Town supporters made the short trip up the A55 for the match, and I’m sure it must make a difference to the players when they see such great backing from the terraces. 

Impressive support for the Cofis at Y Morfa. 

The Tangerines were captained by former Caernarfon player Leigh Craven and he had an impressive game, although I was disappointed that another former Town player, Moses Barnett, was injured and took no part in the action. I was pleased, however, to have been able to catch a few words with both before the match and they were just as friendly as ever.

Before moving on, I really must mention that, in addition to seeing the team play so well, I was also able to take home a late contender for the most ridiculous comment of the season. Trying to show his disgust at one of the referee’s decisions, the youngest looking player on the pitch, playing for the hosts, asked the referee, in no uncertain terms, how old he was! The point he was trying to make is that the man in the middle looked quite young, but the player himself was obviously oblivious to the fact he that he himself would struggle to get into a ‘12’ certificate film in the cinema. His badly chosen barb was met by a blank from the ref and howls of laughter from the stands! And well deserved it was too!

'Pritch', the Cofis Number One. 

The only downside of the day was seeing Paul Pritchard lying on the floor in agony after challenging for the ball. ‘The Cat’ is the best goalkeeper in the league in my opinion and I feared the worst when I saw Nathan Craig putting on the spare keeper’s shirt. The match was pretty much over at that point and so I couldn’t see a way back for Conwy but, thinking of the weeks ahead and the enormous prize at stake at the end of the season, it would not be an ideal scenario to lose our first choice keeper for the run-in. Thankfully, Paul managed to continue until the end of the match and seemed back to normal for our visit to Gresford on Saturday.

Of course, Paul’s well-being was typically put to one side by Caernarfon’s chairman in Gresford on Saturday when Arfon wasted no time in castigating the keeper for daring to show he had got hurt! Thankfully, I can’t remember exactly what he told Pritch but it would have been along the lines of ‘that kind of thing never happened when I used to play”. In all seriousness though, it was good to see our number one had made a full recovery.

Where the Canaries had won the match in Conwy in great style, the encounter with Gresford was a very different affair. The Colliers had been on a great run of form in recent weeks, winning nine of their last twelve fixtures, including their last six matches. It was never going to be a ‘gimme’ for the Cofis and so it proved, as they were made to dig deep for victory.

Not the best of conditions at Gresford....

I criticised Gresford for showing little attacking intent during their visit to the Oval earlier this season and, although Town manager Iwan Williams has recently said he thought they were excellent that day I will stand by my original opinion, which was that they looked to waste as much time as possible from the very first minute at the Oval and were more than a little frustrating to watch. Their keeper, Jonathan Hill-Dunt explained to me, on Twitter, that their performance had been all about game management and so it was quite good seeing him asking the referee on Saturday to speed things up, especially after his team went a goal down! To be fair though, he’s an excellent keeper and always partakes in a bit of banter with the Caernarfon supporters. 

The match itself was a real battle, the wet conditions making it hard for the teams to play much football, although both sets of players did their best to do just this. I thought the encounter had all the hallmarks of being a goalless draw from the very beginning but, just as we entered the final twenty minutes, Darren Thomas popped up with a stunning free kick that gave Hill-Dunt little chance. I was standing with the chairman at the time and I’d just told him that it would take something special to beat the home stopper from such a long range out and I’m pleased to say that the Cofi Messi came up with the goods. The goal celebration was nearly as good as the strike itself, as Messi and his teammates headed for the manager on the touchline. Great stuff, and a fine way to clinch all three points.

Job done by the Cofis.

Someone told me afterwards there had been a handful of late arrivals at the ground and that they’d walked out as soon as the ball hit the net and whilst I have no idea who they were, I’m sure they would have appreciated the quality of Darren’s strike. 

Iwan at the final whistle. 

It was my first visit to Gresford’s Clappers Lane ground and I enjoyed it immensely, not just because we won but because of the manner of the victory. Town are the league’s top scorers and have won many fixtures this season by a wide margin, but there haven’t been many matches that have been won by the odd-goal. The popular term used when teams have had to really tough out a result is ‘winning ugly’ and it was really good to see the Cofis manage one this time around. We all know the target this season and this was the type of match that title chasing teams have to win to give themselves a real chance of success. Before finishing, I must mention the large number of Caernarfon supporters who were in attendance and, as always, in fine voice. Due to the bad weather, the small, solitary stand was pretty full and it made for a great atmosphere. Iwan mentioned the impressive support again in his post-match comments and how right he is. On performances so far this season, the team deserves to be part of the Welsh Premier League, and the same can be said for the Cofi Army. 

Another difficult test lies ahead for Caernarfon when Holywell visit the Oval this Saturday. Having lost recently to the Canaries in the League Cup, the Wellmen will be looking to avenge the defeat, but Iwan and his players have shown time again this term that they’re up for every challenge, so it promises to be another cracker between two good sides. I have a feeling that the Cofi Army will be required again this weekend….