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THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME OF BALA TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB
@?J?? RMU L SATURDAY 16TH APRIL 2021
VS CAERNARFON TOWN
NIGEL’S NOTES On behalf of everyone associated with Bala Town Football Club I would like to extend sincere condolences to the family of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. We shall pay our respects during his funeral prior to kick off today and then return to the business in hand for the day and welcome our visitors Caernarfon to Maes Tegid for this early evening start time. Well it’s Saturday and we are at home and that must be a million times better than what we faced last Tuesday! The A470 – the major road artery for travelling north to south in Wales – 6 sets of temporary traffic lights and a total road closure, all from Dolgellau to Merthyr – It’s a national disgrace! We had to navigate this, take a day off work and get home at 2am in the morning! Surely this does not comply with health and safety guidelines for anyone! Rant over because we actually returned up the tortuous A470 with 3 well earned points and a significant win in our challenge to secure a top 3 finish. It was certainly a match full of excitement, commitment and no little skill. Both teams put on an exemplary
display of high quality football and it is a great pity that spectators were unable to view the match (although a significant number did from further afield). Clubs are being put under considerable pressure to complete the 32 match season with a daunting programme of 2 matches a week for 4 consecutive weeks. And all this without a penny of income generated by spectators, sponsorships, refreshment sales. It is a huge challenge and each and every Club should be proud of their perseverance and commitment to complete the season in full. It really has been and remains an administrative nightmare for all concerned. I am sure that we will witness another enthralling encounter this evening and the defeat we suffered at the hands of our opponents today only a few weeks ago will add spice to the fixture. We must take to the pitch full of confidence and re-vitalised by the exceptional performance in midweek but it will be tough against a very resolute opponent and one which we are all looking forward to with nervous anticipation. I can offer no news or any realistic hope of a spectator return in the near future but we must all continue to lobby for this to happen as soon as possible as surely our stadiums are one of the safest places to be during this pandemic! Please can we some semblance of common sense to prevail from governmental guidelines in the very near future.
Nigel Aykroyd, Chief Executive
GWASANAETH PÊL-DROED DIGURO UNBEATABLE ON WELSH FOOTBALL CYNGHRAIR Y CENHEDLOEDD UEFA 2020 UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 2020 CYMRU PREMIER JD CWPAN CYMRU JD JD WELSH CUP CWPAN NATHANIEL MG NATHANIEL MG CUP UWCH GYNGHRAIR MERCHED CYMRU WELSH PREMIER WOMEN’S LEAGUE
O F F I C I A L
B A L L
S U P P L I E R
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OPPONENT - CAERNARFON TOWN EST. 1937 HOME: THE OVAL ABOUT CAERNARFON TOWN Caernarfon Town Football Club is a Welsh football club based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd. The club is nicknamed "the Canaries" because of its yellow and green strip, a nickname that dates from 1895 and they currently play at The Oval. The first football club in Caernarfon, known as Caernarvon Wanderers, was formed in September 1876 and played at various grounds before moving to the Oval in 1888. On 30 October 1886, Wanderers were the first team from north west Wales to enter the FA Cup and lost 10–1 away to Stoke. Five years later, however, that particular club went out of existence but, in 1894, several former players began a new team called Carnarvon Ironopolis. That club competed in the North Wales Coast League, winning the championship on two occasions and reaching the semi-final of the Welsh Cup in 1900 and again in 1902. Unfortunately, following a dispute
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with the league, Ironopolis folded in 1903. The demise of the club resulted in some of the players forming the Caernarvon Celts while others affiliated to the Caernarvon RWF (Royal Welsh Fusiliers), both clubs playing at the Oval. In 1906, the clubs amalgamated to form Carnarvon United and in 1909 the new club won both the Welsh and North Wales Amateur Cups. In 1937, a group of local football enthusiasts began Caernarfon Town F.C. and entered a team in the Welsh League (North) Division One. A 39-year unbroken membership of the league was begun and Caernarfon Town won the championship in 1946–47 and 1965–66 and finished runners-up in both 1956–57 and 1957–58 and once again in 1972–73. On 13 April 2013, Caernarfon Town made their way to Latham Park, Newtown, to face Kilvey Fords FC of Swansea in the 2012–13 FAW Trophy Final. They won the match 6–0 and it was their first FAW Trophy since 1978. The victory against the Swansea Senior League outfit is the biggest final winning-margin in the competition's 123-year history. They also gained promotion to the Huws Gray Cymru Alliance during the 2012–13 by finishing top of the Welsh Alliance, taking 66 points from 28 games.
ALEX RAMSAY
ANDREW BURNS
SEAN SMITH
NATHAN PEATE
ANTHONY STEPHENS
JONNY SPITTLE
RYAN PRYCE
WILL EVANS
HENRY JONES
KIERAN SMITH
STEVE LESLIE
DANIEL GOSSET
JACK MACKRETH
SHAUN KELLY
LASSANA MENDES
CHRIS VENABLES
OLIVER SHANNON
RAUL CORREIA
LIAM DAVIES
HARRI LLOYD
ANTONY KAY
PREVIOUS FIXTURE A huge win in the quest for European football down in Bridgend!
PENYBONT 2 BALA TOWN 3
Following the 1-0 defeat to The New Saints in our Champions Conference opener on the weekend (10/04/21) we’d be tasked with travelling down to Penybont just three days later! A huge game for both
clubs in their pursuit for European Football, with the gap being reduced to just four points between the two clubs, and Barry Town being right in the mix for that elusive 3rd place finish. Penybont entered the game with huge confidence after their Champions Conference opener against then league leaders Connah’s Quay Nomads, as they overcame the Champions in a 2-0 win at the Deeside Stadium, therefore it wouldn’t be an easy task for us! The match got underway with an early chance for Raul Correia as he was put through on goal, but his finish ended up going just past the post. On the 10 minute mark, we had the ball in the net through Correia, but the referee disallowed the goal due to a foul in the build up. A good start to the game for Bala!
Will Evans got very friendly with the advertising boards minutes later, as he sent himself crashing over the boards after racing onto a long ball over the top. Thankfully he got up and carried on! Jonny Spittle was alert to clear the danger of a cross into the box by Penybont, and managed to win a free kick in the process. Ryan Pryce put a good ball into the box towards Venables, but the Captain’s header back across goal came to no red shirt, and the hosts cleared their lines. The hosts appealed for a penalty on 27 minutes for a handball, but the referee waved away the appeals and play carried on. Will brushed passed the Bont right back and put a brilliant ball into the box, but neither Correia or Venables could get onto the ball to finish it off. Again Correia made himself a threat, this time making space for himself on the edge of the box, but his shot didn’t trouble former Bala keeper Ashley Morris in goal. A brilliant attacking move from Bala was cut out, as Will was put through behind the defence and put the ball on a plate for Sean Smith with an empty goal to aim at, before the linesman put his flag up for offside against Will. Despite a dominant half from the lads, we had nothing to show for it, until… Five minutes before the end of the half, Steve Leslie swung in a corner from the right, which was headed on from the front post towards Antony Kay, with Kay taking aim and putting the ball past Morris and into the net! Nothing short of what we deserved! A commanding first half from the lads saw us take in a 1-0 lead at the break through an Antony Kay goal late in the half. But it was only the one goal, and the game was not over yet!
The hosts got us back underway for the second half, and we managed to win a corner early on. Steve Leslie again took the corner, but this time hit a straight ball towards the penalty spot, and in came Antony Kay again! A perfectly directed header from Kay right into the bottom right hand corner of the net to double our lead and double his tally for the night! However, it took the hosts just two minutes to peg us back. Kostya Georgievsky managed to direct his header back across goal, with the ball then hitting the post and Ramsay then punching away, yet the linesman on the far side waved his flag for a goal. A goal that would definitely make it into the dubious goal panel… Only three minutes later and the hosts almost draw level, but thankfully the header was sent past the post. Raul Correia was then brought down inside the box just a minute later, and somehow there was no penalty given despite a clear trip on our number 9. A much better Penybont side came out for the second half, with them putting a lot of pressure on our backline. Chris Venables almost grabbed himself a goal, after making his way into the box, but his shot was dragged wide of the post. On 70 minutes the hosts almost scored the spectacular! Sam Snaith who had just came on for the Bont tried an overhead kick from inside the box, only for it to hit the post and we managed to clear the danger.
PREVIOUS FIXTURE
PENYBONT 2 BALA TOWN 3
A lot of pressure was withstood by our backline, with constant attacks from the hosts. We were awarded a free kick from about 25 yards out, with Steve Leslie stepping up to take it. A beautifully taken free kick from the left footed wand of Leslie, saw him curl the ball round the wall and inside the post! Giving us a 3-1 lead going into the last five minutes… Back came Penybont with another goal! Now with just three minutes left of normal time, Lewis Clutton poked the ball home from close range to make it 3-2! Three minutes of added time was announced, and thankfully the ball spent most of that time inside the Penybont half! We saw out the final minutes of the game deep in the hosts’ half and there came the final whistle! An enthralling end to the game saw us hang on to the lead and a huge three points! A win that see’s us six points ahead of Barry Town and seven points ahead of Penybont, with 8 games remaining… It’ll be tight to see who claims third place, but a massive win out in Penybont gives us a little breathing space. Onto the next! Substitutions: Jack Mackreth (80) Yellow Cards: Steven Leslie (87)
#1
CHRIS VENABLES 23 APPS 19 GOALS 2 ASSIST
#2
WILL EVANS 24 APPS 11 GOALS 3 ASSISTS
#3
STEVE LESLIE 12 APPS 4 GOALS 6 ASSISTS
#4
LASSANA MENDES 15 APPS 2 GOALS 6 ASSISTS
16
FIXTURES
CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE FIXTURES SAT 10 APR TUES 13 APR SAT 17 APR TUES 20 APR SAT 24 APR WED 28 APR SAT 01 MAY TUES 04 MAY SAT 08 MAY SAT 18 MAY
THE NEW SAINTS PENYBONT FC CAERNARFON CQ NOMADS BARRY TOWN CQ NOMADS BARRY TOWN CAERNARFON PENYBONT FC THE NEW SAINTS
0-1 L 2-3 W H A H H A A H A
SPONSORS
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SMITHY GARAGE Bala Town are so grateful for the tremendous support which Smithy Garage of Dyffryn Ardudwy have given the Club over so many years. We are delighted that they continue to sponsor the Club's playing shorts and last year went a huge step further when they kindly agreed to sponsor our Academy's Head of Coaching car. This is so important for the development of our youth players and for the roll which he provides to our Community programmes. Smithy Garage offers a whole range of vehicle services and we would be delighted if our supporters could look them up whenever there is any vehicular requirements. Car/Van sales, MOT's, Servicing, Body Repair etc! Thank you most sincerely on behalf of us all at Maes Tegid. Long may our relationship together continue!
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PLAYER SPONSORS Player Sponsorship is on a first come first served basis. First team players £75.00 and at the end of the season, you will receive their match-worn shirt (home or away). Higher bids or offers will be accepted. Once the money has been paid, the sponsorship is sold and no further offers will be accepted. Andrew Burns – Emma Whitehouse Raul Correia – Gwyn & Jackie Penucha Colin Caton – Ado Vogt & Gee Gi, Liechtenstein Ffiona Evans – Arwel, Michelle, Hannah & Naomi Will Evans – Sion and John Roberts Stephen Fisher – Ado Vogt & Gee Gi, Liechtenstein Danny Gosset – Brian and Teresa Whitehouse
Henry Jones – Cigydd Bala Butcher – www.balabutcher.co.uk Steve Leslie – Evan Horwood Harri Lloyd – Felix Ospelt, Vaduz Lassana Mendes – Lee, George, Chris & Foxy Lee Molyneux – Ado Vogt & Gee Gi, Liechtenstein Nathan Peate – Kevin Swire Alex Ramsay – Cigydd Bala Butcher – www.balabutcher.co.uk Ollie Shannon – Ado Vogt & Gee Gi, Liechtenstein Kieran Smith – Jonah Armstrong Sean Smith – Peter Spitzmaul Jonny Spittle – Ado Vogt & Gee Gi, Liechtenstein Anthony Stephens – Katie & Matthew Spitzmaul Ryan Valentine – Top Personalised Gifts – www.toppersonalisedgifts.co.uk Chris Venables – Barry Yates & Stewart Venables Llyr Morris – Clwyd Williams, Family Butchers Llandyrnog Liam Davies – TBC Shaun Kelly – TBC Antony Kay – Marianne Taft
THANK YOU
GEMMA GRAINGER
COLUMN BY MACKENZIE THOMAS TWITTER: @MACCAJAC03
New era begings with a vow to inspire ahead of World Cup Qualifying campaign.
This month marked a fresh new era for women’s international football in Wales as new manager Gemma Grainger began her reign in charge of the national team.
Work started last week, when Grainger – who has worked across the England development teams for 11 years – prepared to take charge of her first matches before the 2023 World Cup qualifiers begin in September. Grainger’s side were beaten 3-0 by Canada last Friday night – a team flourishing with confidence at Cardiff’s Leckwith Stadium – in the former Middlesborugh coach’s first game since taking over from Jayne Ludlow. However, with the side constantly improving, her side managed to salvage a point on Tuesday evening after Jess Fishlock’s second half strike saw Wales seal an impressive point against Denmark – a side ranked 14th in the world compared to Wales’ 31.
“This group of players’ desire and passion to represent their country is one of the most exciting things about them as a group because it’s such an amazing foundation to work from,” she says. “As a coaching team, the level of motivation and commitment that these players have is just phenomenal and the most exciting thing. “One of my biggest passions is getting people to fulfil their strengths and giving them confidence in their ability. “I was captain at Durham and very much a leader on the pitch, giving people praise and making sure they felt supported, but I kind of took that to another level as a coach. “I’m very person-first. If you know people well you can push them to get the best out of them. “My No. 1 goal is to inspire the next generation of female players and coaches and that’s pretty much what I wake up every day wanting to do.” Grainger’s appointment may have been a shock to some people given her involvement with England, but for those who may not have heard too much about her, she appears a shrewd appointment. The 38-year-old had already mounted up an impressive CV before making the switch from Lionesses to the land of the red dragon, by cutting her teeth as a coach with Middlesbrough and then Leeds United. Now she is ready to embark on a new era after stating that qualifying for a major tournament is her main objective as the new Wales boss. She may not be a name familiar to some Welsh fans, but she has vast experience, having held a UEFA Pro License since 2016, as well as gaining valuable domestic coaching experience.
This will only stand her in good stead when working with Wales’ youth prospects, although the FAW have confirmed that Grainger will not work with the age-group sides initially, unlike her predecessor, Jayne Ludlow. Grainger has already gained tournament experience, having worked at the 2014 Women’s Under-20s World Cup, the 2016 Women’s Under-17 World Cup, as well as two Under-19 Euro finals and an Under-17 Euro final. During her 11-year spell with the FA as age-grade girls’ head coach and as assistant when England women’s senior team reached the Euros semi-final in 2017, she worked with plenty of talented players. They include England set-piece specialist Fara Williams, Arsenal duo Leah Williamson and Beth Mead and Lyon star Jodie Taylor, who is now widely regarded as one of the best female players in world football. With the 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign looming, it could be the last chance for the more senior players of the current Wales squad – the likes of Natasha Harding, Jess Fishlock and Helen Ward – to feature in a major tournament. Their dedication has been obvious and their input huge, but Grainger will now also be looking for a new core of younger players to take the squad forward. Wales will find out their World Cup qualifying opponents when the draw for the 2023 World Cup qualifiers take place on April 30, before the campaign to reach the tournament in Australia and New Zealand begins later this year. For all the latest fixture news and updates visit https://www.faw.cymru/
COLUMN BY MACKENZIE THOMAS TWITTER: @MACCAJAC03
@?J?? RMU L A?CPL ?PDML VENUE: MAES TEGID BALA KICK OFF: 17.15PM REFEREE: HUW JONES LINESMEN: LEWISS ROSS EDWARDS & JAMES PETER SHEILS FOURTH OFFICIAL: AARON WYN JONES MATCH OBSERVER: PAUL MORGAN
MANAGER: COLIN CATON MANAGER: HUGH GRIFFITHS ALEX RAMSAY ANDREW BURNS SEAN SMITH NATHAN PEATE ANTHONY STEPHENS JONNY SPITTLE LEE MOLYNEUX WILL EVANS HENRY JONES KIERAN SMITH STEVE LESLIE DANIEL GOSSET KEL SHAUN KELLY LASSANA MENDES CHRIS VENABLES OLIVER SHANNON HARRI LLOYD LIAM DAVIES RYAN PRYCE JACK MACKRETH
JOSH TIBBETTS LEWIS BRASS TYLER FRENCH GRUFFYDD JOHN JOE WILLIAMS GARETH EDWARDS JACK FLEMING RYAN WILLIAMS SAM JONES DARREN THOMAS MIKE HAYES SION BRADLEY CAI JONES NOAH EDWARDS MOHAMMED EL-ARAB TELOR WILLIAMS ASA HAMILTON PAULO MENDES JAMIE CROWTHER CAIN EVANS MICHAEL PARKER JACK KENNY JAMES STEAD JACOB BICKERSTAFF MAX CLEWORTH NATHAN CRAIG DANIE DANIEL JONES
@?J?? RMU L SATURDAY 16TH APRIL 2021
VS CAERNARFON TOWN