League History

 

Gleanings From The Minutes

 

Attempts had been made over many years to establish a league which would bridge the gap between the semi-professional Division 1 of the Welsh League (Northern Section) and the Division 3 Anglesey, Caernarfon & District and Vale of Conwy Area leagues. Despite numerous visits to area league meetings by Welsh League officers there was no success; the area league clubs refused to commit themselves to a new more senior league. The successful clubs enjoyed being big fish in little ponds and refused to venture into a new league where the travelling costs would be much greater. Management Committees of the area leagues gave only lukewarm support to the proposed new league as they did not want to lose well-established clubs.

 

On 23rd June, 1983, a further attempt was made to form this league. A “Steering Committee” formed by the Welsh League (Northern Section) met representatives of the area leagues and interested clubs “to consider the formation of a Gwynedd League for clubs in the Anglesey, Caernarfon & District and the Vale of Conwy areas.” The meeting was held at The Menai Bridge Tigers Sports & Recreational Club, Wood Street, Menai Bridge and was chaired by Mr.O. Glyn Roberts of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Vice Chairman of the Welsh League. Eight clubs expressed an interest in the formation of a new league and it was unanimously resolved to establish a Gwynedd Football League for Season 1983-84, the entry fee to be £30.00 per club.

 

Robert Owen, Llanddoged, Chairman of the Vale of Conwy Area League, was appointed founder chairman of the new league and instructed to convene a further meeting as soon as possible in order to appoint officials and elect a League Management Committee.

 

19th July, 1983, the first Management Committee of the Gwynedd Football League held at Bangor City Football Club Board Room and the following officials appointed:

Hon.Secretary, R.Brian Jones, Penygroes. Hon. Treasurer, J.O. Hughes, Rhostrehwfa.

Hon.Registration Secretary. Robert Edwards, Llangefni.

Hon.Referee Appointments Secretary, Gwyn Pierce Owen, Pentraeth.

The following elected members of the Management Committee:

James Foulkes, Talwrn. Eric Roberts, Caeathro. William Evans, Llandudno.

Cyril Kitching, Beaumaris. Alun Roberts, Penrhyndeudraeth. Emyr V.Hughes, Y Felinheli.

 

The following clubs were confirmed as members of the new league and had paid the £30.00 membership fee:

Benllech & District, Bethesda Athletic, Conwy United, Llandudno Amateurs, Llanfairpwll, Menai Bridge Tigers, Porthmadog, Y Felinheli.

 

Cwpan Gwynedd to be an additional competition for the clubs with no extra fee payable.

 

League and Cup Rules as recommended by the “Steering Committee” were approved.

 

Referee fees for all matches to be £3.50 plus travelling expenses of 9p per mile, maximum £7.00.

 

Eric Roberts donated a trophy to be awarded to the Gwynedd League’s “Player of the Year” as voted by the member clubs.

 

 

1st November, 1983, Management Committee held at Bangor City F.C.

 

Mr.Trevor Owen, Bangor, elected President of the league; he donated a League Championship Cup for annual competition.

 

Mr.James Foulkes, Talwrn, elected Vice Chairman.

 

Resignation of Porthmadog F.C. received without the club playing a single match; shortage of players being the reason.

 

University College of North Wales, Bangor, accepted into membership to replace Porthmadog.

 

Accepted invitation of North Wales Coast F.A. for a representative team to participate in the inter-league Tucker Shield Competition. Mr.Bryan Owen, Llanfairpwll F.C. appointed manager of the league’s representative team and requested to select a squad of 15 players and a Trainer for the one-day Tucker Shield Competition to be held at Llandudno.

 

Eagle from the coat-of arms of Owain Gwynedd adopted as the Gwynedd League’s emblem.

 

Mr.Owain Roberts, on behalf of John Smith Tadcaster Breweries, donated Cwpan Gwynedd to the League Management Committee.

 

Mr.Robert Owen, Chairman of the Committee, donated the Eryri Shield for another annual competition for member clubs.

 

Birmingham Garage, Llanrwst, donated a shield to be presented at the end of each season to the top goal scorer in Gwynedd League competitionsDistrict on 17th December, 1983.

 

11th April, 1984, Management Committee held at Bangor City F.C.

 

Manager Bryan Owen and the League’s representative team congratulated on winning the inter-league Tucker Shield competition held at Llandudno Oval.

 

 

08th June, 1984, Presentation Evening held at Bangor City F.C. Social Club.

Mementos presented to League and Cup Winners and also to the successful Tucker Shield representative team.

 

 

13th June,1984. First Annual General Meeting held at Plas Menai, Caernarfon.

 

Secretary reported a successful season with all league fixtures completed. Y Felinheli became the first League Champions by the smallest margin possible, one single goal.

 

                                                 P         W         D         L         F       A         Pts

   

          Y   FELINHELI                    14         9          4         1        46      11        22

    

          LLANFAIRPWLL                  14         8          6         0         42        8        22

 

Eryri Shield Final played at Bangor City’s ground with Llanfairpwll defeating Benllech & District 3-1.

 

Cwpan Gwynedd Final also played at Farrar Road, Conwy United scoring the only goal in the dying minutes of extra time to defeat Bethesda Athletic.

 

Machno United refused league membership by 14 votes to 1. A sub-committee had visited Penmachno and reported inferior playing pitch and changing facilities.

 

 

24th July, 1984. Management Committee Meeting at Bangor City F.C.

 

Llandudno Amateurs resigned from membership of the league.

 

League Secretary reported the efforts made to recruit new clubs but regretfully no new applications.

 

North Wales Coast Football Association had now classified the Gwynedd League as a senior competition and clubs would not in future be eligible to enter the Junior Cup.

 

In reply to a questionnaire from the F.A.W. the committee favoured retaining the present summer closed season.

 

 

13th August, 1984, Meeting held at Plas Menai, Caernarfon.

 

Vice Chairman, James Foulkes, chaired the meeting.

 

Bearing in mind that Llandudno Amateurs and Menai Bridge Tigers had resigned from the league, club representatives were asked for their views as to the future of the League.

Llanfairpwll and Y Felinheli indicated that they were unwilling to participate in a 6 club league as they did not want to play the same clubs repeatedly, but the other clubs wanted to continue in a

smaller league in the hope that other clubs would join them in the future. Representatives did not want to see the success of the first season come to nothing.

 

Members regretted that the new Welsh Alliance League had taken clubs into membership directly from the area leagues; clubs should only be promoted from the Clwyd League or Gwynedd League.

 

Representatives of Llanfairpwll and Y Felinheli requested to return to their clubs and reconsider the decisions not to participate in a 6 club league.

 

 

21st August, 1984, Special Meeting held at Plas Menai, Caernarfon.

 

Llanfairpwll and Y Felinheli confirmed that they would only participate in a league having at least

7 clubs in membership.

 

Resolved that each member club should apply for membership of another league, but all would continue to participate in Cwpan Gwynedd and Eryri Shield competitions.

 

Some delegates were of the opinion that the league had set standards which were far too high and that it was a mistake to refuse Machno United because of inadequate facilities.

 

 

12th June, 1985. League Management Committee at Plas Menai Caernarfon.

 

League officials had met the Chairmen and Secretaries of the Area Leagues at Plas Menai on 20th March, 1985, and they had unanimously agreed to approaches being made to their clubs regarding possible membership of the Gwynedd League. As a result only 5 clubs had given a definite commitment to join the league. Resolved not to operate a Gwynedd League for

Season 1985-86.

 

 

3rd June, 1986. League Management Committee at Plas Menai, Caernarfon.

 

Progress report received on recruitment of clubs. Resolved to reform the league for Season 1986-87 with the following clubs in membership: Conwy United, Harlech Town, Machno United, Bangor University, Locomotive Llanberis, Llanerchymedd, Coleg Normal, Llanrug United and Llanfairpwll.

A successful season ensued and the league has prospered as the champion clubs in the area leagues are promoted each season. Relegation into the area leagues depends on the number of clubs in the Gwynedd League after the champions have been promoted into the Welsh Alliance League and whether clubs have been relegated into the league from the Alliance league.

 

But being under the umbrella of the Welsh Alliance League continued to cause much discontent among clubs and league officers. Matters came to a head at an historic Annual Meeting held at Festri Bethania, Penmachno, on 9th July, 1988, when clubs voted unanimously to break away from the senior league and become an independent league. The Welsh Alliance League would not sanction such a move and the Gwynedd League appealed to the North Wales Coast Football Association. But the full council of the N.W.C.F.A., on the casting vote of President Lionel Williams, found in favour of the more senior Welsh Alliance League. An appeal by the Gwynedd League to the Football Association of Wales followed and eventually, after much deliberation at a meeting held at the British Hotel, Bangor, the parent body ruled that all leagues had the right to be independent. The Gwynedd, Clwyd, Anglesey, Caernarfon & District and the Vale of Conwy leagues all chose to affiliate directly to the N.W.C.F.A. and all future appeals would be made to the Association.

 

The Gwynedd Football League has since thrived and has been fortunate to have the financial support of the following sponsors: John Smith’s Tadcaster Brewery, Cawley Bros, Birmingham Garage Llanrwst, Gwyn Pierce Owen Caravans, The Western Mail, Copyrite Business Systems, Cyswllt Busnes Gwynedd, Wyn Burrows, Heritage Homes Ltd.,Silver Star Holidays.