Hart Failure - But I Do Like To Be The Side That's The Seasiders !!

And so to Maesdu Park, or The Giant Hospitality Stadium, in Llandudno as the Seasiders take on Connah's Quay Nomads in the Welsh Premier League - second playing first at this early stage of the season.

Football dates back to 1878 in Llandudno, with the club originally known as Gloddaeth Rovers and formed for the purpose of providing activity for cricketers in the close season. The club was a founder member of the Welsh National League (North) in 1921 and were crowned champions in 1923.

Controversy struck in 1931 when the FAW instructed them to play in East Wales - the club refused and were suspended. In 1935 Llandudno FC became founder members of the Welsh League (North) where they stayed until 1974, winning the league in its first two seasons.

The Seasiders were reformed in 1988, and moved to Maesdu Park in 1991. Chris Coleman officially opened the new 3G pitch on 31 July 2014 ahead of a successful Cymru Alliance campaign that saw promotion to the Welsh Premier League.

Llandudno finished third in their first season in the top flight, earning a Europa League tie against IFK Goteborg, with the Swedes winning 7-1 on aggregate. Last term the Seasiders finished a disappointing ninth, and their strategic partnership with MBi Consulting, with the team rebranded MBi Llandudno FC, came to an end.

Before the Nomads, Connah's Quay FC was founded in 1890 and disbanded after a second Welsh Cup final loss in 1911. Connah's Quay & Shotton FC was then formed in 1920 and beat Cardiff, featuring several players from the team that beat Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final, in the 1929 Welsh Cup Final. Six months later the club went bust....

The existing club was formed in July 1946 as Connah's Quay Juniors, and a senior team was formed and joined the Flintshire League in 1948. Prior to the 1952/53 season the club's suffix changed to Nomads; the Nomads joined the Welsh League (North) and, despite returning to local leagues for 7 years, rejoined it in 1966. In 1974 the club joined the newly formed Clwyd League and, following 3 successful seasons in the Welsh Alliance, became founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990 then the League of Wales two seasons later.

The Nomads, an odd name for a club that had spent 51 seasons at the Halfway Ground, moved after a season of groundsharing at Rhyl to its current home, the Deeside Stadium in 1998. After bereavements and retirements the club was taken over by gap personnel in June 2008 to become gap Connah's Quay Nomads.

2010 saw the club narrowly miss out on the cut off for the Super 12 League - thus the club began the 2010/11 season in the Cymru Alliance which they won the following season but were deprived of promotion after failing to gain a domestic license. Notwithstanding this setback the Nomads were again crowned Cymru Alliance champions in 2013 and this time the ascent to the Welsh Premier League was granted.

2015/16 saw the Nomads qualify for the Europa League - and a giantkilling as the club beat Norwegian team Stabaek over two legs before bowing out to Vojvodina from Serbia. A second place finish last term, a mere 27 points adrift of The New Saints, brought about another Europa League adventure. A surprise 1-0 'home' win over HJK Helsinki in Bangor was overturned 3-0 in Finland. The club also removed gap from its name in the close season.

And so on a glorious Saturday, a prelude hopefully to the forthcoming Bank Holiday, it's a detour to Warrington then back to the M56, passing Revolution Scooters and joining at the Stretton Fox. Creamfields traffic is light and Stanlow is hardly belching, although the wind turbines are at full throttle.

Then, after Queensferry, onto the A55, past a van decorated as Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine, and beyond Bodelwyddan to Colwyn Bay and its condemned pier. A quick walk past The Picture House brings us to the town's well kept railway station - colourful flower boxes and vibrant paintings providing an attractive backdrop.

Change at Llandudno Junction, Gateway to the Conwy Valley and Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri), and then the pretty marina at Deganwy on one side of the water, Conwy Castle on t'other. Into Llandudno and, passing the Stag & Dagger tattoo studio, down to the West Shore with its miniature railway. Back into town and lunch is at the Palladium, the Wetherspoons offering in Llandudno.

Llandudno, the resort, exudes quality with the busy town centre merging seamlessly into the seafront area. A long pier stretches out to sea whilst inland the two Ormes tower over, high headlands at the tips of the horseshoe coast.

Maesdu Park is hidden in the middle of an industrial estate next to a big coach depot. Inside the Big Hospitality Stadium, the near end is open terrace with the Celtic Pie Co doing good business. The far side hosts three separate covered seating areas - a hospitality area, the main stand named after the ground sponsor and next to it a smaller version. The other two sides have covered stands too, one with a tea bar, and there's the ubiquitous TV gantry and rather pleasant views of the Welsh hills.

The Seasiders are in black and white stripes, the Nomads in red. A rather turgid first half produces only one major incident and talking point. On 21 minutes the pacy Toby Jones latches onto a through ball and gets just ahead of Nomads' Mike Pearson, who trips him inside the box. Red card and penalty - but Seasiders' Sam Hart rolls the ball wide, and the rest of the half sees Llandudno fail to break down a well drilled Nomads defence.

It takes just over an hour before we see a well constructed chance; great work from Danny Hughes plays in Jones who sets up Marc Williams, and his shot is saved at point blank range by Nomads keeper John Danby. Nomads come very close soon after as Michael Wilde thrashes the ball against the crossbar from a cutback.

Sixty seconds later Mike Williams' prodigious headed clearance is hunted down by Jones as George Horan and Danby get themselves in a mess. Danby misses the ball and Jones takes it around him and sidefoots home. He has a second opportunity within minutes but this time it's straight at Danby.

Nomads throw men forward in the final few moments but the Seasiders' defence stands firm. Short at the back, Llandudno sub Sam Ilesanmi muscles through and draws another great save from Danby, but it matters little as the game finishes 1-0 and the Seasiders go top, maintaining their 100% win and clean sheet records.

Nomads Home From Home With A Stunning Finnish

And so to the last week in June and the recommencement of European club competitions. Tonight the visit of HJK Helsinki to Connah's Quay Nomads, appropriately at the Bangor University Stadium, a mere 107 mile round trip for the 'home' side, in the Europa League.

Before the Nomads, Connah's Quay FC was founded in 1890 and disbanded after a second Welsh Cup final loss in 1911. Connah's Quay & Shotton was then formed in 1920 and beat Cardiff, featuring several players from the team that beat Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final, in the 1929 Welsh Cup Final. Six months later the club went bust....

The existing club was formed in July 1946 as Connah's Quay Juniors, and a senior team was formed and joined the Flintshire League in 1948. Prior to the 1952/53 season the club's suffix changed to Nomads; the Nomads joined the Welsh League (North) and, despite returning to local leagues for 7 years, rejoined it in 1966. In 1974 the club joined the newly formed Clwyd League and, following 3 successful seasons in the Welsh Alliance, became founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990 then the League of Wales two seasons later.

The Nomads, an odd name for a club that had spent 51 seasons at the Halfway Ground, moved after a season of groundsharing at Rhyl to its current home, the Deeside Stadium in 1998. After bereavements and retirements the club was taken over by gap personnel in June 2008 to become gap Connah's Quay Nomads.

2010 saw the club narrowly miss out on the cut off for the Super 12 League - thus the club began the 2010/11 season in the Cymru Alliance which they won the following season but were deprived of promotion after failing to gain a domestic license. Notwithstanding this setback the Nomads were again crowned Cymru Alliance champions in 2013 and this time the ascent to the Welsh Premier League was granted.

Last year saw the Nomads qualify for the Europa League - and a giantkilling as the club beat Norwegian team Stabaek over two legs before bowing out to Vojvodina from Serbia. A second place finish last term, a mere 27 points adrift of The New Saints, brings about another Europa League adventure starting tonight with the club also removing gap from its name in the close season.

Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, 'The Football Club of Helsinki', was founded on 19 June 1907 by Fredrik Wathen. HJK, or 'Klubi' (The Club) have won 27 Finnish championships, including six in succession between 2009 and 2014, 12 Finnish Cups and 5 Finnish League Cups.

The visitors from the Telia 5G-areena were a multi sport club until 1978, but other official sports - bandy, tennis, bowling, ice hockey, handball and figure skating - are no longer endorsed. Runners up in last season's Veikkausliga, HJK stand 8 points clear at the top this time after 15 games and today's game sees a return to Bangor - in 2011 a 3-0 away win against Bangor City formed part of a 13-0 aggregate victory in the Champions League.

It's hardly flaming June as the rain teems down under battleship grey skies. Past Little BigHeads and a slight detour via Thelwall and Warrington before rejoining the M56 and overtaking a car and trailer carrying a septic tank - foul like the weather.....

Then the A494 where the traffic is held up by a Dewulf combine harvester, past Bodelwyddan, and through the Conwy, Penmaenbach and Pen-y-Clip tunnels. Penrhyn Castle greets us on the outskirts of Bangor, 'City of Learning' - one of the UK's smallest cities with a population of 19,000 including 10,500 students !! It's also the home of a multitude of empty shops and closed pubs - even The Black Bull, the local Wetherspoons offering, is shut....but the rain has relented. The cathedral dates back to 546 AD and we pay a quick visit before climbing Bangor Mount, shrouded in cloud.

Lunch is at The Feral Cat with a pint of Palomino from the Wild Horse Brewery. Then a trip to Garth Pier, 50 pence to get on - scandalous but no one is collecting... All the outlets are closed leaving just the view of the Menai Bridge and a couple of bemused HJK fans for your 50p ! Back to the car, passing Peep nightclub and the Lash Lounge, both of which conjure up unwanted images, and the rain returns.

A quick pootle down the Holyhead Road brings us to Bangor University Stadium in Nantporth, the home of Bangor City Football Club, Club Pel-droed Dinas Bangor. The Citizens were founded in 1876 as Bangor FC, and have played in the inaugural season of the Welsh Cup and the Europa League - as well as being founder members of the North Wales Coast League, Welsh National League, North Wales Combination, Welsh League (North), Northern Premier League, Alliance Premier League and League of Wales.

The club moved to Nantporth in 2012 after 43 years at Maes y Dref (now housing) and 92 years at Farrar Road (now the town's Morrisons supermarket). The Citizens have won 3 Welsh titles, the last in 2010/11, and 8 Welsh Cups, and are tonight on Europa League duty themselves in Lyngby, Denmark.

The car park backs onto the main grandstand where the 'home' supporters sit, with the segregated Finns in the smaller family stand opposite, next to the press gantry. The HJK tifosi have brought two banners - 'Forza' and 'HJK kannattajat' - and a travelling support of 29 (we count 33 !), two of whom are topless..... The other three sides of the ground are tree lined, preventing views of the Menai Strait.

In the swirling rain our neighbour in the main stand turns to ask 'It is June isn't it ?' - he leaves, shivering, ten minutes into the second half, whilst other spectators are wearing winter coats and gloves - but 12°C is positively tropical for the HJK hardcore two !!

The tannoy officiously informs both teams that there are 10, then 5, then 2 minutes of warm up time left, before instructing the players to leave the field. We are also told that HJK's Brazilian captain, Rafinha, is celebrating his birthday today (he's 35). Andy Morrison, Nomads' manager, takes his seat three rows ahead of us and provides us with a typically animated performance, the language naturally industrial.

Nomads are in red with white trim, HJK in blue and white with an eclectic team mix of 5 Finns, 5 Africans and a South American. Unsurprisingly Helsinki, overwhelming favourites tonight, take control and start to exert pressure. Akseli Pelvas rolls his man and shoots, but Nomads' custodian John Danby saves well and Demba Savage's follow up is heroically blocked.

Savage beats his man to dink over an inviting cross but there are no takers, whilst Rafinha warms Danby's hands. Shortly after, Ghanaian international Anthony Annan's shot is deflected, just, wide into the side netting. Nomads have defended superbly but hardly threatened until the 38th minute when they are awarded a slightly dubious free kick.

Mike Pearson rolls the ball to Nathan Woolfe thirty yards out, and his delivery into the corridor of uncertainty causes mayhem, missing everybody before going beyond HJK's unsighted keeper, Markus Uusitalo, hitting the inside of the post and trickling in. Nobody can quite believe it, certainly not HJK who look shell shocked and create nothing more before half time.

The second period sees Nomads best spell with Callum Morris forcing a decent save from Uusitalo, and Jay Owen's header is touched aside. Thereafter HJK dominate possession, but in the face of resilient defending never look convincing enough to force the equaliser.

Wild long range efforts from Faith Obilor sail out of the ground, whilst Vincent Onovo, Evans Mensah and Rafinha, again, only require regulation saves from Danby. As time ticks on two moments of goalkeeping madness nearly provide a Finnish finish (sorry!).

First, flailing at a cross he could never expect to reach, Danby tips the ball to Savage whose lob is headed off the line by Pearson. Then inexplicably carrying the ball outside the area gives Klubi a dangerous free kick which is blocked and the subsequent goalmouth melee and flurry of corners come to naught, leaving the Nomads with an unexpected and famous victory. ‘Is Connah's Quay Nomads win the Welsh Premier's greatest in Europe ?’ asks the BBC.

Nomads' Home Run Continues As They Strike Old Gold...

And so, because of a family wedding (cheers Lindsey and Pete !), to Sunday football and a trip just over the border to the Deeside Stadium for a Welsh Premier League game between Connah's Quay Nomads and Carmarthen Town.

Before the Nomads, Connah's Quay FC was founded in 1890 and disbanded after a second Welsh Cup final loss in 1911. Connah's Quay & Shotton was then formed in 1920 and beat Cardiff, featuring several players in the team that beat Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final, in the 1929 Welsh Cup Final. Six months later the club went bust....

 

The existing club was formed in July 1946 as Connah's Quay Juniors, and a senior team was formed and joined the Flintshire League in 1948. Prior to the 1952/53 season the club's suffix changed to Nomads; the Nomads joined the Welsh League (North) and, despite returning to local leagues for 7 years, rejoined it in 1966. In 1974 the club joined the newly formed Clwyd League and, following 3 successful seasons in the Welsh Alliance, became founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990 then the League of Wales two seasons later.

 

The Nomads, an odd name for a club that had spent 51 seasons at the Halfway Ground, moved after a season of groundsharing at Rhyl to its current home, the Deeside Stadium in 1998. After bereavements and retirements the club was taken over by gap personnel in June 2008 to become gap Connah's Quay Nomads.

 

2010 saw the club narrowly miss out on the cut off for the Super 12 League - thus the club began the 2010/11 season in the Cymru Alliance which they won the following season but were deprived of promotion after failing to gain a domestic license. Notwithstanding this setback the Nomads were again crowned Cymru Alliance champions in 2013 and this time the ascent to the Welsh Premier League was granted.

 

Last season saw the Nomads qualify for the Europa League - and a giant-killing as the club beat Norwegian team Stabaek over two legs before bowing out to Vojvodina from Serbia.

The first attempt to form a Carmarthen Town team came in 1920 through Jack Harding, a Geordie who settled in the town, but it lasted only three years. Harding went on to play for the St Peter's and Quay Rovers clubs, both of which folded in 1939.

 

Undaunted he founded a Carmarthen Athletic team after the Second World War, but the players were not fully committed. Indeed one match was called off as most of the side were engaged in bell ringing on a Saturday.....

 

Finally he established Carmarthen Town FC in 1950 at Penllwyn Park, moving to the newly created (and current home) Richmond Park in 1952. Election to the Welsh League followed in 1953, with thereafter intermittent promotion and relegation.

 

1976 saw the 'Old Gold' nearly fold and it was the disbanded reserve team's committee that came to the fore and took over the running of the club. Twenty years later the Welsh League Championship was won and the Old Gold were into the League of Wales.

 

Subsequent years produced a Welsh Cup win in 2006/07, and European football via first the Intertoto and then UEFA Cups. These included matches against AIK Solna, FC Kobenhavn and most recently SK Brann of Norway - with Carmarthen (narrowly !) losing 3-14 on aggregate..... The Welsh Premier League restructure in 2010 saw Old Gold just scrape into the top 12.

So it's past the fire ravaged Bayer building no more - torn down for a new housing development - then the Bridgewater Retail Park, currently occupied by all of two stores, and no surprise that the chumps who ran Champz Bar have seen it fail. Then, in radiant sunshine, to the M56 before it becomes the A494.

 

Off at the A548 and into Deeside Enterprise Park, with its massive solar farm and signs warning of 'Steam Clouds'. Then over the magnificent cable-stayed Flintshire Bridge (no Oresund but impressive nonetheless !), past the gas fired Connah's Quay Power Station to the Deeside.

Parking is alongside the stadium at Coleg Cambria which also houses Toy Box Day Nursery and the North Wales Indoor Athletics Centre. £7 in - still great value for top flight Welsh football - sees one side with the main covered grandstand and a flat standing area in front. Opposite is the press box and dug outs, with the Sir Gawain and the Green Knight pub behind.

 

Both ends are open circling the athletics track that surrounds the pitch with the Flintshire Bridge backdropping the near end. There's also a covered disabled area, with one wooden bench, in the corner and, strangely, a children's play area contributed by Forest School.

I don't profess to understand how this season's Welsh Premier League fixtures have been compiled but it's definitely, er, unusual.... Bangor City started the season with 5 straight home league games then 4 away, The New Saints played Bala home and away in four days and today's Nomads game is the fourth of six consecutive home league fixtures followed by five away - bonkers !!

 

The teams enter the fray to the sound of AC DC's Hell's Bells, with the Nomads in red with white trim, and Carmarthen in old gold and blue. Lee Idzi, the Carmarthen keeper, wears all white with one red and one green sleeve - a strip more appropriate to a Tour de France rider than a goalkeeper....

 

From the start it's end to end - Nomads' John Disney heads just wide from Nathan Woolfe's cross, whilst Old Gold's Liam Thomas breaks free and forces an excellent save from home custodian John Danby. Les Davies' free towering header drifts just past the post, Disney has one cleared off the line and Matty Williams hesitates in a one in one allowing Idzi to parry, as the Nomads dominate without troubling the scorers.

The second half sees Williams and Thomas both go close for their respective sides before a double substitution for the home side has an immediate impact as Nomads’ Nick Rushton nips in front of Idzi to head home a Woolfe centre.

The match threatens to boil over with increasingly physical challenges before Old Gold’s captain Lee Surman is sent off for a reckless challenge on Davies. Old Gold bring on target man Mark Jones and he provides an aerial threat to the makeshift home centre back pairing. His presence produces the away side’s best opportunity with Danby flapping at a cross and Ceri Morgan shooting miserably over. Nomads’ manager Andy Morrison’s vehement exhortations serve only to confuse his players and the match splutters to its conclusion and a 1-0 home victory.

Airbus Take Off and Land Successfully To Send Nomads Home Pointless !

And so to 2016, and with a dearth of non league games on the day, it's over the border for a spot of Dafabet Welsh Premier League football. Specifically it's to the Hollingsworth Group Stadium, formerly The Airfield, for the Flintshire derby between Airbus UK Broughton and gap Connah's Quay Nomads.

The Broughton club was established in 1946 as Vickers Armstrong as a works team for the adjacent aerospace factory where Airbus wings are produced. The club's name has changed with the ownership of the factory, working its way through de Havillands, Hawker Siddeley, British Aerospace and BAE Systems to Airbus.

The Wingmakers (what else could the team's nickname be ?!) spent their early years in the Chester & District and the Welsh National (Wrexham Area) Leagues. They were promoted to the Cymru Alliance in 2000 at which point the club's name changed to Airbus UK, and endured a first season blighted by foot and mouth disease.

The club was then promoted to the Welsh Premier League in 2004 and became Airbus UK Broughton for the start of the 2007/08 season. However because of UEFA sponsorship rules the last 3 years' Europa League campaigns, after twice being runners up and then a third place finish, has seen the club compete as AUK Broughton.

Before the Nomads, Connah's Quay FC was founded in 1890 and disbanded after a second Welsh Cup final loss in 1911. Connah's Quay & Shotton was then formed in 1920 and beat Cardiff, featuring several players in the team that beat Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final, in the 1929 Welsh Cup Final. Six months later the club went bust....

The existing club was formed in July 1946 as Connah's Quay Juniors, and a senior team was formed and joined the Flintshire League in 1948. Prior to the 1952/53 season the club's suffix changed to Nomads; the Nomads joined the Welsh League (North) and, despite returning to local leagues for 7 years, rejoined it in 1966. In 1974 the club joined the newly formed Clwyd League and, following 3 successful seasons in the Welsh Alliance, became founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990 then the League of Wales two seasons later.

The Nomads, an odd name for a club that had spent 51 seasons at the Halfway Ground, moved after a season of groundsharing at Rhyl to its current home, the Deeside Stadium in 1998. After bereavements and retirements the club was taken over by gap personnel in June 2008 to become gap Connah's Quay Nomads.

2010 saw the club narrowly miss out on the cut off for the Super 12 League - thus the club began the 2010/11 season in the Cymru Alliance which they won the following season but were deprived of promotion after failing to gain a domestic license. Notwithstanding this setback the Nomads were again crowned Cymru Alliance champions in 2013 and this time ascension to the Welsh Premier League was granted.

Onto deserted roads, past the now closed Orange Tree pub, avoiding Dunham Forest New Year's Day walkers and then noting the flower border in a tyre on the roof of a (kaput) van (eclectic ?), it's down the now open slip road for the M56. It's an almost becalmed Stanlow, barely belching fumes into a grey, grey sky before the turn to the M53 which becomes the A55 and the border sign 'Croeso y Cymru'. Then bypassing Broughton Shopping Park brings me to the Airbus factory and two supporters' car parks.

£7 at the gate represents outstanding value to watch top flight Welsh football :) Inside the Airfield, there's a walkway behind one goal and then on the far side the Broughton Wings Sports Pavilion, club shop and refreshment bar - the tea is apparently 'undrinkable'..... These two sides are hemmed in by the vast Airbus factory.

On the near side is the main covered seated stand with protective netting in front of one section, which is only removed at half time. At the Runway End (yes the Runway End !!) is the Gardner Aerospace Academy Stand, and next to it three unusual retracting floodlights adjacent to the operational runway which is behind the stand. Sadly no runway action this afternoon - just a couple of flocks of birds, the odd seagull and a passing Easyjet :(

The Wingmakers are in all blue, the Nomads in all white and both linesmen, sorry assistant referees, are wearing black gloves. Within 50 seconds Airbus have kicked off, won a free kick and scored - the ball falling kindly for captain Ian Kearney to sweep home.

The first half evolves into one of sheeting rain, swirling wind, uneven 3G bounce and numerous free kicks, many for quite blatant fouls - almost as if there were scores to settle from the 1-1 draw on Boxing Day at Connah's Quay ? It's a  typical full blooded local derby fare and the crowd love it.

Nomads fashion the better chances: Rob Parry is set free after a defensive error but beats one man too many and sees his shot blocked, Wes Baines' 30 yard free kick swerves in the air and hits the crossbar above a statuesque keeper and Jay Crowther sends a free header wide. Parry eventually equalises, steering the ball into the corner 8 minutes before the break.

In the second half Nomads' Paul Linwood heads home a free kick within 4 minutes of the restart but the away side fail to impose themselves, preferring to soak up pressure rather than going for the kill. Chris Budrys has a header well tipped over by John Danby and then a goal correctly ruled out for offside, but otherwise the Wingmakers struggle to create chances.

With just under twenty minutes to go Nomads' Les Davies appears to be tripped in the box. The referee rules it a dive but refuses to produce a second yellow card for the already booked Davies. Controversy rages at the Airfield....and it proves to be a pivotal moment.

Airbus still have plenty of possession and there is some delightful passing play but they continue to fail to get a shot away and an equaliser seems unlikely. That is until, with 8 minutes to play, substitute James Murphy loops a header into the top corner.

To add insult to injury in the final minute there's some penalty area pinball before Wingmakers' top scorer Tony Gray tucks home in the ensuing goalmouth scramble. 3-2 to Airbus at the finish and, with the Wingmakers flying high in third, they secure their place in the race for the top six - Nomads lie fifth and their fate is in other teams' hands.......