TT No.166: Mike Latham - Saturday 25 May 2013: Caernarfon & District League: Y Felinheli 1-1 Mynydd Llandegal; Admission: £2; Attendance: 320 (h/c); FGIF Match Rating: 4*.

 

 

 

Matchday images (19) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/YFelinheliFC

 

I owe many thanks to Bantam Cymraeg on the Tony Kempster site and the estimable Dave Jones, a superb reporter on North Wales football on the Daily Post for flagging up this last day title decider in the Caernarfon & District League.

 

It was a league I’d never previously attended but my first taste left a very favourable impression. On a lovely sunny day a large crowd, many in shirtsleeves saw a very tightly contested game with a dramatic ending.  It was a great way to end the season and was another highly rewarding visit to this footballing hotbed in North West Wales, where I’ve seen some great games in many scenic locations these past few months.

 

Y Felinheli is a village of around 2,000 inhabitants which is situated beside the Menai Strait between Bangor and Caernarfon.  The village developed in the late 1700s when a large harbour was constructed here for the export of slate from local quarries. The slate was transported down to the quay side on a narrow gauge railway known as Dinorwic, and so the village had the alternative name of Port Dinorwig. These days the port now provides a centre for pleasure boating and sailing.

 

The Caernarfon & District League now has only eight member clubs, three of which are the reserve sides of Llanrug United, Pwllheli and Nefyn United. The other three competing sides are Talysarn Celts, Harlech Town and Caernarfon Borough.

 

The home side began the game in third place with 30 points, level with Talysarn Celts who had finished their programme. The visitors, from near Bethesda had 32 points from 13 games and so required only a point to secure the title.

 

Y Felinheli wasted an early penalty and were left to rue that miss in a game of very few chances.  The visitors scored with nine minutes remaining and held to win the title despite conceding deep into stoppage time.

 

The ground was neatly railed ground and set in a wooded valley at Aber Pwll, to the north of Y Felinheli just off the main Bangor-Caernarfon road.  Happily there was a tea bar in operation.

 

I really enjoyed my visit here, the game was terrific and the standard worthy of a place far higher up the Welsh pyramid.  The referee and his assistants did a superb job in overseeing such a tense and keenly fought affair that was played in a tremendous spirit. The spectators watched the game intently and there was areal cross-section of generations behind the pitch surrounds, which made for a great atmosphere. It was well worth braving the horrendous traffic on the M56 and A55 earlier in the day.

 

contributed on 25/05/13