TT No.51: Mike Latham - Sat 10 January 2015: Vale of Clwyd & Conwy League- Normac Precision Premier Div Cup Rd 1; Llannefydd 3-2 Rhyl Athletic; Attendance: 30 (h/c); No admission or programme

Matchday images (20) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/LlannefyddFC

Saturday dawned and with it a dilemma; there were strong winds, heavy rain showers and fixtures were disappearing left, right and centre. Moreover, I’ve started to take my dog Finty to games, so much so she virtually fetches her hat and coat on a Saturday morning and it’s impossible to get out of the door without her. To her great disappointment Gent’s Pie shop in Standish was closed but at least she held the expectation of a beach walk. No pressure then.

So I had to find a ground that would take dogs, close to a beach and a game that was on, not an easy task, especially as the number of grounds I’ve done within 100 miles radius of home are fast disappearing. Having completed the Wrexham Area League and Welsh Alliance League this season I decided to dip my toe into the Vale of Clwyd & Conwy Football League and I’ve got to say I wasn’t disappointed.

First of all the league has a fantastic website- it’s simple to navigate, has all the information you need and is regularly updated for postponements on a Saturday morning. And after the game the results appear speedily and with the scorers’ details and times of goals- fantastic.

I noted that Llannefydd had seemingly escaped the worst of the weather and their Premier Cup game against Rhyl Athletic was on- with the two teams in the top six of the league it appeared to be an even contest in prospect and so it proved. And the 1-30pm kick-off also appealed- if there was a late call-off there was still time to head elsewhere.

Llannefydd is a rather remote village community of around 600 people in Conwy County Borough, about six miles north-west of Denbigh and seven miles south of Abergele, where Finty enjoyed her coastal walk later. I must have taken a wrong route off the A55 because my sat-nav failed dismally and I ended up travelling miles along single-track roads, admittedly through some simply stunning scenery before reaching my destination with minutes to spare.

It’s a beautiful village with a Grade One listed church that was founded in the fifth century and has several other notable sites of great archaeological interest nearby. Set amidst rolling, sheep covered hills it’s a fantastic place to watch football.

The ground, known simply as Cae Llannefydd, has undergone some changes recently with a newly-constructed changing room block and a playground for the local community. The pitch, though heavy was perfectly playable and some mature trees planted on two sides shielded some of the winds. On the far side is a banking that gives the ground an enclosed feel. The car park was virtually flooded and so we were fortunate to be watching a game. The only drawback- a big sign that says: ‘No Dogs.’ Finty was disappointed and had to stay in the boot of the car for the duration.

I enjoyed the game and felt the standard was comparable at least to the lower reaches of the Welsh Alliance or Wrexham Area League. A veteran referee presided with a kindly air. The visitors scored first, fell behind 2-1 at the break, equalised, then conceded what proved to be the winning goal from a corner just after the hour-mark. It was bitingly cold and we were spared extra time, though the game was of sufficiently good standard to always hold the interest.

I headed off to Abergele duly impressed, a good debut in the league and a game that gave a good impression. I intend to do some more groundhopping in this league and shall report more adventures along the way. As an aside, devotees of the Llandyrnog & District Summer League will note that Cefn operate from this ground- now that’s a league I really need to get my teeth into.

contributed on 10/01/15