Saturday 20th April 2024 ko 14:30

North Wales Coast East League – Division One

LLYSFAEN 1 (J Reynolds 16)

PENRHYN BAY 4 (S Farrrell 58secs (pen) 81 A Roberts 8 Dickens 74)

Att c25

Free Entry

After what I regarded as the maddest of mad Marchs I needed a break. I’d made the decision to watch no more than the odd midweek game, but to lean more towards seeing the end of Oxford United’s season and helping with the North Berkshire League’s cup finals. But then 4 of us fancied watching United’s away game at Burton Albion.

Unfortunately, we managed only to get on to the motorway before the gearbox gave way. I managed do no more than to limp the car to safety, and we ended up listening to the game on the radio of the low loader taking the car and we the passengers back to Oxford. After doing just over the distance to the moon in 4 years, the car had finally died, and I ended up having to wait 3 weeks for its replacement to be ready.

Our neighbour Suzy gave me lifts to Oxford United’s home games, and thanks to Splodge for the offer of a lift to Caernarfon one evening. I was unable to get to all but two of the North Berks’ finals, but the most intriguing offer came from Bedford-based hopper Matt Wilmot. He’d had the idea of watching Betws-y-Coed with ace photographer Mike Bayly, which set me back on my heels I can tell you! If you didn’t know Mike’s the author of ‘British Football’s Greatest Grounds’, and the 100 grounds he picked for the book are something of a groundhopping lexicon for those of us who like to look beyond the obvious.

We agreed to collect Mike at Wolverhampton Railway Station, but arrived there early, so made for a local supermarket cafe for a coffee and bacon roll. The experience was many things and was certainly entertaining in a “Fawlty Towers” kind of way. As is so often the case the place was woefully understaffed, and one of the two ladies working there had reached the end of her tether, and some! She made it clear to absolutely everyone that she’d had enough, and she was ready to walk out if anyone in any way offered the slightest criticism! The bacon roll was excellent, but it did end up being takeaway!

With Mike aboard we had a decision to make. We’d lost the Betws game due to the hosts not being able to raise a side, and the consensus was that we’d head to Mynydd Llandegai. I had no issue with that, although I did visit Cae Pel-Droed with the Welsh Hop in 2015, and there are far worse places to revisit. But then we joined the A55 North Wales Coast Road, and I spotted Llysfaen were at home, and it wasn’t inconvenient for Matt to drop me off. The big picture was that Matt, Mike and Robyn really did need to see Mynydd Llandegai but I did fancy a new tick!

My approach on arrival was that I knew nothing, even the league was new to me, created in 2020 as part of a general re-structure of Welsh club football. I knew that this, the lower division was as the 5th tier of the Welsh game, but I’d seen neither home nor away club play before. I strolled over to the ground, and my jaw dropped!

I’d seen that the ground was nicknamed the “Bananabeu” but nothing prepared me for that pitch! The goals are at roughly the same height, but the halfway line has to be 10 feet at least below them. Or putting it another way, if you’re playing at Llysfaen and are attacking, I can guarantee you’re running uphill!

The less than flat pitch phenomenon is less than new. People tend to talk about the slopes at Chard Town’s Zembard Lane or Darlaston Town’s former home, the City Ground, or in Wales the two Ceredigion League grounds at St Dogmaels and Felinfach. I’d certainly put the Bananabeu in that exalted company. But let’s not do any of these grounds a disservice. I sure many will remember the Llysfaen for their pitch, but that isn’t the sole reason I enjoyed being there.

For me, the casual spectator, the continuation of the hill at the top of the ground offered a superb view. In fact, on a warm day I stretched out before the game and could easily have dozed off. It was fortunate I didn’t as the game made a fast start, a penalty in the first minute is a little unusual! More than that, somewhere like this begs to be explored, and preferably with a camera.

Those of us watching were treated to a highly entertaining game with Penrhyn Bay deservedly winning the tie. I did have a little time to wait for the others, so I did get to see the teams leave whilst perched on the wall outside with an early evening meal courtesy of the local corner shop. Come to think of it, the service there was a good deal less fraught than earlier at the much larger store. Perhaps there’s a message in there for us all in that!

Thanks to Matt and Mike for their company and kindness. I wonder if Llysfaen is now on their bucket lists?