Mel McGinness returns to Holyhead Hotspur

One year ago today Melvin McGinness scored the winning goal for Ynys Môn in their 2-1 Inter-Island Games final victory over Guernsey.

The diminutive striker immediately left Holyhead Hotspur and joined Cymru North club Porthmadog, but by January 2020 he had switched allegiance to Llangefni Town.

Twelve months on from that famous day for Ynys Môn, however, McGinness is back at his spiritual home – Holyhead Hotspur.

With Hotspur having earned promotion back to Cymru North following last season’s Welsh Alliance Division One title win, McGinness has jumped at the chance to remain in tier-two football.

Holyhead manager Darren Garmey said: “I’m really happy to bring Melvin back to the club. It was great to see just how keen he was to return and add more quality again to our attack.”

Mel will become part of an already prolific goal scoring unit which includes Chris Jones and Robert Jones, who have both committed themselves for the 2020-21 season.

McGinness, 30, is a Holyhead lad who signed for Bangor City as a 16-year-old in September 2006.

He was involved in the FAW Victory Shield Under-15 squad in 2004/05 and played in the unbeatable Holyhead Under-17 team of 2005/06.

McGinness made his Bangor debut as a substitute in a 2-2 Welsh Premier League draw at Carmarthen Town on August 22. 2006.

He later represented Welsh Colleges in 2006/07 and was named in Bangor City’s UEFA Cup squad.

However, first-team opportunities were limited at Farrar Road, and following a spell at Llangefni Town in 2008/09, the striker returned home to Hotspur and was an outstanding success at the New Stadium.

In 2011/12, arguably Hotspur’s greatest season to date, they lifted the Welsh Alliance League title, Cookson Cup and Barritt Cup treble, as well as reaching the national FAW Trophy final.

McGinness was the chief shining light in that campaign with a magnificent 50-goal haul.

He went on to be a success for Holyhead in the tier-two Huws Gray Alliance, also having a stint at Welsh Alliance Division Two Gaerwen in 2015/16.

A very dangerous attacking player who gives a team options in midfield or up front, McGinness is renowned for his great touch, never giving up and ability to make life a nightmare for any defender.

In 2016/17, he wrote himself another page in Hotspur folklore when banging in a hat-trick as the club rounded off a great season in style by winning the Welsh Alliance Reserves Division Lock Stock Fireworks Challenge Cup, thrashing divisional champions Bangor City 4-1 at Llanfairpwll.

At the end of 2018-19, Mel was named Cymru Alliance Player of the Season, despite the fact Hotspur were relegated.

One of the major highlights of Mel’s career occurred last summer when he was part of the Ynys Môn side which won the Inter-Island Games football tournament for only the second time in their history.

It was Mel who bagged the winner in a 2-1 victory in the final over Guernsey at Holyhead.