Nostalgia – Welsh Cup classic programmes No 9 Colwyn Bay v Pilkingtons (1987-88)

Football historian, author and renowned memorabilia collector Mark Jones of Prestatyn is Grassroots North Wales’ very own Santa this festive season.
Nostalgia enthusiast Mark is providing a series of articles on programmes for some of North Wales’ more interesting Welsh Cup ties over the years, all ones that will never ever happen again.

Back in 1987, the draw for the second round of the Welsh Cup paired Clwyd League stalwarts Pilkingtons with Colwyn Bay, who were then in the first division of the North West Counties League and beginning their determined climb up the English non league pyramid.

I have chosen this match not for any great sense of occasion but for the line ups which read like a ‘great and good’ of late 80s North Wales football.

Virtually every player listed in the programme was a ‘name’ to the region’s football followers at the time with every possible attribute on display among them – skill, agility, pace, striking ability, heading ability, tenacity, strength, personality, you name it, one or more of the players here had it.

For the record, Bay won the match 4-1 and went on to reach the last eight, bowing out 5-4 on penalties to Caernarfon Town after goalless stalemates at the Oval and Llanelian Road.

So for this article perhaps GNW readers would like to share their memories of some of the great names featured here either with Bay or Pilks or indeed, other clubs they may have played for. Let’s hear from you!