Where did it go wrong for Bodedern Athletic? Their demise is sad news for North Wales football

The 2021-22 campaign was simply the Season of Dreams for Bodedern Athletic.

So why, today, are they a club no more?

Crowned champions of the tier 4 North Wales Coast West Premier Division with a game to spare in April 2022, Ricky Williams’ side would have lifted the title weeks earlier had it not been for a strong Bangor 1876 spending so long on their coat tails.

Athletic so nearly went through the entire league season unbeaten.

They had won 26 matches and drawn 1 before losing their final fixture 3-1 at runners-up 1876. However, by then the trophy was already under lock and key in Ynys Môn.

During the season, Bodedern had also made national headlines by becoming officially the best performing non-league team in the UK.

Ricky’s Green Army reached 18 league wins in 18 games with a 6-0 thrashing of Glantraeth in February which put them top of the Global League Stats table, published by the Non-League Matters website.

By the end of the season, the Anglesey villagers had taken 79 points out of a possible 84, scoring 125 goals and conceding just 20.

In all matches, they piled up more than 200 goals. Asa Thomas and Marc Evans scored 40 and 38 league goals respectively.

Across all competitions, Evans amassed 68 and Thomas 58. All sorts of club records were set, probably many no-one knows about.

Following summer improvements carried out at their Cae Ty Cristion ground, Bodedern were accepted for promotion to the tier 3 Ardal North West.

After caning Gaerwen 17-0 in the Welsh Cup – a North Wales record win in the national competition – Athletic won their opening two league matches against Brickfield Rangers and Llangefni Town.

Although Asa Thomas had moved to Trearddur Bay in the summer, Evans was still banging in the goals.

However, at the end of August, “Logs” joined his former strike partner at Trearddur and suddenly the goals, perhaps not surprisingly, dried up.

Other players left Boded and results suffered – six straight defeats before a brief revival in beating Rhostyllen 4-1 and drawing 0-0 at Llanrwst United.

Nonetheless, a 10-0 walloping at Llangefni in October was the beginning of the end.

Such were the problems in getting together a squad, largely down to transfer window restrictions stopping new signings, Bodedern were unable to fulfill their next five appointments and on December 7, 2022, less than eight months after a glorious league title success, Athletic were no more.

It is believed heavy fines for non-fulfillment of fixtures, imposed as per league rules, were the final straw. The club would not see the end of one of its finest-ever years.

The club will surely return. They have folded before. Back in 2007-08 when competing in the dizzy heights of the tier 2 Cymru Alliance, Boded had to withdraw due to a lack of players.

They bounced back then and will do so again.

For now, all we can say is thanks for the memories Bodedern and you will be sadly missed. A true community club.

That amazing 2021-22 can never, ever, be taken away from you. And you did it with local lads, island talent. Enjoy your rest Ricky and hope to see you return in the future.