Check out the Grassroots North Wales Men’s Football Award winners for 2022
NORTH WALES MEN’S FOOTBALL AWARDS 2022
TEAM OF THE YEAR – Bangor 1876
This category was such a close call. I broke it down to six main contenders and then changed my mind a couple of times before deciding on a winner.
Bangor 1876 edged it in the end. The award is for 2022 so the key is being exceptional all year round – not easy.
They lifted the North Wales Coast West Premier Division Cup in May, beating league champions Bodedern Athletic in the final.
1876 also secured promotion to tier 3 after finishing league runners-up.
Since rising to the Ardal North West, Michael Johnston’s side have been sensational, topping the table after 10 games unbeaten.
Also in contention were:
Bodedern Athletic – magnificent North Wales Coast West Premier title win, No 1 form side in UK Non-League in February after 18 straight league wins put them top of the Global Stats table. Sadly now disbanded.
Mold Alexandra – wonderful first half of 2022 saw them win the FAW Trophy and Ardal North West title.
CPD Y Rhyl 1879 – invincible champions of North Wales Coast East Premier, winners of Cookson Cup, NWCFA Intermediate Cup finalists (final never played) and currently second in Ardal North West.
Connah’s Quay Town – debut season treble winners – Two Counties Cup, Mike Beech Memorial Trophy and NEWFL Championship title. Performing well in the NEWFL Premier.
Bethesda Athletic – lifted North Wales Coast West Division One Cup, runners-up Division One, now top of the tier 4 North Wales Coast West Premier.
MOST IMPROVED TEAM – St Asaph City
Despite recovering well from a poor start, Saints were relegated from tier 3 Ardal North West at the end of 2021-22 after finishing third bottom.
They have bounced back well in tier 4 North Wales Coast East Premier, unbeaten in 12 and seven points clear at the summit going into 2023.
MOST EXCITING NEWCOMERS – Trearddur Bay
Returned to competitive football in 2022 and have made a stunning impact in tier 5.
Building a strong squad comprising some of Anglesey’s top talent, manager Nick Dumbarton has led the undefeated islanders to second spot in North Wales Coast West Division One.
Bay have achieved some magnificent cup results against higher level opponents.
These include: Welsh Cup – Nantlle Vale (T3) 3-1; Llanfairfechan Town (T4) 3-1. FAW Trophy – Glan Conwy (T4) 2-1; Penmaenmawr Phoenix (T4) 4-1; Llannefydd (T4) 2-0.
As well as a flourishing first team, Trearddur Bay are building a thriving supporting cast based very much on inclusion.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Corrig McGonigle (Bangor 1876)
There are very few superlatives left which have not been used to describe this amazing young marksman.
Corrig began 2022 at Cymru North Conwy Borough before signing for Bangor 1876 in February.
Since then, he has amassed a phenomenal 72 goals for the fan-owned club in 32 games across all competitions.
During the year, the Llansadwrn hitman has bagged 13 hat-tricks, including an eight, a five and three fours.
He is currently North Wales senior football’s top scorer for the 2022-23 season on 38 goals in 17 matches.
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Connor Owen (Gwalchmai)
What an amazing year for this 17-year-old!
In 2022, he chalked up 22 goals in 24 matches across all comps for tier 4 North Wales Coast West Premier club Gwalchmai.
His record this 2022-23 season so far is 19 goals in 16 games.
A pacy front man who can operate either centrally or out wide, Connor is a cousin of former Gwalchmai manager and village legend Paul Owen (Skin).
Named Tier 4 Player of the Season for 2021-22, Connor notched 12 goals, so has already well surpassed that figure this term.
HOTSHOT OF THE YEAR – Asa Thomas (Trearddur Bay)
Asa’s goals total for 2022 is 51 in 32 games.
He began the year at Bodedern Athletic, whom he helped win the North Wales Coast West Premier Division title, netting 58 times in a 126-goal partnership over the season alongside Marc Evans.
In the summer Asa returned to reformed Trearddur Bay, where he made national headlines in 2010-11 by scoring 112 goals in 47 appearances.
To date this term, the Holyhead-based 31-year-old has pocketed 27 goals in 17 matches for a flying Bay side.
This year was especially memorable for Asa as in October he reached the 600 career goals mark.
He is now on 609 and has Tommy Welsh’s North Wales coast record of 631 in his sights, as well as the 683 amassed by Euryn Williams at Bro Cernyw between 1990-2006.
PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – Caergybi 3 Cefn Albion 0
Surely one of the biggest Welsh Trophy shocks of all-time occurred in September.
Fifth in tier 5 Caergybi stunned the team on top of tier 3 Ardal North East – Cefn Albion, who won the Trophy back in 2018-19.
Albion travelled to Holyhead unbeaten. They had also visited Caergybi in last season’s Welsh Cup and won 4-1.
But on this occasion, goals from Louis Chapman (2) and Tom Hadley produced a monster upset and surely the best result in Caergybi’s short history.
MANAGER OF THE YEAR – Steve Evans (Colwyn Bay)
The vastly experienced former Wales international and star defender for Wrexham and The New Saints took over as Colwyn Bay boss in January 2022.
So we can assess Steve’s progress at the Four Crosses Construction Arena over a full year – and it’s been pretty good.
Bay ended 2021-22 a modest sixth in the tier 2 Cymru North, but they did cause a major stir by reaching the Welsh Cup semi-finals, knocking out Cymru Premier champions Connah’s Quay Nomads 2-0 away in the last eight.
This season, the Seagulls have been exemplary, lying top of the Cymru North and unbeaten in 14 matches.
SHOCK OF THE YEAR – Llandudno Amateurs 2 Bodedern Athletic 0
After last season’s heroics in landing the North Wales Coast West Premier Division title, this cup shock in August showed perhaps the first indication that all was not well at Bodedern.
The tier 3 Ardal North West newcomers had started the 2022-23 campaign pretty well, but then were stunningly knocked out of the Welsh Cup by tier 5 rank outsiders Llandudno Amateurs.
After a goalless first half at the OPS Wind Arena, the deadlock was broken on 79 minutes when Aaron Rogers blasted home a thunderous right footer from the edge of the box.
Chris Jones had a chance to equalise for Boded in the 83rd minute but missed from the spot.
The Amateurs clinched it three minutes into added time when Gareth Sharp put away a penalty, sparking wild scenes of celebration from those in and around the home dugout.
Bodedern’s fortunes continued to plummet and they did not see out the year.
ENTERTAINERS OF THE YEAR – Holywell Town
In their first season back at tier 2 level, the Wellmen ended 2021-22 in a more than respectable fourth spot in Cymru North.
This season started badly as Town failed to win in their first three league matches.
However, what has happened since then is phenomenal. Johnny Haseldin’s men have won 12 on the bounce and sit second in the table.
Had it not been for Colwyn Bay’s magnificent form, the Flintshire outfit would surely be top of the tree.
Throughout 2022, the Wellmen have been involved in some thrilling league games and cup ties, producing a number of brilliant comebacks, especially a 3-2 outcome at Porthmadog where they recovered from two-down and plundered a 90th minute winner through Oliver Buckley.
Never write Haseldin’s heroes off. They would run through brick walls for the manager, never give in and produce some highly entertaining displays along the way.