Goodbye for now but we’ll be back – say Prestatyn Sports
Another great North Wales team which moved many mountains in its short existence has folded – farewell for now to Prestatyn Sports.
The Tier 4 side announced today it was resigning from the North Wales Coast East League with immediate effect.
However, the club will continue to operate with a thriving junior section and also vowed it would aim to rebuild and return as a senior football force at some stage.
The club said in a statement on Sunday:
“It’s with huge regret and disappointment that the senior section of Prestatyn Sports FC will fold with immediate effect.”
Club chairman John Hargreaves said: “Over the last several weeks the club has been working hard to attract new players which has unfortunately come to no success.
“We believed as a club with solid foundations and a fantastic reputation of being a club that challenges each season that new recruitment wouldn’t be an issue. That coupled with many retirements and players opting for other local clubs, it hasn’t left much meat on the bone to build a squad.
“On top of this we’ve lost our old general Dave Jutson to ill health, Thomas Brooks who’s taking some time out of the game , Sion Williams who’s concentrating on his Junior side and last but not least our physio Matt due to personal health issues.
“Inevitably this has given us no choice but to disband and concentrate on our thriving junior section which will enable a pathway to senior football in a sports shirt in the future.
“This should come into fruition hopefully over the next 12/24 months.
“The club needs time to put its structure right, we have for too long had a small committee with a small number of people doing too many jobs.
“In our time away we will work to put this right. To make the foundations sound for hopefully another 10 years to come.
“We have some of the best facilities in tier 4 and some of the best around for our junior sections to continue to thrive, we will use this time to rebuild from the bottom and I know in my heart Sports will be a force once again.
“I’d like to thank the few lads that would have remained at the club this season, your support has been superb and won’t ever be forgotten.
“I wish the players that have left and the ones that will leave all the success in the future and hope your continue to play in the local circuits, I would say I’ll be along to watch you but it’s time for me now and my own personal life along with offering my support to the junior sections.
“We will never forget the memories of this great club! Some amazing highs which by far surpassed all of the lows, and it’s been an absolute privilege to be part of.
“Seven trophies in 10 seasons, not many in our league can boast that proud record.
“It’s a sorry and goodbye for now to senior football.
“But we will be back
“Watch this space.”
PRESTATYN SPORTS – THE HISTORY
Formed in 2013-14, Prestatyn Sports rose from Tier 6 to Tier 3 in their first five seasons.
They were runners-up to Conwy Legion United in their debut season in Vale of Clwyd and Conwy League Division One, but the following campaign saw the Prestatyn club land a unique quadruple.
When they rounded off the season by defeating Llandudno Albion 2-1 in the Presidents Cup Final at Rhyl, it completed a tremendous four-timer the likes of which had not been done before or will ever be achieved again.
Sports won the Premier Division by a very comfortable 13-point margin, winning 19 out of 20 games and 10 from 10 away, hammered Waunfawr 5-1 in the final of the NWCFA Intermediate Cup and battered Rhyl Rovers 9-2 in the Premier Cup Final.
Goals flowed throughout the season for Mark Hughes and John Hargreaves’s team – 178 in 36 matches in all competitions making it an average of almost five per game.
The club itself actually celebrated a five-timer in 2014-15 as Prestatyn Sports Reserves won the Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Division One title.
Sports had been second best in their debut season to Division One champions Legion, but they gained revenge in 2014/15, winning three out of four tussles with the Conwy outfit and finishing 13 points ahead of them in the Premier.
Darren Cassidy was top-goalscorer with 51 and Craig Griffiths notched 45.
Sports were promoted to the Welsh Alliance in 2015-16 and in their first season finished sixth in Division Two and were Take Stock Van Hire Challenge Cup runners-up.
The following campaign, the Prestatyn side went one better and won the Take Stock Van Hire Challenge Cup, also claiming third spot in Division Two.
The 2017-18 season was an amazing one for Sports as they romped to the Division Two title, ending up eight points clear and recording a perfect home record of 14 straight wins.
In 2018/19, the club finished seventh in tier 3 Welsh Alliance Division One before the shortened 2019/20 saw Sports experience their first disappointing season as they ended up bottom of the league.
In May 2020 the club announced it would move away from its long-term home at Gronant as the facility has failed to meet Tier 3 grading criteria.
Sports subsequently moved to The Meadows with a new lease of life, and received funding help from the local council to improve the drainage. They became a member of the newly-formed North Wales Coast East Premier Division in 2021-22 and completed the season in third place.
Last season Sports had their ups and downs, but they still finished a respectable fifth in the NWCE Premier and were runners-up in the Cookson Cup.
However, problems in fielding a team towards the end of the campaign due to injuries and unavailability did mean two games were left unplayed.
With a number of their players moving on this summer, it was becoming obvious Sports would struggle to compete to their previous high standard in the coming season and therefore the senior team has decided to fold.
PRESTATYN SPORTS – HONOURS LIST
2014/15
Vale of Clwyd and Conwy League Premier Division champions
NWCFA Intermediate Cup winners
Premier Cup winners
Presidents Cup winners
Vale of Clwyd and Conwy League Division One champions (reserves)
2016-17
Division Two Take Stock Van Hire Challenge Cup winners
2017-18
Welsh Alliance Division Two champions
PRESTATYN SPORTS – LEAGUE RECORD
2013-14
Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Division One runners-up: P 18 W 14 D 1 L 3 GF 81 GA 21 Pts 43
2014-15
Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Premier Division champions: P 20 W 19 D 0 L 1 GF 107 GA 20 Pts 57
2015-16
Welsh Alliance Division Two (6th position): P 24 W 11 D 4 L 9 GF 72 GA 57 Pts 37
2016-17
Welsh Alliance Division Two (3rd): P 26 W 17 D 2 L 7 GF 93 GA 51 Pts 50 * 3 pts deducted
2017-18
Welsh Alliance Division Two (1st): P 28 W 24 D 3 L 1 GF 117 GA 30 Pts 75
2018-19
Welsh Alliance Division One (7th): P 28 W 12 D 3 L 13 GF 53 GA 56 Pts 39
2019-20
Welsh Alliance Division One: P 20 W 0 D 2 L 18 GF 27 GA 72 Pts 2.
2021-22
North Wales Coast East Premier Division (3rd): P 26 W 17 D 5 L 4 GF 63 GA 35 Pts 56
2022-23
North Wales Coast East Premier Division (5th): P 28 W 16 D 3 L 9 GF 71 GA 60 Pts 51
Overall league stats (2013-14 to 2022-23)
Played 218
Won 130
Drawn 23
Lost 65
Goals For 684
Goals Against 402