Transfer special: Griffo decides to give it one more go with Bow

Ian Griffiths (Prestatyn Sports to Bow FC)

The sad demise of Prestatyn Sports has happily not also signalled the end of their prolific striker Ian Griffiths’ football career.

The 38-year-old has decided to extend his playing days with Bow FC, an ambitious tier 5 club who compete in North Wales Coast East Division One.

As well as offering an exciting new challenge, the move to Bow has sentimental value to the player as they play at Bastion Gardens, the home of Prestatyn Town, where Ian made quite a name for himself in the past.

In two spells with Sports, “Griffo” was a regular net-finder and a huge fans’ favourite, and he admits the club folding its first team last week hit him hard.

He said: “With what’s happened at Sports, I’m devastated for John (Hargreaves), Sion (Williams) and (Thomas) Brooks and also the boys that were Sports through and through.

“I would have liked to see my football career out with them but it wasn’t to be. They will bounce back in a few years – just watch!

“I feel my football career is coming to the end (again) haha, so I thought I’d step down a league and try to help some mates gain promotion and some silverware next season with Bow. They are building something special with local lads right from the bottom tier.

“I look forward to getting amongst it again with some new and old faces after being injured for most of last season.

“It would also be nice to be playing again on PTFC’s pitch where I’ve got some great memories from the past!

“Time to try and get fit for one last go at it.”

Born on January 2, 1985, in his younger days Ian played for Peterborough Schoolboys, had trials for Liverpool and was a Welsh schoolboy boxing champion.

He soon became a part of Prestatyn Town’s rise to prominence which was to deliver the most successful period in the club’s history.

Griffo was a member of the invincibles which won the 2005-06 Welsh Alliance League title under Dave Fuller and two seasons later, led by player-manager Neil Gibson, was a key part of the squad crowned 2007-08 Cymru Alliance champions.

Town had reached the promised land of the Welsh Premier, and Griffo made club history when he scored the team’s first-ever goals in the top flight, netting both in their opening fixture, a 2-1 win over Airbus at Bastion Gardens in August 2008.

Griffiths notched 12 goals that season, which turned out to be his best total in the WPL for the Seasiders.

He has played in 76 WPL matches overall for Prestatyn, scoring 19 times.

In December 2011, Ian had a productive few months at Denbigh Town, then in 2012-13 moved on to Holywell Town in Johnny Haseldin’s first season in charge.

Griffo scored 16 times in 28 appearances for the Wellmen, who narrowly missed out on the Welsh Alliance title.

Ian was later to star for Prestatyn Sports, where he scored 28 goals in their Welsh Alliance Division Two championship-winning campaign of 2017-18.

He began the 2018-19 season on fire for Sports, bagging six goals in two Division One games, before the lure of a return to Prestatyn Town proved too great.

One of his highlights from that 2018-19 season was scoring in Prestatyn’s first-ever league win over Rhyl at first-team level, a 3-0 Cymru North Boxing Day triumph at Belle Vue.

The 2019-20 saw Griffo pocket six goals as Town lifted a third Cymru North title.

After the return of football following the pandemic, Ian went on to star again for Prestatyn Sports, but missed a lot of last season due to injury.

He has scored an estimated 200 goals at least in his senior career.