Happy 40th to super striker Ian Griffiths – here are just 10 of his many career highlights

Happy 40th birthday to Prestatyn-based striker supreme Ian Griffiths.

Born on January 2, 1985, Griffo has scored goals at all levels of the Welsh pyramid in a long and rewarding football career.

We’ve written a few in-depth articles on Ian over the years, so to mark this special milestone birthday, we thought in a change of format we’d publish 10 of his greatest highlights.

Ian has won the Tier 2 Cymru North (Alliance) title twice with Prestatyn Town – in 2007-08 and 2019-20
He scored Prestatyn Town’s first-ever goals in the Welsh Premier League, netting twice in a 2-1 victory over Airbus in 2008-09. His top flight record for Town is 76 appearances, 19 goals
In his younger days, he played for Peterborough Schoolboys, had trials for Liverpool and was a Welsh schoolboy boxing champion.
Ian was a member of the Prestatyn Town invincibles which won the 2005-06 Welsh Alliance League title under Dave Fuller
In 2017-18, Ian starred for Prestatyn Sports, hitting 28 goals in their Welsh Alliance Division Two championship-winning campaign – and 35 in all competitions.
The 2011-12 campaign saw Ian have a productive few months at Denbigh Town, then in 2012-13 move on to Holywell Town in Johnny Haseldin’s first season in charge, scoring 16 times in 28 appearances for the Wellmen, who narrowly missed out on the Welsh Alliance title.
In 2018-19, Griffo scored in Prestatyn Town’s first-ever league win over Rhyl FC at first-team level, a 3-0 Cymru North Boxing Day triumph at Belle Vue.
The 2021-22 season saw Ian return to Prestatyn Sports, now competing in the tier 4 North Wales Coast League Premier Division. He hit 12 goals in 18 games, then in 2022-23 pocketed a superb 22 goals in 24 matches for The Meadows club.
Bow FC became his fifth club in 2023-24. This season he has netted four goals in six outings for the tier 4 side.
Ian has a confirmed 148 career goals recorded, but it is thought the precise figure is much nearer 200.

CONFIRMED CAREER GOALS

2007/08: Prestatyn Town (Cymru Alliance) – 16 goals
2008-10: Prestatyn Town (Welsh Premier) – 19 goals (76 apps)
2011-12: Denbigh Town – 11 goals
2012-13: Holywell Town – 16 goals
2017-18: Prestatyn Sports – 35 goals
2018-19: Prestatyn Sports – 6 goals in 2 games
2018-19: Prestatyn Town – Unknown
2019-20: Prestatyn Town (Cymru North) – 4 goals league/7 all comps
2020-21: SEASON CANCELLED (Covid)
2021-22: Prestatyn Sports – 12 goals
2022-23: Prestatyn Sports – 22 goals
2023-24 to present: Bow FC – 4 goals