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

CONFIRMED TOTAL = 148 GOALS