Who leads the Bob Brodie Trophy? Why have goals totals dropped?

No-one is running away with the Bob Brodie Trophy – the competition to crown Ynys Môn’s senior football goal king – this season.

In the past, there have usually been one or two standouts who are way ahead of the pack.

However, we are into February and only two players have broken the 20-goal barrier in all competitions – Gwalchmai’s Connor Owen and Cameron Buckley of Cemaes Bay, whose main tally has emerged through his earlier season involvement with Trearddur Bay Development.

Why the lower totals? Definitely the tiers 4 and 5 clubs not having so many cups to compete in has affected things.

And the lower leagues have evened up standard-wise a fair bit, with fewer heavy defeats than in the past.

It is certainly not like the North East Wales League, where double-figure hammerings, especially in the tier 5 Championship Division, are commonplace.

Also, the winter has not been kind to Anglesey, with numerous games called off and therefore strikers have rarely been able to get into a pattern of net-finding.

The two most prolific marksmen of recent times, Asa Thomas and Marc Evans, have not played as much football as usual.

We are now into the 13th season of the Bob Brodie Trophy, which has been competed for since 2011-12 with illustrious winners including Corrig McGonigle, Evans, Mel McGinness and, the current holder and all-time North Wales record goalscorer Thomas.

The competition proudly bears the name of Bob, a popular former player and manager on Anglesey, who sadly passed away in 2011, aged just 62.

BOB BRODIE TROPHY STANDINGS 2024-25 (up to and including February 12)

21 – Connor Owen (Gwalchmai), Cameron Buckley (4 for Cemaes Bay – 17 for Trearddur Bay/Development)
18 – Luke McGivern (Cemaes Bay), Calum Thomas (Gaerwen), Arden Gisbourne (Llannerchymedd)
16 – Cory Williams (Holyhead Hotspur), Les Davies (Trearddur Bay), Tom Wood (Cemaes Bay)
15 – Louis Chapman (Caergybi), Tomos Williams (12 for Llanfairpwll – 3 for Llannerchymedd)
14- Josh Stanley Williams (3 for Trearddur Bay/Development – 11 for Llangefni Town), Dion Jones (Gwalchmai – all 14 for CPD Cefni)
12 – Craig Moore (Holyhead Town), Toby Jones (Trearddur Bay), Callum Graves (Menai Bridge Tigers), Osian Jones (Llangefni Town), Dylan Griffith (5 for CPD Boded – 7 for CPD Cefni)
11 – Marc Evans (Gwalchmai), Charlie Dales (Pentraeth/Development), Joe Owen (Pentraeth Development)
10 – Dylan Summers-Jones (Bangor 1876 – all 10 with Holyhead Hotspur), Ifan Mansoor (Llangefni Town), Jerome Sillence (Caergybi), Jay Finter (CPD Gaerwen)

BOB BRODIE TROPHY WINNERS

2023/24 Asa Thomas (Trearddur Bay – North Wales Coast West Premier) 60
2022/23 Asa Thomas (Trearddur Bay – North Wales Coast West Division One) 75
2021/22 Marc Evans (Bodedern Athletic – North Wales Coast West Premier Division) 68
2020/21 Season cancelled – no competition
2019/20 Steven Whittaker (Cemaes Bay – Anglesey League) 39
2018/19 James Ryan (Caergybi – Anglesey League) 72
2017/18 Gary Jo Owen (Caergybi – Anglesey League) 58
2016/17 Corrig McGonigle (Glantraeth – Welsh Alliance) 59
2015/16 Corrig McGonigle (Pentraeth – Welsh Alliance) 64
2014/15 Steven Whittaker (Cemaes Bay – Anglesey League) 42
2013/14 Gary Jo Owen (Morawelon – Anglesey League) 57
2012/13 Lance Williams (Menai Bridge Tigers – Anglesey League) 62
2011/12 Mel McGinness (Holyhead Hotspur – Welsh Alliance) 50