BIG TRANSFER NEWS: Mochdre Sports sign proven goal-getter at Tier 2 and 3 levels
Tier 4 title hopefuls Mochdre Sports have made a fantastic signing in the shape of a player they will see as one of their own.
Joe Chaplin has scored in excess of 100 goals at Tier 2 and 3 level over his career and now joins current North Wales Coast East Premier Division high-flyers Sports.
Chaplin is already a hero in Mochdre through his achievements in the sport of cricket, having captained the villagers to the North Wales League Premier Division title for the first time in the club’s history in 2024.
However, his talents with bat and ball are matched by his accomplishments as a striker on the football field.
Renowned for his natural finishing ability and a great work ethic having consistently operated at a high level in Welsh football throughout his career, Joseph Matthew Chaplin was born in St Asaph on October 11, 1992.
The experienced front man started at Llandudno in 2009 before moving to South Wales as a student and hooking up with Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2011, where he scored his favourite and best-ever goal – a 35-yard stunner in his final year – in front of his watching dad.
Spells at Glan Conwy and Conwy Borough followed between 2014 and 2017. In 2016-17, he bagged 16 goals in 20 appearances for Boro and also had a brief episode back with Llandudno during their stint in the Cymru Premier.
Next came a switch to Porthmadog, where he scored a magnificent 26 goals in 2017-18 for the Cymru North outfit.
Chaplin then spent the 2018/19 season at Airbus UK Broughton, followed by a transfer to Colwyn Bay in 2019.
He went on loan at Gresford Athletic for his first spell at the Wrexham club during the 2019/20 season, which proved very successful.
Athletic signed him permanently in 2021 and during his two stays at the club, he scooped a total of 21 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions, finishing Cymru North fourth top scorer during 2021/22.
He signed for Llandudno again in the summer of 2022 and helped the club finish third in Cymru North, grabbing 12 goals in 28 games in all competitions, before landing at Gresford for a third time.
The 2023-24 campaign saw him notch seven goals in 23 outings for Athletic, then 2024-25 brought a whole new adventure as Chaplin switched to third-tier Ardal North West club Trearddur Bay from Anglesey.
His first goal for the Beach Boys was a 90th minute winner in a 2-1 Welsh Cup success over NFA on his third appearance.
Chaplin scored a number of vital goals in Bay’s run to the FAW Amateur Trophy semi-finals, where they lost to eventual competition winners Port Talbot Town. By the end of the campaign he had pocketed nine goals in 22 outings.
Mochdre Sports now becomes the ninth club of the 33-year-old’s career.
Manager Jason Williams shared his excitement about the move: “To bring in a centre forward of Joe’s quality and experience is a real statement for the club – this signing speaks for itself.”