Princess of the Park celebrates a birthday today!
One of North Wales women’s football’s finest servants celebrates a birthday today.
Born on February 21, 1993, Sofie Owen is a double Genero Adran North title-winning captain with Llandudno Ladies.
She lifted the crown with the Seasiders in 2021-22 and 2023-24, but her association with the club and its predecessor Llandudno Junction goes back many years to around 2009-10.
For a large part of her career, Sofie was mainly employed in an attacking role, but has reverted to defence in recent seasons.
Since 2019-20, she has made 92 appearances for Tudno and scored seven goals, but those stats only scratch the surface as there are about 10 seasons where no club records are available.
It is certainly safe to say Sofie is one of the most prolific appearance-makers in a Llandudno shirt and likely features quite high in the list of all-time goalscorers.
Representing Junction and Llandudno, Sofie played in eight Welsh Premier League seasons before the club withdrew during 2019-20.
Sofie began her career with Llandudno Under-13 girls and later represented the North Wales Coast in tournaments at Aberystwyth and on the Isle of Man, aged 15 and 16 respectively.
She was later a regular for a Llandudno Junction senior side which became part of the Welsh Premier Women’s League and changed its name to Llandudno in 2014-15 as well as relocating to Maesdu Park.
In 2015/16, Llandudno reached the FAW Women’s Welsh Cup final for the only time in their history and Sofie was a key player that season, scoring 14 goals in total, including hat-tricks against Newcastle Emlyn and Cyncoed.
Sofie remained a Llandudno player through some difficult and testing seasons in the Welsh Premier until the Seasiders resigned as the last surviving North Wales club in the top flight during 2019-20.
Recent seasons where Welsh women’s football has been restructured and introduced a pyramid have delivered some well-deserved rewards for this great player with those two Tier 2 Genero Adran North title successes as well as lifting the North Wales Coast Challenge Cup.
Sofie has continued to captain the side this season and over the years has scored some amazing goals for the Maesdu Park outfit.
Perhaps her best was a long range screamer in a 4-0 win at Rhyl 1879 in 2023-24.
Sofie’s loyalty to Llandudno makes her a forever club legend and her dedication and commitment over so many years will be remembered long after she hangs up her boots.
Hopefully that day is still some time away.