Richard Davies’ 50th win as Caernarfon Town manager was one he will never forget.
The milestone was reached when the Canaries lifted the Welsh Cup for the first time in the club’s history on Sunday.
A momentous landmark for a very special manager……50 up – we’ve won the cup.
After becoming the first boss to lead Caernarfon Town into European competition two seasons ago, the man affectionately known as Fish has now hooked a first-ever Welsh Cup for the Canaries.
One could say he is the ‘reel deal’.
Sunday’s 3-0 Final triumph over Flint Town United at Newport’s Rodney Parade was a huge occasion in Caernarfon Town’s existence.
Despite reaching six semi-finals under their current or previous names, this season saw the club make it to the competition’s showpiece game for the first time. Victory made them the 35th different name on the 149-year-old trophy.
It was also a record-extending 56th time that a North Wales club had won Wales’ premier knockout.
Before this season, Davies did not have the best of Welsh Cup memories with Caernarfon, as in the previous two campaigns under his leadership, the Cofis went out at the first hurdle!
Richard Davies took on a caretaker-manager role at The Oval towards the end of the 2022-23 season after the departure of Huw Griffiths, to whom he had been assistant since 2020.
Succeeding in keeping the Cofis in the Cymru Premier, Davies was appointed permanent first team manager on April 24, 2023.
Sunday’s national cup final was his 119th game in charge since the start of 2023-24.
His record is now 50 wins, 24 draws and 45 losses.
Davies has achieved a top-six Championship Conference placing in each of his three seasons at the helm. At the end of 2023-24, he guided Town into European competition for the first time.
Caernarfon beat Crusaders of Northern Ireland on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate scoreline in the first qualifying round of the 2024-25 Uefa Conference League competition.
Town took on the might of Poland’s Legia Warsaw at the next stage and lost over two legs.
Davies first made his mark in management as boss of CPD Penrhyndeudraeth.
Having previously assisted Gareth Piercy at Maes y Parc, he took over as manager during the summer of 2011 and achieved an impressive first season at the helm, guiding his team to a memorable treble as they became Gwynedd League champions and winners of the Gwynedd Safeflue and Bob Owen Memorial Shields.
This was followed by the Take Stock Van Hire Cup in 2012/13, the Lock Stock Welsh Alliance League Division Two title in 2013/14 and the 2015/16 Mawddach Cup with a 4-1 final victory over Glantraeth.
In 2016, Davies joined the management team at Caernarfon Town. He worked under Iwan Williams, Sean Eardley and Huw Griffiths before taking on his present position in April 2023.
With a first-ever European venture and winning the Welsh Cup for the first time in the club’s history in the net, what will Fish’s next catch be?
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