Archive Classics: Back to August 1987 – Caernarfon Town beat Liverpool FC!

Having covered North Wales football for close on 40 years. I’ve attended and reported on hundreds if not thousands of games across the pyramid.
Here’s another in a series of classics from the archives

Major thanks to JOHN WATKINS and ALEX PHILP for helping with this feature

Caernarfon Town 3 (Moffat, Williams, Atwere)
Liverpool 2 (Mooney 2)
Saturday, August 8, 1987

Believe it or not this was the first major game I ever covered as a reporter!
Okay, it was a pre-season friendly, but when Liverpool are in town, it’s BIG.
Although I had attended a previous game where John Mahoney’s Bangor City defeated John Rudge’s Port Vale 1-0 at Farrar Road, I was not on official duty that night.
My first marquee event was at The Oval, where Caernarfon Town, managed by the late, great Tommy Smith, took on The Anfield Iron’s former club Liverpool, who brought a strong reserves squad to North Wales including several players with first team experience.
Managing the visitors was another great Liverpool defender, Phil Thompson, who named himself on the substitutes bench.
Other notable names on call for the Reds included Steve Staunton, future Aston Villa and 102-capped Republic of Ireland star, former Wrexham goalkeeper Mike Hooper, who made 51 first team appearances over eight years at Anfield, and Northern Ireland international to be Jim Magilton.
There was a lot of interest in Scottish striker Alan Irvine, whose time at Liverpool eventually delivered little.
As for the hosts, ex-Wrexham midfielder Darren Baker was in the Caernarfon line-up, as well as club all-time great Ray Woods, a dazzling right-winger, plus Ynys Môn legend Viv Williams, an eye-catcher in Europe in 1985 for Bangor City who attracted interest from Atletico Madrid.
Liverpool’s two goals came from Ireland’s Brian Mooney, who never made a full first team appearance for the Anfield giants, but did later make a name for himself at Preston North End, Sunderland and Bohemians.
Caernarfon always held the upper hand though, Greg Moffatt and Williams (cannot confirm if it was Viv or defender Huw) keeping the Northern Premier League hosts on level terms before substitute Danny Atwere delivered the winner.
Overall, it was a good open game with the Cofis matching their illustrious opponents blow for blow.
A good crowd was present, no great surprise when taking into account the calibre of the visitors.
After the game, I had a great interview with Tommy Smith, an absolute gentleman, but being very inexperienced, I knocked on the Liverpool dressing room door, asked if I could speak to Phil Thompson and the said defender popped his head out of the shower and told me to wait outside (printable version) in no uncertain terms!
Even though it was a friendly, Thommo was not happy at losing and let the ref know his feelings at the end!
Next year this fixture will celebrate its 40th anniversary, but while the memory for detail is far from perfect, in many ways it feels like it all only happened last week.

CAERNARFON TOWN
Gareth Hughes, Chris Seagraves, Terry Newgent, Lawrence Iro, Huw Williams, Darren Baker, Ray Woods, Bobby Tynan, Viv Williams, Greg Moffatt, Steve Joel. Subs used: Danny Atwere, Dave Wignall, Stuart Clynch

LIVERPOOL
Mike Hooper, Ken DeMange, Alex Watson, Mark Seagraves, Steve Staunton, Jim Magilton, Brian Mooney, John Durnin, John Jeffers, Wayne Harrison, A Doyle. Subs used: G Boyd, Mike Marsh, Alan Irvine, Phil Thompson.

OFFICIALS
Referee – Arwel Jones (Caernarfon); Linesmen: Paul Davies (Talysarn), Eric Roberts (Caernarfon).