WELCOME TO MEMORIAL PLAYING FIELDS

RUTHIN TOWN V GRESFORD ATHLETIC

SEPTEMBER • 7 • 2019 1. A L A N J O N E S

C H A I R M A N

A warm welcome to the Memorial Playing Fields to the players, officials and supporters of Gresford Athletic, with a special welcome back to Joe and Jordan who are returning to their former club. I’m sure all will be impressed with the ground and clubhouse improvements that have been completed over the close season by a dedicated, hardworking group of volunteers, the pitch has never looked better and the bar has been transformed from its dated look into a smart, modern facility. The preseason period shaped up well with all but two of the 1st team squad committing to the club for 2019-20, two promising new signings in Dan Cox and Alex Webster and new management teams appointed for the reserves and DS teams. We were also pleased to welcome into the senior ranks a talented crop of young players signed on after graduating from our excellent youth set up. Our first 1st team match in the newly rebranded JD league saw us gain a creditable point at newly promoted Llanfair Utd, the next day however brought news that no new football club Chairman would want to hear! Our highly rated 1st Team Manager, Chris ‘Wellies’ Williams, informed me that after three (highly successful) seasons at the helm, he wished to step down from his role. We did try everything in our power to get Wellies to reconsider, but his mind was made up. So, in order to maintain continuity and stability, the committee acted quickly and offered the manager’s position to Wellies’ assistant, Chris Hardy. Chris Hardy accepted the offer and he quickly began to recruit his backroom team, within another day or so Chris had secured the services of a highly respected coach in Guy Handscombe. Our next three fixtures brought an excellent win at Penrhyncoch, a creditable draw at Guilsfield and another welcome victory at local rivals Corwen last Friday. The reserves and DS teams have had a tougher start but I’m sure that results will improve in due course. Finally, I would like to thank the dedicated band of supporters who have travelled over 650 miles to date this season following the team and also our numerous sponsors for their continued generous support...... Diolch o’r galon 2. CHRIS HARDY RTFC MANAGER

'I think everyone will agree when I say it’s looking the best it’s been.'

First of all, I’d like to wish everyone from Gresford a very warm welcome.

Obviously the past few weeks have been a bit ‘crazy’ to say the least, however, the lads have dealt with it magnificently well and it doesn’t seem to have affected their performances at all. If someone had said at the start of the season that out of our first four games which included Llanfair, Penrhyncoch, Guilsfield and Corwen that we’d come out of that with 8 points I think everyone involved with the club would of been happy, especially with them all being played away and three of them being played within a six day period. Looking to today’s opponents, we know they’re going to be a tough and well organised team. They’ve had a bit of a mixed bag of results so far but I can only see them pushing on and climbing the table especially with some of the signings they’ve brought in before the transfer window shut. I’d just like to thank Paul and the rest of the ground staff team for getting the pitch looking magnificent for today’s match and I think everyone will agree when I say it’s looking the best it’s been. Finally on a personal note, I’d just like to thank the powers that be for giving me this opportunity to manage this great football club and also to the supporters for all their well wishes over the past few weeks! Me and my management team will be doing everything possible to help this football club carry on the brilliant progress it’s made over the past three seasons and I hope to see as many of you as possible supporting the lads throughout the season, it really is appreciated! ...Thanks and C’mon The Town! 3 This certificate is proudly presented to 4. BUY A BRICK £50 To Order Your Brick Contact Andy 07584099582 MEM ORY BRI

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H E A R M O R E O F T H E I R P R O G R E S S I N T H E C O M I N G M O N T H S . Arwyn Jones 6.

History Gresford Athletic

The history of the present-day Gresford Athletic stretches back to 1946, although it is known that the club existed in the 1920s.Gresford Athletic won the 'West' Division of the Wrexham league in the 1946/47 season. The next time the club won a league trophy was in 1962/63, when they won Division 2 of the Wrexham league. In 1969, Division Three was split into two sections, A and B, with Gresford Athletic Reserves winning the Section A title.The club remained in the Welsh National (Wrexham Area) League until the introduction of the League in the 1990/91 season, when they became one of the founder members of the league. They remained in the Cymru Alliance League for four seasons before being relegated back to the Welsh National League. During this four- year period, they reached the League Cup final, losing to a very strong side.They became champions of the Welsh National Premier League in the 1995/96 season, but due to financial difficulties, they could not meet the ground criteria for promotion back to the Cymru Alliance. During that season, Gresford Athletic Colts also won the Division 2 title.The following season, a new committee formed with the intention of taking the club back into the Cymru Alliance.This was achieved in the 2000/01 season when they were once again champions of the Welsh National Premier League and with the finances in place, the committee managed to upgrade the club's home ground, Clappers Lane, to Cymru Alliance standards. In the same season, they were also beaten in the Welsh Trophy final.Upon the re-structure of football in , they re-entered the Welsh National Premier League in the 2010/11 season following nine seasons in the Cymru Alliance League. This proved to be a difficult season for the club, with them finishing in the bottom four. However, the following three seasons saw them steadily move up the league table.The summer of 2014 saw a new management team and committee introduced at the club, which brought in a number of new players in and the emphasis both on and off the pitch being on achieving promotion to the Huws Gray Alliance. A 24-match unbeaten run saw them maintain a control on the league, whilst also seeing a successful run in the , Welsh Trophy and League Cup competitions and it was January before they finally lost a game. However, the league title was not clinched until the final game of the season, by which time the work had been completed behind the scenes, with promotion having already been confirmed.The 2015/16 season saw Gresford Athletic claim their highest ever finish in tier two, when they finished the season in sixth place.In the 2016/17 season, Gresford Athletic won the NEWFA Challenge Cup for the third time in their history. The final was played against Queens Park, with Gresford Athletic deservedly winning 3-2 at full time.Gresford Athletic are members of the newly-branded JD Cymru North for the 2019/20 season. 7 Having been established with one under 16 team in 1986, we the youth section, now enter our 33rd season with 7 squads competing in the Wrexham and District Junior Football League, with a total of almost 130 players currently registered - so we've come a long way! Our objectives remain unchanged and they include allowing the boys to play organised team sport whilst developing an excellent level of understanding of how to play and behave during football matches, along with many other life skills that they pick up along the way. However our main objective is to develop footballers who are capable of representing our club and in reality others in the geographical vicinity too, at senior level. We thank all our fantastic willing volunteers for their commitment in assisting with what we do and wish them a successful and more importantly an enjoyable 2019/2020 season. Good Luck everyone!

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Signature ______Date ______COMPLETE YOUR FORM & HAND IN AT THE T-BAR 13. 14 15 16 17 Croeso i chi gyd yma heddiw i gem cynta adre i’r tîm y tymor yma. Mae’r tymor dim ond yn rhai wythnosau hen ond mae yne llawer wedi digwydd yn barod.Ddim byd mwy na ymddiswyddiad Chris Williams fel rheolwr y tîm cynta. Roedd y newyddion yn sioc i bawb dwi’n meddwl ac mae ein gwerthfawrodiad ni i Chris yn fawr iawn. Be nath o gyflawni yn y ddau tymor a hanner oedd o yn y swydd yn ddim byd llai na gwych. Ond da ni rwan yn symud ymlaen efo Chris Hardy fel y rhelowr a Guy Handscome fel ei îs rhelowr. Mae’n wedi cael 3 gem wrth y lliw yn barod a wedi cael dechreuiad gwych efo 7 pwynt allan o 9. 3 gêm oddi cartref mewn 6 diwrnod ddim yn hawdd i’r chwareuwyr ond maent wedi dangos bod nhw yn barod i dorlli ei llawes i Chris a Guy am weddill y tymor.Dydi pethau ddim yn mynd dim hawsach efo 3 gem nesa rwan yn erbyn 3 sydd yn gobeithio i fod yn y chwe ucha erbyn diwedd y tymor.Mae Gresford, wedi bod yn brysur yn arwyddo llawer iawn o chwareuwyr yn y wythnosau diwethaf. Wedi da ni mynd i chwarae Rhyl nos fawrth a wedyn mae Colwyn Bay yn ddod i Rhuthun dydd sadwrn nesa.Mae’r hogie yn edrych ymlaen i’r gemau sydd yn dod i fyny.Dowch am beint i’r ‘clubhouse’ ar ol y gem.Joiwch y goliau a joiwch y tymor efo’r hogie lleol yn trio ei gorau drost y clwb.Hwyl a flag - Bryn Evans 'Fudge' 18. JD CYMRU NORTH 19. WEEKEND REVIEW We take a look at the other games in the JD Cymru North League today. The stand out game on the surface is v Colwyn Bay. Prestatyn lost to Rhyl last time out which means that it’s very tight at the top. Colwyn Bay beat fellow Seasiders Llandudno. I suspect Prestatyn will be too determined to get back on winning ways for Colwyn Bay today. Another big game on the coast is Llandudno v Conwy Borough. Both clubs have had up and down starts but Conwy should just edge the game.

There is a massive game at the bottom of the table when Llanfair entertain Corwen. With one point between them both clubs will feel That this is a must win game, sadly I JORDAN fear neither will. The Mid Wales clash is Penrhyncoch v Guilsfield. Penrhyncoch have started well with six points from three games, but Guilsfield are a good side and after losing their first two games they’re now picking up points. I go for a draw.

Rhyl are looking good but will have their work cut out at Llanrhaeadr today. Llanrhaeadr have won their last three and are firing on alL cylinders but I think Rhyl will still be too strong. Newly promoted entertain Buckley, with both clubs having an inconsistent start I suspect home advantage will give Llangefni the points.

BRYN LLOYD JONES - CLUB SECRETARY BEN JONES

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SEPTEMBER • 7 • 2019

RYAN GOLDSTON GK OSIAN DAVIES MATTY EVANS ILAN HUGHES (C) DAFYDD EVANS GWYDION IFAN TOM DYER GWION OWEN TOM ROBERTS RHYS ROWLANDS ADAM HARVEY ALEX WEBSTER ISAAC RASELL-EDWARDS LLYR MORRIS CAI DAVIES RYAN JONES KEV EVANS WIL OWEN GARMON HAFAL CHARLIE WILLIAMS DAN COX JAMIE HULSE GK

MANAGER – CHRIS HARDY ASSISTANT MANAGERS - GUY HANDSCOME | JAMIE HULSE PHYSIO / FIRST AID – RIKI HARDEN 20. This certificate is proudly presented to