Porthmadog FC club history
PORTHMADOG FC was formed in 1884 although records of football being played in the town
go back at least five years before that. The club eventually graduated into the
North Wales Coast League and were champions at the first attempt in 1902/03 and
runners-up to Bangor in each of the following two seasons, before resigning during
the 1906/07 term.
Further spells in the North Wales Coast League after the first world war and in the Welsh National League (North) Division Two (West) during the 1920s, led to the club becoming members of the Welsh League (North) upon its inauguration for the 1935/36 season. Porthmadog won the championship in 1937/38 and, altogether, enjoyed a total of 47 seasons in the league until the formation of the Welsh football pyramid at the start of the 1990s.
Having lost the Welsh Amateur Cup final to Buckley Engineers in 1905/06, Porthmadog had to wait half a century before their name was engraved upon the trophy. In 1955/56, however, the club took the cup by defeating Peritus in the final played at Farrar Road, Bangor. Twelve months later, the cup was theirs again, thanks to a 5-2 victory over Druids in a replay but, in 1957/58, they were defeated in the final by the famous 55th RA Tonfannau.
The 1956/57 season also witnessed Porthmadog gaining the North Wales Amateur Cup, beating Buckley Wanderers at Llandudno, though they lost in the final of the North Wales Coast Challenge Cup to Caernarfon Town. This was one of five defeats suffered in the final of this particular trophy between 1935 and 1972, although Porthmadog have since put the record straight by winning the NWC Challenge Cup in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1997 and 2003!
During the summer of 1965, Porthmadog made the footballing headlines in North Wales as they abandoned their amateur policy and signed several well-known professional footballers, including the famous Welsh international Mel Charles. This was a well-publicised attempt to attract support to both the club and to the game of soccer in the area.
In the season that followed, 1965/66, Porthmadog finished
second in the Welsh League (North) behind Caernarfon Town, reached the final of
the Cookson Cup and won the Alves Cup, beating Rhyl in the final. The club also
progressed to the quarterfinal of the Welsh Cup. For each of the following three
seasons, however, the championship was taken as the team won 76 of their 92 league
fixtures during this purple period and scored a massive 338 goals.
The 1970s was a decade of unprecedented glory for the club as they became Welsh League (North) champions again in 1974/75 and 1975/76 and were runners-up on two other occasions. In addition to the North Wales Challenge Cup wins mentioned previously, Porth also won the Cookson Cup twice, the Ansells Cup three times and the Barritt Cup.
Following those halcyon days, the club had to wait until 1989/90 for their next league title when they won the Welsh League (North) – by now re-titled Daily Post Welsh Alliance – pipping Bangor City Reserves by three points in a nail-biting struggle. Porthmadog became founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990 and the League of Wales two years later. Porthmadog performed creditably in the national league, averaging a finishing position of 12th over the first five seasons. It was 1997/98 that proved their undoing, however, when four teams were relegated and Porth were dragged into the quartet following a poor run of form towards the end of the season.
Nevertheless, after five seasons, Porthmadog are back in the Welsh Premier League following a superb 2002/03 campaign when they lifted the Cymru Alliance title by 19 points, scoring 106 goals in the process. And the club readily consolidated its position in the first season back in the top flight, under manager Viv Williams.
More mid-table finishes followed under a succession of managers, but fortunes dipped in seasons 2007/8 - when only a final day victory over Rhyl enabled Port to escape relegation - and 2008/9.
And there was no reprieve the following campaign when, after ending the season in 15th-place, they missed the cut for the new-look Welsh Premier, despite being successful in gaining the FAW's domestic licence.
League record
PPlayed
WWon
DDrawn
LLost
FGoals for
AGoals against
PtsPoints
PosPosition
Managers
Meilir Owen (1992 - May 1994)
Andy Edwards (May 1994 - Dec 1994)
Micky Thomas (Jan 1995 - May 1995)
Colin Hawkins (May 1995 - 1998)
Viv Williams (2003 - Nov 2004)
Viv Williams/Osian Roberts (Nov 2004 - Mar 2007)
Osian Roberts (Mar 2007 - Apr 2007)
Clayton Blackmore (Apr 2007 - Oct 2007)
Viv Williams (Oct 2007 - Apr 2008)
Paul Whelan (May 2008 - Jan 2009)
Tomi Morgan (Feb 2009 - Jun 2010)
Gareth Parry (Jun 2010 - to date)
Club histories and stats based on information compiled by David Rapson.
PORTHMADOG FC was formed in 1884 although records of football being played in the town
go back at least five years before that. The club eventually graduated into the
North Wales Coast League and were champions at the first attempt in 1902/03 and
runners-up to Bangor in each of the following two seasons, before resigning during
the 1906/07 term.Further spells in the North Wales Coast League after the first world war and in the Welsh National League (North) Division Two (West) during the 1920s, led to the club becoming members of the Welsh League (North) upon its inauguration for the 1935/36 season. Porthmadog won the championship in 1937/38 and, altogether, enjoyed a total of 47 seasons in the league until the formation of the Welsh football pyramid at the start of the 1990s.
Having lost the Welsh Amateur Cup final to Buckley Engineers in 1905/06, Porthmadog had to wait half a century before their name was engraved upon the trophy. In 1955/56, however, the club took the cup by defeating Peritus in the final played at Farrar Road, Bangor. Twelve months later, the cup was theirs again, thanks to a 5-2 victory over Druids in a replay but, in 1957/58, they were defeated in the final by the famous 55th RA Tonfannau.
The 1956/57 season also witnessed Porthmadog gaining the North Wales Amateur Cup, beating Buckley Wanderers at Llandudno, though they lost in the final of the North Wales Coast Challenge Cup to Caernarfon Town. This was one of five defeats suffered in the final of this particular trophy between 1935 and 1972, although Porthmadog have since put the record straight by winning the NWC Challenge Cup in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1997 and 2003!
During the summer of 1965, Porthmadog made the footballing headlines in North Wales as they abandoned their amateur policy and signed several well-known professional footballers, including the famous Welsh international Mel Charles. This was a well-publicised attempt to attract support to both the club and to the game of soccer in the area.
 |
| Porthmadog made headlines in 1965 when they abandoned their amateur policy and signed several well-known professionals, including Welsh international Mel Charles, brother of the late John |
The 1970s was a decade of unprecedented glory for the club as they became Welsh League (North) champions again in 1974/75 and 1975/76 and were runners-up on two other occasions. In addition to the North Wales Challenge Cup wins mentioned previously, Porth also won the Cookson Cup twice, the Ansells Cup three times and the Barritt Cup.
Following those halcyon days, the club had to wait until 1989/90 for their next league title when they won the Welsh League (North) – by now re-titled Daily Post Welsh Alliance – pipping Bangor City Reserves by three points in a nail-biting struggle. Porthmadog became founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990 and the League of Wales two years later. Porthmadog performed creditably in the national league, averaging a finishing position of 12th over the first five seasons. It was 1997/98 that proved their undoing, however, when four teams were relegated and Porth were dragged into the quartet following a poor run of form towards the end of the season.
Nevertheless, after five seasons, Porthmadog are back in the Welsh Premier League following a superb 2002/03 campaign when they lifted the Cymru Alliance title by 19 points, scoring 106 goals in the process. And the club readily consolidated its position in the first season back in the top flight, under manager Viv Williams.
More mid-table finishes followed under a succession of managers, but fortunes dipped in seasons 2007/8 - when only a final day victory over Rhyl enabled Port to escape relegation - and 2008/9.
And there was no reprieve the following campaign when, after ending the season in 15th-place, they missed the cut for the new-look Welsh Premier, despite being successful in gaining the FAW's domestic licence.
League record
| Season | P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
Pos |
 |
||||||||
| 1992/3 | 38 |
14 |
11 |
13 |
61 |
49 |
53 |
9 |
|
||||||||
| 1993/4 | 38 |
14 |
7 |
17 |
90 |
71 |
49 |
11 |
|
||||||||
| 1994/5 | 38 |
11 |
7 |
20 |
57 |
73 |
40 |
16 |
|
||||||||
| 1995/6 | 40 |
13 |
11 |
16 |
56 |
62 |
50 |
13 |
|
||||||||
| 1996/7 | 40 |
18 |
8 |
14 |
64 |
60 |
62 |
10 |
|
||||||||
| 1997/8 | 38 |
10 |
5 |
23 |
55 |
77 |
35 |
17 |
|
||||||||
| 2003/4 | 32 |
11 |
3 |
18 |
41 |
55 |
36 |
12 |
|
||||||||
| 2004/5 | 34 |
11 |
12 |
11 |
38 |
39 |
45 |
11 |
|
||||||||
| 2005/6 | 34 |
12 |
8 |
14 |
57 |
59 |
44 |
10 |
|
||||||||
| 2006/7 | 32 |
8 |
11 |
13 |
40 |
52 |
35 |
11 |
|
||||||||
| 2007/8 | 34 |
7 |
6 |
21 |
48 |
70 |
27 |
16 |
|
||||||||
| 2008/9 | 34 |
10 |
2 |
22 |
57 |
91 |
32 |
16 |
|
||||||||
| 2009/10 | 34 |
6 |
6 |
22 |
23 |
66 |
24 |
15 |
|
||||||||
| TOTAL | 466 |
145 |
97 |
224 |
687 |
824 |
532 |
|
|
||||||||
Managers
Meilir Owen (1992 - May 1994)
Andy Edwards (May 1994 - Dec 1994)
Micky Thomas (Jan 1995 - May 1995)
Colin Hawkins (May 1995 - 1998)
Viv Williams (2003 - Nov 2004)
Viv Williams/Osian Roberts (Nov 2004 - Mar 2007)
Osian Roberts (Mar 2007 - Apr 2007)
Clayton Blackmore (Apr 2007 - Oct 2007)
Viv Williams (Oct 2007 - Apr 2008)
Paul Whelan (May 2008 - Jan 2009)
Tomi Morgan (Feb 2009 - Jun 2010)
Gareth Parry (Jun 2010 - to date)
Club histories and stats based on information compiled by David Rapson.