A Man Without A Team: Of Moobs And Men

Bangor lost at Airbus 3-2. This used to be a Welsh Premier fixture.

I once got a row off my missus because I got into some verbals with their subs bench at their ridiculous, cold, shitty ground in Broughton. I think we lost that one too. We always fucking lose there, it's a shit place to go and I've always hated it. Well, anyway.

I didn’t go to the game, although it briefly crossed my mind to do so. One reason was that there’s another bit of nonsense going on; this time it’s Companies House who are looking to strike the company off the books. The club say it’s ‘an admin delay’ based on a confirmation statement – info on exactly who is a director, and who are the shareholders – that hasn’t yet been filed. Well, the petition is active as of 11 September, which is a date with resonances far beyond the madcap antics of the clowns in charge.

Course, the club says it’s an oversight. They still haven’t provided the books for the supporters’ association to look at yet. And, in fact, the long-standing BCFCSA who have raised probably £100,000 or more over the last decade for the club have themselves gone dormant after the chairman stepped down. Nobody blamed him, nor any of the other officers who have similarly not been motivated to give up their hours, expertise and souls to keep a club running that has been snatched away from us all.

So my former team lost 3-2, after coming back from a 2-0 half time deficit. Cue calls for a new boss, but half-hearted ones: really, people are hoping that the company is stricken from the record so something – someone – can start again. Comrades are watching carefully.

The club also hosted a Wales Under-21 International last week. Not that anyone knew about it, or could buy tickets: another massive oversight. These games are bloody prestigious for a club at City’s level and not to push them is ridiculous. Comrades who watched the game on telly noted that the once-full advertising hoardings around the pitch looked patchy and absent. Anecdotally, local businesses are not renewing because they don’t want to be associated with the regime. Also as we’re not on telly every week anymore it’s not a good investment either. Res ipsa loquitor, and all that.

One of the message board discussions, with typical gallows humour, has been an admiration of Bangor City’s current (at the time of writing) manager Craig Harrison. The hapless boss is blessed with what you may well call ‘a fine pair of jugs’, his full figure attracting comments along the lines of ‘I’m only going to watch them bounce up and down when we score’, and other heartfelt sentiments. God only knows what Harrison is thinking at the moment. Maybe something along the lines of, ‘Er what the fuck have I got myself into.’ Or maybe, ‘Damn it I said let’s get better in the gymnasium, not get gynaecomastia.’[i]

What is true, and not funny at all, is that Connah’s Quay went to Falkirk and won their Irn Bru Cup game, played at roughly the time the Citizens were trying and failing to turn around the deficit at Hairbrush. The Falkirk game is exactly the match City should have been playing in, having earned it on the pitch by finishing second in the league last season. Irony? No. Just pure fuckheadery. How far we have fallen.

Here’s the team that earned it, and where they have ended up – squad numbers not noted. I’ve gone old school. This line-up played the final league game of 2017-18, away at Bala. Both goals were absolutely wonderful: the first, by Steve Hewitt, should have won Goal of the Season on Sgorio but one of his other goals did; a cracker at Aberystwyth. It also shows the potential and class of the side that was being built. George Harry’s winner was a touch of quality, too.

1.       Matthew Hall – nominated as WPL Young Player of the Year. Now at Cardiff U-23s

2.       Guto Williams – young local talent, perhaps the best since Owain Tudur Jones. Now studying at, and playing for, Cardiff Met ‘on loan’. Doubtful we’ll see him again.

3.       Tom Kennedy – ex-Leicester, Rochdale, Bury defender. Retired.

4.       Luke Wall – hugely talented midfielder/winger coveted by many clubs. Offers came in throughout the season, big rumours the franchise put in a 5-figure fee. WPL Young Player of the Season. Now at Stalybridge Celtic, in the NPL where City used to play. It’s below his level.

5.       Anthony Miley – captain and long-serving defender, who nearly won a contract with Swindon Town in one of those weird TV shows that were briefly popular. Signed for Bala, played in Europe, and scored an own goal in that game too.

6.       Danny Gossett – also at Bala, the ex-Oldham pro was one of the best players of last season, debuting for Wales C. Had trials for various professional clubs in the summer.

7.       Joel Bembo-Leta – a January signing to City, bolstering the defence and the physical presence. Current whereabouts unknown but based in Manchester he no doubt has plenty of choice.

8.       Alex Darlington – talented ex-Wrexham pro who then went on to be a central part of the franchise’s success for many years. Injuries have slowed him, but the No. 10 is struggling in the Cymru Alliance with Bangor City.

9.       Steven Hewitt – the man who has played in the Championship with Burnley and League Two with Accrington Stanley. A brilliant midfielder, he surprisingly came back to Nantporth to sign for the season after initially leaving in the exodus at the end of 2017-18.

10.   Dean Rittenberg – one-time Blackburn Rovers youth prospect and the third Bangor City player to be nominated for the WPL Young Player of the Year. The scouse lad shocked many when he signed for Cefn Druids. Given he has four England Under-18 caps, it’s quite the fall.

11.   Laurence Wilson – experienced defender with 250+ games in the English Professional System under his belt. Represented England at all youth levels up to and including Under-19. Now at Connah’s Quay.

SUBS

12.   Connor Roberts – ex-Everton and Chester keeper; one of the best Bangor had had for a decade. Instrumental in helping stave off relegation, twice, on the pitch. Off the pitch not even he could help. Absolutely brilliant between the sticks, he was unlucky that Matt Hall broke through. Now at the franchise, which is near his Shropshire-area home. Once called up to the senior Wales squad.

13.   Gethin Thomas – local lad who came through the Under-19s and signed a contract for the first team. Still at club.

14.   George Harry – ex-Wrexham prospect and clearly a talent. Scored a fabulous goal in the last few minutes of the final game of last season to ensure City finished second and earned the right to play in Europe. Which they didn’t. Now at Llandudno.

15.   Sam Jones – consistent goalscorer for all youth sides, another Under-19s player who was beginning to break through. Still at club.

These lads should have been in Scotland yesterday. That they weren’t is a disgrace.

The current players are blameless, of course. But that they are there at all is a horrible truth that lies atop a pyramid of lies, cheating, criminal rumours and legal weirdness.

This should have been the team that I supported. The team that grew together and challenged for the league. They are scattered as the team is shattered.

I am a man without a team.

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[i] This is a brilliant joke.