The beginnings of local rivalries
AS Wales celebrates the magnificent performance of the Welsh team at the Euro 2016 tournament we thought it would be interesting to look at our local football teams.
When the Rev Richardson came to Caernarfon in 1787 he commented that “the Sunday amusements of the people were football, cockfighting and other similar games”.
A football club was established in the town in 1876, and the Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald recorded: “We hear that an athletic club, the main feature of which will be football and cricket, is to be formed in the town”.
Bangor established a club in the same year, but Porthmadog had established a club to play every Saturday some four years previously in 1872.
League competitions were not introduced until the 1890s but the Welsh Cup was introduced in 1877 with Bangor and Caernarfon competing in the first sea- son. Bangor won the cup for the first time in 1889 and Caernarfon Athletic reached the semi-finals in 1885. Caernarfon had set their ambitions elsewhere and became the first team from North West Wales to enter the English FA Cup.
The popularity of the sport has remained steady from the evidence of the historical photographs seen here to the more recent back pages of this newspaper.
If you have photographs or documents relating to football in the area Caernarfon Record Office would be interested on hearing from you, please call (01286) 679 095. ● Please note that new opening times will be in operation from July 4th onward, these are noted below: