North Gwynedd and Anglesey Sunday League is disbanded due to lack of clubs
SUNDAY football locally, on a formal competitive basis, has come to an end with the disbanding of the North Gwynedd and Anglesey League after almost 40 years.
Secretary Merfyn Edmunds reported only five teams had come forward prepared to commit for the new season, which is about to kick-off, and clearly that tiny number would not be viable.
“Very reluctantly, we have had to pack in”, said Edmunds, who had been the original secretary in the mid-1970s, when the league was formed at an inaugural get-together of enthusiasts at a Llanfairfechan pub.
“Now, I have become the last secretary as well”, he added. “Although we live in hope that perhaps we could re-form the league for next season, if there is renewed interest”.
Only four years ago, the league was thriving, having 20-plus teams in two divisions, but the alarming downturn developed last season, when the initial 10-member sides were reduced by resignations to LLANGEFNI Golf Course has launched a new junior club to attract and coach youngsters into the game.
The venture is under the management of Llangefni Social Enterprise.
Funding through the Golf Foundation under the HSBC Golf Roots project has allowed the club where 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett started his game to begin a much-needed youth developmentscheme.
Bewryn Owen, one of the Social Enterprise directors and lead on the golf group, said: “These are exciting times for the Llangefni Golf Centre, and now we have established a fantastic new junior section.
“These talented young players will hopefully develop into golfing stars of the future and the island’s main clubs will also benefit when they want to join and develop into the sport.”
1st Lowri Roberts76+72=148, 2nd Jane O’Hare 77+75=152, 3rd Gill Williams 77+76=153.
1st Lowri Roberts 44 pts, 2nd Margaret Stretton 39, 3rd Gill Williams 38.
1st Val Hall, and Gill Williams 35pts, 2nd Marianne Jones and Gaynor McDaid 34, 3rd Hilary seven at the end.
Another damaging blow late on last season was the sudden withdrawal of backing from the league’s sponsors.
Edmunds said: “Having just five teams interested for the new season was nowhere near enough and it would have meant the league programme would have been completed by the end of October, and that is not on.
“I feel gutted by what has happened but we were left with no choice but to bow to reality.”
The five teams who had applied for 2016-17 were: Arriva Buses Bangor, newcomers Amlwch Port, King’s Head Bethesda, Treetops Benllech (to be renamed Y Dreigiau Pentraeth) and the returning students UMCB (to be known as Cymru FC).
Four of those sides – the exception being the students – have switched to join the Rhyl and District Sunday League and will have access to the North Wales Coast Sunday Challenge Cup. Crossley and Anne Peters 34. Texas
1st Vall Hall, Di Hardy, Lowri Roberts and Gill Williams 61.9, 2nd Delyth Walley, Linda Vaughan, Jenny Owens and Mary Brown (Rhuddlan) 64.0, 3rd Magi Jones, Iona Skinner, Janet Jones and Jeanette Garner 68.0.
1st Myfanwy Owen, Efrys Crowther, Maggie Harrison and Val Hall 138, 2nd Iona Skinner, Iona Purves, Wendy Jones and Magi Jones 139, 3rd Hilary Pugh, Kath Davies, Ann Peters and Val Griffiths 142.
1st Debbie Roberts and J Roberts (Baron Hill) 46 pts, 2nd Lowri Roberts and Trefor Roberts 46, 3rd Elwyn Roddickand Pat Roddick 46. 1st Marian Ashcroft 89-17-72, 2nd Wendy Jones 109-32-77, 3rd Claire Peters 104-27-77.
1st Gareth Jones 41, 2nd Howyn Roberts 40. 1st Tim Davies 36, 2nd David Williams 36.
Div One: 1st Mike V Owen 70 2nd Kash Josson 71. Div Two: 1st Rob Pritchard 64, 2nd Ken Cook 72.
1st Nigel Crane 36 pts, 2nd Dafydd Roberts. 1st Janet Davies, 2nd Ann Lloyd Jones.