HISTORY BOYS
A FOOTBALL club’s most famous team of FA Cup giant-killers have been reunited for the first time in 30 years.
Caernarfon Town’s academy coach Alex Philp spent months tracking down the squad from the 1986/87 season who reached the third round of the competition.
They were paraded in front of an appreciative crowd at the club’s Oval ground before the present team’s 6-2 victory over Holywell Town on Saturday.
Alex said: “This was the first time the team had been together in 30 years. Sadly the manager Johnny King passed away in March last year, but it was nice that his family were able to attend.
“The team enjoyed great success under King. When he joined the club, he famously told chairman Arfon Roberts, after witnessing a 9-1 defeat, ‘Mr Chairman, you don’t need a manager, you need a magician’.”
King pieced together a side which beat fourth division Stockport County, third division York City and drew with second division Barnsley before losing in a replay.
The Canaries finished third in the then Northern Premier League and felt that, if not for the FA Cup run, they would probably have gained promotion to the Football Conference. In May 1987, King left to become manager of Tranmere Rovers.
Alex said: “The magic of the FA Cup not only gripped a small town in North Wales. For a few months, Caernarfon Town’s giant-killing feats gripped a nation.”
Huw Williams, a central defender in that famous team, said: “It was a fantastic team but our success was down to a great manager. Before every match he would tell us everything about the opposing players. He really did his homework.
“He never got angry, but if you had a poor game he’d say before the next game: ‘You owe me son’.”
A function was held in the team’s honour on Satuday night at the supporters club, and Alex added: “The real magical moment was during the evening reunion. Archive footage of the cup run was shown and all the fans began chanting Johnny King’s name. You could see a few tearful faces – not only in the King family but also in the players who played for the great man.
“The players were all treated like the heroes that they are, signing autographs and posing for pictures all through the evening.”
The former manager’s daughter Jaqui King said: “Thank you on behalf of our precious dad and our family for making us so welcome and part of your wonderful club. It really has a great spirit.
“We can truly see why he was drawn to it and the people.”