Wednesday 14th July 2021 19.00
North Wales Coast League Premier

Nefyn United 5 Glantraeth 1 HT: 2-0 Att: 75hc

from Cae’r Delyn

I like Nefyn for its remoteness. It lies halfway down the Lleyn peninsula, which sticks out like a shrivelled arm from the head that is Anglesey, and its Menai Strait neck. With the Welsh f being pronounced v I always think of Pat Nevin, the 80’s Chelsea player, taker of the worst penalty I’ve ever seen – you can google it. Barry Davies’s comments after are hilarious. Driving past Portmadoc onto the Lleyn peninsula the scenery becomes flatter and brighter that the Snowdonia region, more windswept and desolate. It lies on the coast on the north side and is a small village of population 1,400, and lays claim to being where singer Duffy hails from.

The ground, Cae’r Delyn, is a mile outside and inland of Nefyn, just off the A497. If Nefyn and next village down Morfa Nefyn make the hypotenuse, then Cae’r Delyn is the right angle. The A497 rises steeply from the town, and so the ground sits very high up, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, a bleak and exposed site, loomed over by a large hill – Nefyn Mountain, I believe.

As such I found Nefyn’s ground one of the best entrances to a ground I’ve seen. You’re driving up a scenic country road populated by a few sheep, and then suddenly a football ground appears out of nowhere. This next photo was actually taken in 2009, when I drove past. Since then, they have boarded up the front so you can no longer see the pitch from the road and there is a proper entranceway.

And now in 2021

The Welsh seasons starting in July was a real bonus. Where normally you associate gorgeous summer evenings with friendlies, now there was something to play for. This was the second game for Nefyn (having beaten Gaerwen 5-0 away on 3rd July) and the first for visitors Glantraeth. It was the new North Wales Coast West Premier division, one of eight new step four leagues, comprising mostly of old Welsh Alliance teams, but also some from lower leagues. such as the Gwynedd League.

In 2009 there were small stands either side of the pitch. Now, one had been removed and you can see the imprint of where it once was; a slight shame as you’d get a backdrop of Nefyn Mountain behind it. The one remaining stand is a proper brick affair with a couple of steps for a few people standing.

It became apparent quite early that Nefyn United were the superior team and they went in to half time with a comfortable 2-0 lead. They added three more in the second half, but the goal of the game was from the visitors, when in the last minute a 25 yard free kick was curled expertly into the top corner. The views were spectacular and really gave a sense of the secluded high altitude location. Welsh football at its best.