Club

General Information

Founded: 1880

City: Bala, Gwynedd
Stadium: Maes Tegid
Stadium capacity: 3000

First team manager: Colin Caton

Assistant manager: Brett Jones

Club captain: Stephen Fisher

Bala Town FC - History

Bala’s early history is not well documented but first memories are of a team in the early 1880’s playing games on the Lake foreshore. After Bala formed 2 teams, Bala North End and Bala South End who competed until 1897 when a team called Bala Thursdays was formed and played on Castle Park (the present cricket field). The Bala Press Team was established then in the 1900’s and became one of the best amateur sides in North Wales winning many trophies including the Dolgellau Cup and Cambrian Coast League (no dates are available). The local Bragdy Cup was first played for by local teams in the early 1930’s and this competition is still alive and flourishing today.

The first available League status record is of Bala playing in the Welsh National League North Division 2 East in 1921/22 Season – no further league records are to hand. Bala were still playing at Castle Park where one of the most epic games in the Club’s history was played in 1946 against Shrewsbury Town of the English Midland League in the 4th round of the Welsh Senior Cup. Bala held their illustrious opponents to a 1-1 draw.

In the early 50’s Bala then moved to the adjacent Maes Tegid where they have been ever since and played in the Welsh National League Wrexham Area from 1950-54. They rejoined the Cambrian Coast League in 1954 and were League Runners-up in 1957/58. They had a treble winning season in 1958/59 winning League, Cup and Mid Wales Cup. They were again runners up in 1960/61 before being Champions again in 1962/63.

The Club then re-entered the Welsh National League Wrexham Area in 1963/64 and were ever present in that League until promotion to the Cymru Alliance in 2004. Bala were Division 2 Champions in 1967/68 and were promoted to Division 1 for the 1968/69 season. They remained in the top division for 20 years until relegated in 1987/88 season. By now Division 1 had been re-named the Premier Division therefore Bala were again in Division 1 after relegation. They won the Division 1 Championship in 1989/90 but after promotion to the Premier League were relegated back after 1990/91 and further dropped to Division 2 in 1992/93 when the Reserves Team folded due to lack of support.

They were promoted to Division 1 for 1995/96 Season and won the Division 1 Championship in 1997/98 to be promoted to the Premier Division where they remained until Colin Caton's arrival at the beginning of the 2003/04 season - a season which culminated in Bala Town being crowned Premier Division Champions in his debut season in charge at the club which signalled promotion to the Cymru Alliance League for 2004/05 season. Bala also won the NEWFA Challenge Cup in 2003-04 with an extra time victory over Buckley Town at Cefn Druids.

In their first season in the Cymru Alliance 2004/05 the club finished in a very creditable 4th place, reached the Quarter Final of the Welsh Senior Cup after epic wins against Ton Pentre and Welshpool, were losing finalists against Buckley Town in the NEWFA Challenge Cup Final held at the Racecourse, Wrexham, and won the Cymru Alliance League Cup against Penrhyncoch. The Youth Team also reached the Semi-Final of the Welsh Youth Cup. A momentous year for the Maes Tegid club under the managerial guidance of Colin Caton.

The club finished in 7th position in the Cymru Alliance 2005/06 and lost on penalties in the Final of the League Cup to League Champions Glantraeth. The Reserves however had a momentous double winning season as Champions of Div 2 WNL Wrexham area and also winning the League Cup

Floodlights were installed for the 2006/07 season (upgraded to exceed 500 lux in 2009/10). 2006/07 also saw the impressive development of Maes Tegid facilities with the installation of 300 seats, (a further upgrade to 500+ also occurred last season). The Management team of Colin Caton and Steve Crompton also remained in place and the club had high hopes of further success. As it transpired the club recorded its best ever season thus far in 2006/07 by 3 winning trophies and 2 runners up spots. The NEWFA Challenge Cup was won at the Racecourse Ground Wrexham in an exciting final against Gresford and the Cymru Alliance League Cup was won at Llandudno against Holyhead. The club also finished in second place in the Cymru Alliance League failing by a narrow 2 point margin to gain promotion to the League of Wales. The Reserve team did equally well. They achieved back to back championships by winning the Welsh National League Wrexham Area Division 1 Championship and were also runners up in the League Cup Final losing in extra time to Overton. As earlier mentioned that season also saw further impressive development of Maes Tegid facilities with the installation of floodlights, new seated spectator stands, a behind the goal spectator shelter, entrance turnstiles and hardstanding around the whole pitch perimeter.

Following the previous season of great success in 2006/7 it was always going to be difficult to replicate those achievements but 2007/8 proved equally successful both on and off the field. The ''Lakesiders'' were defending 2 prestigious cup competitions and remarkably retained both when winning the NEWFA Challenge Cup at the Racecourse, Wrexham with a 2-1 victory over gap Queens Park and repeating the scoreline against the same team at Prestatyn to secure the Cymru Alliance League Cup. These cup successes were complemented with another successive 2nd place in the Cymru Alliance League, missing out on promotion this time to Prestatyn Town. Such a record of silverware was a tremendous achievement for Colin Caton and his team with a club that was relatively small in comparison to opponents faced in the 2nd tier of Welsh Football. The Reserve team also had an excellent season and produced further silverware for the club when they captured the Welsh National League Wrexham Area Division 1 League Cup. They also finished in 3rd place in their league to round off another superb season for Andrew Parry and his youngsters.

However, in 2008-09 the club finally achieved promotion to the Welsh Premier League after two 2nd place finishes. They were crowned Huws Gray Cymru Alliance League Champions without kicking a ball as their nearest rivals Holyhead Hotspur lost heavily at home to Flint Town United on the last day of the season and to rub salt in Holyhead's wounds we beat the same opponents at Llandudno FC to secure the League Cup for an unprecedented fourth time in five seasons. The Reserves were crowned Wrexham Area Reserves Division League Champions and League Cup Winners. Over the following close season further ground improvements were undertaken with the full enclosure of the Town End, the seat and light enhancements, the construction of a Media Centre, the complete overhaul and extension of the dressing rooms, the enclosure of the referee’s room, a medical centre and the provision of a club office which enabled the club to achieve the much coveted Domestic Licence to be able to compete at the top level of Welsh football. This season was a culmination of a record of rise from the lowest depths of the Welsh Pyramid fifteen years earlier to the top league in Wales, with so much silverware won along the way - a tremendous achievement for Colin Caton and the club as a whole.

2009-10, the club's first season in the Welsh Premier was a big learning curve and in any other season a finishing position of 11th amongst the 18 top clubs in Wales would have been a massive achievement. However the fly in the ointment was the decision by the Welsh Premier League committee to reduce the league to 12 clubs and therefore immediate relegation was seemingly inevitable - however it was deemed the feeder leagues promoted clubs were unable to reach the criteria to receive the Domestic Licence to achieve promotion and Bala Town took their place among the elite 'Super 12' for the 2010-11 season.

If we thought 2009-10 was a baptism of fire it was nothing compared to last season and a poor set of early results saw us fighting to remain out of the two relegation spots for most of the season. When the league split into two after the New Year we battled gamely but by the narrowest of margins finished again in 11th place (and once again in a relegation spot) but as fate would have it one of the feeder league winners was again denied a promotion spot and therefore we proudly take our place again with renewed vigour for our third season in the top league tier in Wales under the management team of Colin Caton (beginning his ninth season in charge) and Steve Crompton.

And so the story continues - and looking back less than ten years and what has been achieved at Maes Tegid in that time - to take, at the time, an un-enclosed park ground, played on by a local side in a small country town of less than 2000 people and turn it into a fine modern stadium played in week in, week out by top semi professionals. This is a massive achievement in itself when comparing a club that is relatively small in comparison to the opponents now being faced on a weekly basis, which often draws in a crowd 25% the size of the population.This gives hope and inspiration to any small club in Wales that it is possible to mix it with the big boys. Bala is a homely, professionally run club very comfortably punching above its weight and very proud members of Welsh football's 'Super 12'.

Recent Season's Honours

Tymor 2010-2011 Season

Mark Jones- Principality Player of the Month - January 2011

Mark Jones received 7 votes in Welsh Premier Team of the Year and also one of the nominees in the Daily Post Player of the Year poll

Welsh Cup - lost 4-1 against UWIC in the Quarter Final

Tymor 2009-2010 Season

Colin Caton - Principality Manager of the Month - January 2010

Ricky Evans - Principality Player of the Month - February 2010

Welsh Cup - lost 1-0 against Port Talbot Town at Aberystwyth F.C. in the Semi Final

U16s Academy

Amsterdam Cup Winners

Tymor 2008-2009 Season

Huws Gray Cymru Alliance League Champions

League Cup Winners - won 2-0 (aet) against Holyhead Hotspur @ Llandudno F.C.

North East Wales F.A. Challenge Cup - lost 4-3 (away) against Lex XI in the quarter finals

Welsh Cup - lost on penalties 5-4 (aet 3-3) at home against Prestatyn Town in the second round

Reserves

Wrexham Area Reserves Division League Champions

Wrexham Area Reserves Division League Cup Winners - won 4-1 against Chirk AAA Res @ Corwen FC

Horace Wynne Cup - lost 1-0 at home against Coedpoeth Reserves in the second round

Tymor 2007-2008 Season

Huws Gray Cymru Alliance Runners-Up

Roger Jones Building Merchants League Cup Winners - won 2-1 (aet) against gap Queens Park @ Prestatyn

North East Wales F.A. Challenge Cup Winners - won 2-1 against gap Queens Park @ The Racecourse

Welsh Cup - lost 2-1 (aet) away against Holyhead Hotspurs in the second round

Reserves

Finished 3rd in Wrexham Area Division 1

Wrexham Area Division 1 League Cup Winners - won 2-0 against Penley @ Llangollen F.C.

Horace Wynne Cup Quarter Finals - lost 2-1 away against Garden Village

Tymor 2006-2007 Season

Huws Gray Cymru Alliance Runners-Up

Roger Jones Building Merchants League Cup Winners - won 2-1 against Holyhead Hotspurs @ Llandudno

North East Wales F.A. Challenge Cup Winners - won 2-1 against Gresford Athletic @ The Racecourse

North East Wales F.A. President's Cup Runners-up - lost 2-1 against Brynteg Inn @ Brymbo F.C.

Welsh Cup 3rd Round - lost 3-0 away against Port Talbot Town

Colin Caton - Huws Gray League Manager of the Season sponsored by North Wales Joinery

Reserves

Wrexham Area Division 1 League Champions

Wrexham Area Division 1 League Cup Runners-Up - lost 2-1 (aet) against Overton @ Rhos Aelwyd F.C.

Tymor 2005-2006 Season

Finished 7th in Huws Gray Fitlock Cymru Alliance

Roger Jones Building Merchants League Cup Runners-up - lost 5-4 on penalties against Glantraeth @ Llandudno F.C.

Reserves

Wrexham Area Division 2 League Champions

Wrexham Area Division 2 League Cup Winners - won 1-0 against Mold Juniors @ Llangollen F.C.

Tymor 2004-2005 Season

Finished 4th in Huws Gray Fitlock Cymru Alliance

Roger Jones Building Merchants League Cup Winners - won 3-2 against Penrhyncoch @ Buckley F.C.

North East Wales F.A. Challenge Cup Runners-Up - lost 4-2 (aet) against Buckley F.C. @ The Racecourse

Welsh Cup Quarter Finalists - lost 4-0 against Rhyl F.C. @ Belle Vue

Reserves

Finished 3rd in Wrexham Area Division 2

Youths

Welsh Youth Cup Semi-Finalists - lost 7-0 against Newport County @ Caersws F.C.

Tymor 2003-2004 Season

Wrexham Area Premier League Champions

North East Wales F.A. Challenge Cup Winners - won 2-1 (aet) against Buckley F.C. @ Cefn Druids F.C.

North East Wales F.A. Presidents Cup Runners-Up - lost on penalties against Bradley Park @ Brymbo

Reserves

Finished 7th in Wrexham Area Division 2