Looking back at Bangor City’s dramatic Cymru Premier title win
Since the inception of the Cymru Premier in 1992, perhaps the most dramatic of scenes was Bangor City’s third Cymru Premier title win in the 2010-2011 season.
The Citizens took the title-race to a final-day decider against The New Saints, who were crowned champions a year prior.
Having secured a historic title with Craig Garside’s 68th minute winner at Farrar Road, we take a look back at Neville Powell’s side’s remarkable campaign.
Rampant start to the season
The Citizens’ start to the season gave them such a solid platform to go on to succeed in that Cymru Premier season.
Neville Powell’s side won their first 15 games of the campaign, getting off to the perfect start with a 2-1 win over Neath on the opening day, with a penalty from David Morley and a late winner from Eddie Hebb.
Bangor also took big steps to success with a 2-0 win over a Llanelli side with goal-machine Rhys Griffiths and a dramatic 4-3 victory over The New Saints, in which they raced to a 4-1 lead.
A good start to the season is key to any side, but the Citizens’ remarkable 15-game winning-streak was a huge statement of intent.
Formidable Attack
One of Bangor City’s title-winning team’s strength was undoubtedly their attack, spearheaded by striker Jamie Reed, who was the league’s joint-top-scorer with Llanelli’s Rhys Griffiths.
Reed netted 17 goals in the Cymru Premier season, supported well by the 12-goal contribution of fellow-striker Alan Bull, as well as the aerial presence of club legend Les Davies.
A notable mention must go to Citizens defender Dave Morley, who chipped in with ten goals, as well as providing invaluable experience.
Bangor scored a total of 80 goals on their way to the title, averaging 2.5 goals per game, notably running riot in an 8-1 victory over Port Talbot Town and a 6-0 win over Haverfordwest County.
Bouncing back from a tough new-year spell
Having made such a good start to the Cymru Premier season, Neville Powell’s side went into 2011 with trips to Prestatyn Town and Llanelli in the space of three days.
Despite taking an early lead at Bastion Road through talisman Jamie Reed, the Citizens succumbed to a 4-2 defeat, their first loss of the campaign.
Rhys Griffiths’ penalty and Chris Llewellyn’s late strike for Llanelli gave them a 2-0 win over Bangor at Stebonheath Park, as the Citizens’ had their first dip in form.
However, Powell’s men showed a great deal of character to bounce back from a tough opening week to 2011, claiming an emphatic 6-0 win over Haverfordwest County, scoring five in a rampant first-half display, with Les Davies at the double.
Home Record
Every title-winning side needs a fortress and Bangor City certainly had that at Farrar Road.
The Citizens were remarkably consistent on their own turf, winning 12 of their 16 games at home, including wins over fellow high-flyers The New Saints, Neath and Llanelli.
When the title-race came down to the final day against the Saints, the comfort of home soil was invaluable to Powell’s side in what was one of, if not the biggest fixture in the club’s history.
Overcoming title-race pressure
Competing in a Cymru Premier title race against The New Saints is no mean feat.
With the table so close in the final weeks of the season, Bangor picked up just a point in three home fixtures in April 2011 against Port Talbot Town, Prestatyn Town and Llanelli.
Having opened the door to The New Saints, a tremendous amount of pressure was on the Citizens, but they handled it superbly.
Travelling to Neath on the penultimate day of the season, who finished third in the Cymru Premier, Craig Garside’s double spearheaded the Citizens to a brilliant 2-1 victory, with a certain Lee Trundle on the scoresheet for Neath.
Bangor had set up a final-day decider against The New Saints and won their third Cymru Premier title in dramatic fashion, Garside again proving the difference with the all-important goal coming in the 68th minute, in one of the best title wins in the history of Wales’ top flight.
