Rhys Griffiths’ Welsh Cup meeting with Gary Speed that stayed with him
Penybont player/manager Rhys Griffiths at full time. Penybont v The New Saints in the JD Cymru Premier at Bryntirion Park on the 11th September 2021. Credit: Lewis Mitchell
Rhys Griffiths is hopeful of making new Welsh Cup memories with Penybont but one with a meeting with Gary Speed will stay with him forever.
After an illustrious playing career in Welsh football, Griffiths takes to the dugout as a manager at the Welsh Cup, hoping to make a memory.
As a player, he delivered a man-of-the-match performance in 2011 at Parc y Scarlets, scoring a brace against Bangor City for Llanelli.
He scored a brace as Llanelli finally overcame their previous heartache of losing two finals in front of a crowd of just under 2,000.
And whilst winning the Cup was an achievement in itself, it was made all the better when the then Wales manager was present.
As the medals were handed out, Gary Speed was at the final and helped award the medals and his goal would be brought up in their next encounter as Griffiths began the early steps of his coaching career.
‘He was an Everton fan, I am an Everton fan, and he obviously played for Everton,” Griffiths said about the former Wales boss.
“I was thrilled to meet him on the day, and for him to present us with the cup. I’d say about a month later I was doing my B licence, and he came up to me and said, “what a header that was”, and I think that carries on from what everyone says about him.
“He always had time for people. He made the effort to come to me and tell me about a goal I scored which was amazing.
“Little did I know that in the November then he passed away and the feeling that I had that he was there that day obviously doubled or trebled and became compounded.
“Such a sad thing that he’s gone but pleased that I was able to meet him and that he played a small part in my story.”
Mael Davies has been a sensation for Penybont this season and was rewarded with a well-deserved call-up to the Wales C squad.
The 23-year-old though broke his ankle in the 4-0 win over England C at Caernarfon, which has kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season.
And Davies, after the highs of representing his country, will miss out on what would have been another career highlight, a major cup final at the home of the Welsh national team.
“Unfortunately for the youngster, he suffered a serious ankle injury,” revealed Griffiths.
“The positive news for Mael is that, yes he’s broken his ankle, but it’s a clean break’
“He’ll be fine once he’s out of a cast, but he’s in a cast for the next few weeks, and he’s got no chance of playing in the game, we knew that almost straight away.
“It’s sad for Mael, he’s been brilliant for us, he’s a great player and he’s a really good person as well.
“I’m sad for him, but he’s over that now and hopefully now he can get ready, and he might even be fit for Europe, who knows.’
While facing the champions would be a daunting prospect for many, Penybont will be confident taking on the Saints.
In their four league games this season, Penybont have drawn two and lost two, and in those defeats, Bont only lost by one goal.
‘I think it’s encouraging; I think we’ll feed off that, no question.
‘It’s not just this year, even in our relegation season, we lost 3-2 at home and we lost 2-1 away and actually, I felt we were robbed in the away game.
‘We’ve always pushed them hard and why we always seem to be a team that causes them problems.
‘All I know is that we do a lot of homework on them and we set up with some principles, that some will remain.
“Some will change, but we seem to do something right against them, and our boys will certainly be feeding off of that.
While the Welsh Cup will be the source of strong and happy memories for Griffiths as a player. As a manager, however, the cup has taken on a different meaning.
‘In hindsight, looking back at that Llanelli final that we won, it was great for the people and supporters of the club, the players I shared it with, but it also felt an awful lot about me that day.
‘I wanted to win it for me. I’d been disappointed several times in semi-finals and lost in the final.
‘This one is nothing to do with me. I don’t want them to win it for me. I want to win it for the players, for the likes Kane Owen and the likes of Ashely Evans and Billy Borges of this world.
‘I want to win it for the staff, the club, the supporters, everybody who has supported me. It feels far less selfish than it did eleven years ago.’
