Ahead of St David’s Day, and to mark Bangor’s 1500th anniversary this year, Iwan Williams selects a Bangor born Cymru team
At least sixteen senior Cymru men internationals are Bangor born since 1876. And it’s a decent, attack-minded team with a few Joneses!
In goal, Wayne Hennessey. Who else? Alongside Gareth Bale and Chris Gunter, Hennessey has won over 100 Cymru caps, and has given the national team incredible service since 2007. The adventures during that near-perfect summer in France during Euro 2016 will live long in the memory, and Hennessey’s Superman-esque performance against Ukraine to qualify for World Cup 2022 was unforgettable. His club career includes Wolves and Crystal Palace, and he is currently at Nottingham Forest. Now 38 years old, time will tell if he adds to his 109 caps. Dave Hollins (11 caps between 1962 and 1966) and Eddie Niedzwiecki (2 caps between 1985 and 1987) provide goalkeeping cover on the bench.
In defence, Fred Jones, Gareth Davies and Owain Tudur Jones. A Friars pupil, Fred Jones was a pacy full back and won three caps in 1885-1886, including the 8-2 win over Ireland in Belfast in April 1885. Fred was a Bangor and Cymru teammate of Humphrey Jones. Gareth Davies was a centre back who is second on Wrexham’s all-time appearances list with 612 games. He won three caps in 1978, featuring against Iran, England and Northern Ireland. Dropping into defence is midfielder Owain Tudur Jones. Owain won seven caps between 2008 and 2013, playing under John Toshack, Gary Speed and Chris Coleman. A Tryfan pupil and former Bangor City player, Owain also represented Swansea City, Norwich City, Yeovil Town and Inverness and Hibernian in Scotland. Owain is now a regular on our TV screens, presenting on S4C’s Heno and a commentator and pundit on Sgorio.
In midfield, Humphrey Jones, John Owen Jones, Richard ‘Dick’ Jones and Nathan Broadhead. A Friars pupil and Bangor teammate of Fred Jones, Humphrey Jones had an impressive international career, winning fourteen caps between 1885 and 1891. He scored in the 8-2 win over Ireland in 1885, and his last cap was the 4-3 defeat to Scotland in Wrexham in March 1891. At club level, Humphrey played for London Swifts and also East Stirlingshire and Queen’s Park in Scotland. John Owen Jones played for Bangor, Crewe and Newton Heath, and won two Cymru caps in 1901. He scored the winning goal in the 1-0 win over Ireland in Belfast in March 1901. John Owen’s older brother, Dick Jones, won three caps between 1887 and 1890 (three defeats to Scotland and England). Like his brother, Dick also played for Bangor and Crewe.
Nathan Broadhead is a current Cymru player with a bright future ahead of him under Craig Bellamy’s leadership. Nathan made his senior debut in Split, scoring a last minute equaliser as Cymru secured a 1-1 draw against Croatia in March 2023. The dream debut and special moment features on the corner of Glanrafon and Sackville Road thanks to a fantastic street art project involving young people. Currently on thirteen caps and two goals, Nathan plays for Ipswich Town having previously played for Everton, Burton, Sunderland and Wigan Athletic.
In attack, William ‘Billy’ Lewis, Richard ‘Dick’ Jones (Dickie Town) and Iwan Roberts. Billy Lewis, or ‘Billy Cae Top’, was some player. A centre forward, Billy won 27 caps between 1885 and 1898, scoring eight goals. Billy scored twice in the 4-1 win over Ireland in Swansea in 1894, and also scored twice in the 6-1 win over Ireland in Wrexham in 1896. His club career included Bangor City, Everton, Crewe, Chester and Manchester City. The ‘other’ Dick Jones, also known as ‘Dickie Town’ from Hirael, won two caps in 1900, including the 2-0 win over Ireland in Llandudno. Dick played for Menai Bridge and Bangor, and following his playing days, was elected to Bangor City Council in 1926 and later Caernarvonshire County Council in 1932, making a significant contribution to the development of the Maesgeirchen estate.
Iwan Roberts was born in Bangor but raised in Dyffryn Ardudwy. Iwan played for a number of clubs, including Watford, Huddersfield, Leicester and Wolves, but is best known for his very successful seven year career with Norwich City. Iwan won fifteen caps, and would have won more were it not for Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Dean Saunders. He made his debut against The Netherlands in Wrexham in 1989, and won his final cap in 2001. A regular nowadays on TV and radio for BBC Cymru Wales, Iwan never scored for Cymru, which he occasionally mentions on the ‘Feast of Football’ podcast!
On the bench are Price White (a defender, Price won one cap against Ireland in 1896), Thomas John Thomas (a forward, ‘Tom Tom’ won two caps in 1898, scoring in the 5-2 defeat to Scotland in Motherwell), and Thomas Buckland (a midfielder, Tom won one cap against England in 1899).
Of the sixteen Bangor born squad, ten played for Bangor City. Other Cymru internationals have also represented Bangor City, including goalkeepers Dai Davies and Brian Lloyd, defenders Smart Arridge, Terry Boyle and Clayton Blackmore, midfielder Simon Davies, and forwards Len Davies, Wyn Davies, Dave Smallman and Daniel Nardiello.
Bangor has made a significant contribution to Cymru’s football history. Penrhyn Park hosted the 1-1 draw between Cymru and Ireland in February 1892. “The weather was fine…the gate good…and up to half time the Welshmen had much the best of it” according to the South Wales Daily News. In March 1904, Farrar Road hosted the 1-0 defeat to Ireland. In front of 4642 fans, “the game was a distinctly disappointing one…interesting incidents were few and far between” according to The North Wales Express. A number of Cymru youth games have taken place in Bangor, including the Under 19s 3-2 win over England in 2016.
Cymru women have also played five times in Bangor between 1995 and 2015, including a 1-0 defeat to the Faroe Islands, and a 4-0 win over Montenegro in 2014, with Jess Fishlock scoring a hattrick. A few Bangor born players have also represented Cymru women, including goalkeeper Nikki Davies (64 caps), defender Katie Williams (20 caps), and forward Cheryl Foster (63 caps and 9 goals). Former Bangor City players Alwen Williams and Manon Lloyd Williams also represented Cymru.
Between Farrar Road and Nantporth, Bangor has hosted the Welsh Cup Final ten times since 1928, and the former Bangor City won the Welsh Cup eight times between 1889 and 2010. Bangor City also won the Cymru Premier three times in 1993/94, 1994/95 and 2010/11, and the Welsh National League (North) in 1927/28. Some of Welsh football’s greatest European nights have also taken place in Bangor, including Bangor City’s incredible 2-0 win over Napoli in September 1962, and the 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in October 1985. Looking to the future, Nantporth will host some of the UEFA Under 19 European Championship games in 2026, as part of the Football Association of Wales’ 150th year anniversary.
Thanks to Iwan Williams for writing this article and to Ian Garland and Gareth M Davies for their thorough research of Cymru internationals pre-1945 as featured in the “Sons of Cambria” book.
Photo: Wikipedia author unknown.
