A look back at the years 1999-2001 for Bangor City
By Webmaster/Rheolwr y Wefan
October 21 2002
Bangor City fan 'Livzy' is a well-known contributor to the League of Wales mailing list. In the first of a 2-part article he describes the roller-coaster that was 1999-2001 for the 'Citizens'.
Bangor City fan 'Livzy' is a well-known contributor to the League of Wales mailing list. In the first of a 2-part article he describes the roller-coaster that was 1999-2001 for the 'Citzens'.
' THE ROLLER-COASTER' By 'Livzy'
I love roller coasters, me…
…so that probably goes some way to explaining my annoying perpetual optimism, my several thousand miles per year up and down this beautiful country of ours, my wardrobe resplendent with Royal Blue strips, t-shirts and carrier bags full of photocopied pages of poorly scanned adverts. Twenty plus years of following Bangor City must have long-term effects on the body and mind. None more so than the emotions over the past two and a half seasons. If you’re sitting comfortably, then I’ll begin…
Re-wind to the summer of 1999 and Bangor’s worst ever finish in the League and the departure of fearsome penalty-taking, club-mate bashing, Big Lee. Oh, how we rejoiced (!) at the news of Meirion Appleton’s appointment as the tenth manager in seven years. Such a pedigree! Several years at Aberwristwatch and won f*** all. OK – perhaps that’s not factually totally correct, but won nothing of note at least. Season 1999-2000 – manager sacked two days before the Welsh Cup semi-final, a well-documented last minute goal by Coady. (Probably the only piece of meaningful action he ever gave the Blue Army) The whole Dave Elias thing, Jono’s penalty miss, Robbo’s goal, Bretty’s goal line clearance and, the ultimate high, the look on Old Aize’s face at the final whistle down Wrexham way. “You’re goin’ to Moldova, you’re goin’ to Moldova, nah nah nah nah…” How the bois drank that night and long into the summer culminating in at least half-a-hundred of the Blue Army drinking themselves silly in Halmstadt.
September 2000 and a new season dawns full of expectation and delight at having played four pre-season friendlies with a team we recognised !!! And the same manager! How fickle the world of football is as the Mighty Bangor are propping up the table with even less points than the students of Cardiff. Fair enough, we had games in hand but within a few weeks we’d contrived to lose them all. One of the worst phone calls of the year was as I touched down at Manchester airport after an all-expenses work soiree in Switzerland to hear from Ish that he’d left Rhyl with the score at 6-0 to them.
Did Appleface do the decent thing and resign? Did he even offer? Did he f***. Bumbling on from disaster to disaster the one and only thing that kept Bangor form the unthinkable of Cymru Alliance, was the arrival (or should that be re-arrival, in fact make that re-re-arrival) of the carrot-topped lad from Llanberis. Jiws scored more in four months than the rest of the league put together (almost) We actually managed to finish 14th (Out of 18) Exit Appleface and his red-nosed, never-stand-up-during-a-match, tactical stupidity, lack of respect from players and fans alike.
Summer 2001 and speculation as to who would be the new manager. Big “glossy” advert in the Daily Post and meetings, meetings and more meetings. General consensus from the fans was a Jiws-Clayts double act. Enter a “mystery” candidate at the eleventh hour.
Ex-team mate of Clayts, ex-international, ex-league manager. Bruce? Robson? Pallister? Cantona even?
Bring on, (with absolutely no fanfare whatsoever) one Peter Davenport. A name not familiar to many but certainly a pedigree to rival Sharpey. Like I said before, I love roller coasters, me and as I get as much enjoyment for the way up as the way down and vice versa, not for me the cynicism many fans felt at yet another “new dawn” at Ffordd Farrar began. Ken Crunch spending only part of his millions, Hayley grinning her way around the City, and, to be fair, getting some pretty good cash in, Sam Goalie crucifying ref’s at will in his much improved programme (typed on a keyboard) and a manager who not only watches the reserves but actually turns out for them once in a while!
So into season 2001-2002. How’s it going so far? Pre-season, pretty good. Good twonking of “the Auld enemy” Colwyn Bay. Meaningless in the grand scheme of things, perhaps, but a good day out nonetheless. Five league matches unbeaten, Big Sean “Ey-Oop” Hazelden playing like a man possessed, Simon “Shaker” Davies totally humiliating Big Nev in the Welsh Cup. (and him losing it big style with Daz Psycho!) Qualification for the next stage of the League Sponsorless Cup, a point at both TNS and Barry, losing to Connahs Quay, hammering Cefn Druids and a fourth round home tie with the Civil Servants of Cardiff in the Welsh Cup. And bringing it all bang up to date with the farcical half time abandonment at Oswestry, due, allegedly, to Jiws’ girlfriend plugging her hair dryer in whilst the floodlights were still on.
To be fair, as a loop-de-loop addicted kinda guy, this season is shaping up to be fairly dull. We seem to have a team that will challenge for honours on all three fronts this year. Championship – possibly. Top three – definitely. League Cup – might as well. Welsh Cup – seems we do win it in 2 year cycles. 1998. 2000. 2002?
Don’t get me wrong, I’d take the situation this season rather than the relegation dog-fight of last year so as long as there’s a few tight one along the way, sprinkled with a couple of “lucky escapes, and the occasional hammering of the opposition, then I’ll be one happy Bangor lad indeed.
Come the end of May, let it be me singing and not Barry Clowns, thanking us very much for the training session (Shit fans – one song, shit fans – one song) I want to see Ffordd Farrar averaging 800 per game. (and 1000 every now and then)And why not Jiws scoring as if the opposition have left their defenders at home. He’s on for 40+ this season, mark my words!
The roller coaster, that is being a Bangor City fan, continues to roll on and, if my tea leaves are to be believed, (and my seaweed, and my tarot cards, and my lucky rats foot) then the next six months should be a “Big One”
Part 2 will be uploaded during the week, and covers 2001 to the 2002 pre season.