Sunday, 13 August
Colwyn Bay v Caernarfon Town | Sunday – 17:15 (S4C)
After years in the English football pyramid, and three seasons in the JD Cymru North, Colwyn Bay are braced for their debut in the JD Cymru Premier.
The Seagulls went on a run of 25 consecutive victories on their way to the JD Cymru North championship but were pushed all the way by runners-up Holywell Town.
Bay manager, Steve Evans is more than familiar with the JD Cymru Premier having won the league on seven occasions as a player for The New Saints, before becoming the assistant-manager at Park Hall.
Steve Evans played 14 matches and scored one goal for Caernarfon Town at the beginning of the 2021/22 season before his appointment as Colwyn Bay boss in January 2022.
Caernarfon Town will be eager to return to the Top Six after failing to make the cut last season for the first time since their promotion in 2018.
The Cofis finished just four points above the relegation zone and manager Richard Davies has moved quickly to add the threats of Adam Davies and Marc Williams to the squad to strengthen his attacking options.
Colwyn Bay’s introduction will be a boost to the league as they attracted an average attendance of 720 to their home games last season, which was substantially higher than Caernarfon Town’s average of 478.
But there was 812 at the Oval last Friday to witness the Canaries’ defeat to Porthmadog on penalties, while 512 went to watch Colwyn Bay win 5-0 against Airbus UK.
This will be the first league meeting between the two sides in over 30 years when the clubs were members of the Northern Premier League Division One in 1991/92.
It should be a fantastic spectacle between two of north Wales’ most popular clubs, and an historic occasion as we welcome Colwyn Bay into the nation’s highest tier of football.
All goals can be viewed on Sgorio’s online accounts, and all the weekend’s highlights will be on Sgorio on Monday night at 9:30 on S4C.
