Holywell Town FC is a football club representing the Flintshire town of Holywell in Wales. They are nicknamed the 'The Wellmen', and play their home games at Halkyn Road, Holywell. They currently play in the Welsh Alliance League after being relegated from the Cymru Alliance in the 2005-06 season.
Overview
Holywell Town currently play at Halkyn Road, which lies just outside Holywell town centre. It can accommodate 2,000 spectators with 200 seated and 250 covered. In recent times, the Halkyn Road ground has been greatly improved, and it has been the venue for many Youth International fixtures. However Holywell Town's future at the historic Halkyn Road has been under threat by Flintshire County Council recently, as rumors were abound that the council wished them to move out of their ground, and allow them to play on a football field at the local high school, so that the council could use the land to build the new cottage hospital on. Although Holywell Town have stayed in their ground, and this rumour has never been confirmed, there are still uncertainty surrounding the ground, especially with the building of the new cottage hospital being built nearby.
The Wellmen's first choice strip is red and white striped shirts, red or blue shorts and red and white hooped socks. The second choice strip is green and white striped shirts, with green shorts, and socks.
The team's league rivals are Halkyn United but their traditional main rivals are Flint Town United. This results from the historical rivalry between the two old towns of Flintshire.
History
The history of football being played in Holywell can be traced back to a club that were simply known as Holywell. They were founded by a Colonel J.Llewellyn Williams. During those early days, Holywell played their football on a ground known as Ffordd Fer and wore red and white for their strips, as the current team, Holywell Town do today. Holywell were one of the founder members of the North Wales Coast League back in 1893. However, after being engulfed by the Baron Corvo episode of 1899, the team were defunct by 1902.
After three years, football returned to Holywell, with the formation of a new club, Holywell United FC in 1905. Holywell United was to enjoy a successful run during this period by winning many trophies. In 1914 they achieved the North Wales Coast League and Cup double, and in 1922 Holywell overcame Llandudno 1-0 to win the Amateur Cup. Whilst in 1931 they managed to win the Welsh League, but were then known as Holywell Arcadians.
Both Holywell's social and football history came together and combined to establish the club as it is known today. In 1946 former soldiers that were returning home from World War II established the club at Halkyn Road, where it has played its home games ever since. Success came immediately for Holywell Town, when in 1947 they managed to win both The Alves Cup and The Waterfall Cup, and this success was backed-up two years later, when in 1949, they won the NWCFA Amateur Cup.
More success came to Holywell in the 1950s, when they won the Welsh League (North) in 1953. Nine years later in 1962 the record attendance was set when 3000 spectators packed into Halkyn Road for a Welsh Cup 6th round tie with Swansea City. Despite the record attendance, the home failed to win the tie with the Swans winning 2-1.
Most recently, Holywell Town became founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990-91 and then became one of the founder members of the League of Wales in 1992/93. The 1992-93 football campaign was a particularly good seaon for Holywell, as they won the Clwyd League Youth Cup, the Auxiliary Youth Cup, whilst also being runners up in the Alves Cup.
The club won respect in North Wales and further afield under the shrewd management of Glyn Griffiths, who almost managed to get the club to qualify for Europe during his tenure. League placings on 6th and 5th in 1993 and 1994 respectively prove the point. However once his reign had ended, inconsistency crept in and results started to suffer and started to slide down the league table. The club finished 8th, then 16th in 1995 and 1996. The slide was complete when they finished bottom of the league during the 1996-97 season and were relegated to the Cymru Alliance. Although they managed to get promoted as runners-up the following season of their relegation, they sadly were relegated again, finishing 17th (bottom) in the 1998-99 season.
Since the 1998-99 season, Holywell Town played their football in Cymru Alliance, the second-tier of the Welsh football league system. Their first two seasons back in the Cymru Alliance ended in disappointing mid-table finishes. Things got worse for them, as they flirted with relegation, by finishing 16th, 17th and 14th during 2001-04. Although they saw under a sort of resurgence under the guidance of Andy Nicholls during the 2004-05 season, by finishing 9th, they were eventually relegated to the Welsh Alliance last season when they finished 17th place, with only their local rival Halkyn United being below them.
The 2006-07 season in the Welsh Alliance League was not a great season for the Wellmen, and they did not lived up to their pre-season hype for being promotion challengers. Inconsistency was apparent, and numerous matches were abandoned due to the Halkyn Road ground having constant problems with being waterlogged. For their first season in the Welsh Alliance, it was a rather indifferent season, finishing 10th in the league, and far away from the main challengers in the league. They were eliminated from the Barrett Cup by Llandudno Junction 6-4 at Halkyn Road and from the NWFCA Cup by Bodedern 4-3.
2007-08 Season
2007-08's league campaign got off to a good start with a good 0-0 away draw with Glan Conwy, and then an impressive 2-0 home victory against Llanrug United. However since the first two games, results have declined. Holywell suffered their first defeat on 12th September, when the Wellmen lost away to Nantlle Vale in a close 1-2 defeat. The following Saturday, the Wellmen suffered their second, and worst result so far this season, when they were heavily beaten 0-5 by Amlwch Town at the Anglesey's team ground. On the 6th October, the Wellmen suffered their third defeat (and first home defeat of the season) when they lost 1-4 to table-toppers, Rhyl Reserves. Results improved in October with Holywell gaining two wins, away to Llanberis 2-1, and gaining revenge at home to Amlwch Town 2-0.
Cup competitions results have varied for the Wellmen. Their first game of the season saw Holywell lose 1-2 to Welsh National League team, Corwen Amateurs in the Welsh Cup Preliminary stage. The Wellmen were also knocked out of the Cookson Cup at the 1st round stage by fellow Welsh Alliance team, Nantlle Vale 0-3. However, they are through to the fourth round of the Welsh Trophy, as they defeated the Welsh National League team, Acrefair Youth, 6-1 at Halkyn Road in the 2nd round. Their 3rd round fixture saw the Wellmen travel back to the Wrexham area to beat WNL team, Penycae 2-1. |
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