Bus to Bridgend

15th October 2008

We are planning to take a bus or possibly two mini buses to Bridgend for the Welsh Cup game and are awaiting confirmation if the game will be on Saturday 1st or Sunday 2nd - the former preferably.

We will probably be travelling on Friday night and possibly staying over on the Saturday night. The final decision and numbers will dictate the travel arrangements.

If you are interested in coming to support the lads then please make contact with  Paul on 07816 989350 or any other committee member (or email the website) , cost is to be confirmed as is overnight accomodation charges.

Details will be posted as soon as possible.

Academy news

14th October 2008

ANGLESEY FOOTBALL ACADEMY RAISES THE BAR

13 Oct 2008

Llangefni Town FC Academy is raising the bar for football standards on Anglesey thanks to National Lottery funding from the Sports Council for Wales.

The Academy has received just over £700 of Community Chest funding towards purchasing football equipment, coaching courses and a physiotherapy bed, which will be used by a former Manchester United physiotherapist who volunteers at the Academy.

The Academy has signalled several ambitious plans to improve professionalism across its activities. To raise junior football coaching standards across the island, the Academy is planning to run free coaching workshops and mentoring sessions, working alongside local junior league clubs. Academy players will also play against high level opposition in the shape of Welsh Premier League teams and North West of England Centres of Excellence.

Ian Hughes, Academy Director explains, "Growing pains are mostly what we're dealing with and we think it's really important to help them with this and it's something we can offer the players. The funding is vital as we were the first team to go down from the League of Wales. So this helps us to add to the foundations. It's vital to the development of the players, the coaching staff and football in Anglesey."

Since the inception of the Sports Council for Wales' Community Chest scheme in 1999, communities across the length and breadth of Wales have been investing heavily in sports and physical activity projects.

As a result of the popularity and undoubted success of the scheme, the Sports Council for Wales is raising the level of grant. Organisations keen to develop sport & physical activity in Wales can now receive up to £1000 for a qualifying project over a 12 month period.

The scope of the scheme has also been widened. Grants have traditionally been awarded to sports clubs and sporting bodies. Now most organisations seeking to develop physical activity and sporting projects will be eligible for an award.

The Community Chest has recently been infiltrating additional areas of work such as the voluntary sector (e.g. Voluntary Youth Clubs, Women's Institute) and the workplace, as well as continuing to support projects in the health and education arenas. So while funding the local football club might get the younger members of the community moving, backing a walking group will encourage more adults to get active.

Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:

"Community Chest has been and continues to be a huge success and is very popular throughout Anglesey. The increase in funding and the greater scope of the scheme will increase its effectiveness.

"Panels based in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales hold the purse strings and have delegated authority to award grants to worthwhile projects. We want to hear of bright ideas and projects that will get more people in Anglesey more active, more often."

http://www.sports-council-wales.org.uk/news/20414

Home win 2-1 v Denbigh

12th October 2008

A good home win takes our cup form to the league and moves us up into joint 3rd place.

A minutes silence was held for the recent bereavement of Ifor Lloyd's father, our thoughts are with him and his family.

The weather held off until just before the start, but then the rain poured down throughout the game, making it a difficult night for our footballers to play their normal flowing game. However the rich vein of togetherness and spirit shone through against a formidable Denbigh side with the physical presence of ex Cefni players Tony Davies and Mark Orme. Playing into the wind in the first half we got the ball down when possible and the direct running of Darren Thomas and Ywain Gwynedd soon unsettled them and with Richard Hughes up front we mounted numerous attacks, hitting the woodwork, and bringing their keeper into early action, with the breakthrough coming from a well struck shot from outside the box by Richard Higham to put us 1 up. This sparked Denbigh to life and they started to build attacks down our wings and with the wind behind them a long floated cross cum shot from wide left led to a bit of a misunderstanding between defence and keeper and the ball went in over the keeper's head. We kept our poise and pressed back with Boskin forcing a near own goal from them shortly followed by a set piece cross into the box where Warren Gibbs rose high to loop it over the keeper and make it 2-1 at half time.

2nd half neither team really got to grips with the conditions , but both had chances with Boskin again hitting the woodwork and having a shot kicked off the line. Another goal mouth scramble should have been put away and the excellent Darren Thomas had two or three good efforts on goal. It was not all one way though and Paul Whitfield was called on for several quality saves one bringing a claim for the ball over the line which was not given.

The result was thoroughly deserved from a workmanlike performance and great work ethic. There is a new steel in the squad and a willingness to work for each other from front to back which will stand us in good stead in the coming months.

We were again fortunate to have good officials, who handled the game and conditions very well.