| Clubname: | Holywell Town |
| Upright: | 0.8 |
| Fullname: | Holywell Town Football Club |
| Nickname: | The Wellmen |
| Founded: | (as Holywell Football Club) |
| Ground: | Achieve More Training Stadium Holywell |
| Capacity: | 2,000 |
| Chairman: | Simon Rose |
| Manager: | John Haseldin |
| Website: | http://www.holywelltownfc.co.uk/ |
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| Shorts1: | EF0000 |
| Socks1: | EF0000 |
| Pattern Name1: | Home |
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Holywell Town Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Treffynnon) is a Welsh football club from Holywell, Flintshire. They are nicknamed 'The Wellmen', and play their home games at the Achieve More Training Stadium (commonly known as 'Halkyn Road'), Holywell. They currently play in the .
Holywell Town were founding members of both the Cymru Alliance and the League of Wales (now known as the Cymru Premier) and enjoyed their best period in the top flight in the early to mid-1990s, finishing as high as fifth position in the 1993-94 League of Wales table. For the 2023–24 season, they will play in the Cymru North, the fourth consecutive season competing in the second tier after winning promotion from the now-defunct Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division in the 2019–20 season.
The 2014–15 season proved to be one of The Wellmen's best season in its history, winning the old Welsh Alliance League Division 1 title with three games to go at Llanrwst United by ending the league campaign with a goal difference of +100 and winning all but three of their league games. They also won their second FAW Trophy beating fellow Welsh Alliance team Penrhyndeudraeth 4–2 at Llandudno's Maesdu Stadium, and achieved a Mawddach Challenge Cup victory, beating Llanrug United 3–2 at the Nantporth Stadium in Bangor to complete an unprecedented treble.
In the 2022–23 season, Holywell Town achieved their highest league placement in 24 years when they finished as the runners-up in the 2022-23 Cymru North table after experiencing a 25-game winning streak throughout the league campaign.
The history of football in Holywell can be traced back to a club that was simply known as Holywell Football Club, which was founded on 25 September 1880 at the King's Head Hotel in the town.[1] The club's first game came a few weeks later on 23 October when the "Holywellites" played a goalless draw at home against Denbigh,[2] before playing their first away game versus Rhyl the following Saturday. There is no evidence of who scored the first Holywell goal in a 2–2 draw against their opponents (the very first in the club's history), but the second goal was scored by right-winger E. Bratt to level the scores.[3] The first local derby between Holywell and their fierce, long-time rivals Flint occurred on 27 November 1880, with the Holywellites edging the "very interesting game" by a single goal from J.C. Douglas.[4]
During the early history of the club, Holywell played their football on a ground known as Ffordd Fer ('Short Way'), which was a short distance from the town centre and located near to where the local high school is now situated. The ground no longer exists on Strand Park road[5] with houses having been built onto top of the former football ground. Holywell FC also wore red and white colours as their home strip, the same colours that the current team wears today in its current home kit.
Holywell F.C. made their Welsh Cup debut in 1881, almost a year to the date of their first-ever game, when they played in the first round of the 1881–82 Welsh Cup (the fifth edition of Wales' national cup competition). On 22 October 1881, they took on the 'A' team of Northwich Victoria but lost to the Cheshire side 0–3 at Ffordd Fer.[6] [7]
Holywell Dee Rovers (also known as Dee Rovers or Holywell Rovers) became the second Holywell-based side to appear in the national cup competition when they competed in two consecutive competitions between 1882 and 1883. In the former tournament, they lost 1–6 away to Dolgelley Idris in the first round, before suffering another first-round defeat in their latter appearance, getting comprehensively demolished 0–16 by Davenham.
It would be another five years before another Holywell-based side competed in the Welsh Cup, with Holywell F.C. returning to make their second appearance. They too failed to progress beyond the first round of the 1888-89 Welsh Cup by losing 2–4 at home to Mold. The result was repeated in the 1890-91 version of the cup competition, this time losing 2–3 away to their local rivals.
Holywell F.C. reached the third round of the 1892-93 Welsh Cup without playing a game. In the first round, they were scheduled to play Porthmadoc, but the Caernarfonshire-based club withdrew from the competition before the match.[8] They then earned a bye in the second round and were subsequently drawn to play against Llandudno Swifts in the third round. Alas, Holywell failed to appear for their scheduled cup match in early January 1893 and were thrown out of the competition by the FAW, thus awarding the fixture to their opponents.[9]
In March 1893, Holywell F.C. became one of the seven founder members of the North Wales Coast League, and had 58 players registered with the club within six months of the league commencing. Holywell finished in fourth position in the inaugural season of the North Wales Coast League.[10] This was followed by three seasons of fifth-place league finishes in the division before ending in the 1897–98 season, when the club finished in sixth place. This would be the worst position the club would end up during their time in the Coast League.
The club reached their first cup final in 1898, when they faced Bangor City for the North Wales Senior Cup (this would later become the North Wales Amateur Cup), but lost the final 3–0 to Bangor. The following season, the club would reach its highest position during their tenure within the league, earning third position in the league, although this was followed up the next season by returning to their familiar fifth place in the league. However, after being engulfed by the Baron Corvo episode of 1899, the team eventually resigned from the North Wales Coast League at the end of the 1900–01 season, and joined the Chester & District League Division One for a season.[11] After finishing seventh in the nine-team league,[12] the club withdrew from the league after just a season. Holywell returned to competitive football in the 1904–05 season when they joined the local Flintshire League, but finished bottom of the table having won no games all season, drawing just four games, and suffering a two-point deduction for playing an ineligible player.[13]
During the middle of the 1900s, Holywell F.C. changed its name to Holywell United F.C. before changing its name once again to Holywell Victoria F.C. as they competed in the Flintshire League structure. After a couple years of playing in the Flintshire League, the club switched back to the Chester & District League. During their three-year stay in the regional league, The Vics competed in Division One of the structure, finishing as high as third place in the 1908–09 season.[14]
The club later rejoined the North Wales Coast League for the 1912–13 season under the Holywell United monicker they won multiple trophies. In their debut season in the league, Holywell United finished in seventh position.[15] However, in the following 1913–14 season, they achieved the North Wales Coast League and Amateur Cup double, by earning 15 victories from their 17 league games[16] and also beating Colwyn Bay 1–0 in the final at Rhyl.[17] They almost made it a treble-winning season as Holywell United also made it to the final of the Welsh Amateur Cup, but lost 0–1 to Cardiff Corinthians at the neutral venue of Newtown.[18] It was during this period when Holywell United hosted their biggest game at that time, playing a friendly match against Everton XI at their Ffordd Fer ground. The Merseysiders included at least five players with English First Division experience within the team, and ran out 4–1 winners in front of a large Holywell crowd.[19]
After World War I, Holywell United finished as the North Wales Coast League runners-up to Holyhead Railway Institute in the 1920–21 season, ending up just three points behind the league champions and scoring 92 goals that season, almost two dozen more goals than any other team in the league for that season. They also reached the final of the North Wales Coast Amateur Cup once again but lost to Holyhead 3–1. However, in the following season's NW Coast Cup final, which was to be a replay of the previous season's final, Holywell defeated Holyhead 1–0 in the final played at Llandudno, with Hewitt scoring the game's only goal.
From the 1921–22 season until the 1928–29 season, Holywell United competed in the newly formed Welsh National League (North), but could not replicate the high performances of previous years and had limited success during this period of time. Nonetheless, the club did manage to reach the semi-finals of the 1926-27 Welsh Cup - the furthest a Holywell-based club had gotten in the national cup competition up to that date (and later matched by Holywell Town's 2013-14 run to the last four. Their historic cup run was as follows before it was decisively ended by Rhyl in Colwyn Bay at the semi-final stage:
The club also reached two consecutive Welsh Amateur Cup finals in 1926 and 1927, replicating the feat of twelve years prior. On both occasions, United took on Newport-based side Lovell's Athletic in the finals held at Newtown and Flint respectively, and lost both fixtures by a 0–2 scoreline as their opponents won two of their three consecutive cups.[20]
During the mid-to-late 1920s, the club first appeared under the new name of Holywell Arcadians, and competed in Division 2 (East) of the Welsh National League. For the following three seasons, Holywell Arcadians competed in the Welsh Football League, which ran alongside the North Wales Football Combination, and was the forerunner of the Welsh League (North). The Arcadians became two-time Welsh Football League champions by getting the title in the 1930–31 and 1932–33 seasons, as well as being runners-up in between.
In 1946, former soldiers who had been demobilised and returned home from fighting in World War II established the club at Halkyn Road, where it has played its home games ever since. It was also around this period that the moniker of The Wellmen was adopted by the club, a nickname which the club still uses to this day.
In 1947 Holywell Town won both The Alves Cup and the Waterfall Cup, and the North Wales Coast FA Amateur Cup. The Wellmen beat Barmouth 2–0 in the 1949 final held at Llandudno.
Further achievements came to Holywell when they joined the Welsh League (North) in the 1949–50 season. They finished in fifth place in their debut season and achieved a further two top-half placements in the following seasons. In the 1952–53 season when Holywell Town became the Welsh League (North) champions for the first and only time. They won by a margin of three points against Flint Town United whilst scoring 119 goals in 34 league games. Two years later Holywell Town finished six points behind the Silkmen, although the club was awarded the Alves Cup by virtue of their final league position.
Holywell Town triumphed in the North Wales Coast Amateur Cup once more in the 1957–58 campaign, nine years after their post-war cup victory, by heavily defeating Gwalchmai 6–0 at Bangor City's Farrar Road ground. Twelve months later, they would return to the NWC Amateur Cup final, for the ninth time, to defend their trophy against a strong Porthmadoc side at Bangor. The match finished 1–1 with Holywell, who had missed an 11th-minute penalty, equalising in the 83rd minute through George Davies. This led to a replay being played a week later, and it was to become a dramatic affair. Twice Holywell led the replay only for Portmadoc to come back strongly and take a 3–2 advantage in the game, and despite having centre-forward Owen Davies injured, Holywell snatched an equaliser with the last kick of normal time. Although Holywell dramatically came back into the match and forced extra time, it proved too much for Holywell's ten men, however, and Port ran in five more goals to eventually lift the cup. The two sides met again in the 1963 final, although Holywell fielded an under-strength team in the final, with goalkeeper Reg Banton playing with a broken finger. Unsurprisingly, Portmadoc won the second cup final again by a 3–0 scoreline.[21]
Success at senior level continued to elude the club throughout the 1960s. Holywell Town managed to reach the final of the Welsh Amateur Cup in the 1961–62 season, the first final appearance in the tournament since Holywell United's loss to Lovell's Athletic in 1927. The final was a repeat of the 1914 final when they took on Cardiff Corinthians, and sadly lightning struck twice for the Holywell side as the Corries won the fixture played at Newtown 3–2. It was also during the same season that the record attendance for a Holywell game was set in 1962 when 3000 spectators packed into Halkyn Road for a 1961-62 Welsh Cup sixth-round tie with Swansea Town. Despite the record attendance, the home failed to win the tie, with the professional English Football League side winning 2–1.
The club reached another cup final two seasons later when they got to the 1963 North Wales Coast Challenge Cup final, but fell to the legendary Borough United, who also won the Welsh League (North) title, the Cookson Cup, and famously the 1962-63 Welsh Cup in a quadruple-winning season for the Llandudno Junction side. Alas, success continued to elude the Wellmen during the first half of the 1960s.
Holywell Town maintained their membership of the Welsh League (North) for 17 consecutive seasons from the 1949–50 season until the 1965–66 season, when they finished bottom of the league and just one point behind 14th-placed side Blaenau Ffestiniog. Thereafter, Holywell Town left the Welsh League (North) and played in the local football leagues.
Between the two North Wales Amateur Cup finals with Porthmadoc, the record attendance for a Holywell game was set in 1962 when 3000 spectators packed into Halkyn Road for a Welsh Cup sixth-round tie with Swansea Town. Despite the record attendance, the home failed to win the tie, with the Swans winning 2–1.
Success at senior level continued to elude the club, despite reaching both the Welsh Amateur Cup Final in 1961–62, losing 3–2 to Cardiff Corinthians and the North Wales Coast Challenge Cup Final two seasons later, losing there to Borough United.
Holywell Town maintained their membership of the Welsh League (North) for 17 seasons from the 1949–50 season until the 1965–66 season, when they finished bottom of the league just one point behind Blaenau Ffestiniog. Thereafter, Holywell Town left the Welsh League (North) and played in the local football leagues.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Holywell played in the local football league system, most notably in the Clwyd League system which, as its name suggests, had teams from the old northeastern county of Clwyd. In the 1975–76 season, the club was competing towards the bottom end of the Welsh pyramid but managed to win that season's Welsh League (North) Division 5, before clinching the Clwyd League Division 3 title in the following season (as well as the North Wales Coast Junior Challenge Cup) and somehow got themselves immediately promoted to Division 1 for the start of the 1977-78 campaign.
In their debut season in Division 1, Holywell finished in an impressive fourth place in the table, positioned behind local rivals Courtaulds Greenfield, Flint Town United, and Point of Ayr, and conceded just 21 goals in 26 league fixtures (the league's second-best defence that season). The Wellmen continued to play in the top division of the Clwyd League system for the next nine seasons, achieving a runners-up spot in the 1980–81 season behind the undefeated league champions Connah's Quay Nomads.
However, in the 1986–87 season, the club finally earned some silverware when they won the Clwyd League Premier Division title as well as triumphing in the North Wales Coast Challenge Cup competition to earn a league and cup double. Throwing off the disappointment of cup final defeat in 1964, the Wellmen played local rivals and defending cup holders Mold Alexandra (at Flint) and won the cup 1–0, thanks to a goal after 78 minutes scored by Merfyn Edwards. The club continued to earn silverware during that period when they successfully defended their Clwyd League Premier Division title in the following season, winning it for the second time in a row.
After the success in the local football system, Holywell Town returned to the Welsh Alliance League (the successor of the old Welsh League (North) league) in the 1988–89 season, when they achieved a creditable top-five placing. Alas, they were unable to repeat the feat the following season when they concluded their campaign in 14th position and suffered a three-point deduction.
Holywell Town were selected to become founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990–91, the top-tier league for northern and central Welsh football clubs at that time. The Wellmen competed in the new league for two seasons, earning a 9th-place finish in Alliance's inaugural season and then achieving 11th position in the following season. In spite of Holywell's lowly league placement, they left the Cymru Alliance to ascend to become one of the founding members of the newly created national league - the League of Wales - for the 1992–93 season, with the Cymru Alliance become the northern and central second-tier league in the football pyramid structure.
Holywell Town won both the Clwyd League Youth Cup and the Auxiliary Youth Cup, whilst also being runners-up in the Alves Cup. However, in the league, they became one of the surprise packages of the season. Under the management of Glyn Griffiths, aided by the 17 league goals from Ian Howat, and possessing the joint-third best defence in the league with just 48 goals conceded, the club finished the first LoW season in 6th position. This made Holywell the best-performing founding member to originate from the Cymru Alliance. One of the highlights of the season was doing the league double over pre-season title favourites Bangor City by achieving a 3–0 win at home on Boxing Day, and a season record 6–0 win away at Farrar Road.
Holywell improved upon their league position in the second season of the League of Wales. The Wellmen concluded their schedule in 5th position - their highest-ever league placement in the current Welsh football pyramid structure. Alas, once Griffiths' reign as manager ended, inconsistency crept into the club's results and started to slide down the table, albeit, they still ended up in a respectable 8th place at the end of the 1994-95 season. However, the reality of competing in the Welsh top flight was starting to seriously affect the club's finances, and as budgets were cut, results further diminished in the League of Wales. The 1995-96 season saw Holywell finish in the bottom half of the League of Wales table for the first time and flirt with potential relegation, ending up seven points ahead of the relegation zone in 16th position. Their tenure in Wales' top flight concluded in the following season when Holywell finished the season in a disappointing 20th position, one position ahead of Briton Ferry Athletic and ten points adrift of safety.
Even though they had been relegated for the first time from the League of Wales, Holywell Town's initial exile away from the top division was a brief period as they rebounded back in the 1997-98 season. In their season's return to the Cymru Alliance, the club managed to win that season's Cymru Alliance League Cup by beating Oswestry Town and finish as runners-up in the division, with the league's best defensive record of just 29 goals conceded in 36 league games. Although they finished four points behind league champions and local rivals Rhydymwyn (who had beaten Holywell 4–1 to confirm the championship), Rhyd were unable to accept the promotion to the League of Wales allowing Holywell to take their promotion berth and make a swift return to the League of Wales.
Their reappearance in the League of Wales became a nightmare for the club as Holywell Town finished rock bottom of the 1998-99 table and suffered a second relegation from the LoW in three seasons. From their 32-game season, the Wellmen only picked up three wins and nine draws all season, possessed the league's worst defence (86 goals conceded), and ended up five points behind the 16th-placed side Rhyl. That was the last time Holywell Town competed in Wales' top-flight league.
From the 1999–2000 season to the 2005-06 season, Holywell Town played their football back in the Cymru Alliance, the then-second tier of the Welsh football league system. Their first season back in the Alliance was a real struggle for the Wellmen although the club avoided a potential second consecutive by finishing seven points above the bottom club Corwen Amateurs after achieving a 16th-place placement in the league. Matters improved in 2000–01 when the Wellmen rose to 10th position, mid-way in the league, in a season when they were one of six former League of Wales clubs to compete in that season's Cymru Alliance.
The following season, the club returned to struggling ways in the league, and in 2001–02 the Wellmen finished a disappointing 16th position once again, narrowly avoiding relegation from the league by a margin of six points. It was at that point that the club decided to part company with their Manchester-based manager and squad in favour of a more local set-up in order to improve performances on the pitch. Unfortunately, their revised set-up fared no better when in 2002–03, they finished bottom of the table – with a nine-point deduction adding to a dismal playing record. Thankfully for the club, Holywell Town narrowly avoided relegation to the third tier despite their lowly finish as the league was short of its full complement of teams. Another bottom-half finish occurred in the next season, but were securely safe from the drop despite being 14th in the final table.
Although they saw an improvement to fortunes under the guidance of Andy Nicholls during the 2004–05 season, by finishing in 9th position, they were eventually relegated to the Welsh Alliance League in the following season when they finished 17th in the league, nine points adrift of safety, and with only their local rival Halkyn United below them. After seven seasons in the second tier, and occasional flirtations with relegation punctuated by sporadic mid-table security, Holywell Town's tenure in the Cymru Alliance concluded to return to the Welsh Alliance for the first time since 1990.
Holywell Town initially struggled to compete within the Welsh Alliance League, finishing in the bottom half of the table for their first three seasons at the third tier. Their worst season came in the 2008-09 season when they finished as low as 14th position in the 17-team league, and were far below local rivals Rhydymwyn and Halkyn United in the table. Fortunately, the club's decision to focus on a core of local players started to prove to be a wise and fruitful one as the club's position within the Welsh Alliance continued to improve throughout the following seasons, becoming one of the strongest teams competing within the league. The 2010–11 season, under the management of Mike Thomas, would be a "breakout year" for the Wellmen as they achieved a third-place finish in the Division 1 table, and finally managed some cup success. Holywell won their first piece of silverware in thirteen years, when they sensationally came back from 0–2 down in the 89th minute, to win the prestigious FAW Trophy for the very first time by beating Conwy United 3–2 at the neutral venue of Belle Vue, Rhyl.[22]
For the next few seasons, Holywell Town continually challenged for the Welsh Alliance Division 1 title, and ultimately promotion to the Cymru Alliance, but fell just short on every occasion. In the penultimate game of the 2011–12 season, a 1–3 defeat to title rivals, Holyhead Hotspur,[23] ensured that the Ynys Môn-side snatched top spot and promotion away from the Wellmen, by a winning margin of just a single point. The Harbourmen also defeated Holywell 2–1 in the final of the Mawddach Barritt Cup, to leave Holywell frustratingly trophyless for the season.
For the start of the 2012–13 season, Mike Thomas was replaced as Holywell manager by their club captain, Johnny Haseldin, who adopted a player-manager role. To aid him in his first management role, Haseldine brought in both John James and Andy Lewis (who were at Denbigh Town in the 2011–12 season) into his coaching staff, with Craig Knight remaining in his role from the previous season.[24] After losing their first two games of the season, Haseldin and Holywell went on an incredible run throughout the young manager's debut season and maintained an undefeated away record throughout that entire season. Holywell dropped away from a potential title challenge, and ultimately consoled themselves with another third-place league placement, and five points behind league champions Caernarfon Town. The Wellmen also reached the semi-finals of the FAW Trophy competition, and the final of the Cookson Cup competition, but lost both ties to fellow Welsh Alliance title rivals, Caernarfon Town, at neutral venues; 1–3 at Llandudno in the FAW Trophy,[25] and 0–1 at Conwy after a late winner for the Cofis in the Cookson Cup.[26]
The 2013–14 season will be long remembered by Wellman supporters, not for their league performance, but for the cup exploits of the side. In the Welsh Alliance League, Holywell yet again found heartbreak in failing with their main aim of gaining promotion to the Cymru Alliance. They finished the season in second place to local rivals and league champions Denbigh Town who remained undefeated throughout their league campaign. However, Holywell did manage to score over 100 league goals in the season for the first time in recent history, and the team's top scorer Sam Jones picked up the Welsh Alliance Division 1's top goalscorer award as well as the league's Player of the Year award for the season.[27] However, it was in the cup competitions, and in particular the Welsh Cup where this particular season lives long in the memories of all Wellmen supporters. The club won the Cookson Cup for the first time in its history by demolishing Llanrug United 5–1 in the final,[28] but they achieved the awe-inspiring feat of reaching the semi-finals of the national cup competition. The route to the Welsh Cup last four would not be easy, having to play a number of clubs competing in higher leagues in the Welsh football pyramid along the way. Victories over Cymru Alliance sides Penrhyncoch, Penycae, and Porthmadog were achieved, and most famously a fourth-round 3–2 win over Newtown, who would subsequently in fifth position in that season's Welsh Premier League, ensured the club faced another WPL team in Aberystwyth Town at the neutral venue of Latham Park, Newtown for the semi-final fixture, and it was shown live on the Welsh-language channel of S4C.[29] Approximately 600 supporters from the town[30] took the long trip down the A483 to mid-Wales to see the contest take place. The match ultimately ended up becoming a play-off for a qualification place in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League as a result of The New Saints beating Bala Town 2–1 in the other semi-final despite already earning a spot in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League due to them winning that season's WPL title. Whoever reached the Welsh Cup final would be guaranteed European football for the following season, back when the finalists of a cup competition could qualify for Europe via that route (a qualification path which has since been stopped by UEFA). Despite taking the lead after just eight minutes through midfielder Tom McElmeel, and giving an incredibly valiant effort throughout the game, the Wellmen lost the tie 3–1. Nonetheless, Holywell Town received plaudits and credit from the Welsh media for their memorable cup campaign as they made history by becoming the first third-tier Welsh team to make it to the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup in the competition's illustrious history.
Holywell's historic route to the 2013-14 Welsh Cup semi-finals was as follows:
After nine years of competing in the Welsh Alliance League, the 2014–15 season became Holywell's time to shine when they finally clinched the Division 1 title. They maintained a 100% league record up until January 2015 after winning their first fourteen league games[37] (and going on a run of twenty-three consecutive wins[38]) and only lost their first (and only) league game in mid-March, a 1–2 away defeat to Glantraeth.[39] Despite the loss, they wrapped up the league title with three games remaining by beating Llanrwst United 3–0,[40] and finally earned themselves promotion back to the Cymru Alliance for the 2015–16 season. The highlights of the league campaign were the incredible home victories against Llanfairpwll and Pwllheli where the Wellmen inflicted a heavy defeat on the Anglesey side of 15–1,[41] and beating the Llŷn Peninsula team 10–0. Such high-scoring victories like those ensured that the Wellmen ended up scoring a total of 119 league goals in their 26 league matches, and finished the league schedule with a goal difference of +100.
As well as claiming the Welsh Alliance League title, Holywell Town also earned themselves further silverware when they won another two cups. Initially, they reached the final of the Cookson Cup, but disappointingly lost 1–2 to Llanrug United at Conwy Borough's ground.[42] Regardless of their previous cup final defeat, they won their second FAW Trophy in four years by defeating fellow Welsh Alliance team Penrhyndeudraeth 4–2 at Maesdu Park, home of Llandudno F.C. in the same week they confirmed the league title. A brace from Phil Lloyd, a goal from Steve Thomas, and a Sam Jones penalty secured Holywell's victory over the Gwynedd-based side.[43] Finally, Holywell Town concluded an amazing season by winning the Mawddach Challenge Cup at the Nantporth Stadium in Bangor, by getting revenge on Llanrug United and winning the final 3–2 (after extra time) to complete a historic treble-winning campaign.[44]
In their first three seasons back in the second-tier Cymru Alliance, Holywell Town repeatedly finished in fifth position in the league, earning around 50 points each season. Arguably, their best season of the three came in the 2017–18 season when they concluded their campaign just four points from third position, and possessed the second-best attack (75 goals scored) and defence (37 goals conceded) in the league. Under the continued management of Johnny Haseldin, they also reached two North East Wales FA (NEWFA) Challenge Cup finals, but lost 0–2 to Cefn Druids in 2016,[45] and 1–2 Ruthin Town in 2018,[46] respectively.
Haseldin stepped down as Holywell manager at the end of the 2017–18 season, due to increased work and family commitments.[47] He was replaced in the role of player-manager by another Holywell centre-back, the experienced Gareth Sudlow.[48] His debut managerial season did not start well as he only gained one win and one draw in his first six games. Haseldin returned to the coaching staff in September to provide additional coaching for the first team, although Sudlow was still in charge.[49] Regrettably, Sudlow eventually resigned from the management role a day before the away trip to Buckley Town in late September due to family commitments, resulting in Haseldin being re-appointed into the vacant management role.[50] Sudlow's managerial record equated to just three wins in ten games.
Unfortunately throughout the season, and prior to the games in April, Holywell had only managed to earn themselves a further three wins between October and March, although one of those victories was a confidence-boosting 2–1 result in the Boxing Day derby against Flint Town United.[51] Nonetheless, the lack of wins naturally left the Wellmen under a severe threat of potential relegation. However, Holywell's form turned around in April as they earned eleven points within the last five games to give them a fighting chance of survival.[52] Alas their relegation rivals, Penrhyncoch, earned just as many points as the Wellmen during that same period, to just pip the Wellmen on goal difference to clinch that final survival spot in the Cymru Alliance. Certainly, the match in April between the two teams was to prove crucially pivotal for the road to survival, with the Roosters scoring an injury-time equaliser to make the score 3–3.[53]
What made it even more gut-wrenching to Wellmen supporters was that Penrhyncoch were losing with ten minutes remaining in their final match of the season, before scoring two late goals against Conwy Borough to confirm a 3–2 victory and escape relegation, thus condemning Holywell to third-tier football once again.[54]
It looked as if Holywell's relegation could potentially be reprieved due to Bangor City initially receiving a 42-point deduction from the FAW for a number of alleged breaches of FAW rules after the season had been completed.[55] This would have left Bangor with just nine points, dropping the Citizens to the bottom of the Cymru Alliance table, and lifting Holywell out of the three-team relegation zone. However, after an appeal for an independent review, Bangor's punishment was halved to a 21-point deduction. This resulted in Bangor just maintaining their place within the league by goal difference, and finally confirming Holywell's relegation to the third tier.[56]
Although Holywell Town had originally played in the Welsh Alliance League structure, being based in Flintshire meant they now dropped into the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division for the first time in their history as the league's geographical governance covered the clubs from the north-eastern counties of Wales. Despite agonisingly suffering relegation from the Cymru Alliance, Holywell Town's hiatus from the second tier would only last a season. They managed to clinch the WNL Premier title and gain promotion back to the now-named Cymru North, albeit on a superior points-per-game (PPG) ratio after the Welsh football season was halted and concluded due to the COVID-19 pandemic that was affecting the country at the time. The Wellmen concluded the abruptly-shortened season just ahead of Rhostyllen and Cefn Albion in the PPG table, with the latter side inflicting Holywell's only league defeat in the 17-game season.[57] [58]
Holywell Town became the final Premier Division champions of the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) league before it was folded and incorporated into the reorganisation of the Welsh football pyramid, with many of its clubs either moving to either the Ardal North West or Ardal North East leagues, as part of the new regional third-tier Ardal Leagues.[59]
In their first season back in the Cymru North, Holywell Town finished the 2021-22 campaign in fourth position, just three points behind Guilsfield who finished in third position, with their manager, Johnny Haseldin, also winning the Cymru North Manager of the Month award in both November and January. This was an impressive overall performance considering that the team only managed to accumulate two points from their first six league games. The Wellmen also progressed far into the Welsh League Cup defeating Colwyn Bay, Conwy Borough, and Prestatyn Town to reach the quarter-finals of the competition. Alas, they exited the competition to the eventual winners Connah's Quay Nomads losing 0–4 at the Deeside Stadium.
The 2022–23 season proved to be even more successful for Holywell as the club achieved a second-place finish in the league, their best league performance in the Welsh football pyramid since their last appearance in the League of Wales in the 1998-99 season. Despite only earning one point from their first three league games and conceding nine goals, the Wellmen finished their league schedule with the league's best defence (just 22 goals conceded) and experienced a 25-game winning streak, which included a 3–1 away victory at Colwyn Bay, inflicting the Cymru North champions' only league defeat of their season. In addition, goalkeeper Keighan Jones earned the league's 'golden glove' by keeping seventeen clean sheets throughout the season,[60] striker Dave Forbes ended up as the league's joint top goalscorer with 22 league goals, and manager John Haseldin won three consecutive Cymru North Manager of the Month awards between January and March.[61] They managed to progress deep into the 2022-23 Welsh Cup by reaching the quarter-finals of the national cup competition, but lost in controversial fashion to eventual cup finalists and that season's third-placed side Penybont 1–2 at Bridgend. Nonetheless, Holywell Town concluded one of their finest seasons in their recent history when they finally lifted the regional NEWFA Challenge Cup for the very first time in their history by beating fellow Cymru North side Gresford Athletic 3–1 at Ruthin.[62]
Holywell Town currently plays at the Achieve More Training Stadium, located on Halkyn Road (Welsh: Ffordd Helygain). The ground is just a short walk from Holywell's town centre and is located behind and below the town's community hospital.
The ground can accommodate 2,000 spectators with 500 seated with an additional 250 covered, with plenty of space for car parking behind the main stand. In recent times, the Halkyn Road ground has been dramatically improved, such as increasing parking facilities and better water drainage, and the stadium has been the venue for many Youth International fixtures. As with many stadiums around the area, the stadium has its own permanent floodlights which allows evening games to be played at the stadium.
The main stand is the oldest part of the ground and runs along the hospital side of the pitch. It offers both covered seating and standing areas, as well as housing both the dressing rooms and media section. Located between the main stand and the ground entrance is the clubhouse, which was constructed in the summer of 2014.[63] It is where hot and cold drinks and snacks are available, as well as alcoholic drinks that can be consumed before and after games.
At the town end of the ground is 'The Roger Long Stand', which provides 250 covered seats as well as space for disabled supporters. The newest stand (which was installed in April 2017) is named in memory of one of the club's most loyal supporters Roger Long, who was a life-long supporter of the club and died in 2022.[64]
The Wellmen's first choice strip is their traditional red and white striped shirts, with red shorts, and red socks. The away strip for the 2023–24 season is blue and black striped shirts with blue shorts and shorts.
Although the team's nearest rivals are Greenfield, it is usually considered a friendly rivalry with good co-operation between the two clubs. Holywell's traditional and fiercest rivals are Flint Town United, which originates from the historical rivalry between the two old towns of Flintshire, and is also one of the oldest football rivalries in Welsh league football!
Holywell also has good local rivalries between fellow Flintshire sides, Mold Alexandra and Buckley Town, as well as recently having exciting competitive rivalries with Caernarfon Town, Denbigh Town (whom they played their first game against in 1880), and Holyhead Hotspur, all of which originate when the teams were competing for the Welsh Alliance League title in the 2010s.
Holywell Town produces an award-winning matchday programme for all first-team matches as it was placed first in the Soccer Club Shop Programme Awards for six consecutive seasons. The programme has also been awarded the best programme produced throughout the whole of Wales for the 2013–14 season,[65] as well as being second-best programme produced throughout the whole of Wales for both the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, and voted third-best in the whole of Wales for the 2012–13 season. In addition, the programme was also voted best in the 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13 & 2013–14 Welsh Alliance Season Awards by winning the Best Matchday programme award.[66] The match programme has since ceased to be printed and is now just produced electronically every matchday.
| Position at Club | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Simon Rose | |
| Vice Chairman | ||
| General Secretary Programme Editor | Steve Roberts | |
| Treasurer | TBC | |
| General Manager | ||
| Commercial Manager | Val Morris | |
| Media Officer | Clive Davies | |
| Director of Youth | ||
| Official Photographer | Lee Douglas | |
| Ground Manager Committee Member | Justin Evans | |
| Committee Member | Paul Wood | |
| Committee Member | Iwan Waters | |
| Committee Member | Ray Williams | |
| Committee Member | Glyn Owen | |
| Committee Member | Pete Roberts | |
| Committee Member | Andy Quartly |
| Position in Team | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Manager | John Haseldin | |
| Coach | Mark Connolly | |
| Coach | Tom Allman | |
| GK Coach | Clive Davies | |
| Kit and Equipment Manager | Iwan Waters | |
| Captain | James Graham | |
| Vice Captain | Danny Andrews | |
| Physio | Ray Williams | |
| Physio | Gaynor Davies | |
| Development Squad Manager | Geraint Rowlands | |
| Under 19s Manager | John Haseldin |
| Season | League | Position | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Points | ||||||||||
| 2009–10 | 10th | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 72 | 43 | 46 | |||||||||||
| 2010–11 | Welsh Alliance League Division 1 | 3rd | 30 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 68 | 40 | 54 | ||||||||||
| 2011–12 | Welsh Alliance League Division 1 | 2nd | 30 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 77 | 29 | 72 | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | Welsh Alliance League Division 1 | 3rd | 28 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 98 | 38 | 61 | ||||||||||
| 2013–14 | Welsh Alliance League Division 1 | 2nd | 28 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 103 | 23 | 65 | ||||||||||
| 2014–15 | Welsh Alliance League Division 1 | 1st | 26 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 119 | 19 | 71 | ||||||||||
| 2015–16 | 5th | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 55 | 34 | 52 | |||||||||||
| 2016–17 | 5th | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 52 | 45 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 2017–18 | 5th | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 75 | 37 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 2018–19 | 14th | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 38 | 58 | 30 | |||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division | 1st | 17 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 62 | 8 | 42 | ||||||||||
| 2020–21 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 4th | 28 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 68 | 36 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 2022–23 | 2nd | 30 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 75 | 22 | 79 |