PICTURE by Wynne Evans shows Owen (left) and Jones on the right.
I, LIKE MANY OTHERS, was very surprised to read last week that Richard Owen and his assistant Carwyn Jones would be stepping down from their roles at long-term club Trearddur Bay Bulls.
Between them, the pair have enjoyed a number of successes and honours during the club’s run from Sunday to Saturday League football (as Bryngwran Bulls, before merging with Trearddur Bay last summer).
Among one of the biggest feathers in their managerial caps was when the club went on a ridiculous run of being undefeated at home for three years between 2012 and 2015 in the Sunday League. In fact, they went the whole of the 2012 league campaign unbeaten but still ended up runners-up!
Having had a highly-successful six years in that division, and with the division itself dying a slow death, Bryngwran opted for a move into Saturday football in 2016-17. And it proved to be the right move too, as the club finished third in its first season in the Anglesey League behind very strong Holyhead Town (champions) and Llangoed (runners-up) sides.
The 2017/18 season saw the club earn some much-deserved success and their first pieces of silverware in Saturday football, although eventual heartbreak did ensue. Having beaten Mynydd Tigers 3-0 in the Lucas Oil Cup final and 2-1 (AET) in the Dargie Cup final, the Bulls secured a historic cup double. However, the Tigers eventually got their revenge when they pipped them to the Anglesey League title on the final day of the season – becoming the first non-island club to win the division in over a century.
However, if 17/18 was good then 2018/19 was great, and the best in the club’s recent history. The Bulls were contenders for everything that season and went on to win the Elias Cup (2-0 v Arriva Bangor) and the Anglesey League title, earning promotion to the Gwynedd League. They were also runners-up in the Dargie, Lucas Oil, Megan and NCWFA Junior Cup finals.
2019/20, although a curtailed season, once again proved that the club belonged in the Gwynedd League, having been top of the table for much of the campaign before the formidable Bangor 1876 side stepped it up a gear. The club eventually finished in fourth place on Points Per Game, although they did have more points (38) than Menai Tigers (34) and Nefyn United (32) who finished above them due to the season ending abruptly. I have no doubt that had it continued, there would have been some sort of success on the cards for Richard Owen’s side, as well as a top two finish.
Owen himself (below) first joined The Bulls in 2010, when he was assistant manager to then-manager Mark Gibbs in the Sunday League. He soon took over as manager himself, with Gibbs having to step down due to work commitments. In the season’s that followed, Jones signed up as Owen’s assistant and between them, they built a well-respected club on the North Wales football scene.
I for one would like to thank them both for the help with providing information, match reports, etc for the blog since I set it up in 2016, it’s been a pleasure watching them take the club from strength to strength.
Derek Thomas has been appointed Trearddur Bay Bulls boss in Owen’s place. The club handed him the role as he will ‘bring a wealth of knowledge and a good connections to local players’. Thomas will be joined by Mark Williams and Mike Davies who will join the current coaches already at the club.
A spokesperson for TBBFC said: “We are more than happy with the decision, and after a few applications we all agreed that Derek was the best person to push on from last season.
“Derek has already stated he wants to work with the current squad and also bring in some new faces that he feels will improve and complement the team.
The new staff structure will provide a great balance to the club on the field, and Derrick and the team cant wait to get going (Whenever it may be)”.
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