Bethesda Athletic F.C.
Full name | Bethesda Athletic Football Club | |
---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Pesda | |
Short name | CPD BA | |
Ground | Parc Meurig Bethesda |
|
Capacity | 500 | |
Chairman | Robert Alid Jones | |
Manager | Jason Scott | |
League | Welsh Alliance League Division 2 | |
2013/14 | Welsh Alliance 2 14th | |
|
Bethesda Athletic F.C. is a football club based in the Welsh town of Bethesda, in northwest Wales.
Bethesda Athletic was formed in 1946, although in 1919 a team known as Bethesda Comrades was playing in the North Wales Coast League. This name changed to Bethesda United and during the 1930s Bethesda Victoria were involved in North Wales football circles. Victoria won the North Wales Combination and NWCFA Cup in 1931-31.
Cup runs
Athletic also enjoyed some good runs in the Welsh Cup, the English F.A. Cup, and the English F.A. Trophy. A long Welsh Cup run in 1960 saw wins over Nantlle Vale, Penmaenmawr and Pwllheli which set up a Quarter Final date with Cardiff City which ended in a six nil defeat against the eventual winners. In 1976 they beat Oswestry Town but were knocked out by Bangor City at Farrar Road. The score was 4-2 goals from Broadhead, Olney and John Hughes for Bangor and Alan Leicester for Bethesda.
- Bangor
- Eales, McClelland, Lunn, Elliott, Lawther, K.Williams, Atherton, Broadhead, Olney, J.Hughes, D.Hughes
- Bethesda
- Colbourne, Fennar, Dempsey, Lechanpentier, Ashton, Butterworth, Royal, Dunn, McNelly, Leicester, Cooke
In the FA Cup Bethesda took Tamworth to two replays in 1970 before finally bowing out. In 1974 Bethesda knocked out South Liverpool in the Qualifying rounds of The FA Cup but were eventually beaten by Rhyl in a second replay after two drawn matches.
In 1990 when fellow Welsh Alliance members Fflint, Conwy, Porthmadog and Connah’s Quay joined the newly formed Cymru Alliance, Bethesda remained in the Welsh Alliance. After finishing third in that league in 1991 Athletic opted to drop down to the local Caernarfon & District League where they remained until stepping up to the Gwynedd League as champions in 1998 and then after two seasons straight up to the Welsh Alliance in 2000.
Nine years later, and after two successive championships (2007/08 and 2008/09) and upgrading their ground, Bethesda stepped up to the second tier of Welsh football - the Cymru Alliance.
Bethesda Athletic disbanded and resigned from the Welsh Alliance league in September 2012 due to various circumstances.[1]
Bethesda returned for 2013/2014 season but finished bottom of the Welsh Alliance league 2 with just 6 points.
References
- ↑ SAD DEMISE OF BETHESDA ATHLETIC David Jones, Daily Post 21 September 2012