THE NINETEEN SIXTIES

THE GLORY YEARS

1960/61

Player Manager Tommy Jones was busy during the close season. He secured the signings of Bill Souter from Chester, and Ken Birch from Southampton, where he was valued at £6000. Birch was an influential wing-half who was named club captain. This proved to be the most successful post-war season thus far. On November 3rd, a David Jones goal ensured a 1-0 victory over Wrexham in the First Round of the FA Cup. Southport were the visitors in the Second Round. A Micky Hunt goal set up a Haig Avenue replay against the Third Division club. Despite another fine goal by Ray Gryba, Bangor lost 3-1. During December, Tommy Jones announced the signing of former Chesterfield and Arsenal striker, Eddie Brown. Bangor went one stage further in the Welsh Cup, reaching the Final where they met a strong Swansea team at Ninian Park. City specially chartered an aeroplane for the occasion, but still lost 3-1, with Ellis netting the consolation goal for Bangor.

1961/62

1962/63

A disappointing league performance was put into the shade with the famous visit of Napoli to Farrar Road. Bangor won 2-0 at home in the first leg, lost 3-1 in Naples and finally went out after losing a playoff game at Highbury 2-1 to the Italian superstars (see City in Europe) City fell to their lowest league finish for five years, partly because they drew around half of all their league games. A bad defeat against eventual winners, Borough United in the Quarter Finals of the Welsh Cup meant there would be no quick repeat of their European adventures.

1963/64

Tommy Banks was the key signing this season. Banks, an ex-England international, had tasted success with Bolton, for whom he appeared in an FA Cup Final. An improved league performance saw City finish seventh in the Cheshire League. Again it was in the cup competitions where Bangor excelled. On November 16th Bangor lost 3-2 away against Barrow in the FA Cup First Round, with Kinsella scoring twice for City. In the Welsh Cup, Bangor recorded a memorable 8-1 victory against Rhyl in the Quarter Final to set up a Semi-Final match against Wrexham in Chester. Gray scored twice and Edwards got on the scoresheet as Bangor won 3-1 to reach another Welsh Cup Final. With this important fixture ahead of them, Bangor slipped down the league, from second position, because of resting players and including many reserves in their first team squad. The Welsh Cup Final home leg was played on April 22nd against Cardiff, who included the footballing legend John Charles, and the famous Allchurch brothers. City were not overawed, they stormed to a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Robinson and Edwards. Three days later, Cardiff won 3-1 at Ninian Park, with Gray scoring Bangor’s only goal. The playoff was held in Wrexham, where Cardiff won the match 2-0 to lift the Welsh Cup.

1964/65

The FA Cup first round was reached, but ended in a 5-1 defeat against York. An average league season featured a tremendous home record, and an awful away record. An example of this is the two Easter games against Altrincham, where on the Saturday, Bangor lost 3-0 away, then two days later, City won 4-1 at home against the same team. A familiar name was evident on the scoresheet during the course of the season, with the exciting teenager, Tony Broadhead scoring over 20 goals after signing from Oswestry, who valued him at £2000.

1965/66

On February 4th, another exciting young attacker was signed from Tranmere Rovers, Jimmy Conde. Conde’s goals helped Bangor to finish in the top six of the league, and to the Welsh Cup semi final which ended in defeat 3-0 away against Chester City.

1966/67

The First Round of the FA Cup was reached again, but Mansfield Town proved too good for Bangor, winning 4-1. A defeat on February 18th in the Welsh Cup Quarter Final by the only goal of the match at home against Newport County was followed by a strong finish to the league. Bangor only lost twice in their last fifteen games to finish in the top six once more. With talk of a new league combining the best teams from the Cheshire, Lancashire and Northern Leagues a high position was imperative.

1967/68

Tommy Jones made an important summer signing, securing the services of Mick McGrath, a thirty-year old from Blackburn Rovers. McGrath won 22 international caps during a distinguished career for the Republic of Ireland. On 23rd of June, Tommy Jones left Bangor for Rhyl after ten years in the Farrar Road hotseat saying that he left to "look for new horizons". New signing McGrath took over immediately and one of his first signings was the schemer George Morton who had spent the previous four years playing for Rochdale. Under McGrath Bangor finished the season with their record number of Cheshire League points and a league position high enough to be invited into the new Northern Premier League. Some silverware was won in the form of the North Wales Challenge Cup, Bleanau Ffestiniog being beaten 1-0 at Farrar Road in front of over 9000 fans.

1968/69

The first season of Northern Premier League football saw new opponents and increased travelling costs for Bangor City. The first round of the FA Cup was reached but in a seemingly straightforward fixture Bangor lost 3-2 at home against Morecambe. The up-front trio of Broadhead, Conde and Morton struck fear into the hearts of many a defence and the fearsome three helped lead Bangor to victory in the inaugural Northern Premier League Cup, with victory over Runcorn in the final (see Roll of Honour).

1969/70

As the decade ended, City encountered an average start to the league season. The FA Cup first round was reached again and Kirkby Town were demolished 6-0 at home to set up a second round tie against York City. In front of a large home crowd Bangor did everything but score and after a goalless game lost away in the replay. A new cup competition, the FA Trophy, was started for non-League teams, with a final to be held at Wembley. Bangor progressed to the Third Round before being beaten at home against Macclesfield in February.