What chances of a medal for the men’s and women’s teams representing Ynys Môn in the 2019 Inter-Island Games?
The first balls will be kicked in the week-long tournament today, with Anglesey’s women and men taking on the Western Isles at Holyhead Hotspur’s New Stadium, kick-offs 1.30pm and 5pm respectively.
The men will be looking to repeat their success of 1999, when they won the International Island Games football competition for the only time.
Ynys Môn men
Ten teams will battle it out in the men’s competition and looking at the quality of the Anglesey squad, it is hard to see them not being in contention for a medal.
Current champions Isle of Man, plus three-time tournament winners Jersey and Guernsey could prove a threat, but Campbell Harrison and Iwan Williams have selected a good mixture of experience and youth in a 20-man squad.
Captain and goalkeeper Paul Pritchard is coming off the back of a tremendous debut season with Porthmadog, while five members of Welsh Alliance champions Llangefni Town will bring a winning mentality to the camp.
Excitement surrounds the potential of lively youngsters Alex Boss and Sam Jones.
The absence of injured Danny Brookwell, such a star in Caernarfon Town’s comeback campaign in the Welsh Premier, is a blow, but there is plenty of talent in a squad capable of reaching the semi-finals at least.
Squad
Paul Pritchard (Porthmadog – captain), Jordan Taylor (Bodedern Athletic), Gari Owen (Llangefni Town), Ryan Taylor (Bodedern Athletic), Guto Hughes (Conwy Borough), Tom Taylor (Bromsgrove Sporting), Tomos Clarke (Conwy Borough), Cai Powell-Roberts (Llangefni Town), Alex Jones (Holyhead Hotspur), Dan Thomas (Llangefni Town), Jay Gibbs (Porthmadog), Dean Garmey (Holyhead Hotspur), Dafydd Jones (Bodedern Athletic), Gerwyn Roberts (Mynydd Llandegai), Alex Boss (Aberystwyth Town), Liam Morris (Llangefni Town), Sam Jones (Caernarfon Town), Melvin McGinness (Holyhead Hotspur), John Littlemore (Porthmadog), Matthew Jones (Llangefni Town).
YNYS MON MEN’S FOOTBALL – ISLAND GAMES RESULTS 1989 – 2017
(scorers listed where available)
Faroe Islands 1989 (runners-up)Faroe Islands 6 Ynys Mon 0Aland 4 Ynys Mon 5 (Mark Gray 2, Jackie Welsh, Roberts, Owen)Ynys Mon 3 (Gray, Roberts, 1 OG) Shetland 0Ynys Mon 1 Greenland 0
Gotland 1999 (winners)Ynys Mon 1 (Darren Pritchard) Rhodos 1Guernsey 1 Ynys Mon 1 (Richard Hughes)
Semi-finals: Isle of Wight 1 Ynys Mon 3 (Aled Rowlands, Kyle Hazelaar)
Final: Isle of Man 0 Ynys Mon 1 (Steve Humphreys)
Squad: David Evans, Mark Gray, Campbell Harrison, Kyle Hazelaar, Richard Hughes, Arwyn Hughes, Steve Humphreys, Martin Jones, Gerallt Jones, Jonathan Parry, Dyfed Parry, Dylan Pritchard, Darren Pritchard, Mark Pritchard, Adam Roberts, Aled Rowlands, Mervyn Williams, Anthony Williams.
Isle of Man 2001 (runners-up)Ynys Mon 4 (Tony Williams, Richard Hughes 2, Kevin Roberts) Saaremaa 1Ynys Mon 1 (Mark Williams) Shetland 1.
Semi-finals: Ynys Mon 2 (Danny Hughes, Mark Williams) Jersey 2 (Mon won 4-3 on pens)Final: Guernsey 0 Ynys Mon 0 (Guernsey won 3-1 pens)
Guernsey 2003 (fifth place) Saaremaa 0 Ynys Mon 2 (Gerallt Jones 2) Ynys Mon 1 (Richard Hughes) Isle of Man 2 Semi-final (places 5-8): Ynys Mon 2 (Gerallt Jones, 1 OG) Shetland 1 Fifth place match: Gibraltar 0 Ynys Mon 2 (Gerallt Jones, 1 OG).
Shetland 2005 (fifth place)Greenland 0 Ynys Mon 0Ynys Mon 2 (Robin Hodgkinson, Gareth Parry) Orkney 0Western Isles 0 Ynys Mon 0Guernsey 3 Ynys Mon 0
Fifth place match: Ynys Mon 3 (Darren Pritchard, Patrick Roberts 2) Saaremaa 2
Rhodos 2007 (11th place)Ynys Mon 2 Bermuda 1Ynys Mon 2 Aland 4 Semi-finals (9-11): Menorca 6 Ynys Mon 1
Bermuda 2013 (did not enter)
Honours
Winners 1999Runners-up 1989, 1991, 1997, 2001
Playing Record (1989-2017)
Matches 56Wins 28Draws 8Lost 20Goals For 98Goals Against 85
Ynys Môn women
Unlike the men. Anglesey’s women have never pulled up any trees at the Island Games.
In four tournaments entered, they have won just one match and lost the other 13.
In Wales international Nicky Davies, they surely possess the best keeper in the tournament, while the likes of Jordanne Greenough, Charlotte Gill and Emma Roberts all play football at a decent level.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the squad is the youth on show, with 16-year-old Catrin Evans, who scored 18 goals in 12 games for Bethel in North Wales Division One this season, one to watch.
Anglesey faced their opening opponents, Western Isles, in the 2017 Island Games and were beaten 4-1.
Fixtures
Squad
Nicky Davies (Sheffield United), Ceri Pritchard (Amlwch Town Ladies), Carol Lewis (Amlwch), Laura Eynon (Amlwch – captain), Paige Williams (Amlwch), Sara Furlong (Amlwch), Beth Jones (Caernarfon Town Ladies), Emma Roberts (Cardiff Metropolitan), Jordanne Greenough (Llandudno Ladies), Cerys Gadd (Amlwch), Charlotte Gill (Guiseley Vixens), Ffion Owen (Caernarfon Town), Ceri Slaney (Caernarfon Town), Angharad Evans (Bethesda Athletic), Catrin Evans (Bethel), Erin Maloney (Bethel), Lexi Crawley (Amlwch), Ceri Lois (Bethesda Athletic).
Ynys Môn Ladies Island Games football record
2001Faroe Islands 7-0 Ynys Môn; Isle of Man 5-1 Ynys Môn. 6th place game: Guernsey 8-1 Ynys Môn.
2003Guernsey 5-0 Ynys Môn; Ynys Môn 0-10 Gotland; Ynys Môn 2-0 Rhodos; 5th-6th place game: Ynys Môn 0-2 Isle of Wight.
2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013 – Did not enter
2015Ynys Môn 2-5 Aland Islands; Isle of Wight 7-0 Ynys Môn; Guernsey 3-2 Ynys Môn. 9th place match: Greenland 4-0 Ynys Môn.
2017Isle of Man 3-0 Ynys Môn; Ynys Môn 1-4 Aland Islands; Western Isles 4-1 Ynys Môn.
Record
Played: 14
Won: 1
Lost: 13
Goals For 10
Goals Against 67