In April 2019, the Supporters Association of Bangor City voted to create a breakaway club in order to protect football in the city, given the recent history of Bangor City under the ownership of VSM. An application was submitted in May 2019, to enter a new club into the Welsh Football league system. A 150 goals later and the Treborth club are still going strong.
In June, it was confirmed that a supporter’s trust was being set up and would immediately start trading after a successful application. Later that same month, the name and crest of the new club was announced, Clwb Pel-Droed Bangor 1876 Football Club. On the 19th of June, 2019 it was announced that Bangor 1876 would be playing in the Gwynedd League, the fifth tier of Welsh Football. The decision was not the most popular with other clubs in the league and the Angelsey League as fans felt it was not fair for the new club to start one tier above the bottom tier.
However the decision stayed the same and wanting to protect football in the city, the fans became the owners. On July 20th, 2019 the club played their first ever game against fellow fan-owned club F.C United of Manchester and the fans in their numbers made the trip to Broadhurst Park. The scoreline on that day wasn’t particularly important, it was the club, players and fans who were important on that day as this was the start of something much bigger. Benn Lundstram scored the first ever goal for the club, a mere consolation after the home side had scored 12 but that didn’t stop the fans in their jubilation in seeing their club net for the first time ever. A few more pre-season games followed with the club winning four games consecutively against higher league opposition.
August 10th saw another pivotal day in the history of Bangor 1876 as the club played their first ever league game in the Gwynedd league. The fans travelled in their droves to nearby Bethesda to take on Ogwen Tigers, in a fiercely contested first stanza without much quality, Bangor 1876 took the lead before being pegged pack by the Tigers, but the quality of Bangor 1876 told in the end and they took the spoils. They played their first home league game 10 days later against Caergybi and this is where the fan-owned club showed their scoring power scoring 10 past the Angelsey side. In a rare competitive game in the league, Nefyn United pushed them all the way before succumbing 3-1 at Treborth. August bank holiday weekend saw the club travel to Llangoed and another commanding victory followed as they won 5-0. The scoring power Bangor 1876 had with players like Les Davies, Jamie Petrie and Dylan Summers-Jones meant the club were always a threat going forward and having the experienced head of Michael Johnston, a man who had won the Welsh Premier League meant they were solid at the back.
A pulsating 4-2 win at Talysarn Celts followed two consecutive cup wins, as the fans again traveled well to Dyffryn Nantlle where the action off the pitch was just as entertaining as it was on it. Doing well in the cup competitions meant the club had a backlog of fixtures but the use of Bangor’s university facilities means the club have floodlights, and the 1876 faithful have already shown how much they love a night under the lights. Judging by the first two games under them, the players absolutley love them as a 12-0 thumping of Llanerchymedd was followed by a 14-0 demolition job of Bethesda Athletic and by October the club had scored 52 league goals. After the 26 goals in two games, two defeats in three cup games followed in the Welsh Cup and FAW Trophy. Although Bangor 1876 bounced back in the league cup as they thumped Llanystumdwy 13-0, after being tested by higher league opposition but most would know that the game against clubs like Ruthin and Llanrwst were significantly better experience for the squad.
December started with a tough game against one of the best sides in the league as 1876 travelled to Trearddur Bay to play against the Bulls, a 2-1 victory followed but it was without doubt the toughest game they had ever faced in the Gwynedd league. 2 consecutive 6-0 wins followed against Caergybi and Llanystumdwy before the club ended 2019 on a high with a 13-2 victory at Treborth over Bontnewydd. January 2020 started in the same vein of form for Bangor 1876 with a 4-0 win over Glantraeth which was followed two days later with another 4-0 success at home to Waunfawr.
Ogwen Tigers were the next to visit Treborth and went home with a 7-0 defeat, before Bangor 1876 travelled to Bethesda, shipping two goals in the process but scoring 10 and continuing their emphatic scoring form. The last game in January saw Bangor travel over the Menai Bridge for a local derby against Menai Bridge Tigers, scoring 5 and their 150th goal in all competitions as they won 5-1. February 1st sees Bangor 1876 travel to Llanystumdwy, and the fans will again be travelling in their numbers which has been the norm in what has been a fantastic 1st season in the history of the club.
Whatever has been said about Bangor 1876, it’s certainly got people talking and been backed by fan ownership and a group of players who love to play for the shirt, the club has made enormous strides in their first ever season in football, and the success for the club will continue. Having won 16 out of 16 in the Gwynedd league, tougher challenges will come as the club climb up the system but to have crowds hitting more than 400 in Wales’ fifth tier is incredible. The club has a fantastic squad with players like Les Davies, Sion Parry, Dylan Summers-Jones, Cameron Barry, Shaun Lock, Jamie Petrie, Michael Johnston and many more, if their first season is anything to go by, the fans and owners will again be supporting their club in the top tiers of Welsh Football.
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