A journey to the Wales, England border took me to the home of TNS (The New Saints).

I had watched them earlier in the season at Shrewsbury Town’s ground during their record-breaking exploits in European football. Now, at their home in curiously England, I was there to see them play Caernarfon in the JD Cymru Premier Championship Conference. TNS’s home is a modern facility on the outskirts of Oswestry.

“The Venue” is a complex, housing ten pin bowling. a gym, activity room, children’s play area, restaurant and bar, multi use conference and meeting rooms, and a floodlight all-weather  artificial pitch available for hire throughout the week.

The floodlights can be seen from the approach road, and you arrive into a large, tarmacked car park. You walk through a glass doored entrance immediately into a large room with a food counter in one corner and a bar in the far corner. There is a large area to mingle and numerous seats and tables. One side is a glass wall with an entrance to the stadium.

You enter at the top of the large seated stand, which runs down one side and with the covered seated area behind one goal offer 1700 seats. There are no buildings on the other two sides, but there is planning permission to add a further 1300 seats.

Football Histories

The history of TNS goes back over 150 years when in 1860 Oswestry Town Fc were formed,  but it was their merger with Llansantffraid that forged todays club. llansantffraid had been successful in climbing the Welsh Leagues to enter the Premier League and changed their name to Total Network Solutions in 1997 due to a worthwhile sponsorship deal. They first qualified for European football in 2000. The merger with Oswestry was completed in 2003, and the name of The New Saints was adopted in 2006 when the sponsors company was sold. They have stayed near or at the top of their league ever since. Although they have developed a very good ground with other sporting and leisure facilities  it is not big enough for their European nights.

The first football team in Caernarfon was the Carnarvon Athletic Club, founded in 1876. The present Caernarfon Town Football Club dates from 61 years later in 1937. The club achieved success in Welsh leagues and Cup football and joined the Northern Premier league in 1981 where it stayed until they became members of the Welsh National League in 1995. Their highest place in the top tier of Welsh football has been 4th.

TNS 2 Caernarfon 0

Tuesday 11th March 19.45 kick off.

JD Cymru Premier Championship Conference.

1st v 5th.   The “TNS” v The Canaries

TNS; White shirts with horizontal stripes on front and back, not joined with green shorts. Goalkeeper in all faded green. Caernarfon; Canary yellow tops green shorts, goalkeeper in all purple all purple’

The temperature had dropped to 3 degrees as the two teams walked out onto the pitch.

It soon became obvious that TNS were quick on the flanks but the balls delivered in were dealt with easily by the away defence and the fact that TNS didn’t appear to have a cutting edge to their forward play. TNS were also skillfully moving the ball about the field but matched by an equally skilful defence.

TNS’s attacking intent was thwarted on 28 minutes when Ben Hughes tipped the ball over his crossbar from a close range shot.

Caernarfon did cause some panic in the home defence when Caernarfon long throws, some of the longest I have ever seen, put them under pressure.

The game continued with this pattern until the board showed 2 minutes of added time a cross from the right was deflected in by Ryan Sears, a Caernarfon defender for an own goal.
TNS should have had more through their domination of push and run speedy runs and crosses.

The second half produced much of the same, even with the introduction of substitutes.

The last 10 minutes saw Caernarfon push more for an equaliser. Unfortunately, they were punished when a through ball was collected by Sion Bradley 30 yards out, and he sprinted forward on his own and curled it along the ground under the Caernarfon keeper. The referee soon whistled for full time to give TNS what looked like a comfortable result, although it was far from that.

The win for TNS practically ensured their 17th Cymru Premiership and forced a disappointing 2 hour journey home along the North Wales coastal road.

So, TNS as league champions will be able to compete in Europe again next season. It is somewhat strange that this team will represent Wales when they play in England.  Recently, the four Welsh teams who play in the English Football League have been unsuccessful in their request to play in the Welsh Cup, and if they were to be winners qualify for Europe.

Next season more will be up for grabs due to league positions, which will be important when an expanded Premier League is planned for the following season.

The Welsh FA are also talking to Merthyr Town FC to encourage them to switch from the Southern League in England.

The chips were hot, a good quantity, skin on, crispy with soft centre but had some strong seasoning on. The seasoning was in my mind not good and unnecessary, reducing their score to 55.