Bala Town F.C.

Bala Town
Full name Bala Town Football Club
Nickname(s) Lakesiders
Founded 1880
Ground Maes Tegid,
Bala
Capacity 3,000 (504 seated)
Chairman Arwel Roberts
Manager Colin Caton
League Welsh Premier League
2013–14 Welsh Premier League, 8th

Bala Town Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed y Bala) are a Welsh football team that currently play in the Welsh Premier League.[1] They play their games at Maes Tegid in Bala, Gwynedd, Wales.[2]

History

Although the current Bala Town was formed in 1880, there is record of a football club competing in the 1877–78 Welsh Cup, losing to Corwen after two replays.[3] After Bala North End, Bala South End and Bala Thursday's merged, Bala Town's first available league status record is playing in the Welsh National League North Division 2 East in 1921/22 season. Bala Town moved to their current home, Maes Tegid in the early 1950s and joined the Wrexham Alliance in 1950,[4] however Bala Town had to wait for more than a century until they was promoted to the second tier of Welsh football, into the Cymru Alliance at the end of the 2003–04 season.[5] After only four seasons in the Cymru Alliance, Bala Town sealed promoted to the Welsh Premier League.[6] Bala Town secured European football for the first time in their history after a John Irving goal in the 89th minute was enough to see off Port Talbot Town 2–1 to ensure the Lakesiders a European place. Bala Town were drawn against Estonian outfit Levadia Tallinn and after winning the home leg 1–0, crashed out of the Europa League at the first qualifying round after losing 3–1 in the reverse fixture in Tallinn.

Honours

European record

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2013–14 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round Estonia Levadia Tallinn 1–0 1–3 2–3

Current squad

As of 16 October 2014[7]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Wales GK Ashley Morris
2 Wales DF Ryan Valentine
3 England DF Sean Smith
4 England DF Stuart Jones
5 Gibraltar DF David Artell
6 Northern Ireland MF Conall Murtagh
7 England MF Mark Connolly
8 Wales MF Mark Jones
9 England FW Mike Hayes
10 England FW Ian Sheridan
11 England FW Kieran Smith
No. Position Player
14 England FW Rob Pearson
15 England MF Will Bell
16 England DF Tony Davies
17 England MF Stephen Brown
18 England FW Lee Hunt
19 Wales MF Cai Parry
20 England MF Kenny Lunt
23 England GK Craig Vernon
24 England DF Kyle Parle
28 England MF Wade Muscart
29 Wales MF Daniel Dascalu

References

  1. ↑ Welsh Premier profile
  2. ↑ Maes Tegid - The home of Bala Town
  3. ↑ "Welsh Football Data Archive:Welsh Cup 1877-78". Welsh Football Data Archive.
  4. ↑ "Welsh Data Archive:Wrexham Area 1950-51". Welsh Football Data Archive.
  5. ↑ "Welsh Football Data Archive: Wrexham Area 2003-04". Welsh Football Data Archive.
  6. ↑ "Welsh Football data Archive: Cymru Alliance 2008-09". Welsh Football data Archive.
  7. ↑ Bala Town squad list

External links