Owain Fôn Williams

Owain Fôn Williams
Personal information
Full nameOwain Fôn Williams[1]
Date of birth17 March 1987
Place of birthPenygroes, Wales[2]
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Tranmere Rovers
Number1
Youth career
2003–2006Crewe Alexandra
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006–2008Crewe Alexandra0(0)
2008–2011Stockport County82(0)
2010–2011→ Bury (loan)6(0)
2011Rochdale22(0)
2011–Tranmere Rovers145(0)
National team
2003Wales U171(0)
2004–2006Wales U194(0)
2007–2008Wales U2111(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:00, 7 February 2015 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Owain Fôn Williams (born 17 March 1987) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Tranmere Rovers as a goalkeeper. Williams has had spells at Football League sides Rochdale and Stockport. He has been a regular Wales youth international and has received numerous call-ups to the senior Wales team since 2009 but is yet to make his full debut.

Club career

Crewe Alexandra

Born in Penygroes, Gwynedd,[2] Williams joined Crewe Alexandra after impressing during a trial spell and was signed on scholarship forms in 2003. He was first choice for the club's under-19 team but suffered a broken leg during his second year which halted his progress. Tired of the lack of first team appearances, Williams left Crewe in July 2008 for a tribunal set fee.

Stockport County

On 8 July 2008 he joined Stockport County following the expiry of his contract with Crewe.[3] After making his debut in a 1–1 draw with Huddersfield Town on the opening day of the 2008–09 season,[4] Williams soon established himself as County No.1, however in October 2008, he lost his first team place to on-loan keeper Fraser Forster. Forster kept goal for six games throughout October and into early November before his loan spell expired and Owain returned to his Number One slot.

Until the middle of March, Williams was ever present for County, putting in match winning performances. On 30 March, Williams underwent an operation on his shoulder which kept him out for the remainder of the 2008–09 season.[5]

On 28 October 2010, he joined Bury on a two-month-long emergency loan deal to replace the injured Cameron Belford.[6] He returned to Stockport on 4 January 2011 after completion of his loan period.[7]

Rochdale

On 20 January 2011 he joined Rochdale, signing until the end of the season[8] and made his debut on 22 January as his new side beat Yeovil.[9]

Tranmere Rovers

He was released at the end of the 2010–11 season by Rochdale and at the end of June 2011, sports media in the UK reported he was due to join Tranmere Rovers on a permanent contract.[10] This was confirmed by Tranmere on 1 July 2011 where he signed up on a two-year contract.[11] He made his competitive club debut on the first day of the 2011–12 season, starting the Football League match against Chesterfield.[12]

During a period of heavy snowfall in January 2013, an away fixture at Brentford was briefly stopped as Williams was pelted by snowballs thrown from the home supporters.[13]

International career

Williams made his one and only appearance for the Wales under-17 side on 8 November 2003 as a substitute to replace Wayne Hennessey during a 4–0 win over Azerbaijan in a UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying match.[14] After a handful of appearances for the under-19 side, Williams moved up to the Wales under-21 side, making his debut in a 4–0 friendly win against Northern Ireland.[15] He took over as the team's number one goalkeeper and missed just one match in the qualifying round of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship as they finished top of their group before being beaten by England in the play-off.[16]

In February 2009, Williams earned his first call up to the senior Wales squad for the match with Poland in Portugal and was called up a second time the following month for the qualifiers with Finland and Germany.[17]

Career statistics

As of match played 31 January 2015.
Club statistics
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Crewe Alexandra 2005–06[18] Championship 000000—00
2006–07[19] League One 0000000000
2007–08[20] League One 0000000000
Total 0000000000
Stockport County 2008–09[21] League One 33040101[lower-alpha 1]0390
2009–10[22] League One 440200000460
2010–11[23] League Two 5000100060
Total 820602010910
Bury (loan) 2010–11[23] League Two 6020—0080
Rochdale 2010–11[23] League One 220———220
Tranmere Rovers 2011–12[24] League One 35010103[lower-alpha 1]0400
2012–13[25] League One 45030201[lower-alpha 1]0510
2013–14[26] League One 43020301[lower-alpha 1]0490
2014–15[27] League Two 22040101[lower-alpha 1]0280
Total 145010070601680
Career total 255018090702890
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy

References

  1. ↑ "Statistics". Findmypast.com. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline. p. 545. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
  3. ↑ "Fôn Williams makes Stockport move". BBC Sport. 9 July 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  4. ↑ "Huddersfield 1–1 Stockport". BBC Sport. 9 August 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  5. ↑ "Operation a success". Stockport County F.C. 30 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  6. ↑ "Keeper arrives at Gigg Lane". Bury F.C. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  7. ↑ "Owain Fon Williams back at Stockport County". Manchester Evening News. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  8. ↑ "Rochdale sign Stockport goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams". Manchester Evening News. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Yeovil 0–1 Rochdale". BBC Sport. 22 January 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  10. ↑ "Fon Williams to join Rovers". Sky Sports. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  11. ↑ "Tranmere Rovers sign goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams". BBC Sport. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  12. ↑ "Tranmere 1–0 Chesterfield". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 6 August 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  13. ↑ McCort, Ian (19 January 2013). "Football clockwatch". Guardian. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  14. ↑ "Match Report – Azerbaijan 0–4 Wales". Football Association of Wales. 8 November 2003. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  15. ↑ "Match Report – Northern Ireland 0–4 Wales". Football Association of Wales. 6 February 2007. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  16. ↑ Bevan, Chris (14 October 2008). "England U21 2–2 Wales U21 (5–4)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  17. ↑ "Owain Fon Williams". Biography & statistics. Football Association of Wales. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  18. ↑ "Squad stats: 2005/06". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  19. ↑ "Squad stats: 2006/07". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  20. ↑ "Squad stats: 2007/08". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  21. ↑ "Games played by Owain Fon Williams in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  22. ↑ "Games played by Owain Fon Williams in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 "Games played by Owain Fon Williams in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  24. ↑ "Games played by Owain Fon Williams in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  25. ↑ "Games played by Owain Fon Williams in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  26. ↑ "Games played by Owain Fon Williams in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  27. ↑ "Games played by Owain Fon Williams in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.

External links