Borough United FC - Punching Above Their Weight
By Chris Kelly.
Who do you think were the first Welsh football club to win a round in a major European competition? Surely it has to be one of Cardiff, Swansea or Wrexham? No. Maybe Newport County or Bangor City? Again, no. The answer is in fact northern part-timers Borough United, a club who's entire existence spanned only 17 short but eventful and successful years across the 1950's and 1960's.
Back in 1952, two previously thriving neighbouring football clubs had fallen on hard times, both financially and in-turn on the pitch. Conwy Borough and Llandudno Junction each had respective rich histories in the Welsh game, but with both at real risk of folding, a merger of the two was mooted - and ultimately approved at a locally held public meeting - in an attempt to safeguard the future of competitive football in the region.
So, Borough United FC were formed and took their place in the Welsh League North for the 1952/53 season. The phoenix club would play their home games at Junction's Nant-y-Coed ground, playing in the maroon and white kit Llandudno Junction FC had become synonymous with.
Borough quickly established themselves as a real force within their league. Regularly finishing towards the top of the division, United would win the title on two occasions (1958/59 and 1962/63) whilst also finishing runners-up on a couple of occasions too.
Undoubtedly, Borough's stand out campaign was that of the 1962/63 season; one which was prolonged due to sustained adverse weather across the United Kingdom, but would ultimately see the club win a historic quadruple of league and cups.
Photo -@Groundtastic. Borough United's primitive Nant-y-Coed home ground.
On top of sealing their second league title, United would taste success in three separate Cup competitions. The regional North West Coast Challenge Cup victory, beating rivals Porthmadog 2-1 in a keenly-contested final, was added too by victory in the Cookson Cup, and most notably their first and only Welsh Cup triumph.
A historic and particularly impressive achievement for a part-time football team based in a small village, with limited facilities and revenue. Seeing off much larger, wealthier clubs in the shape of Rhyl, Hereford United and reigning cup holders Bangor City, United set up a two-legged final against South Wales' Newport County, a member of the English Football League, and heavy favourites for the showpiece.
Few gave the northern minnows too much hope against their esteemed opponents, who were used to playing at a considerably higher level on a weekly basis. However, against the odds, Borough United - who were renowned locally for scoring goals in great quantity - edged the first-leg 2-1 thanks to strikes from Joe Bebb and Billy Russell to give themselves a fighting chance for the return leg down south.
An impressive and heroic defensive effort would see Borough secure an unexpected goalless draw at Somerton Park (Newport's former home ground), sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory and national success and notoriety. The clubs' incredible quadruple winning achievements were recognised with a civic reception and a parade through the streets of Conwy and Llandudno Junction to allow the players to bask in their success.
However, the footballing prize for Borough United's Welsh Cup win was a place in the following (1963/64) season's UEFA Cup Winners Cup and a very rare opportunity to take on European opposition. This presented its own financial and logistical headaches for the Borough hierarchy. Funding the necessary structural improvements and travel arrangements for European football was a difficult task for what was essentially a part-time, regional club from a North Wales outpost. Indeed, the club relied on the backing of a successful local businessman to help cover costs and navigate travel requirements, as well as, in perhaps a sign of the times and the relative size of the club, holding a raffle to put money in the pot.
Back to matters on the pitch, and more history was in the offing as United would be drawn against, and ultimately beat, Malta's Sliema Wanderers in the first-round. Playing the first-leg in the Mediterranean heat, Borough silenced the crowd of around 15,000 as they held their hosts to a goalless draw.
Photo - soccerscrapbook.co.uk. Borough United's quadruple winning heroes.
The return leg would be played at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground - deemed a more suitable location for a match of such magnitude. Over 18,000 were in attendance to see the likes of Gerry Duffy, Dave Walker, and brothers Keith and Mike Pritchard star for United in a 2-0 victory which saw their European adventure carry on into the second round.
The minnows from North Wales would meet their match at the next stage, being drawn against the then Czechoslovakian (now Slovakian) heavyweights SK Slovan Bratislava, with both games taking place within four days of one another in the harsh Mid-December conditions. Slovan were reigning Czech Cup holders and an experienced European outfit packed with internationals who'd reached the quarter-final stage of the previous seasons' Cup Winners Cup.
Borough put up a brave fight over the two games, losing out by the solitary goal in the ('home') first-leg, again held at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground (in front of a crowd of over 10,000), before eventually being outclassed on an icy pitch in Bratislava as relative giants Slovan ran out 3-0 winners on the night to clinch a 4-0 aggregate success.
It would be Borough United's only foray into Europe, and they could hold their heads high. Becoming the first Welsh club to progress through a round in a major European tournament is something that has seen the club take its place in Welsh footballing folklore, and continues to be a memorable achievement that locals of Conwy, Llandudno Junction, and the surrounding areas take great pride in.
Following their European exploits, Borough United continued to be a successful side within the Welsh League North, consistently challenging at the top end of the division, though ultimately unable to regain the title once more. It should be noted that, on the back of their Welsh Cup success, Borough would take part in the English FA Cup on four occasions between 1963/64 and 1966/67. Their first entry saw them reach the Second Round proper before being eliminated by New Brighton. Subsequent campaigns, however, would see Borough exit in the early qualifying stages, beaten by Ellesmere Port, Colwyn Bay, and Oswestry respectively.
1967 arrived, and would ultimately be the beginning of the end for the much cherished Borough United. Landlords of their Nant-y-Coed ground, the Irish Oblates of Mary Immaculate order (a religious group within the Catholic Church), chose to issue the club with an eviction notice.
Whilst a new home was sought, and potential mergers with the likes of Colwyn Bay and Llandudno were considered, nothing came to fruition and Borough United were forced to withdraw from the Welsh League North. The club would soldier on somewhat nomadicly in the local, district Vale of Conwy League for a couple of years before completely folding in 1969.
These days a reformed Conwy Borough and Llandudno Junction reside in the Welsh third and fourth tiers respectively. Both clubs were (re)set-up again in the mid 1970's in an attempt to bring back competitive football to the area, though Conwy Borough were initially called Conwy United (until the 2012/13 campaign), whilst Junction were initially called Hotpoint FC, then Llanfairfechan Athletic before regaining the name of Llandudno Junction ahead of the 1999/2000 season.
Indeed, European football would briefly return to the region in the summer of 1996 as Conwy qualified for the Intertoto Cup, where they'd face the likes of Denmark's Silkeborg and Charleroi of Belgium.
Though it's the charming, yet brief fortunes of Borough United that remains a jewel in the Welsh footballing crown. A story of overachievement, of local pride, and of sheer determination and community togetherness that saw a part-time football club go from playing the likes of Holywell Town, Bangor City, and Caernarfon Town to taking on some of Europe's finest.
Featured image - welshdoccerarchive.co.uk/soccerscrapbook.co.uk
Some statistics, facts, and figures used in the article were sourced from welshsoccerarchive.co.uk