The Club is building up to the Dragon Signs FAW Trophy Final on Saturday 29th April against Trethomas Bluebirds to be played at Latham Park , Newtown.

Our Club reporter Ollie Williams has been looking into Denbigh's last and only appearance in the final of this prestigious competition. His report is below.

In 1924, Denbigh United - yes, United - were having perhaps their greatest-ever season at the time. Having merged with Denbigh Asylum Football Club in May 1921, the re-named United would see the move pay off in extraordinary ways.

Football had always been popular in Denbigh, with clubs formed as early as 1876 and at one time up to five played in the town including the likes of the Church Guild, Athletic, Cons, Liberals, Amateurs, Asylum, Town, Grasshoppers, Albion and more. Hundreds if not often thousands would flock to these matches as the sport boomed in the late 1800s but Denbigh Town brought back limited success other than one-day tournaments played in Caernarfon and St Asaph in 1891 and 1892 respectively.

That was until the 1923/24 campaign. Entering the Welsh National League in the September, the league form left, to put it mildly, a lot to be desired. The likes of champions Oswestry, Chirk, Shrewsbury, and Flint put Denbigh to the sword but far bigger prizes than a respectable league position were at play - a tonic to finishing 16th of 17.

Denbigh entered the ‘Amateur Cup’ as it was known in January 1924 after being exempt from the earlier rounds. This Welsh national competition would start, naturally, in England. Travelling to face Northern Nomads in Hoylake. The Nomads, as you could guess, played with no fixed abode, and would balance their matches between Manchester and Liverpool. Denbigh journeyed across the border where Jackie Jones’ goal was cancelled out in a 1-1 draw. The replay in Denbigh wouldn’t be so close, with United running out 3-0 winners in the replay.

The next round would come at home - that home being Denbigh Asylum, as it had been since merging clubs. Not that it hadn’t come with its issues. In February 1923 famed Welsh international Lot Jones was locked - albeit accidentally - in the Asylum following a match against Oswestry, before his side realised and released the 20-time capped Welshman!

Though most of us know Central Park as the home of football in the town, it follows Howell’s School, Graig Road and the Asylum as the former home grounds for Denbigh.

The visitors in the next round were Brymbo Green in what was a hotly contested affair. Goals from Bates, Miles and once again Jackie Jones sealed a 3-2 win and sent Denbigh through to the Semi-Final.

Played on neutral ground, Denbigh made their way to Shrewsbury to take on Barry Amateurs in the final four. Elsewhere, Lovell’s Athletic faced Chirk in Oswestry. Again, Bates made his mark opening the scoring before Mills doubled the Denbigh lead. A second half strike from Penny for Barry made it a nervy affair but it wasn’t enough, Denbigh booked their place in the showpiece.

Across Shropshire, Lovell’s defeated Chirk 1-0 to begin an era of cup success for the factory side from Newport.

Nicknamed the Toffee Men, Lovell’s were a factory side of GF Lovell & Co. and had only formed a few years prior to reaching the decider. Twelve months previously they’d reached the final and were on the hunt for revenge after tasting defeat against Acrefair.

They went on to have roaring success, and at one time were the premier side of Newport before closing their doors in 1969 with numerous successes, including a Welsh Cup in 1948 and three Amateur Cups in the 1920s, but not one against Denbigh.

The 1924 Final was held at Barcoed Park in Mold on April 19th but before this Denbigh had other business to take care of. After victories over St Asaph, Ruthin, Conwy and Holyhead, they faced Barmouth in the North Wales Coast Amateur Cup Final in Bangor. Jackie Jones scored the only goal setting up a potential cup double when they faced Lovell’s the next weekend.

Both sides lined-up for the FAW Amateur Final as follows:

Denbigh: J. Hayward, Arthur Lewis, R. Evans, D.T. Jones, Ernest Jones, W. Lewis, J. Bartley, Jack Jones, Bates, E.E. Davies, R. Miles.

Lovell's Athletic: T. Howells, W. Hallman, H. Church, F. Hodson, C. Williams, S. Brusher, H. Graham, A. Mitchell, W. Beer, R. Macdonald, W. Hill.

On a warm Spring afternoon, the two sides lined up in Mold, with only one able to take the trophy home. Referee Mr G.H. Ellis of Hawarden got the game underway where Denbigh began brightly. Davies gave Denbigh the lead before Bates, so reliable in the cup for Denbigh, grabbed a second before half-time with a rasping shot from range.

Lovell’s responded well in the second half with Hill pulling a goal back, but Denbigh had their goalkeeper Hayward to thank who made a string of fine saves to see out the match. Their young captain Ernest Jones was presented the trophy by chairman of the FAW Mr R.T. Gough and so began a 99 year wait for a taste of the final again.

Denbigh wouldn’t see such success again until a golden period of the 1970s and wouldn’t reach a national final until 2016 when losing out to The New Saints in the League Cup Final.

Major underdogs when facing the then Welsh Champions, this year Denbigh have a real chance of gaining a national title for just the second time in the club’s long and illustrious history under the stewardship of Dewi Llion Jones and his coaching staff and much like 1924, a famous Cup double.

The 2022/23 campaign hasn’t seen Denbigh Town so close knit and backed in many years. The squad, staff, volunteers and supporters have rallied around what’s hoped to be a successful campaign with three fronts being fought on - Ardal North-West, FAW Dragon Signs Amateur Trophy and Ardal Northern League Cup.

Never has Denbigh ever needed to be more ‘United’ than they are right now.

Ollie Williams
Lifetime Denbigh Town supporter

The players and officials in the photo are as follows :
Back Row - Left to right
D Bloor ( Secretary), David T Jones, Arthur Lewis ( Junior International Cap), Jack Hayward, Bob Evans ( Junior International Cap), Warren Lewis, Tommy J Davies ( Trainer)
Front Row - Left to right
Joe Bartley, Jackie Jones, Ernie Jones , Tecwyn Bates, E.E Davies, Bobby Miles
Welsh FA Amateur Cup, Mascot - Warren Lewis' son, North Wales Coast Amateur Cup