Arfon Griffiths
Encyclopedia
Arfon Trevor Griffiths is a Welsh
former football player and manager. During his playing career which lasted from 1959 to 1979, Griffiths played at both professional and international levels, before becoming a football manager.
, Griffiths was originally spotted in local junior football by former Wrexham player Frank Blew
, who then alerted the club's manager Cliff Lloyd
. He initially signed Griffiths on amateur forms in May 1957, as the youngster turned down offers of trials from both Liverpool
and Sheffield Wednesday
. This started a 22 year-long association between with Wrexham as both player and manager.
He made his first team in a 2-1 home win over Reading
in November 1959, having been a member of the previous season’s successful Welsh Youth Cup winning side. He kept his place in the side for the rest of the season collecting a Welsh Cup
winners' medal from a 1-0 win over Cardiff City
.
He became an established member of the side during 1960-61
, and it was not long before the bigger clubs began to take an interest. In February 1961 Arsenal
paid £15,500 to take him to Highbury
, and he made his debut in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers
on April 22, 1961. He broke through intermittently in the 1961-62
season, making 14 league appearances as an attacking midfiielder, scoring twice. Unable to maintain a first-team place, Griffiths returned to Wrexham in September 1962.
Affectionately known to Wrexham fans as the 'Prince of Wales', he played a major part to some of the most successful years in Wrexham Football Club's history. These include guiding the club to promotion in both 1962-63 and 1969–70; winning the Welsh Cup four times; playing in three European campaigns, which included reaching the quarter-final stages of the European Cup Winners' Cup
in 1976, before losing out to the eventual winners RSC Anderlecht, 2-1, on aggregate. He was awarded a testimonial match in 1972 against Bill Shankly
's Liverpool
, which netted him £3,000 for his testimonial fund. In total he made a club record 591 Football League appearances and scoring the second highest total number of goals in the club's history, 120.
These successes also led him on to international recognition by gaining 17 full Welsh caps
, the highlight of which was scoring at the Racecourse Ground
against Austria
in 1975, which enabled Wales to qualify for the 1976 European Football Championship finals. He was also selected for a Welsh FA
tour to New Zealand
, Australia
, Tahiti
and Malaysia in 1971.
He played under eight managers at Wrexham, before taking charge himself in the summer of 1977 following the resignation of John Neal
. Arfon had previously been his assistant manager for a year. Wrexham's directors had no hesitation in appointing him as Neal's replacement, and he kept faith with the same squad that had just missed out on promotion at the end of the previous season.
He was soon to lose the services of Billy Ashcroft
, however, who followed Neal to Middlesbrough
. Griffiths then splashed out in the transfer market, spending £60,000 to bring in Dixie McNeil
from Hereford United
as Ashcroft's replacement; £8,000 for Dai Davies
from Everton
; and £40,000 to Coventry City
for Les Cartwright. These three signings were a key part of the side that Griffiths led to the Third Division
championship, becoming the first manager in the club's history to win promotion to the then Second Division
.
Injuries affected the team's performances in the Second Division and they struggled to come to terms with a higher grade of football. When the going got tough the crowds began to drop, and, in the summer of 1981, Griffiths resigned on a matter of principle after an internal disagreement.
Although he began to assist Bangor City
with their training in an advisory capacity, he was to make a quick return to football management, however, when he was appointed manager of Crewe Alexandra
on 3 August 1981. He spent just over a season at Gresty Road until relieved of his duties in October 1982. He did play for his local side, Gresford Athletic
, in the Welsh National League, for a short while, before finishing with football altogether to concentrate on his newsagents' shop in the village and playing golf.
Griffiths was awarded the MBE
in June 1976 for his services to Welsh soccer, and he in 2006 he was made Club President of his home town club, Wrexham, as well as being added to the club's Hall of Fame
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
former football player and manager. During his playing career which lasted from 1959 to 1979, Griffiths played at both professional and international levels, before becoming a football manager.
Career
Born in WrexhamWrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Griffiths was originally spotted in local junior football by former Wrexham player Frank Blew
Frank Blew
Frank William Elford Blew was a Welsh footballer who played as either a left back or centre forward for Wrexham and Llandudno in the 1920s. Blew also played for the Wales Amateur team...
, who then alerted the club's manager Cliff Lloyd
Cliff Lloyd
Cliff Lloyd was a manager for the football club Wrexham. He played for them during 1938 and 1939 and war time. He played in 12 games overall. In those twelve games, he scored two goals. He became a secretary over 1949-73. He was manager from 1955–1957 and a caretaker manager in 1950, 1959, 1965,...
. He initially signed Griffiths on amateur forms in May 1957, as the youngster turned down offers of trials from both Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
. This started a 22 year-long association between with Wrexham as both player and manager.
He made his first team in a 2-1 home win over Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in November 1959, having been a member of the previous season’s successful Welsh Youth Cup winning side. He kept his place in the side for the rest of the season collecting a Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winners' medal from a 1-0 win over Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
.
He became an established member of the side during 1960-61
1960-61 in English football
The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season was a historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions...
, and it was not long before the bigger clubs began to take an interest. In February 1961 Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
paid £15,500 to take him to Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
, and he made his debut in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on April 22, 1961. He broke through intermittently in the 1961-62
1961-62 in English football
The 1961–62 season was the 82nd season of competitive Football in England.-Overview:The season was notable for the remarkable achievement of Ipswich Town winning the League Championship. Under the managership of Alf Ramsey, the club progressed from the old Third Division South to the First Division...
season, making 14 league appearances as an attacking midfiielder, scoring twice. Unable to maintain a first-team place, Griffiths returned to Wrexham in September 1962.
Affectionately known to Wrexham fans as the 'Prince of Wales', he played a major part to some of the most successful years in Wrexham Football Club's history. These include guiding the club to promotion in both 1962-63 and 1969–70; winning the Welsh Cup four times; playing in three European campaigns, which included reaching the quarter-final stages of the European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
in 1976, before losing out to the eventual winners RSC Anderlecht, 2-1, on aggregate. He was awarded a testimonial match in 1972 against Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
's Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, which netted him £3,000 for his testimonial fund. In total he made a club record 591 Football League appearances and scoring the second highest total number of goals in the club's history, 120.
These successes also led him on to international recognition by gaining 17 full Welsh caps
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, the highlight of which was scoring at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
in 1975, which enabled Wales to qualify for the 1976 European Football Championship finals. He was also selected for a Welsh FA
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
tour to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
and Malaysia in 1971.
He played under eight managers at Wrexham, before taking charge himself in the summer of 1977 following the resignation of John Neal
John Neal
-External links:* * * -Selected Works Available online:* * * * * and * and * * *...
. Arfon had previously been his assistant manager for a year. Wrexham's directors had no hesitation in appointing him as Neal's replacement, and he kept faith with the same squad that had just missed out on promotion at the end of the previous season.
He was soon to lose the services of Billy Ashcroft
Billy Ashcroft
Billy Ashcroft is a retired football player from England, who could play as a central defender or as a striker. He made his League debut for Middlesbrough on 3 September 1977 in a 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion, after having served Wrexham for seven years, playing 219 matches and scoring 72...
, however, who followed Neal to Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. Griffiths then splashed out in the transfer market, spending £60,000 to bring in Dixie McNeil
Dixie McNeil
Dixie McNeil is a former English footballer and manager, who played as a striker.As a schoolboy, McNeil signed for his local club Leicester City F.C. after playing for local club Holwell Works. However he did not fit into the First Division side's plans and was released. He made his football...
from Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
as Ashcroft's replacement; £8,000 for Dai Davies
Dai Davies
William David Davies, better known as Dai Davies , is a former professional footballer, who played in goal between 1969 and 1987...
from Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
; and £40,000 to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
for Les Cartwright. These three signings were a key part of the side that Griffiths led to the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
championship, becoming the first manager in the club's history to win promotion to the then Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
.
Injuries affected the team's performances in the Second Division and they struggled to come to terms with a higher grade of football. When the going got tough the crowds began to drop, and, in the summer of 1981, Griffiths resigned on a matter of principle after an internal disagreement.
Although he began to assist Bangor City
Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....
with their training in an advisory capacity, he was to make a quick return to football management, however, when he was appointed manager of Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
on 3 August 1981. He spent just over a season at Gresty Road until relieved of his duties in October 1982. He did play for his local side, Gresford Athletic
Gresford Athletic F.C.
Gresford Athletic F.C. is a football team from Gresford, near Wrexham, Wales who play in the Welsh National League Premier Division, which is in the third level of the Welsh football league system. The club was founded in 1946 and play their home games at Clappers Lane, Gresford.-External links:*...
, in the Welsh National League, for a short while, before finishing with football altogether to concentrate on his newsagents' shop in the village and playing golf.
Griffiths was awarded the MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
in June 1976 for his services to Welsh soccer, and he in 2006 he was made Club President of his home town club, Wrexham, as well as being added to the club's Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
.