Former Caernarfon player-manager Wayne Phillips will take his place in the stands for the JD Welsh Cup Final, with all loyalties firmly with son Jake of Flint Town United.
For Caernarfon-born Waynne Phillips, memories of the JD Welsh Cup are among the most cherished of a career that spanned over 200 league appearances for Wrexham and a stint as player-manager of his hometown club. However, Sunday’s final carries a unique weight for the Phillips family, with Waynne’s son, Jake, set to line up for Flint Town United.
“I was a proud Caernarfon boy; I was born in Bangor and lived in Caernarfon for the first 17 years of my life,” Waynne reflects. “We were brought up on a council estate there and I know a lot of people around the town. With such a large family, I still have siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins in the area. It’s likely going to be difficult for them on Sunday choosing between family and their town, but I’ll let them make that decision and put no pressure on them.”
Phillips’ own path back into the game followed a devastating leg break that threatened to end his playing days prematurely. He credits former Caernarfon Town chairman George Denham and manager Adie Jones for persuading him to lace up his boots once more, this time in the Welsh system.
“The medical team and consultants told me I probably wouldn’t play football again after such a bad break,” he recalls. “I was grateful to Adie and George for giving me the opportunity to return to what I still call my hometown club. To get back onto the pitch after that diagnosis was a special moment for me.”
That return eventually led to an unexpected transition into the dugout. Following Adie Jones’ departure, Phillips found himself in the dual role of player-manager, a chastening new experience.
“It wasn’t what I had expected. Not only was I managing and playing, but I was also cutting the grass on a Friday, marking the pitch on Saturday morning, and driving the minibus down to South Wales. I’d come home on a Saturday night and wash the kit in the bath!”
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Phillips’ history with the JD Welsh Cup is extensive. He made his Wrexham debut in the competition and went on to appear in three finals.
“My first game for Wrexham was in the Welsh Cup at the Racecourse against Rhyl. We drew 1-1 and won the replay,” he says. While he remembers the sting of final defeats to Hereford in 1990 and Swansea City in 1991, those losses made the 1995 victory over Cardiff City even sweeter. “I still have that winner’s medal, which I treasure alongside a lot of other memorabilia from my time in football.
Despite the evolving landscape of the domestic game, Phillips insists the competition has lost none of its prestige. “Winning the Welsh Cup for Caernarfon Town or Flint Town on Sunday will mean just as much as it would for any club. It remains a major competition and a fantastic one to be involved in. I loved every minute of my 25-plus appearances in it.”
With Jake now just 90 minutes away from matching his father’s achievement, Waynne has deliberately kept his distance to allow his son to focus.
“I have spoken to Jake this week, but not a lot about football. I don’t get involved with interfering. I’ve never been a dad to put pressure on Jake to play. From a very young age he got into Wrexham Academy and was in the same year as Harry Wilson and Nathan Broadhead. Harry and Nathan have gone onto wonderful things, Jake wasn’t as fortunate. It wasn’t a good time for Wrexham back then with the struggles they were having at first-team level and there were a lot of talented players, like Jake, who ended up in the Welsh Premier. I now go there just to support, and I’ll be doing that this weekend.
On Sunday, Waynne’s loyalties will be firmly with his son, even if it means ignoring his former club Wrexham’s result elsewhere on the day.
“I’m putting Wrexham’s game at Birmingham to the back of my mind because all my thoughts will be with Jake. I hope they can have a special day. When I look back to 1995, lifting that trophy was such a momentous occasion. It’s a completely different feeling when you lose, but that’s the reality of a final – there can only be one winner.”
