Four years ago, Madison Williams and Polly Wild-McGregor played for the same Penrhyn Bay team that reached the Bute Energy U16s Cup final at Latham Park.
On Sunday, they will captain opposing sides, Pontypridd United and Connah’s Quay Nomads respectively, in the Genero Adran Leagues promotion play-off at the same venue.
Even as young players, Penrhyn Bay coach Gareth Rawling always knew the talent that both players had.
Genero Adran Leagues play-off
“I knew Maddie’s parents and I always wanted her to play football, but she would be interested in doing some other things. Then one day, while we were training, I shouted over to her asking if she wanted to join, and she did, and the rest is history!
“Even when she was younger, she had very strong leadership qualities, a very confident player, and a very strong one. She played for me in a cup final once, and from there she went on to get her Wales U17 cap and I was there for that, but she was a strong player.
“I remember Polly came to us, and she lived a fair while from Penrhyn Bay, so to come and do training with us and play for us was really quite a big deal for her and her family.
“She was a young player when I coached her, but you could tell how talented she was but also, she was great off the pitch too. She was very athletic, and she would score so many goals.”
On Wild-McGregor, Rawling was always aware of how clinical she was in front of goal and says it doesn’t surprise him one bit that the midfielder has notched 21 goals in just 12 league games during this campaign.
“It’s no surprise to me that Polly has scored as many goals as she has done this season. I actually said to her she could have easily scored 30 this season! Even when she was young, she would score a lot, so to see her get that many from midfield doesn’t surprise me one bit.”
Williams, on the other hand, was a different kind of midfielder, one Rawling likened to a Manchester United legend.
“Maddie was someone who was always aggressive when tackling, very tenacious, in a way like a Roy Keane kind of player. She would battle for everything on the pitch, but like Polly, Maddie was a very good player.”
But when you put both in the same team, both would perform. Rawling stated both had the ability to play anywhere on the field, and in Williams’ case, she really did play anywhere!
“When we were playing them at Penrhyn Bay, I think we played Polly as a winger and Maddie in the midfield, but at one stage Maddie played in goal for us! She played in a lot of different positions on the pitch, as did Polly, both could really play anywhere.
“Maddie read the game really well, while Polly always had a great eye for goal, so you could really slot them in anywhere in the midfield and attack.”
Sunday will be a real testament to Rawling and everyone at Penrhyn Bay.
Williams and Wild-McGregor aren’t the only stars, however, to have come through on the North Wales coast. Cymru international Mayzee Davies, and Rawling’s daughter Sophie, both played for the club, but in Newtown on Sunday, it will be another proud moment for Gareth.
“I’m super proud to see what they’ve both done since being with us. I went with Maddie’s mum and dad to watch her for Wales U17s against Italy and Sweden, because my daughter Sophie was also in the same squad as her, and it made me realise just how far players like her and Polly have come.
“Penrhyn Bay isn’t a big place, but to see what the club has produced with the likes of Maddie and Polly is very special for me and a lot of other people.”
