The JD Cymru North title race has been fascinating to observe in recent years and this season is expected to be no different ahead of the start of the campaign this weekend.
Holywell Town claimed the title last season but were rejected for a tier one licence, so Johnny Haseldin’s men will be keen to retain the trophy.
Jamie Breese scored 17 goals in 16 league appearances for the Wellmen after joining in January last season and he has already hit the ground running this term with a goal in the Nathaniel MG Cup last weekend.
Kristian Platt has arrived from Airbus to further bolster what was the division’s tightest defence last year, while Jake Roberts has joined after netting 17 league goals for Mold Alexandra.
JD Cymru North fixtures
Colwyn Bay went up to the JD Cymru Premier as JD Cymru North champions in 2022/23, but are back in the second tier following a challenging campaign in the top-flight.
JD Cymru Premier legend Mike Wilde is taking his first steps in management at the Four Crosses Construction Arena and he has been busy assembling a squad which he hopes will take the Seagulls straight back up.
New arrivals Joe Williams, Jay Owen and Sol Forde were all key parts of the Flint Town United team that won promotion last season, while teenager forward Gwion Dafydd – on loan from The New Saints – has been called up to the last two Cymru C squads.
Airbus UK Broughton battled against Holywell and Flint for the title last season – losing only twice in the league all year – before ultimately finishing third.
Mark Allen will have been disappointed to lose the experience of Kristian Platt and Craig Lindfield in the transfer window, but young talents Tyler McManus and Kaiden Cooke could flourish this term.
The Wingmakers have also added one of North Wales’ most prolific marksmen in Danny Warren, who has scored 30 goals in the JD Cymru North for Mold Alexandra over the last two seasons.
Warren is one of several players to have departed Mold Alexandra this summer – along with the likes of Rhys Nash and Jake Roberts – as the squad has undergone a transformation under new boss Barry Owen.
Owen replaces Mike Cunningham, who led the Alex to a fourth-place finish last term and victory in the Welsh Blood Service League Cup national final against Briton Ferry Llansawel.
The man signed to try to replace Warren’s goals is 23-year-old Owen Gardiner, who found the net 27 times in 21 appearances in the fourth tier for Corwen last season.
Bangor 1876 impressed in their first campaign in the JD Cymru North last season, finishing fifth – which led to Michael Johnston being nominated for the division’s Manager of the Season award.
Johnston has kept largely the same squad going into the new campaign, meaning striker Corrig McGonigle – who hit 26 league goals last season – will once again be the key dangerman at Nantporth.
The squad’s only arrivals have come in defence, where Telor Williams and Jake Ellison have been recruited from Porthmadog and Chirk AAA respectively. They begin the campaign with an enticing trip to Colwyn Bay on Friday night.
Denbigh Town also seamlessly stepped up to the second tier last year, with Dewi Llion leading his side to a sixth-place finish. Only the league’s top three scored more goals throughout the campaign.
Matthew Worrall’s departure is a blow, but the club’s best piece of business has been securing the permanent signing of Owen Davies – who scored 10 goals on loan from The New Saints in the second half of last season.
The arrival of 19-year-old Iwan Roberts could also prove key. The midfielder was capped by Cymru at U18 level and was highly-rated in Liverpool’s academy before playing in the JD Cymru Premier for Bala Town last season.
While one team from Flint may have departed the JD Cymru North for the top-flight, the town still has representation in the division thanks to Flint Mountain’s promotion from the Ardal North West.
Aden Shannon’s side lifted the league title after winning 22 of their 30 matches, while they also enjoyed a memorable run in the JD Welsh Cup by reaching the quarter-finals.
The likes of Mike Hayes and Rob Hughes, who have campaigns in the JD Cymru Premier behind them, bring plenty of experience to Mountain as they seek to adapt to the second tier.
Penrhyncoch were relegated from the JD Cymru North in 2023 but have bounced straight back courtesy of their Ardal North East title win last season.
The Roosters also reached the final of the Dragon Signs Amateur Trophy in April as they enjoyed a memorable campaign under the guidance of Gari Lewis.
Former Cardiff Met and Carmarthen Town striker Dion Phillips is the man to watch out for in Penrhyncoch’s attack after he bagged 17 league goals last season.
The final team to earn promotion last season were Llay Miners Welfare, who triumphed over Llanuwchllyn on penalties in the Ardal North play-off.
Former Ruthin Town boss Phil Hudson has taken over in the dugout since the club’s promotion and made the perfect start to life in charge with victory over Denbigh Town in the Nathaniel MG Cup last weekend.
Matthew Worrall scored twice in that game and he could prove an astute signing after netting 13 league goals for Denbigh last term.
Llandudno’s young side earned plenty of plaudits last season after they went from picking up just three points from their first nine games to comfortably surviving relegation and reaching the Welsh Blood Service League Cup Northern final.
23-year-old manager Jordan Hadaway has sought to add experience to his squad over the summer, with Mark Cadwallader, Anthony Stephens and Mark Winslade all arriving to complement the side’s young prospects.
Harvey Bennett, 18, is perhaps the standout name among the youth as he racked up 12 goals in 24 appearances in the JD Cymru North last season.
Guilsfield achieved a top-half finish in the JD Cymru North last season and reached the semi-finals of the Nathaniel MG Cup for the first time in their history, but manager Nathan Leonard departed Clos Mytton in June after four years in charge.
An official replacement is yet to be named by the club, but the Guils have managed to keep hold of prolific striker Iwan Matthews – who hit the 20-goal mark last season and was called up to Leonard’s Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru North squad.
Matthews will be supported in attack by new arrival James Smallwood, who has already got off the mark in the Nathaniel MG Cup.
Guilsfield begin the league campaign against fellow Powys side Caersws, who finished ninth in the table last season following promotion from the third tier.
Bluebirds legend Neil Mitchell has departed after 12 years at the club across two spells, a blow both off and on the pitch after he scored 14 league goals last season.
New arrival Max McLaughlin will be tasked with replacing that attacking threat – he scored 12 goals in the JD Cymru North last season despite Chirk AAA’s relegation.
It will be a first full season as Ruthin Town boss for Dave Evans, who stepped up from assistant manager for the final five games of last season and earned 13 points from a possible 15.
It helped Ruthin finish seventh in the table, while they also ended Holywell Town’s 14-match winning streak at the start of April.
The losses of defenders Tom Dyer and Vita Mbolokele will be keenly felt, but a 2-1 win over Bangor 1876 in the Nathaniel MG Cup last weekend proved that Evans’ men can compete with the best in the division.
Prestatyn Town – JD Cymru North champions in 2020 – only survived relegation from the division on the final day of last season, so they will hope for a better campaign in 2024/25.
The Seasiders’ top three scorers from last season – Dan Atkins, Tom Weir and Karl Clair – are no longer at the club, so all eyes will be on teenager Alfie Vaughan and new arrival Sam Duffy who scored eight league goals for Mold Alexandra last term.
In defence, manager Matty Roberts has recruited goalkeeper Luke Jones and centre-back David Hayes from his former club St Asaph City, while Zebb Edwards is back at Bastion Gardens for a third spell.
Buckley Town battled against relegation in the first half of last season, but a strong run after the turn of the year saw them eventually finish 14 points clear of the drop.
Experienced midfielder Danny Holland has arrived at The Globe alongside promising teenage forward Rhys Edwards, while Nick Grogan has made his loan spell from The New Saints permanent.
A 5-1 win over Prestatyn Town in the Nathaniel MG Cup last weekend – inspired by Max Moore’s hat-trick – was the perfect way for the Bucks to open the campaign.
Gresford Athletic also earned a convincing victory in the cup to begin the season, defeating Flint Mountain 3-0, and they will now aim to build on two consecutive 10th place finishes in the JD Cymru North.
Eddie Maurice-Jones is the third-longest serving manager in the division and he has been busy bolstering his squad over the summer.
Alex Smith, Joe Ormod and Josh Watkin have all arrived from Mold Alexandra, while goalkeeper Lewis Dutton is back on a permanent deal after his successful loan move from Airbus last season.
