No club from the third tier has ever reached the JD Welsh Cup Final but Bangor City 1876 are daring to dream as they prepare to take on Flint Town United on Saturday (KO 12:45pm).
“We can all dream, can’t we?” manager Michael Johnston told Sgorio earlier this week.
The match against the side from the JD Cymru Premier will take place at the Go Goodwins Stadium, Llandudno and the live TV cameras will be there to broadcast what could be history in the making.
“Whoever came out of the hat was going to be tricky,” Johnston added. “But in order to go and win the thing you’ve got to go and beat the best teams. We’re pleased to be this far in the competition, and hopefully we can go that one step further, and maybe even win it.”
Johnston experienced plenty of JD Welsh Cup success with Bangor City in the past. Under the management of the legendary Nev Powell, the former club won the trophy three seasons in succession in 2008, 2009 and again 2010, and were only denied a domestic double in 2011 when they lost in the final having already claimed the JD Cymru Premier title.
However, following the demise of the former club, it is Bangor City 1876 that are now writing their own history in the competition. Currently top of the Lock Stock Ardal North West, the side are on the verge of a return to the JD Cymru North, but their ambitions stretch much further with new investment on and off the field determined to restore former glory.
“The Welsh Cup is really special to me,” Johnston added. “The lads know how many times I’ve won it as a player and how many finals I’ve been to. What we’re doing in the cup this year is special, and I know that this one will feel the most special to me.
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“I feel like we talk about the final lot, but we’ve still got a big, big game coming up against Flint. Flint are a very, very tough side. We need to get through that as well, but if you’re talking about what-ifs, definitely this would be high up there with the biggest achievement that I’ve done.”
Bangor City 1876 have disposed of Mochdre Sports, Conwy Borough Swifts, St Asaph City, Guilsfield, Holywell Town as well JD Cymru South promotion challengers Trefelin and Caerau Ely to reach the last four of the competition. Their 3-1 victory over Caerau Ely in the quarter-final attracted an incredible 2,814 fans to the Bangor City Stadium.
“It’s a different club now, but to me it feels pretty much exactly the same,” explained striker Jamie Reed to Sgorio. “Although we’re a tier three side, Bangor is a big club, and when you get the crowd behind you… football’s about moments, and I’ve seen that in every round this year. I love the Welsh Cup because it gives the smaller teams, the underdogs so to speak, a chance.”
Reed has his own JD Welsh Cup history having lifted the trophy alongside Johnston in 2010 before picking up a second winners’ medal with The New Saints in 2015. The competition has been wide open this season following the early elimination of TNS and Connah’s Quay Nomads, and all four teams in the semi-finals will back themselves to succeed this weekend.
Competition for places has played an important part in the success of Bangor City 1876 this season, and while they made headlines in January with the signing of two-time JD Cymru Premier Golden Boot winner Declan McManus, 38-year-old Reed already has 16 goals to his name in all competitions.
Remarkably, considering they are a tier three side, Bangor City 1876 have scored 28 goals in this season’s competition already, second only to The New Saints’ record 35-goal haul in 2024/25. With McManus now providing another devastating option in attack, even more history could yet be written in this incredible campaign.
“Everyone wants to be playing,” added Reed. “I’m an old man now, but I said I want to play and it’s tough to have those conversations, but it’s always cleared up and we’re still mates at the end of the day. We played together a long time ago and we’ve been through a lot together.”
“We’ve been friends for a long, long time now,” confirmed Johnston. “We’ve played together, but now I’m his manager. I value his opinion, but he also respects that at the end of the day, he’s got a job to do, but on the flip side, so have I. Friendship goes out of the window for 90 minutes, but then you’re back friends again after that.”
