A famous old name from North Wales football, Bethesda Athletic, has this season returned to the second tier on Welsh football “The Huws Gray Cymru Aliance” league.

  Bethesda Athletic was formed in just after the Second World War 1946, although immediately after the Great War in 1919 a team known as Bethesda Comrades was playing in the North Wales Coast League.  This name changed to Bethesda United and during the 1930s Bethesda Victoria were involved in North Wales football circles. Victoria won the North Wales Combination and NWCFA Cup in 1931-31.

  Athletic also enjoyed some good runs in both The Welsh Cup and The English F.A. Cup, as well as the non league version, the FA Trophy whose final was also staged at Wembley in later seasons.  In 1960 a fine Welsh Cup run saw wins over Nantle Vale, Penmaenmawr and Pwllheli set up a Quarter Final date with Cardiff City which ended in a six nil defeat - but not dishonour - against the eventual winners.

  In 1970 Bethesda took Tamworth to two replays before finally bowing out.  In 1974 Bethesda knocked out South Liverpool in the Qualifying rounds of The FA Cup but were eventually beaten by Rhyl in a second replay after two drawn matches.  In 1976 they beat Oswestry Town but were knocked out by A5 neighbours Bangor City at Farrar Road. The score was 4-2 goals from Broadhead, Olney and John Hughes for Bangor and Alan Leicester for Bethesda.

  In 1990 when fellow alliance members Fflint, Conwy,  Porthmadog and Connah’s Quay joined the newly formed Cymru Alliance.  Bethesda stayed put in the Welsh Alliance.  After finishing third in that league in 1991 Athletic opted to drop down to the local Caernarfon & District League where they remained until stepping up to the Gwynedd League as champions in 1998 and then after two seasons straight up to the Welsh Alliance in 2000.

  Nine years later, and after two successive championships and their ground in order, Bethesda proudly stepped up to the second tier of Welsh football - the Cymru Alliance.