‘I know who dobbed us in’

 

The scandal rocked the amateur game and caused friction between local clubs and officials as accusation followed accusation and Welshpool carried the can for what appeared to be serious failings at the Football Association of Wales (FAW), English FA and the Belgian FA.

 

The revelation that Billy Morris, a diminutive striker who arrived on Welshpool’s doorstep from out of nowhere, was banned by the English FA completely stunned the club and denied one of its most talented ever sides a much coveted title.

 

The fall-out from the scandal was ugly but despite three appeals and top level intervention, Welshpool went from 11-point champions to bottom of the league with just one point.

 

Twenty years on and mywelshpool has caught up with the side’s manager Clive McNamee who says the memories are still fresh in his mind as he relives that tumultuous period for local football.

 

 

“Billy got in touch with us through the Welsh FA. He had just returned from working in Belgium. He contacted the Welsh FA to ask which Welsh border clubs were easiest for him to commute to from his home in Wolverhampton.

 

He was told to try Welshpool, Caersws and Flint. He thought Flint was too far and decided to try Caersws and Welshpool. I was desperate for a striker and persuaded him to sign for us without trying Caersws. It was no great deal that he intended to travel to Wales to play as at that time there was a lot of players travelling good distances to play in Welsh football. Billy was also working in the area so I suppose it added up.

 

I had no idea there was a problem until I had a telephone call from our President Mr Tegwyn Evans on the Friday afternoon prior to our penultimate game with Carno. He said he had been to a FA meeting in Cardiff and had heard there may be a problem with Billy’s registration.

 

I phoned Billy straight away and he assured me there was no problem and he had received International clearance from the English FA to play whilst he was in Belgium. I had gained the same from the Welsh FA prior to Billy playing his first game for us. Tegwyn asked me not to play Billy until we had got to the bottom of it all. I left him out of the Carno game and told the rest of the players he was working.

 

It turned out Billy had been banned sine die by the Staffordshire FA for an out of season misdemeanour after an indoor 5-a-side competition when he was manager of his local pub team.

 

Alan Evans was the secretary of the Welsh FA at the time and he apologised to Welshpool through his column in the Western Mail. He said the club should be exonerated from all blame but unfortunately must be held responsible and had to carry the can.

 

The league rule at the time read ‘any club playing an illegible player would be deducted 3 points’. That’s what we should have lost, not the 66 points that we eventually did. The next season the league changed the rule to read ‘any club playing an illegible player would be deducted 3 points for each game the player had played’, and Billy had his ban lifted and signed for Llansantffraid.

 

We appealed three times against the decision but to no avail. I am convinced the English FA had made a grave error in allowing Billy International clearance to play in Belgium and in turn the Welsh FA for allowing him to play for us. They then had to back track and stick together and we took the brunt as a club.

 

We had a lot of sympathy from clubs from all over the country and a solicitor from the Nantwich area was willing to fight our case for us and take it to the European Court of Arbitration. The Welshpool committee of the time decided against it. I always promised myself if I won the lottery I would re-open the case and clear the club’s name! I suppose I’ve mellowed over the years. I know we won the league fair and square and I think we would have faired pretty well in the new League of Wales. The team broke up shortly after that and we finished sixth the next season.

 

I know who reported us to the Welsh FA but it is water under the bridge now and not worth re-opening old wounds. It disappoints me to think that they let us go all season before deciding to report us. The week we won the league the Welsh FA received the letter.

 

Billy was a brilliant player and a great bloke and I still keep in touch with him occasionally. He went on to play for Newtown, Llansantffraid and Cwmbran. He later coached the youngsters at Wolves.”