2011–12 The New Saints F.C. season

The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid
2011–12 season
Welsh Premier League Champions[1]
Welsh Cup Winners[1]
Welsh League Cup Semi Final
UEFA Europa League Qualifying round
Top goalscorer League: Greg Draper, 22 goals
All: Greg Draper, 28 goals
Highest home attendance 1468 vs Bangor City, 21 April 2012
Average home league attendance League:
Home colours
Away colours

The 2011–12 season of The New Saints F.C. is TNS's 19th consecutive season in the Welsh Premier League along with being the club's 53rd season in existence. The club began their pre-season friendly schedule on 12 June 2011 with a win against a team representing Ynys Môn.

Season review

After completing early pre-season friendlies, the club played its 2011–12 UEFA Europa League qualifying round matches, winning on aggregate in the first qualifying round against Clifftonville before being eliminated in the next round against Danish club Midtjylland. In the domestic competitions the season was a successful year with the club regaining the Welsh Premier League in April,[2] by a five-point margin, in a season that saw the club lose just four league matches. Greg Draper finished the season as the club's leading scorer with 21 league goals, just one behind the Llanelli's Rhys Griffiths. The club became the first side to score in every game in a Welsh Premier season since the birth of the League of Wales in 1992.[3] They completed the double on 5 May 2012 beating CEFN Druids F.C. 2-0 in the Welsh Cup final, and thus kept a record on not conceding a goal for the entire Welsh Cup campaign.[1]

The club also progressed to the semi-final stage of the Welsh League Cup.

At the end of the season came the news that the club had submitted entries for the English FA Cup and FA Trophy for the 2012-13 season. This decision meant that the club wished to play in both the Welsh and English domestic cup competitions.[4]

Head coach Carl Darlington received the Welsh Premier League's manager of the year award for 2011/12 at the end of the season.[5]

Season squad

As of 9 February 2012.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
England GK Paul Harrison
Wales GK Alex Ramsey
England DF Phil Baker
Wales DF Steve Evans
England DF Marcus Giglio
England DF Jermaine Johnson (until January 2012)
Wales DF Chris Marriott
Wales DF Connell Rawlinson
Wales DF Simon Spender
Wales MF Aeron Edwards
England MF Sam Finley (from January 2012)
England MF Ryan Fraughan (from January 2012)
England MF Barry Hogan
No. Position Player
England MF Luke Holden (January–February 2012)
Wales MF Craig Jones
Republic of Ireland MF Richie Partridge (retired in August 2011)
Wales MF Tom Roberts
Wales MF Scott Ruscoe
England MF Christian Seargeant
Wales MF Nicky Ward
England MF Chris Williams
Wales FW Alex Darlington
New Zealand FW Greg Draper
Wales FW Charlie Proctor
Scotland FW Chris Sharp (until end of August)
Wales FW Matthew Williams


First Team Transfers

In

N
P
Nat.
Name
Age
EU
Moving from
Type
Transfer
window
Ends
Transfer
fee
Ref.
FW New Zealand Greg Draper 21EU Basingstoke TownEngland Transfer Summer The New Saints FC[6]
MF England Sam Finley 19EU Warrington TownEngland Transfer Winter The New Saints FC[7]
MF England Luke Holden 23EU ChesterEngland Transfer Winter The New Saints FC[8]
DF England Jermaine Johnson 21EU Stafford RangersEngland Transfer Summer The New Saints FC[9]
MF Wales Tom Roberts 18EU Aston VillaEngland Free Agent Summer The New Saints FC[10]
DF Wales Simon Spender 25EU BarrowEngland Transfer Summer The New Saints FC[11]
MF Wales Nicky Ward 33EU Bangor City Transfer Summer The Daily Post[12]
MF England Chris Williams 26EU Rhyl Transfer Summer The New Saints FC[13]

Last updated: 1 January

Out

N
P
Nat.
Name
Age
EU
Moving to
Type
Transfer
window
Transfer
fee
Source
FW Saint Kitts and Nevis Matthew Berkeley 23EU Hyde Released Summer
MF England Luke Holden 23EU Formby Released Winter
DF England Danny Holmes 22EU Tranmere Rovers Released Summer The New Saints FC[11]
DF England Tommy Holmes 31EU Airbus UK Broughton Released Summer The New Saints FC[14]
DF England Jermaine Johnson 22EU Hednesford TownEngland Released Winter Welsh Premier League[15]
DF Wales Sean Jones 20EU Stafford Rangers Released Summer The New Saints FC[16]
MF England John McKenna 20EU Colwyn Bay Released Summer The New Saints FC[16]
MF Wales Ryan Marriott 22EU Released Summer The New Saints FC[16]
MF Republic of Ireland Richie Partridge 30EU Retired Summer BBC Sport[17]
FW Scotland Chris Sharp 25EU AFC Telford United Transfer Summer Undisclosed The New Saints FC[18]
FW England Craig Whitfield 21EU Airbus UK Broughton Released Summer The New Saints FC[16]
MF Wales Craig Williams 28EU Aberystwyth TownWales Released Summer The New Saints FC[16]
MF Cayman Islands Jamie Wood 32EU Released Summer The New Saints FC[16]

Loans out

# Pos Nat. Player To Start End Source
DF England Jermaine Johnson Wales Newtown 8 October 2011 31 December 2011 The New Saints FC[19]
FW Wales Charlie Proctor Wales Llandudno August 2011 ?

Last updated: 20 October 2011

Matches

Competitive

Welsh Premier League

The club started the season with a draw, followed by a defeat by a late goal at Port Talbot Town. Seven wins followed propelling the club to the top of the table and earning first team coach Carl Darlington the Welsh Premier League's manager of the month award for August/ September.[20] This was followed by the club's best win of the season, a 4-0 win against Carmarthen Town, and a draw away at Bala Town.[21] A narrow win at home to Port Talbot Town returned them back to the top of the table.[22] Their first match of November saw them go six points clear at the top of the table, having won eleven of the past twelve matches[23] and Darlington claimed his second manager of the month award on the back of the team's results throughout October.[24] The following matches however saw a reversal of the team's previous good form, with a draw followed by two defeats, at home to Bangor City and away at Afan Lido.

The following week, Director of Football Mike Davies resigned after eighteen months in charge of team affairs.[25][26] The club received more than 50 applications when they advertised the full-time post.[27] On 30 December the club announced the appointment of Craig Harrison as his replacement.[28]

The team ended the year strongly with four wins and a draw, leaving them second at the end of first phase of the season.

Phase one
Phase Two

After a disappointing home defeat to Neath, two away wins saw the team keep up the preasure on league leaders Bangor City.[51] The beginning of March saw the first home league win of the second phase with a home win against Bala Town.[52] The following week saw an away victory over leaders Bangor, and the club moving to the top of the table.[53] The remainder of the season, saw the club win three of the next four games, with a final day of the season match against second placed Bangor City for the second consecutive season. This time they won the final game with a comprehensive 5-0 win,[54] resulting in them being crowned champions for the sixth time.[55]

Results by round

Phase one
Round12345678910111213141516171819202122
GroundHAHAHAHAHHAHHHAHAHAAAH
Result D L W W W W W W W W D W W W D L L D W W W W
Position 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 2 2

Last updated: 26 December 2011.
Source: welsh-premier.com
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

Phase two
Round12345678910
GroundHAAHAAHHAH
Result L W W W W W W D W W
Position 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

Last updated: 21 April 2012.
Source: welsh-premier.com
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

League position

Pos Club Pld W D L F A GD Pts
1The New Saints 3223547531+4474
2Bangor City 3222377245+2769
3Neath 3218866036+2462

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

  Champion   Runner-up   Top 6[nb1]   Play-off   Relegated

UEFA Europa League

The club entered the Europa League in the first qualifying round as a result of having been runners-up of the Welsh Premier League in the 2010-11 season. In the first round they were drawn against Northern Irish side Cliftonville, drawing the first leg at home before winning away 1-0, progressing 2-1 on aggregate. In the second qualifying round they played Danish club Midtjylland losing both times; 3-1 at home and 5-2 away.

Welsh Cup

Main article: 2011–12 Welsh Cup

The club were drawn against reigning Welsh League champions Bryntirion Athletic in the third round of the FAW Welsh Cup,[70] a game the which saw a comfortable victory.[71] In the next round the club were drawn against Newport County.[72] County were forced to play a youth team as their first team were playing league game at the same time in Gateshead. As a result, the Saints ran out 4–0 winners.[73] A narrow victory over fellow full-time club Neath[74] saw them progress to the semi-finals where they played Bala Town, securing a comfortable 4-0 win.[75] In progressing to the final against Cefn Druids, they had cleared each round without conceding a goal. The club completed their second league and club double with a 2-0 win on 5 May.[1]

Welsh League Cup

The club received a bye in the first round as the holders of the competition. After a 3-1 aggregate victory over Airbus UK Broughton, they were drawn against Newtown in the regionally focused two leg semi-final. After leading the home leg 3-0, then conceded two goals. In the second leg, Newtown scored a late goal, therefore winning on away goals.[81]

Pre-season

Shropshire Senior Cup

Season goalscorers

As of 5 May 2012.[92]
Place Position Nation Number Name Premier League Welsh Cup League Cup Europa League Total
1 FW New Zealand -- Greg Draper 22 6 0 0 28
2 FW Wales -- Alex Darlington 12 3 2 3 20
3 FW Wales -- Matty Williams 9 1 0 0 10
4 FW England -- Christian Seargeant 6 0 2 0 8
5 MF Wales -- Chris Jones 4 1 0 0 5
= MF Wales -- Nick Ward 4 1 0 0 5
7 DF Wales -- Steve Evans 3 0 0 1 4
= DF England -- Phil Baker 1 1 1 1 4
= MF Wales -- Aeron Edwards 3 1 0 0 4
= MF England -- Ryan Fraughan 3 1 0 0 4
11 MF Wales -- Tom Roberts 3 0 0 0 3
12 MF Wales -- Scott Ruscoe 2 0 0 0 2
= DF Wales -- Simon Spender 1 1 0 0 2
14 MF England -- Sam Finley 1 0 0 0 1
= DF Wales -- Chris Marriott 1 0 0 0 1
= DF Wales -- Connell Rawlinson 0 1 0 0 1
TOTALS 75 15 6 5 101

Notes

  1. nb1 The Welsh Premier League will be played over two phases. Phase one will last twenty-two weeks, culminating on 2 January 2012. Phase two will be played between January and April, this is followed by play-offs to decide the last 2012–13 UEFA Europa League spot.[93]

References

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