Wyn Davies Player Profile

Biography

Caernarfon-born Davies began his playing career with local league sides Deiniolen and Llanberis Athletic before joining his home-town club in the summer of 1959. Davies experienced an inauspicious start at the Oval, player-manager Arthur Lunn leaving him out of the Cofis opening game of the season after the 17-year-old Quarryman had failed to attend midweek training. The pair quickly settled their differences, and the youngster made his debut at left-half in a 3-2 away win at Penmaenmawr four days later.

That proved to be his only game in midfield as the fluent Welsh-speaker moved to inside-right in an attack-minded Caernarfon side which won 11 of their opening 12 Welsh League (North) fixtures, scoring 50 goals in the process. Davies’ sparkling form soon attracted the attention of several Football League scouts, and he had trials with both Aston Villa and Manchester United before signing for Wrexham in late December 1959 for a fee of £500.

That proved to be an astute piece of business by secretary-manager Cliff Lloyd, with Davies earmarked as the long-term replacement for Don Weston whom the Reds sold to Birmingham City for £12,000 two weeks later. Despite netting on his Cheshire League debut in a central attacking role against Altrincham, the raw six-foot tall striker had to be content with reserve team football for the rest of the campaign, scoring in Wrexham’s Welsh Youth Cup final replay win over Newtown.

With the senior side relegated, a change of manager saw Billy Morris take the helm and the former Wales and Burnley frontman decided to give youth its chance. With his forwards firing a first day blank at Peterborough, Morris promoted Davies at the expense of the injured Bernard Evans for the midweek home game with Exeter City and the newly capped Welsh Youth international responded with the final goal in a 3-1 victory. Two goals and an assist in a 3-0 home win over Southport two days later further endeared the crew-cut forward to the Racecourse fans.

Davies’s ability to hold the ball up and bring his wingers into play proved crucial to his development, and by the end of his first full season he had established himself in the Reds’ starting XI. However, it took the arrival of former Manchester City midfield maestro Ken Barnes as player-manager in May 1961 to allow the energetic frontman to push further forward and so prove a greater goalscoring threat. Now linking more effectively with his inside-forwards, Mickey Metcalf and Stan Bennion, the trio managed 39 goals between them as Wrexham hit the top of the table following a 5-1 Boxing Day win at Chesterfield.

The constant transfer speculation reached fever pitch following a club record 10-1 league win over Hartlepools United in March 1962, Davies netting a hat-trick inside the first 24 minutes. A host of top-flight managers were in attendance three days later to watch Davies score twice in a 5-1 home friendly defeat of Danish side Bronshoj, Bolton’s Bill Ridding winning the race to secure the now 19-year-old’s signature. The deal, worth a record £25,000, also saw Wanderers’ reserve striker Ernie Phythian move to the Racecourse with Barnes keen to secure a direct replacement to maintain Wrexham’s promotion push.

Davies was thrust straight into Bolton’s side for a First Division clash at Wolves but received little service in a 1-5 defeat. He enjoyed better fortune next time out in a 1-0 home win over Manchester United, before scoring his first goal in a 4-2 win over Chelsea as the Lancashire side pulled clear of the relegation zone. Davies’ distinct auburn-hair made him a focal point for any team he played in and his consistent goalscoring record at Burnden Park earned him the first of his 34 Welsh caps in October 1963.

That season ended in relegation for the Wanderers, Davies missing the final four months through injury, but he bounced back to score 21 goals in 34 league games as Bolton agonisingly missed out on an immediate return. After seeing a proposed move to Newcastle collapse in October 1965, it came as something of a surprise when the Magpies returned to complete an £80,000 transfer twelve months later.

The move to Tyneside proved the making of ‘The Mighty Wyn’ as his aerial ability, honed by Nat Lofthouse during his Bolton days, inspired the club to lift the Inter-Cities Cup in 1969. Davies scored four goals in Newcastle’s path to the final, playing in both legs of the 6-2 aggregate final win over Hungarian side Upjest Dozsa which remains United’s only major European silverware. That year also saw him make an emotional return to the Racecourse as he partnered Ron Davies and John Toshack in a three-pronged attack, dubbed the ‘Welsh Air Force’, as Wales lost 3-5 to Scotland.

Newcastle’s signing of Malcolm MacDonald prompted Davies to leave for Manchester City in August 1971, rekindling his partnership with former Bolton teammate Francis Lee in the process. Four points clear at the top of the table by mid-March; a third League title seemed on the cards only for City to falter and pick up just eight points from their final eight games. Wyn moved across the city to sign for struggling Manchester United in September 1972, making him the first Welshman since Billy Meredith to play for both Manchester clubs. His stay proved short-lived once the Old Trafford club sacked manager Frank O’Farrell and by June 1973 he had signed for Blackpool.

Further spells followed with Crystal Palace (loan), Stockport County, Arcadia Shepherds (South Africa) and Crewe Alexandra as the proud Welshman battled with ever-increasing injury issues. Davies managed a handful of games with Northern Premier League side Bangor City at the commencement of the 1978-79 season before returning to South Africa to end his playing days with Cape Town City. Over 18 years, he made 652 senior league and cup appearances, scoring 190 goals, and arguably ranks as amongst the greatest Welsh strikers of his generation.