1905 - 1907 The Third Club (Connah's Quay Twenties)

The new Connah;s Quay Twenties had accepted the invitation to rejoin the Chester and District League Division One and by the end of October 1905 they were lying second in the table after their 4-0 trouncing of Ellesmere Port Victorians with goals from Bloomer, Blutcher, Dandy and Lumberg. By Christmas they had reached an unprecedented position for any previous Connah's Quay team by topping the league, played 10, won 8 and drawn 1.

The effort was sustained throughout the season and Connah's Quay Twenties emerged 1906-7 as champions, making Connah's Quay football history. How marvellous if Nomads were to mark the centenary of this achievement with a Welsh Premier League title!

Celebrations rang out through the night as a commemorative concert was held at the Drill Hall, Church Hill. Entertainers included Mr Seager, an 'eccentric comedian', Mr. Bertram - 'society entertainer and impressionist', the Connah's Quay Twenties Male Voice Choir and a quartet from the Quay Silver Band.

The chairman of the evening spoke in glowing terms - "When the old Connah's Quay club had disbanded after one year in the Wirral League it was thought that the town would not have a team for the 1905-6 season - but winning the league with 92 goals for and 25 against was beyond their wildest dreams." The stars of the season - Dandy, Noggins, Blutcher, Bloomer, Snowy and the Lumberg Brothers were cheered until the rafters shook.

The season ended with a friendly match versus Hawarden Bridge. All proceeds were going to Mr. Arthur Patten, the sail maker and great club supporter who had been unable to work for two years because of his injuries. Indeed, a second match was played in the same cause. This was between the newly formed youth sides of both clubs - Shotton Swifts and Connah's Quay Juniors - local youths who loved the game and played in the Flintshire Junior League. The Juniors won the toss and put the Swifts to play against the slope, knowing that they would tire in the second half. The plan worked and the Juniors won 3-2.

Finally, a horrific incident ended the 1905-6 season. The Half Way Ground was selected as the neutral venue for the Flintshire Charity Cup - presented to the association four years earlier by Mr Summers of the Ironworks. The finalists were Hawarden Bridge and Flint United. The ground was packed and the Shotton club won 1-0. However, much interest was taken out of the game by the dirty and despicable tactics of some of the Flint players. After the match an 'indescribable act of hooliganism' took place when the Flint contingent brutally kicked Mr R J williams, a Hawarden Bridge official. Five young men from Flint then appeared the following Thursday before a special Northop Magistrate's Court charged with assault. They were found guilty but the bench decided that in the interests of peace between the clubs and in the neighbourhood generally they would not deal as severely with the defendants as they would have done. each was fined 25 shillings plus costs.

The 1906-7 season started with an eagerly awaited friendly at the Half Way between Connah's Quay Twenties and Crewe Athletic, which the visitors won 0-1. Hightown Athletic were the first league opponents but the match was a shambles. Only nine Hightown players turned up, then it was discovered that there was no referee and a deputy had to be found that was acceptable to both captains. The match then started half an hour late and heavy rain fell throughout, although at least the Quay won 5-0.

It was around this time that Chester Football Club formed itself into a limited company and moved from Whipcord Lane (the ground provided by W. H. Lloyd) to Sealand Road. For the early part of the season the Twenties still headed the Chester and District League but by Christmas they had relinquished this position by losing at the Roodee to Chester Kaleyards. They were still making progress in the Welsh Amateur Cup though, and especially satisfying was the 3-2 win over Flint United.

Snowy Jones was still delighting the crowd. He was the hero of the Chester and District Senior Cup semi-final over Ruthin Road FC, scoring both the game' two goals. He repeated the feat in the 7-0 win over Ellesmere Port with goals also from Bloomer, Baird and Blutcher. Meanwhile, Hawarden Bridge Shotton had been competing in the Flintshire League. They held their annual dinner and dance at the Hawarden Castle Inn at Queensferry, where pride of placewas taken by the Soames Charity Cup.

Deeside's population and prosperity were growing rapidly though, and there was a mutual feeling that should the Connah's Quay and Shotton clubs pool their resources they could achieve much more. And so it was agreed. Connah's Quay Twenties and Hawarden Bridge would combine to form a new club - Connah's Quay and Shotton United - with a view to seeking acceptance into a higher level of competition, the Combination League. The Chester and Flintshire leagues, together with their associated cup competitions, would be contested by the new club's reserves.