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Now in his 80s, Jack Thomas was first involved in Caernarfon
Town as long ago as the 1930s. Indeed, there is a photograph of the successful Caernarfon Town team of 1940 showing players
and officials after winning the North Wales Coast FA Challenge Cup. A youthful Jack Thomas, with hair (!), appears on the
left of the photo. During the 1950s, a period when the Welsh League North attracted enormous crowds, Jack served as
vice chairman and chairman of the club.
Brought up in Stryd y Jel (Shirehall Street), Jack trained as a hairdresser
and had a shop in Eastgate Street next to the old Guild Hall cinema. When the shop was demolished in 1960, Jack moved to London
and set up in Soho where he numbered the notorious Kray brothers among his customers. On returning to Caernarfon in 1976 Jack
discovered that senior football was defunct. A public meeting was called in January 1977 and the club was reformed with Jack
as chairman, supported by a 20 strong committee. The club returned to the Welsh League (North) and with John Trefor Roberts
as manager enjoyed an enormously successful first season acquiring five trophies - the league championship, the Welsh Intermediate
Cup, N Wales Intermediate Cup, Alves Cup and Cookson Cup. The club was well and truly back in business. But Jack had other
plans and soon set about seeking entry into non league competitions in the north west. In the face of much scepticism,
the energetic and ambitious Jack succeeded in getting the club elected to the Lancashire Combination
league and Caernarfon
won the League Cup in their first season and were the last ever champions in 1982. When football in the area was re-organised
Caernarfon entered the North West Counties League Division 2 and were soon promoted to division 1. Jack's period as
chairman had become synonymous with success. However, his increasing council commitments meant that he felt it was time to
hand on the baton and in 1984 the club was formed into a limited company. The retiring chairman
was made a life member
for his outstanding service to the club. Jack had been elected Mayor of Caernarfon in 1983, having recommenced his council
on return to Caernarfon, and finally retired from civic life in 1999. A true Cofi, having been born within the town walls,
Jack has been a dedicated and enthusiastic servant to Caernarfon Town FC over the years and is truly a Cofi legend
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