Wilde embarks on new Cymru Premier adventure as Colwyn Bay boss

Mike Wilde succeeded former TNS team-mate Steve Evans as Colwyn Bay manager

Mike Wilde achieved many milestones during his illustrious playing career in the Cymru Premier.

The striker won the league nine times – seven with The New Saints and another two with Connah's Quay Nomads - as well as six Welsh Cups.

On the league's all-time leading scorer list, Wilde is third with 235 goals and he became only the fourth player to reach 200 goals having also won the Golden Boot in 2013.

But on Sunday, another chapter in Wilde's long association with the Cymru Premier will begin – that of manager.

Wilde moved from playing to management in May last year when only weeks after helping Connah's Quay Nomads win the Welsh Cup he was appointed Colwyn Bay manager.

In Wilde's first season in charge he guided the Bay to the JD Cymru North title, losing only one game all season.

That secured promotion to the JD Cymru Premier, a league that Wilde knows very well from his time playing for TNS, Nomads and Flint Town United.

"I've enjoyed playing in the Welsh Prem for numerous years," Wilde told BBC Sport Wales.

"I'm looking forward to this new challenge now and experiencing it from the sideline.

"We had a couple of cup competitions where we played Welsh Prem teams last year and that was good experience

"To do week after week now, it's going to be challenging, it's going to be demanding because there's a lot of work that goes into preparation before a game

"But that's what we do it for, that's why we wanted to win the league last year.

"We want to now stretch ourselves as players, as management staff and as a football club as well."

Wilde did not have the best of starts as Colwyn Bay manager, losing 4-0 to Bangor 1876 in their opening game of last season and winning only one of his first four league games.

But the opening day loss proved to be Bay's only defeat as they remained unbeaten for the remainder of the campaign to win the title ahead of Airbus UK Broughton.

"It was tough to transition from playing to managing, I'm not going to lie," added Wilde, who was named the Cymru North manager of the season.

"It's also getting into a weekly routine of what needs doing, when it needs doing, how the information goes out.

"I think once we settle down, I think it'll be the same this year as well because there's more information needed, there's more contact time that's needed, so it is more demanding.

"Hopefully the first game doesn't go as it went last year, but football's football, you just have to accept it week after week.

"We talk about last season, I don't like to do that, I don't like to reflect on last year,

"What I do is I like to look forward, I like to wipe the slate clean and look forward to this new fresh challenge now."

Colwyn Bay attracted an average attendance of 732 for league games during the 2024-25 season – the highest attendances of any club in the JD Cymru Leagues

Wilde has spent more seasons in Welsh football's top flight than Colwyn Bay, who returned to domestic Welsh football in 2019 after 35 years playing in England.

Bay's solitary season in the Cymru Premier ended in relegation at the end of the 2023-24 campaign so can the Seagulls fare better this time?

"You'd always like to think so," Wilde added.

"But there's that many variables in football, what can happen from week to week.

"It puts a club, it puts players, it puts managers under stress in regards to injuries, in regards to fixtures, the way they lie.

"There's so many variables, so we take nothing for granted.

"You can't foresee what's going to happen in a month or two's time in football, you're just probably going to need to take it week by week.

"But it's certainly a step in the right direction with some of the players that we've introduced, I believe."

Wilde has added players with vast Cymru Premier experience to his squad over the summer – most notably Aeron Edwards, Aaron Williams, Nathan Peate and Louis Robles.

The signing of former Connah's Quay Nomads and Haverfordwest County forward Jordan Davies from Greenock Morton has also been significant.

"When I was anywhere as a player, I think that first and foremost, people look at how many years you've spent in that league, and the reputation that you have in that league.

"All the players mentioned, and there's more there, that have got high reputations in this league.

"They know what it takes and understand even the away games, the away grounds that you go to, what they look like, what the atmosphere might be or might not be.

"All that's important factors when you're trying to scrape out and trying to get points and trying to build something towards a successful season."

Mike Wilde (right) celebrates with Colwyn Bay players after securing the JD Cymru North title last season

Wilde and his assistant Danny Harrison will be very familiar with their opponents in Sunday's opening JD Cymru Premier game – their former club Connah's Quay.

And there will also up against a familiar face in the opposition technical area – their ex-team mate John Disney.

Disney, who was also part of the club's back-to-back Cymru Premier title wins under Andy Morrison, was appointed Nomads manager in May after calling time on his playing career.

"It's probably the best start we could have had," Wilde said.

"You've got to embrace them challenges because we're talking about a very well-established Welsh Prem football club that have won the league twice.

"But the lads are going to fully embrace the challenge and so are me and Danny."