That isnt the rule though is it ? You cant beat a European football night out .If Cardiff played in Europe at any level the away support would be significant.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman
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That isnt the rule though is it ? You cant beat a European football night out .If Cardiff played in Europe at any level the away support would be significant.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman
If Merthyr join the Welsh League they wont be getting the 1600/1700 crowds (more like 2500) theyve been getting lately. It will be back to the 300 hardy souls who followed them pre-covid and half of them are probably dead now as it was a very old fanbase before the growth in support the last few seasons.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cardiff Ultra
I think the people running it would like to take the money and join from purely a financial perspective but there is no way the fans will vote it.
They would have to have work done on the ground to join the FAW. :hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by PontBlue
Last years Merthyr League winners, Pant FC, joined the Welsh amateur league system last summer and they hire Penydarren Park for their home games. They had to get Merthyr to make adjustments to the dug out area before the FAW would approve their application to join the league. And that is the lowest level of Welsh amateur league football. :hehe:
When did you start supporting City, Jimmy? Genuine question.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy the Jock
One other point, I doubt they would be able to attract the players they currently do if they joined the Welsh set up. Not unless, and this is certainly no given, they started winning the title year on year.
Players released by football league clubs have joined Merthyr to use as a shop window to get back up the pyramid. Lewys Twamley released by Newport at 18/19, spent 18 months with Merthyr, played really well this season and has got a move back to Yeovil Town in the National Legaue and he becomes a proffesional footballer again. Ricardo Rees who has banged in all the goals last few years, he was released by Bristhe is leaving in the summer for a club further up the pyramid.
Both players could have been paid more if they dropped into the Welsh League as Merthyr cant compete with Welsh League for wages, but they choose not to as they wanted to play in the English pyramid in an effort to climb back up it, with Merthyr or with a move. Although Rees is rumoured to be on £7/800 a week this season as Gloucester offered that for his services in the summer so 30 or so fans chip in each week to help the club pay his wages.
I dont think players like that would want to drop into the Welsh League to keep themselves in the shop window for the English pyramid clubs.
I'm not sure that holds tbh, the Cymru Premier is filled with ex academy players (many of them ex-City) and several players have gone from there to the EFL in recent years and even one to Saudi (bizarrely). There's also the prospect of joining a fully professional team in TNS and staying in that leagueQuote:
Originally Posted by J R Hartley
The Wales C v England C games show the standard there is pretty solid as well
Merthyr should do whatever they like and I imagine they'll reject the proposal but I don't think anyone should blame the FAW for trying to get them involved, especially with the restructuring coming up in a couple of years, I'd guess people would whinge at them if they didn't at least give it a go
It’s completely understandable that the people in charge of Welsh football would try to expand and improve it by getting WELSH teams to compete in it…..the cheek.
If I had my way, I’d have us all competing in a welsh league. English league is not what it once was. All about the money now.
Not saying you cant get back to the EFL, as you say, theres been a few players go to football legaue last few years. Will Evans went to Newport than a move to League 1 club Mansfield. Obviously it depends on ability too, most players who drop down the pyramid or into the Welsh league system are never going to get a move back up the English pyramid so its just about making what you can as a semi-pro. Obviously if the players have self belief that they are good enough and want another crack at becoming a full time proffessional then they have to decide what they think is the best path and in my opinion thats staying in the English Pyarmid even if you have to drop to Tier 2 or 3 Non League to get a move back to Tier 1, where most teams are now full-time, or above.Quote:
Originally Posted by City123
I am only going on what ive been told by people close to the club and how they have managed to attract certain players because its certainly not wages. Theyve had players join for less money than they will get in the Cymru Prem because they want to stay in the English pyramid system. Jack Evans who was released by Swansea at 23, went to Penybont for half a season then joined Merthyr for less money.
After Covid Merthyr lost all of their best senior players to teams like Penybont and Aberystwyth, they couldnt even compete with them for wages at the time. Crowds are better now so budget is bigger but being a fan owned self sustainable football club they are never going to throw stupid money at it.
Fixed for you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Divine Wright
And thank goodness you will never have your way.
:thumbup:
I'm surprised that Merthyr can't compete on wages with teams in the Cymru Premier - this season the average attendance is 395Quote:
Originally Posted by J R Hartley
They dont have a broadcasting deal that the teams in the Cymru Premier have and they dont have an owner with deep pockets. They dont have any of the money the teams who qualify for Europe get. Its only in the last 18 months - 2 years that the crowds for Merthyr have been growing. Before 2022/2023 season Merthyr were only averaging around 3-400 themselves. Theres been a steady growth for a number of reasons.Quote:
Originally Posted by A Quiet Monkfish
1. For the last 2/3 years, every match a local junior football side lead the team out. Their parents pay £5 to attend as opposed to £13. Sme of these kids and / or the parents enjoy the live football experience and start to attend more regularly. Helps when the team are winning more often than not to get these next generation of fans on board.
2. Supporters of Cardiff and Swansea from the Valleys who have become disillusioned with modern football come along and enjoy the non-league experience so much they have become regulars.
3. The football since the new manager come in has been excellent and this season top of the league.
Remember, they had to have a years sabatical because of the different covid rules in Wales to England and had to build the club and team back up from scratch. So to be on the verge of promotion within 4 years is pretty remarkable, especially when before covid they were not exactly turning up any trees at the current level.
That's interesting. Merthyr are getting close to 1800 at the top of the [7th?] tier of the English pyramid. I doubt they'd get half of that at the top of the 1st tier of the Welsh 'pyramid'. Games against Gloucester City, Taunton etc. have a better ring to them than Bala Town or Cardiff Met.Quote:
Originally Posted by J R Hartley
Merthyr barry used to be a real rivalry. Great games and tension.Quote:
Originally Posted by A Quiet Monkfish
I watch barry more than cardiff and would be great to have merthyr in the league but its not unusual for teams to play 6 or 7 times a season so it gets boring fairly quickly!!
Barry fans have drums and flags etc and travel away from home also. Penybont are growing a fan base which is great, the cofis are great in north wales but in general the likes of bala cardiff met and tns (all top 6 sides) the atmosphere is extremely depressing.
As barry fans sing against cardiff met (to nobody in particular) "your only fans are your mums and dads". Sad, funny and true.
Sounds like merthyr have rejected it anyway so another non starter.
Not a great week for the FAW!
I haven't said they do. I'm just curious and would be interested to find out.Quote:
Originally Posted by J R Hartley
Do Celtic and Rangers fans feel the same way about the Old Firm derby? I've wondered how we'd feel about playing the Jacks possibly 5 or 6 times in a season. Would it lead to an even bigger rivalry or lessen the effect?Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Dougal
Do i reckon Rangers and celtic would join the Premier league in a heartbeat?Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee
Yes. Yes I do.
Playing the jacks twice a season is bad enough....Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee
Of course they would. I also reckon they'd jump at the chance of joining a European Super League.Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Dougal
They are, of course, the SPL's prize assets in the same way that the likes of Man Utd and Liverpool are the Premier League's prize assets. The SPL would be far worse off if it lost Celtic and Rangers in the same way the PL would be worse off if it lost the supposed "top 6", La Liga if it lost Real and Barca, Seria A if it lost Inter and Juventus and so on and so on. Role reversal and those clubs would probably argue they'd be better off joining a bigger European League, so the respective governing bodies in each country are desperate to keep hold of their biggest assets.
Further down the line, I wonder how much of an issue of the "Welsh 5" playing in the English pyramid will become when discussing any potential European Super League? Celtic and Rangers could certainly point to the fact that there are 5 clubs not playing in their own domestic league and, while that may be a weak argument for ever joining the EFL/PL pyramid, something new like an ESL could point this out, lessening any controls the FA, SFA and other countries organisations have over their clubs. That could put the EFL in a very tricky position.
:frown:Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuerto
Seems weird that people would gloat about it though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Dougal
People can moan about the standard of the CP but if the four/five English sides joined it would change the dynamic a fair bit…over time. I think many people think short term, if we were plonked in there tomorrow. I think though, it could be a decent league over time. …. As enjoyable as the Belgian or Danish league for example.
I think a domestic league probably does more for the national team too as it would force teams to work harder on developing youth in favour of buying in from abroad.
I have really good memories of playing the welsh cup…and I seem to remember a lot of our fans enjoying it too…plus the games in Europe.
Totally respect your view city should be in the CPL.Quote:
Originally Posted by Divine Wright
Its a debate worth having.
Wouldn't surprise me if things that went way.
If you had -
Cardiff
Swansea
Newport
Wrexham
Merthyr
Barry
TNS
And then maybe four or five regional type sides from
Llanelli/Carmarthen
Haverfordwest/Abeystwyth
Bangor/Caernarfon
and maybe another NorthEast regional club.
Maybe ten or 11 decent sides with stadia on a par with the Gtech for the smaller sides. It could be a decent standard. Chuck in the Welsh Cup and some European games and it be totally serviceable without being the slog that are the English lower leagues.
People can turn their nose up at it if they want , but a Welsh league in that format would be a different proposition altogether compared to the current Cymru Premier.
It’s shit because we’re not in it.
I can’t envisage a world where any of the “big 4” would go with that. Maybe if they were all debt ridden and struggling in league one/two…maybe the prospect of better money would do it for the owners……but the fans would never go for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Dougal
I think you’re looking at this with your specs very much rose-tinted. The truth is the crowds for Welsh Cup games against any of the other league clubs would invariably be smaller than league matches between the sides, while City’s crowds for games against non-league sides were often tiny.Quote:
Originally Posted by Divine Wright
Yes, but we were never in it, so it's not down to us to make it better if you get what i'm saying. :thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Divine Wright
1800 is a very good attendance for the NLS, only a few would bet it, Yeovil ( last season ) Torquay and I bet Maidstone ( who do seem to yo-yo between the NL and NLS ) alot have under 1K a week ( which isnt sustainable with a semi-pro team, certainly not with a full time teamQuote:
Originally Posted by A Quiet Monkfish
Another great result for Merthyr winning at Havant and Waterlooville today. 9 points clear albeit Totton have 3 games in hand.
I don’t. You know that Cymru means Wales ? Cardiff is the capital of Wales. If YOU get what I’M saying .Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuerto
I suppose Merthyr might also be interested to wait on whether the 4 EFL clubs being added to the Welsh League Cup is approved, nobody has mentioned that so far and it could be a big incentive on it's own, a strong chance of playing a EFL club every season that alone would be a big financial incentive.
I personally would like them to move to the Cymru Premier, it desperately needs more attention and funding, at this point in time the UEFA prize money is massive, losing the 4th european spot every other season is a huge amount of money for whichever club are fortunate enough to get it, I think Merthyr would be challenging the top 4 most seasons.
That being said it's obviously their call and being a fan owned club it's purely in their hands which is nice from a supporter POV.