It's very hard to argue with what you say about moving the Welsh domestic season forward a bit - surely it has been looked into by the FAW?
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Connah's quay out of the Champions league after an extra time loss in Armenia (3-2 agg).
Tough one to take for them as they lost 7 players due to Covid and players work commitments, if they'd won they would have been 2 legs away from the new Uefa Conference League group stage and millions in prize money.
They drop into the Conference league 2nd round but are seeded along with New Saints if they make it through their game tonight. Bala are also away to Larne after a 1-0 loss at home (no away goals anymore).
Newtown have already gone out at the first stage.
One thing I've wondered for years is why doesn't the FAW move the season to summer or at the very least forward 3-4 weeks so these teams are at the end of pre-season rather than having 1 friendly under their belt against teams who are nearly always mid-season?
In Connah's quay's scenario a first round champs league win would have guaranteed them £1.2million and potentially as high as £3 million if they won the Conference league play off.
It's very hard to argue with what you say about moving the Welsh domestic season forward a bit - surely it has been looked into by the FAW?
I guess how far down the pyramid do you restructure? Do clubs, players or fans even want or support it? May it even be disadvantageous in a British context - ie, players may like their summer holidays so will find other non league clubs at a similar level that play in winter?
I think the idea has merit but it would be disruptive and I don’t think it guarantees success.
It works well for the league of Ireland, so no reason it can't work for the league if wales.
Everyone says how much it has improved since the Konica days, but most teams are out in the early rounds so something needs to change,. So a summer league seems the most appropriate
It’s a great idea, but although it doesn’t guarantee success , there are more advantages than disadvantages. Better crowds, better pitches to play on, no games called off because of bad weather to name just three. Trouble is , all the Welsh FA heirarchy , who are tucked away in their offices , are as dull as ditchwater. They should have at least tried the idea by now.Why they haven’t only they know.
Summer football has been talked about for years in Wales. Never quite got over the line.
I like the idea of a summer league and the benefits of rescued cost for pitch maintenance, lighting etc. Plus more likely to draw people in who haven't got their own teams to watch.
On the European football competitions there seems to be so many qualifying rounds. For me it would be better to reduce the number involved especially considering their lack of success. It's the equivilant of about 70 teams from England qualifying based on comparable populations.
They'll be dancing on the streets of Total Network Solutions tonight....
Through to next qualifier have beaten Glentoran.
Allow, City, Swans, County, Wrexham etc back into Welsh Cup 😀
Just a thought maybe the supporters of these clubs are happy like us to play in the traditional football season.
They are never going to compete in Europe.
It was tried a couple of years back and City gave the competition even less respect than they give the FA Cup - I think they played their youth team.
The problem is that Welsh clubs playing in English leagues can't qualify for Europe via a Welsh competition. As for the U23's playing in the League of Wales, reserve teams aren't allowed to enter the FAW's premier competition.
That was the FAW Premier Cup which was last played in 2008 but you're nearer the mark than me because although there was talk of City returning to the Welsh Cup in 2011, it never happened, possibly because of UEFA.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/13160744
The competition I was thinking of was the Nathaniel MG Cup about a year or two back which City were invited to enter but they put a youth team in and were knocked out early on.
Dudders, ex of this parish, cracked in his book about a certain Welsh club in Europe.
Well worth a read especially if you have any connection with Llantwit Major football.
Big games for Connahs quay and TNS tonight, both for them and the league as it’s lost a European spot, they can regain it with some decent results.