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The gap between the National team and the League is huge. I don’t know what the answer is but something radical is required.
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Ok against Barry, Pen y Bont or Newtown but when it comes to European competition it’s a totally different ball game. Beaten tonight by steam from Iceland , along with a defeat by Irish powerhouse team Linfield, seems to submit all up. Don’t see it getting any better in the distant future. A serious re think required.
The gap between the National team and the League is huge. I don’t know what the answer is but something radical is required.
TNS are normally a banker in my bets, but not so much in Europe!
It’s not a radical change that’s required. It’s a miracle that’s required. Welsh league football has, and always will be ****ed.Originally Posted by Des Parrot
If the City, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport were ever forced to join, then football in Wales would follow the fate of the Dinosaurs.
Tough geezers?
I think the Welsh Premier is improving, I follow them a bit during the european competitions as there isn't much else on at the same time. A few years ago it was common for all the teams to lose 4,5,6-0 on aggregate. They are all competing at least, Newtown won their first leg and they're by far the worst of the 3 who qualified and Bala went out on penalties but I agree something needs to be done to speed things along.
Now with that Europa conference league, if the winner of the league can win their first round games they are guaranteed a Europa league conference play off for a group position! Big money even if they lose.
Just wish another team would make a step above that English side TNS, a good South Wales side would get a decent following even if it was just European qualifiers!
The Irish powerhouse who beat TNS lost 8-0 to Bodo Glimt tonight
We'll have to get Bluebirds, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham into the Welsh Premier League, then we'll show Johnny Foreigner......
Says it all. Worst country to club ratio in Europe and will now drop below Iceland
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Who cares?
To be fair to TNS, they lost to Linfield in the last minute away from home to a screamer. They were pathetic in both of these games mind
The only way for the Welsh Premier clubs to improve in European competition is to do what the Republic of Ireland did years ago and move to summer football.
and how is that going to improve standards ?
The Welsh clubs always play their qualifying games in the close season sometimes even before League clubs start playing pre-season friendlies. Playing summer football means the qualifying games will begin half-way through their season, so they will be better prepared. It has helped the Irish teams and one of them even got through to the group stages last season.
not sure why non-league doesn't start a month or 2 earlier, fill the gap of no football in the summer, might get people watching them, then stop over the worse of the winter ( say Dec and Jan ) when games are often called off
Not convinced that it's the 'only' way but it would be a start.
Andy Morrison was saying that at Connah's Quay he had players leaving to go and play in the English 10th tier because clubs there pay more. That's ridiculous and I'm not even sure why that's the case as the Welsh Prem has a TV deal with S4C.
Summer league is definitely a start, but there needs to be more money put into the league. Where that comes from is, of course, the big question.
I'm usually against B teams as a concept but, from a selfish point of view, I've always thought it would be good to have our and Swansea's U23 teams play in the Welsh system. But for that to be beneficial the standard would need to improve first.
Its definitely something that requires a huge strategic review by the FAW. As Noel Mooney has said several times, the state of grassroots football in Wales is far behind other nations. We essentially rely on us, Swansea, and border English clubs to develop young players.
Our u23s would not really improve the standard of play at Welsh premier league level.
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