The 2018/19 North Wales Women’s Football League Division One title is shared – official!

It is now official.

Last season’s North Wales Women’s Football League Division One championship will be shared.

Bethel and Llanfair United are to be recorded in history as joint Division One champions for 2018-19.

The season finished with Bethel on 36 points from 14 games and Llanfair 33 from 13 matches.

Llanfair were unable to complete their games as Kinmel Bay refused to play them in their final fixture before the May 31 deadline. Bay insisted they could not raise a team after playing what turned out to be their last game on May 1.

Over the season, Bethel scored 72 goals and conceded 18, so ended with a goal difference of +54, while Llanfair netted 63 and let in 12, GD +51.

Had Llanfair been awarded an automatic 2-0 victory – as had happened in the league previously that season – for the unplayed Kinmel Bay game, Bethel would have finished outright top on GD.

The NEWFA later decided to grant Llanfair a 3-0 win as per Uefa rules, which made the GD equal, but Bethel still qualified as overall winners on goals scored.

However, the North Wales Women’s League’s old rule book did not accommodate the ‘goals scored’ rule and the outcome of the title destination was left in limbo.

It all meant the season ended on a sour note, with no conclusion reached over the summer, and much frustration expressed on many sided.

Last night a scheduled meeting of the league where Bethel and Llanfair were due to be presented with joint championship trophies was cancelled.

However, league chairman Cliff Evans confirmed the title is shared and prizes are due to be handed over in a meeting at Rhyl FC on November 11.