Come on FAW and WPWL….wake up and help North Wales women’s football!

Dear FAW and Welsh Premier Women’s Football League – I have news!

You no longer have a national women’s football league!

There may be one in name, and no doubt you will claim it is still a national league, but the truth is that is not really the case.

The last North Wales survivor in the WPWL, Llandudno, resigned today.

The club has finally had to call it a day due to its constant struggles to get enough players to commit weekend in, weekend out, for those long trips to South Wales.

Yes, we are aware you provide travel costs, but is that alone enough?

Obviously not. Since the league went fully national in 2012/13 you have lost five northern clubs at a rate of almost one a season…..Northop Hall, Caernarfon Town, Wrexham, Rhyl and now Llandudno. One of those teams has resigned twice.

Are you going to do anything about this?

Or do we just have to accept we are forever to be the poor relations of Welsh football here in the north?

Don’t expect too many applications from northern teams to join your league any time soon.

I cannot speak for our clubs, but I can only imagine what has happened over the past eight seasons has scared most of them off.

What are the incentives for joining the Welsh Premier Women’s League?

Why aren’t there more? Why can’t the FAW find more resources to support its national senior female league?

Yes, there are many admirable projects on the go in Wales to boost girls and women’s football, but helping North Wales senior clubs seems to be very low on the agenda.

It was only a couple of years ago that the FAW finally showed some interest in the North Wales Women’s League when you intervened in the Rhyl Development admission saga.

Where had you been before then?

Only this week, I’ve publicised (not through any information received from yourselves) the age group trials coming up in the North and South.

Many experienced voices have told me not to raise my hopes that any girls playing for North Wales League clubs will get selected.

Instead, it will be the usual leaning towards South Wales or girls from North Wales representing English clubs.

No chance of a punt on local talent I’m told….marking one or two down for future reference. Maybe helping them progress to bigger clubs…..

Can you prove the pessimists wrong? Let’s see….

There are a lot of unhappy people involved with girls and women’s football in North Wales.

There is a feeling that not enough fair play is ongoing, that the north are not getting the same look in as the South. It’s been the feeling for a long time.

Today’s announcement about Llandudno just makes a few heads drop further. There had been rumours of this happening, but today our worst fears were confirmed.

So, back to my original question….

Are you going to do anything about the demise of the WPWL as a national league?

The fading of the north is happening in front of your eyes. Perhaps it’s time for some action? Or maybe, have you got the set up you always wanted now?

I’ll await your reply with interest.