North Wales Coast FA women’s league given option to start a season early

Women’s football teams on the North Wales coast will be given a chance to join a new league a season early.

As part of major changes to the female football pyramid across Wales, the North East Wales FA and North Wales Coast FA will be invited to operate area leagues from 2021-22.

These will form part of a new Tier 3 and will be run by area associations.

Next season (2020-21) will see the current North Wales Women’s Football League run as normal with two divisions, but while the NEWFA and Central Wales FA will remain part of it, the Coast will be offered the option of forming its own league.

The aim is to give coastal clubs, especially ones having to travel long distances at present to play matches, a less taxing fixture list.

If a North Wales Coast League is formed next season, it will be able to continue as part of Tier 3 the following campaign (2021-22) when the sweeping changes to the Welsh pyramid are introduced.

From 2021-22, domestic women’s football in Wales will retain the current Welsh Premier Women’s League as Tier 1.

A new Tier 2 will be regionalised with northern and southern leagues that will be affiliated to the FAW – similar to how the Cymru North and Cymru South divisions operate in the men’s game at present.

In the north, the Tier 2 regional league will basically be a continuation of the current North Wales Women’s League, containing its strongest and most ambitious clubs, but will be run by independent management committees with increased support from the FAW.

The licence application process for Tier 1 and 2 will be open to all clubs in Wales for the 2021/22 season.

Tiers 3 and 4 will cater for the Recreational Level of the pyramid and will accommodate the area NEWFA and NWCFA leagues.

As well as an overhaul to the top two tiers, new U-19s Development Leagues will be introduced.

Divided into a northern and southern league, they will be operated by the same independent management committees responsible for Tier 2 and shall be implemented for the 2021/22 season.