Llandudno Athletic forced to leave town in pursuit of progress

Llandudno Athletic Football Club have taken the difficult decision to move out of the town in their quest to progress.

The club was unable to gain support from the powers-that-be to upgrade The Oval in Llandudno to the standard required to compete at tier 4 of the Welsh football pyramid.

So from the start of the 2020-21 season, Athletic will play all home games at Llandudno Junction Community Centre, formally the Hotpoint club, in Victoria Drive.

Despite attempts, with support from fellow town clubs Llandudno Albion and Amateurs, Athletic were unable to persuade Mostyn Estates, who hold the covenants on the land, to allow the changes needed at The Oval to take place.

Athletic’s new home ground at LJCC has a long history, with the successful Hotpoint FC sides of the 1970’s and 80’s using the ground.

In recent years the ground has largely catered for youth football and Llandudno Junction Ladies used to play Welsh Premier matches there, but the return of senior men’s soccer to Victoria Drive is seen as long overdue.

LJCC is expected to meet the tier 4 criteria required to compete at that level this season.

Although Athletic are still unsure of the tier they will be placed in, they feel the 3.4-mile move is in the long-term interest of the club.

Athletic manager Rhys Lane said: “Despite our best efforts to improve The Oval, the powers that be had no interest and with great regret we have had to look at the alternatives and are really happy to make Llandudno Junction Community Centre our new home.

“Personally I am sad to leave The Oval, it’s been a fantastic home to us and the cricket club who run the site have always been supportive over the last six years.”

Llandudno Athletic formed in 2014 and in 2018-19 won the Vale of Clwyd and Conwy League Premier and President’s Cup double, finishing runners-up in the Premier Division that same season.