How should a 19-team North Wales Women’s Football League shape up?

A decision on the make-up of the new North Wales Women’s Football League this season is yet to be made.

One would imagine with 19 teams confirmed today, the only option will be a two-division system.

How would it be split? On ability? I think so, but not that easy with some teams being completely new and others with a much-changed personnel from last season for differing reasons.

Who would decide who is the best and who are the worst?

So that leaves us with geography….

Will it be an East and West? That was the original plan and the Coast League idea has collapsed.

If locations are the name of the game, making getting to and from matches as easy as possible for travelling teams, then I guess it has to be geographical. Not my choice, but that’s how it may work out.

I’d prefer a ranking system, based on past performance and experience. I would chair the selection board as an independent figure and we’d have currant buns and Yorkshire Tea to get us through it. 😁 ☕️

Assuming we won’t be getting a late entry from Kinmel Bay, we have 19 teams, 11 east and 8 west (bear in mind I got an Unclassified in school for geography).

East

Airbus
Connah’s Quay Nomads
Corwen
CPD Y Rhyl 1879
Denbigh Town
Holywell Town
Llanfair United
NFA
Northop Hall
Welshpool Town
Wrexham AFC

West

Amlwch Town
Bangor 1876
Bethel
Caernarfon Town
Llandudno
Llanystumdwy
Penrhyn Bay
Pwllheli

With 19 teams we are going to have uneven numbers between the divisions anyway, so shifting one from east to west will make it a better 10-9 split.

Whatever happens, people should not forget this is a one-off season, a preparation exercise for big changes being introduced in women’s football in Wales for 2021-22.

A proper pyramid system is set to emerge, with Tier 1 the Cymru Premier, Tier 2 Cymru North and South (similar to the men’s set-up for ambitious women’s teams) and Tier 3 recreational for clubs wanting less travelling with more of an emphasis on enjoyment than competitiveness.

Tier 2 clubs will also be encouraged to enter teams in the newly-formed Under-19 Development League, which already looks like being a major issue for North Wales clubs with small squads and whose senior teams comprise many U19 players already.

So whatever happens in 2020-21, it is really only a hors d’oeuvre before the main course.

Has to be two divisions. A 19-team single division, depending on when the season starts and finishes, would normally mean 36 games per side if everyone faces each other, home and away.

You avin a larf? Even before Covid-19, many teams would have struggled to complete half that many matches last season.

With one division, you’d have to drop all the cup competitions at the very least.

What’s coming out of the hat? I certainly don’t know….maybe there’s a masterplan which will make all my rantings a candidate for Compost Corner.