New date and venue set for Bangor 1876 v CPD Y Rhyl 1879

Action from the first meeting in October. Picture: MATT JOHNSON

The big Ardal North West showdown between Bangor 1876 and CPD Y Rhyl 1879 has been rearranged.

The new date is Saturday, April 8, kick-off 12.30 pm at Nantporth Stadium, Bangor.

Home to the former Bangor City and since used by a number of clubs for occasional fixtures, 1876 is hoping to make Nantporth their home from next season.

The tier 3 side currently play home matches at Treborth, Bangor University.

A statement from 1876 said: “We are pleased to be able to announce that our re-arranged league fixture against Rhyl will take place at Nantporth Stadium at 12.30pm on Saturday 8 April.

“We are delighted to be playing such a prestigious match at Nantporth, which we hope will be our home ground from the 2023-24 season onwards.

“Nantporth CIC have said that they are delighted to accommodate the important fixture between Bangor and Rhyl and to further enhance the community relationship in the area.

“In due course, we will be making further announcements about matchday arrangements that will cover matters such as ticketing and segregation. We hope that fans of both teams will enjoy attending this much anticipated match.”

Rhyl 1879 are currently top of Ardal North West while 1876 lie third, three points behind the Lilywhites, but with two games in hand.

The original 1876 v 1879 return fixture was due to be played at Treborth last weekend, but got cancelled by the league following concerns over potential unrest.

Last October, the teams met for the first time in a stormy match at Belle Vue which saw five from Rhyl and two from Bangor sent off. 1876 won 2-1.

Further lengthy bans were imposed on six Rhyl players in December after the FAW studied footage of unsavoury after-match scenes.

After consultations with several bodies, Bangor originally declared only home team fans would be admitted into Treborth on February 17-18.

Rhyl fans would not be allowed to attend due to segregation issues at the Bangor University facility.

Rhyl 1879 protested, the league intervened, and the game was called off.