Come on North Wales Women’s Football League – take a firmer hand!

Not for the first time a North Wales Women’s Football League season could end in farce.

THE BACKGROUND….

In recent years, a team was blocked from joining the North Wales Women’s League until February (five months into the season) which caused a major fixtures backlog.

Then the following season the Division One title had to be shared because one of the contenders ran out of time to complete its games.

The same campaign saw the Division Two champions win all their matches and could not be caught, but they disbanded before playing their full set of fixtures.

The 2019-20 campaign had to end two months early because of Covid – which was no-one’s fault, but the Division One champions were crowned having played just five matches out of 14.

Lots of postponements, partly due to the weather but also because of teams pulling out of games right, left and centre meant there was such a backlog, the season probably would not have finished on time anyway had the schedule run till the May 31 deadline.

Because of the pandemic the 2020-21 season was completely cancelled, so it was some relief when the 2021-22 campaign was ‘normal’ compared to the previous buffoonery and CPD Y Rhyl 1879 women won the title as invincibles.

2022-23 AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN….🤪🤪

However, 2022-23 now faces the previous problem of getting all fixtures played before the end of May.

Into mid-March, and the number of league games some teams still have to play are in double figures.

Some sides have pulled out of matches regularly this season and not been punished once by the league.

True, a number of matches have been postponed due to the weather, but it is the worst kept secret in the league that some teams have been withdrawing from games just because ‘they don’t fancy it’.

Citing a lack of players just isn’t good enough.

When you sign up for a league you should be committed to play every game possible.

If that means travelling a fair distance with 11 players and no subs then that’s your hard luck unfortunately. Many clubs have worked hard to build up big squads, why can’t everyone do the same?

If you are missing a few major regulars, then pulling out just because you fear a heavy defeat isn’t right.

Playing the waiting game because you know you’ll be stronger come the spring, when students etc may be more available, is not right.

Clubs who postpone for no good reason should have points deducted.

Stop having a laugh and play fair. What you do is unfair on others, it’s stopping those for whom a Sunday football fix is an essential part of life playing the game they love.

This is not a theory. I’ve been contacted by a number of players from different teams in recent weeks complaining that THEIR OWN CLUBS are not playing fair.

The league is not being firm enough and is being taken advantage of.

I have written to the NWWFL on this matter and am awaiting a reply.

Compare the situation with the tier 3 league to the tier 2 Genero Adran North.

CPDM Y Felinheli have had six points deducted this season….
* Three points for not being able to fulfill a fixture…
* And a further three points for Felinheli men’s team saying the Cae Seilo pitch was unplayable, which it was, but apparently the women’s team were not allowed to cancel and got another deduction.

And how about Llandudno?

Champions last season, they have had terribly bad luck with injuries this term and have been struggling to get 11 fit players for a Sunday, work commitments also an occasional factor.

So what do Llandudno do? Aim for sympathy and look to get out of playing games? No, they somehow get a team out for every game. Win or lose, they take it on the chin.

Let’s disregard this excuse about tier 3 being a local league and the rules should not be as strict.

It is the FAW themselves who are encouraging clubs to be ambitious and aim to progress to higher levels. With that should come a more responsible attitude from tier 3 clubs.

Play your games and don’t withdraw unless you have a very good reason.

“We’ll have to travel with a weakened side” is not a good reason.

I’ve been angered by some of things I’ve heard this week and clubs who are not playing ball should be more aware of how their players are feeling.

Will the North Wales Women’s League take any of what has been said here into account in their future planning?

Based on past form, I seriously have my doubts.