And yet another grassroots football team goes to the wall – are the FAW bothered?

The demise of grassroots football clubs in North Wales continues with FC United of Wrexham the latest to go to the wall.

The North East Wales League Championship Division outfit have announced they are resigning, with their future priority pledged to youth football and Futsal.

TEN North Wales clubs have closed operations since the start of last season, although two have reformed and one village has started up another team under a different name.

These collapses have happened on the watch of FAW chief executive officer Noel Mooney.

Does this concern him? Or is dishing out over-exaggerated pizzazz-ridden claims that everything is so great, the well-being of the national teams and appointing endless officers with a variety of perplexing titles taking total priority?

How will the much-promised Cymru Premier League review turn out? When will we hear about it?

Never mind a proliferation of 3G pitches, what’s the agenda for grassroots football? Do the FAW know what grassroots football actually is? Will they look into why all these clubs are folding?

Do they care? If they want clubs to progress, is the financial help available?

Is it necessary to keep imposing so many harsh fines on lower level clubs?

How closely are they working with area associations? Especially the ones who seem incapable of making basic decisions at times.

Answers on a very large postcard please……..

Why are so many clubs folding? Reasons include running costs, loss of volunteers, heavier demands on clubs (paperwork etc), stricter criteria on grounds if the clubs want to be promoted…..just a few.

When is more help and understanding coming for these clubs?

Clubs to resign or fold since summer 2022

FC United of Wrexham
Formed in 2020, lasted two seasons in the North East Wales League Championship Division, finishing next-to-bottom on each occasion.
Resigned in June 2023 to focus on youth football and Futsal.

New Brighton Villa
Formed in 1997, their biggest achievement was winning the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division Two title in 2004/05.
Finished fifth in the Tier 4 North East Wales Premier Division in 2022-23, but will not compete this season.
With the gap between Tier 3 and Tier 4 widening as a result of improvements in ground criteria required for promotion, NBV decided its current facilities made it near impossible to achieve their ambitions with limited space and resources to put in place the improvements required and called it a day.

Llandudno Albion
After nine years, 272 games, 862 goals, three promotions, five trophies and an FAW Trophy final, 2022-23 was the farewell campaign for Llandudno Albion.
With no home of its own, the club was unable to secure the required ground share agreement needed to continue competing in tier 3 in 2023-24.

Rhydymwyn
Withdrew their first team from the tier 3 Ardal North West League and the Development side from the FAW Reserve League in September 2022, but the club will return in 2023-24 in the North East Wales League.

Bodedern Athletic
Won the Tier 4 North Wales Coast West Premier Division title in stunning style in 2021-22, but struggled in the third-tier Ardal North West, losing key players and due to FAW rules were unable to sign new ones before the January window.
The club resigned in December 2022.
A new club, Boded FC, will represent the village in 2023-24.

Saltney Ferry
Joined the North East Wales League Championship Division at the start of 2022-23, but failed to last the campaign, folding in April 2023 due to internal issues.

Bro Goronwy
A club with a prestigious past, Bro temporarily folded for the 2021-22 season, but had ambitions to come back stronger in 2022-23.
However, the club could not attract enough players to make entering the league viable and withdrew on the eve of last season.

Bodorgan Juniors
Called it a day just before the start of 2022-23 after a varied history in the Anglesey League and North Wales Coast West Division One.

Waunfawr
Former Caernarfon and District League Division One champions and Gwynedd League runners-up resigned from the North Wales Coast Football League West in summer 2022.

Betws y Coed
Left the North Wales Coast East League at the end of 2021-22, took a season out of the game, but will return in 2023-24.

FC UNITED OF WREXHAM RESIGNATION STATEMENT…..

It is with a mix of emotions that we announce the resignation of FC United of Wrexham Men’s Football Team from the North East Wales Football league.

This decision comes as a result of several challenges that have impacted our ability to continue competing at the current level.

Firstly, the club has faced significant constraints, which have hindered our operations and limited our capacity to secure the necessary resources for sustainable participation at men’s level.

Despite our best efforts to secure funding, the financial landscape has proven increasingly challenging, making it difficult for us to meet the demands of a competitive league.

Last season we had to cover fines and signing fees just to keep us operating to fulfil our obligation to the league.

Additionally, we have experienced player departures as some individuals have sought opportunities with higher-level teams.

While we always aim to create an environment that supports the growth and advancement of our players, we understand and respect their ambitions to pursue new challenges and elevate their careers.

We take pride in player development and in the last two seasons we have helped many players secure subsequent moves to well established esteemed clubs such as Bala Town, Gresford Athletic and Prestatyn Town.

Furthermore, we regret to acknowledge that external clubs such as Cefn Druids, Skippy FC & Druids United have enticed some of our players with financial incentives to join their ranks which is great news for the lads however this unfortunate reality has presented a difficult predicament for us, given our financial limitations.

However, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the overall well-being and success of our players, supporting their decisions to pursue opportunities that align with their ambitions and aspirations.

Moreover, the allocation of training time on our home ground has become increasingly challenging, with limited availability affecting our ability to maintain consistent and effective training sessions.

This constraint has hindered our ability to prepare adequately and perform at our desired level.

Despite these circumstances, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has played a part in the journey of FC United of Wrexham Men’s Football Team.

From the passionate dedicated volunteers and all those who initially believed in our project, your unwavering support has been invaluable. This current setback is just a temporary blip in our road, and we assure you that it will not be the end of our club within the Football game.

Looking ahead, FC United of Wrexham will continue its focus to our futsal club, which was our original intention when we embarked on this journey in 2020 before Mr Jo Ginja founded our very own men’s football side.

Futsal has always been a source of pride and success for us, and we are excited to continue nurturing the talent within our women’s team, U13s, U8s, and our girls-only U6 team.

Their dedication and commitment to the club will ensure that the spirit of FC United of Wrexham lives on.
We remain resolute in our determination to overcome these challenges and emerge stronger than ever.

The experiences and lessons learned during our time in men’s football have shaped us, and we will carry those valuable insights into our future endeavours.

Once again, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to all who have supported us thus far. Your belief in our vision and your continued backing will be crucial as we regroup, strategize, and prepare to rise again.

Together, we will forge a bright future for FC United of Wrexham.