When is the reserve leagues situation affecting North Wales football getting sorted out?

Many people across North Wales football are asking the same question – what is happening with the reserve leagues?

Last season, we had the FAW Cymru Reserves North East and North West leagues well underway by now. Yet here we are in mid-August and nothing.

These leagues were due to launch in 2020-21 as part of an FAW restructure of the Welsh pyramid which brought tier 3 under the national body’s wing.

Due to the worldwide pandemic, the entire season was cancelled, so the inaugural campaign for the reserve leagues started in 2021-22.

While two seasons have been completed, this was not achieved without problems, notably the fixtures backlog often caused by, among other reasons, lack of officials, which meant a very late end to the campaigns.

There is apparently a revamp proposed for 2023-24, but the FAW has not communicated anything on this, as far as Grassroots North Wales is concerned, to the media.

One prominent figure involved with a North Wales team told us the FAW’s plan could cause havoc for tier 3 Wrexham area clubs.

“The FAW are telling Tier 3 Wrexham teams we have to play in the same league as Nantlle Vale, Llangefni Town, Pwllheli, Conwy Borough and St Asaph,” he said.

“Most teams I have spoken to about it are not happy with the proposal. Their concerns include the time that young reserve players will need to give up.

“The additional costs required for the travel/minibus with young lads not driving and many other factors the FAW are aware of.

“We have raised our concerns, tried to ask for exemption from tier 3 reserves to tier 4, but apparently we have missed a deadline.

“Deadline for applications for exemption was 30th June after we paid to enter a league structure,

“We were told July 19th of the proposals for tier 3.

“We then asked for exemption once we knew the extremities of the travel situation.

“The FAW know they have dropped a big one with this and the alternatives they have given us is to play in the league or withdraw.

“Football is in a free fall, teams pulling out of tier 3 leagues last year and Barmouth so far this season.

“We are at a point where we have to make a decision if we attempt to play in this league and try to find funding for playing in this structure.

“At a cost of approximately £450 for a minibus and 6 trips away, this will set us back £2,700 on top of basic reserve team costs.
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We have given the FAW a break down of costs, distances to travel and time on the road yet they do not seem a little bit interested.

“This could really push clubs to the brink and actually discourage players from playing as they can go to at least a dozen clubs within the Wrexham area and play tier 4/5.

“We have already lost players for this reason and it is a massive worry to see where we may be in a couple of months.

“I’ve sought advice from NEWFA and obviously there is a procedure within Welsh football and it seems the people at the top do not care about grass roots football.”

News is also awaited on how the North Wales Coast Reserves League will operate this season.

A decision was promised in early August.

We are aware the NWCFA Reserve League, won by Penmaenmawr Phoenix in each of its first two seasons, is set to be renamed the Development League. However, the make up of East and West clubs remains unrevealed.

Is it not about time the situation regarding reserve football leagues this season in North Wales was sorted out? Clubs deserve to know.