Eleven out of 16 Cymru North clubs apply for Tier 1 licence

A record 38 clubs have applied for the FAW Men’s Tier 1 Licence for the 2025/26 season – 11 of them from the Cymru North.

All 12 JD Cymru Premier clubs have put themselves forward, along with 11 CN and 15 JD Cymru South.

The Club Licensing system aims to assist the continual improvement and development of football clubs at the top level within Wales.

The FAW has encouraged clubs who may not be Tier 1 Licence ready to apply to gain an accurate picture of where future strategic investments are required and to help develop action plans for those clubs who have future ambitions of competing in the JD Cymru Premier.

LICENCE APPLICANTS

JD Cymru Premier (Tier 1)

Aberystwyth Town
Bala Town
Barry Town United
Briton Ferry Llansawel
Caernarfon Town
Cardiff Met University
Connah’s Quay Nomads
Flint Town United
Haverfordwest County
Newtown
Penybont
The New Saints

JD Cymru North (Tier 2)

Airbus UK Broughton
Buckley Town
Colwyn Bay
CPD Bangor 1876
Denbigh Town
Gresford Athletic
Guilsfield
Holywell Town
Llandudno
Penrhyncoch
Ruthin Town

JD Cymru South (Tier 2)

Afan Lido
Ammanford
Baglan Dragons
Caerau Ely
Cambrian United
Carmarthen Town
Cwmbran Celtic
Goytre United
Llanelli Town
Llantwit Major
Newport City
Pontypridd United
Taffs Well
Trefelin BGC
Trethomas Bluebirds

Clubs in Tier 1 and Tier 2 had until 30 September to submit their applications for a Tier 1 Licence for the 2025/26 season.

During November and December, site visits to their stadia will be arranged and club audits will be completed, including the assessment of their licensing documentation.

By 1 March 2025, any ground sharing agreements must be submitted in accordance with the FAW Pyramid Regulations.

All club licensing documentation must be finalised and submitted to the FAW by 31 March 2025.

The full Tier 1 Club Licensing Core Process can be viewed within the Tier 1 Men’s Club Licensing Regulations.

Clubs are assessed on the following criteria:

Sporting
Social and Environmental Sustainability
Infrastructure
Personnel & Administrative
Legal
Financial

An independent First Instance Body (FIB), consisting of experts with relevant experience, will sit on 8 April 2025 to assess the applicants against the criteria detailed above. The decisions of the FIB will be communicated to the applicants on the same day.

For those clubs who have failed to attain the Tier 1 Licence, the FIB will provide written reasons for their failure and the club(s) will be invited to submit an appeal by 18 April 2025.

An independent Appeals Body, also consisting of experts, will sit to consider the appeals on 20 April 2025.

Decisions will be communicated to the appellants on the same day. The decision of the Appeals Body is final.