Tag: Cymru South

It’s FAWlty Towers again as FAW blunders 2019/20 season curtailment.

After weeks of waiting, Welsh football clubs finally learnt the fate of the 2019/20 season today when the FAW Council ‘met’ to ratify the decision taken by the FAW Game Board on Monday. That decision was to curtail the league season and award final league positions based on points per game average (PPG). It meant Connah’s Quay Nomads were crowned champions of Wales for the first time, ending The New Saints’ eight year stranglehold on the title, and notionally earn Wales’ solitary UEFA Champions League spot. The three Europa League spots were awarded on final PPG Cymru Premier standings to The New Saints, Bala Town and Barry Town United (the latter in lieu of the FAW being unable to complete the Welsh Cup ahead of UEFA’s deadline – although, confusingly, two dates are given in the public statement).

Congratulations to Connah’s Quay Nomads, the other league winners confirmed by the FAW and the Cymru Premier clubs nominated for European football.

So far not so surprising; although we may have not heard the last word yet from TNS owner Mike Harris on the destination of the Cymru Premier trophy. However – and unfortunately – the bigger story centred on how the FAW’s decision came into the public domain.

Given the FAW tendency for issuing statements on important matters regarding the domestic pyramid at 5pm, it was a bit surprising when BBC Wales Sport broke the news around 3pm that the campaign had been curtailed and league champions were decided using PPG. It was surprising because there had been no public statement by the FAW and no issue of a press statement (which usually comes embargoed an hour or so before official release). It soon became apparent that even the clubs were unaware, with reports on social media that Connah’s Quay Nomads manager Andy Morrison found out his team were champions via the BBC Wales Sport report.

Cue the bedlam. Here was another FAWlty Towers moment from the national association.

As reporters on Welsh football scrambled it became obvious there had been a leak. My understanding is it was definitely not the FAW’s intention for the news to be revealed like this. The level of detail in the press release (which hit inboxes an hour after the BBC leak and appeared online a further 30 minutes later) – with printed tables for every league in Wales between 1-4 and cited explanations of the decision – clearly indicated this wasn’t supposed to come out via a provocative slip of the tongue.

To credit the member clubs, they have maintained their dignity online with most of the histrionics reserved by a few members of the Welsh football media over the privilege of information. The issue of the leak is no doubt a serious one for the FAW, but the real scandal is that member clubs, who have waited over two months for a decision, learnt their fate in this way. For the clubs that will be crowned league champions it must have been a confusing and underwhelming moment, while for clubs like Cardiff Met and Caernarfon Town (whose Welsh Cup semi-final was effectively a Europa League play-off match) they were left to experience their disappointment in a manner akin to being dumped by text message. Clubs hoping to gain promotion or avoid relegation remain in the dark.

You would hope there would be a probe inside the FAW to determine the source of the leak. BBC Wales Sport would not have published their leak on hearsay so their information, I suspect, came from a prominent source at Neptune Court. That is one problem, but the bigger issue here is why was it ever considered acceptable to inform member clubs at the same time as the general press statement? Surely the respectful thing would be to have informed clubs what was coming following the decision by the FAW Game Board; even if merely provisionally before the token consent of the FAW Council was granted a day later.

The FAW and Welsh football come out of this looking totally shambolic and disrespectful towards its members. Ultimately, it’s probably one or two individuals that have pulled the rug from under the FAW and made the entire organisation look farcical but it’s another blow for the image of Welsh football and its credibility. I’ll avoid doing what others have done and throw the entire organisation under the bus because I know there are people at the FAW that care deeply about the domestic game and work very hard every day to try and improve it. They too have been let down here by that/those person(s) that served their own agenda and showed total contempt for the domestic system, its clubs, players and volunteers.

There are still matters awaiting resolution too. The FAW have said no decision has been made yet on promotions and relegations. I suspect this could be a waiting game with (and I’m writing hypothetically here) the potential for promotion/relegation play-off games ahead of next season (whenever that takes place). The FAW have said they hope to complete the Welsh Cup before the start of next season (which will no doubt perturb anyone involved with Cardiff Met or Caernarfon Town even further), so hypothetical promotion/relegation play-offs could be in the same thought-process.

Given how poor today was handled though, the FAW would do well to restore some trust among member clubs affected by the promotion/relegation conundrum by keeping them in the loop about any future plans. That, at least, may alleviate concerns on both sides.

The next step in this convoluted mess is the announcement of Tier 3 Ground Certifications, which are expected next month.

The full statement by the FAW can be read here: https://www.faw.cymru/en/news/faw-board-decide-curtail-national-leagues-season/?back=/en/news/&pos=1

Prosser gives Cambrian a new cutting edge

Like others no doubt, I really thought this might the season for Cambrian & Clydach Vale BGC to challenge again for the title at this level of football. It’s been nearly 8 years since their solitary Welsh Football League triumph and the club has undergone a massive transition in that time; the first team now enjoying the fruits of the seeds they began planting when their academy was set-up around a decade ago.

Last season was a breakthrough campaign for the Rhondda club, manager Dane Williams leading his charges to a 2nd place finish in what was then Welsh League Division one (it is now the Cymru South), a well-publicised run to the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup and the quarter-finals of the Welsh Cup. In the summer, attackers Leon Jacka and Sam Johnson were added to the squad and although they lost captain David Thomas and Joe Evans to Cardiff Met (Thomas has since returned to Clydach Vale), the balance of the squad looked good enough for a challenge.

After winning the first five league games it looked like my prediction was spot on but a barren run of form that saw the side win just once in 11 games during the autumn months saw them drop into mid-table. Three wins in four before this game had boosted their league position but there won’t be a title challenge this time around.

Their visitors, Cwmbran Celtic, are in real trouble. Although they have been a team that has held their own since they returned to the second tier of Welsh football three and half years ago, their league position has declined every season since a club record 6th-placed finish in 2017. The club haven’t really been able to stabilise on the pitch since Lee Challenger stepped down as manager last season. Former Monmouth Town manager Nicky Morgan tried but left the club last month with club playing veterans James Kinsella and Owen Cook currently overseeing a side languishing in the bottom three and at real risk of relegation.

Here it was evident to see why they are struggling, making little impact against a Cambrian side that are always strong at home; or they are when I visit. This was my 10th time watching Cambrian and this was the 9th victory they recorded with me in attendance and a combined aggregate score of 27-5. Maybe they should employ me as a full-time lucky charm, or at least try and do something about the weather! It always seems to either be raining or blowing a Baltic gale when I venture up to their 3G ground.

They didn’t let the weather dampen their performance here though, running out comfortable winners on the night. Sam Jones opened the scoring as early as the sixth minute and the Rhondda men never looked book back. Ryan Prosser – recently recruited from Merthyr Town – scored a brace to seal the victory, consisting of a superb individual effort in the first half and a fine finish to cap a lovely flowing team move on the hour.

Dane Williams may well be wondering what might have been had Prosser been signed earlier. The hitman has struck 5 times in 3 consecutive wins for Cambrian since he joined from The Martyrs and definitely seems to have brought a new dimension to the attack with his skill, physicality and ruthlessness in front of goal. The Cwmbran Celtic defence certainly had no answers to his threat and will no doubt hope to produce much better in the games ahead.

Match notes
21.02.2020
Cambrian & Clydach Vale BGC 3-0 Cwmbran Celtic
(Sam Jones 6′, Ryan Prosser 16′ 59′)
JD Cymru South
M & P Group Stadium, Clydach Vale
Attendance: c. 80 | Entry: £5 (free programme available online)

Wellmen’s young men leading club’s fightback?

The last couple of years have been rough for Taffs Well. Let’s be honest the club has been a bit of basket case when it comes to competitive senior football. Managers and players have come and gone like the shifting of the weather. In fact there have been too many managers, probably 8 or 9 if you include caretaker roles. It got to the point where the resumption of the club’s membership in the third tier of Welsh football for the first time since 2004 looked inevitable (and it’s still a possibility).

This has all come in the midst of a few ground-breaking years for the club. Three times they have hosted lucrative friendlies with English Football League side Cardiff City, attracting thousands of fans to Rhiw’r Ddar for those moneyspinners. As a result, Taffs Well have been able to launch what I presume, due to FAW funding rules, is an entirely self-funded academy to compliment an already strong youth team set-up.

But the senior side has been sliding backwards.

The appointment of Lawrence Badman as Steve Williams’ successor (sacked last November) in January has seen a recent upturn in results. Following 10 defeats in the previous 11 matches, The Wellmen have hit back with 7 points from their last three fixtures. Whether this is a familiar jolt of forward momentum amidst the decline or truly the start of a turnaround remains to be seen.

I watched them lose 6-0 at Pontypridd Town last month and as that result would suggest they absolutely dreadful that night. It couldn’t have been easier for Pontypridd and Taffs Well couldn’t have done any more to make the Cymru South nomads look better. Something has definitely changed between then and now because in this Cymru South encounter against Undy Athletic there was at least some work-rate and desire from the Taffs Well players to give the side a platform from which to play. There wasn’t very much of that at USW 3-4 weeks ago.

One thing Taffs Well have had to deal with, as well as the upheaval in the dugouts, is a loss of some experienced players. The likes of Jason Bertorelli, Jacob Isaacs and Jack Fox have all departed over the winter, and while a few familiar veterans remain or have joined, there seems to have been a move towards bringing through and into the first team younger, hungrier players with something to prove. You cannot judge the entire picture from one look but it was noticeable in this game the prominence of four young players in this improved display.

Anyone who has been following the Cymru South/Welsh League division one for the last 12 months or so will be aware of Jordan Carey. The 20-year-old attacker broke into the side last season and has been practically ever-present since. His physical stature may be slight but his presence on the pitch is large. His energy is relentless and should be infectious among his team-mates but he possesses real quality to go with it. Impressive though is his mentality; despite his lack of experience he never gets himself down about mistakes, always looking to be involved and take responsibility in the game. I suspect already there are several clubs watching him.

Dylan Jones (18) is another great hope for The Wellmen. A very talented ball-player with very good technical ability and the ability to create time on the ball; I’ve heard some at Rhiw’r Ddar are even more excited by his potential than Carey’s. Carey and Jones were complimented by two other stand-out young players on the night: Thomas Gameson (22) and Liam Martin (20). Gameson has arrived from Aberbargoed Buds I believe, has very good feet and a big personality on the pitch. Martin, before being sent-off, looked a very composed figure and another player with good ability on the ball, as you might expect from a player that has previously been involved with Bristol City’s academy.

On the night, Taffs Well definitely merited the win against an Undy side that is always well-organised and competitive at this level. The Wellmen dominated most of the play from the off with Undy always looking most likely to threaten from mistakes and counter-attacks.

Carey was involved in practically all of Taffs Well’s best moments in the first half and probably should have done better with a couple of opportunities that came his way. Undy came closest though in a goalless first half, a drive from midfield beating Cael Jones but hit the top of the crossbar.

When Martin was sent-off early in the second half for a poor tackle it looked like the game might swing the way of the visitors, but Cymru Premier ref Gavin Townsend flashed his red card again within 90 seconds, showing a straight red to Undy’s Rhys Aherne, presumably for what was deemed another dangerous tackle.

With parity restored in terms of personnel and more space on the field, Taffs Well went on to secure the win. Carey scoring first from the penalty spot before Richard French scored with a close range header to seal the points. An excellently struck free-kick from Ollie Smith (another talented young player at this level) in injury time threatened a late comeback but there was little time for Undy to mount any pressure so the points, deservedly, went to the home side and took them out of the potential relegation places.

Match Notes
11.2.2020
Taffs Well 2-1 Undy Athletic
(Jordan Carey 70′ pen, Richard French 89′; Ollie Smith 90+2′)
JD Cymru South
Rhiw’r Ddar, Taffs Well
Attendance: 55 (approx) | Entry: £5