Barry awaits Top Six replay

FAW

At the end of a week of controversy in the Cymru Premier, Barry Town United should finally learn their fate in the race for a Top Six finish.

But the situation is out of their hands following the league's decision to replay the Connah's Quay-Bala game which was abandoned on Tuesday night due to dense fog.

The Lakesiders were trailing 3-0 - and as such, they would have missed out on a place in the Championship Conference after Barry Town United held Haverfordwest to a 1-1 draw at Jenner Park.

But the next morning, an emergency meeting of the FAW's National Leagues Board effectively handed a second chance to Bala, leaving club chiefs at Jenner Park furious.

The league cited that with 28 minutes of normal time to go, "multiple variables could have occurred in that time frame and therefore the scoreline should not stand as completed" - a move consistent with previous abandoned games.

Barry responded by saying the FAW had "ignored and dumped" the concept of sporting integrity, which had been cited as a reason for switching most of the week's fixtures from Saturday in the first place.

A club spokesperson said: "Instead of a competitive conclusion to those 22 matches, we now have a single match in which one club has the advantage of knowing beforehand how they can succeed above other clubs, and their opponents objectively now have less reason to play competitively, knowing that they can no longer reach a top six placing."

"At a time when the FAW are keen to showcase the benefits and advantages of Cymru Premier membership, this is in our opinion a very poor decision that reflects badly on the Welsh pyramid by creating an unfair sense of advantage, rather than a level playing field."

Bro Radio News contacted the FAW for their reaction to Barry's statement, but it did not receive a response.

As such, the situation is that Bala only need a point from their Friday night replay at Flint's Cae-y-Castell ground to take sixth place and return to the Championship Conference for the remainder of the season.

But it is also worth remembering that Bala have themselves had cause for complaint lately.

Manager Colin Caton was angry at the decision to switch their Gwynedd derby clash to Llandudno's Maesdu Park - after the initial game was abandoned and two further attempts at a replay failed.

Caton went onto tell S4C's Sgorio that the FAW had threatened to dock the club three points if they refused to play at a neutral ground - Bala went onto lose 2-0.

The prolonged Top Six drama has not been the only controversy surrounding the league this week.

FAW chiefs have also found themselves at odds with clubs over their claims that the twelve Cymru Premier teams have lent their "full backing" to the controversial plans for a new Welsh League Cup competition - featuring the four Welsh EFL clubs, who are yet to sought permission from the Football Association.

The governing body argued it would generate an extra £3 million per year to spend on improving grassroots infrastructure as well as the Cymru Leagues and the growth of women's football in Wales.

Chief executive Noel Mooney told Sky Sports News on Monday: "We're very much united in Welsh football with these highest ranked Welsh clubs playing in the English system."

Barry Town United responded soon afterwards, saying it had not given its "unequivocal support" to the proposals, having been told they were only at an exploratory phrase at a meeting of the 12 Cymru Premier teams in September.

The club intends to seek the opinion of its fanbase before making a decision.

Likewise, Caernarfon Town said no official vote has been held regarding the cup competition, nor the wider Proseict Cymru proposals, although it was open to hearing more "definite detail".

When asked for a response to Barry's statement on the League Cup, an FAW spokesperson declined to comment.

Do you have a local news story? Email news@broradio.fm

 

 

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