Bodedern Athletic withdraw from Ardal Leagues as North Wales football suffers another setback
Bodedern Athletic have withdrawn from the Ardal North West, becoming the second team to do so this season.
The division will now run with 14 teams with Bodedern’s results expunged, making for a 28-game season for those who will continue.
Bodedern were 11th at the time of their withdrawal, which is outside of the relegation zone. It was their first season at this level after winning the North Wales Coast West Premier Division last year, finishing ahead of much-fancied Bangor 1876.
They had struggled to raise a side for weeks and their match against Llay Welfare was postponed last week at late notice.
They had not played a match since October 29, a 10-0 defeat to local rivals Llangefni Town. In total, they had played 11 league matches, winning three, drawing once and losing seven.
In a statement, the Anglesey club said: “A difficult decision has been made that Bodedern Athletic have withdrawn their membership of the Ardal North West League.
“After a club meeting, the small group of volunteers running the club felt they had on option but to resign. The last couple of months have been difficult in trying to field a team, as many players have departed for various reasons, and not being able to sign players because of having transfer windows in Tier 3 of Welsh football. With no help or assistance from the League there was only one outcome.
“We would like to say a HUGE Thank You to our sponsors and our fans for supporting the club over the years, and also the players, coaches and committee members who stuck by us.
“Last of all,…Ricky Williams, THANK YOU, what he’s achieved at this village club is remarkable. We can’t thank him enough for his dedication in managing the team and driving the club forward over the years.”
Bodedern follow in the footsteps of Rhydymwyn who withdrew from all competitions in September, having played just six league matches. They avoided relegation by finishing fourth from bottom, but could not change their fortunes and as a result withdrew.
There have been several withdrawals and resignations in the north region of Wales since the start of the 2021/22 campaign. In the Ardal North East, the league board decided to run with 15 teams after Machynlleth, Penparcau, and Berriew all withdrew in the summer.
