Promotion hopefuls Caernarfon Town granted domestic licence, Llanelli rejected
Caernarfon Town will be accepted into the JD Welsh Premier League, should they win their respective division.
Twenty clubs applied for the Tier One licence, with the 12 clubs currently playing in the JD Welsh Premier League all applying. Three clubs from the Welsh Football League applied, with the other five from the Cymru Alliance.
It comes on FAW Licencing Day, a procedure in which the Football Association of Wales and the JD Welsh Premier League, ensuring that the 12 competing clubs are compliant with the rules and regulations, of playing in the top flight of Welsh football.
Back in 2016, Caernarfon Town were denied promotion to the top flight, failing its licence appeal and were told that it legally did not exist as a club. Instead, Cefn Druids were promoted in their place.
Since then, Caernarfon Town reached the JD Welsh Cup semi-final last year, losing to eventual winners Bala Town, as well as retaining the Huws Gray Alliance League Cup. The acceptance of their application means that Welsh Premier League football could be played at The Oval for the first time since the 2008/2009 Welsh Premier League season, should they finish in the top two.
Caernarfon Town are in pole position to claim the North Wales promotion spot, with four games left to play and an eight-point gap over third-placed Rhyl.
Welsh Football League Division One leaders Llanelli Town have been rejected the licence, whilst third placed Haverfordwest County have been granted the licence. Second played Penybont also applied, but withdrew their application, along with Porthmadog.
Should Haverfordwest County finish in the top two of the Welsh Football League, they will be eligible for promotion to the JD Welsh Premier League.
The Reds were wound up back in April 2013 and reformed as Llanelli Town. They started life in Division Three of the Welsh Football League and have since reached the pinnacle of Division One, winning the Welsh Football League Cup last season and have the opportunity to retain the Cup, when they play Cwmbran Celtic in the semi-finals of the Cup next week.
Llanelli have ten days to appeal the decision, after being refused by the First Instance Body. A decision will then be made on Thursday 26 April 2018.
(Featured Image: Oval Ways)
