Colwyn Bay to explore possibility of playing in Welsh pyramid system
English non-league side Colwyn Bay are to consider joining the Welsh pyramid system.
Shareholders and supporters met tonight to discuss the future of the club with three options discussed about the club moving forward.
The first option is to stay in England and possibly fold as a club in the next two years or stay in England on a drastically reduced budget or the final option would be to move into local Welsh football and build towards the aim of the Welsh Premier League football.
Talks will now begin with the Football Association of Wales about the possibility of entering the club football in the Welsh pyramid system.
A statement by Colwyn Bay read: “The club have tonight reluctantly decided to explore a possible return to Welsh football on financial grounds.
“The chairman and manager agreed their hearts want to stay in England, but their heads say return to local Welsh football and rebuild.
“The club needs £100,000 a year more revenue to stay competitive in the English system and with lack support from the town in terms people coming to games and business investment, that is looking impossible.
“To try and stay competitive in England was no longer viable and would mean the club going out of business altogether inside two years.”
They are to hold talks with the FA of Wales later this week before making a final decision.
The club had the chance to join the League of Wales in its first season in 1992/1993 but opted to remain in England. They were part of the dubbed ‘Irrate Eight’ of Welsh clubs who had played their club football in England and wanted to remain.
Colwyn Bay currently field a Reserve side in the Reserve Division of the Welsh Alliance League. They have also entered a Youth side into the FAW Youth Cup in previous years.
(Featured Image: NCM Media)
Reluctantly !!!! not what I would have expected to be said by the club disrepectyfor Welsh football with that language
For God’s sake, Bay, stay in the English system. The Welsh ‘pyramid’ is more of a molehill, and, if it was the great source of wealth that some of its supporters claim, there wouldn’t be a long line of its clubs in financial difficulties, would there? As for European football bringing huge pots of cash for successful WPL clubs, you have to wonder just how the likes of Bangor City, Rhyl, Conwy Utd, Prestatyn, Cefn Druids and many others struggled to survive after qualifying for European competitions. The sad truth is that the treat of an occasional trip to somewhere exotic costs more than you might think. By the time a club has paid for a season trundling around the highways and byways of Wales, visiting the same clubs up to four times, and wondering just why some of them bother when hardly any fans bother to turn up. If the Bay think that they aren’t well-supported at present, then there’s a whole world of pain waiting in the WPL. Many clubs artificially inflate their attendances, as even after more than 25 years of existence, Wales’s supposed ‘Premier’ football competition is hardly a crowd-pleaser. The fact that its most successful club, TNS, is ENGLISH!!!
Stay in England, lads. Hopefully, Rhyl, the team I supported, will join you in the near future.