Why is competitive football still being played in South Wales?

Most teams in Wales have had their seasons finished in April and May, but for three clubs in the South Wales Alliance League play-offs, they’ve had to play in June.

Barry Athletic, Canton Rangers, Tata Steel United have all played this week, whilst Ynysybwl are waiting in the wings to play in their second play-off fixture. 

Due to an appeal from Merthyr League champions Navi Treharris after being rejected twice by the FAW, the South Wales FA has seen the playoffs run into June. 

Champion clubs had a deadline of the 30th April to apply for promotion, with eight out of the nine leagues applying. It was a record number of clubs who had applied for promotion, prompting a thorough process to accommodate teams in the playoffs.

Navi Treharris had failed their appeal, whilst Canton Rangers had theirs upheld by the FAW. 

This meant that the South Wales Alliance League have had to run both a knock-out play-off between four teams and a round robin group, consisting of three teams.

The South Wales FA said on the 14th May: “The draw was a random draw conducted in front of representatives from all seven clubs this evening.”

Meaning that clubs were aware of the situation regarding the play-offs. 

Maesteg Park beat Ynysybwl 4-0 in the final at Penybont on May 21st. Despite losing the final, Ynysybwl have a second chance of promotion in the runners-up play-off. 

On Monday this week, a day before the first playoff fixture was scheduled in the robin round, it was announced that the Football Association of Wales had rejected Navi Treharris’ second appeal. 

This allowed the playoffs to resume, with Tata Steel United beating Canton Rangers 1-0 on Tuesday at Penybont. A fortnight after the last fixture. Canton Rangers defeated Vale of Glamorgan champions Barry Athletic 4-1 at Caerau Ely’s Cwrt-yr-Ala Road on Thursday.

The robin round will be concluded on Saturday when Barry Athletic take on Tata Steel United at Ystrad Mynach. 

Whoever finishes second, in what is likely to be either Canton Rangers or Tata Steel United, will take on Ynysybwl at Penybont’s KYMCO Stadium on Monday evening.

This means, either Canton Rangers or Tata Steel United will have played three games in six days, whilst Ynysybwl will have been without a game for almost three weeks. 

Despite the play-offs are taking place, no promotion spot has been confirmed yet until the appeal period for Navi Treharris expires. They have the option for a third appeal to an Independent Arbitration panel. 

The South Wales FA provided their reasoning of resuming the playoffs by saying: “Whilst not wholly satisfactory, this was considered a better option than delaying the completion of the playoffs until August.”