Newtown AFC forced to play their European qualifier at Park Hall – reports
OSWESTRY, ENGLAND - 15 MAY, 2021: A general view of Park Hall during the warm up The New Saints v Bala Town in the Cymru Premier Championship Conference at Park Hall on the 15th May 2021. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
Newtown AFC will be forced to play their upcoming Europa Conference League home qualifier away from Latham Park it has been announced.
The Robins qualified for UEFA’s new third-tier competition after being Caernarfon Town in a dramatic play-off final last weekend.
Chris Hughes’ side however will not be able to play at their usual home ground in Powys and will instead play over 30 miles away at Park Hall, the home of The New Saints.
The pitch at Latham Park, which was laid at 2014, does not meet the required standards, despite hosting qualifiers against Copenhagen and Valletta in 2015.
It is similar to the tale of Barry Town United, who in 2019, had to play their qualifier against Cliftonville at Leckwith Stadium, due to the ball rolling too quickly.
Speaking to The Sport Report, Newtown’s finance director Barry Gardiner said: “We’ve known for a couple of years that it has to meet different FIFA regulations, and that is always going to be a challenge as it’s used by all teams, the academy, and the community.
“There are new rules set to come into play which will make it even harder for clubs to pass tests while also getting the revenue from their pitches.
“That is something we are going to have to look at going forward, but for now we will have to go to TNS for our home games in Europe.”
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Despite the move, it is hopeful that spectators will be able to watch the Mid Wales side in Europe.
The Welsh Government have given permission for sports clubs to welcome up to 10,000 spectators, provided they do a COVID-19 risk assessment.
There are still some hurdles to overcome however, the Football Association of Wales will run their own tests events before a full return of spectators.
Up to 1,000 fans could attend the Robins’ home leg fixture, should UEFA maintain their two-legged knock-out ties, after last season, they scrapped it due to the pandemic.
“It will cost us a bit to rent the ground but it isn’t massive,” said Garner to The Sport Report.
“The news on fans is great. You can get 1,000 people on seats so we hope the majority of Newtown fans come.
“We are looking into the logistical side of things, running supporters buses with a ticket deal of some sorts, to make sure as many locals are there as possible.”
