What Cymru Premier clubs has said about Welsh League Cup plans that involves Cardiff City and Swansea City
Five JD Cymru Premier clubs have issued statements after the FAW shared plans to restructure the Welsh League Cup.
The new competition would see Wales’ four EFL clubs join the 12 Cymru Premier sides in a new format to decide a place in Europe. Second tier clubs in Wales would be removed from the competition, but a new cup would be created for them to compete in.
In their statement, the FAW said that the proposal had already received the ‘unanimous’ backing of JD Cymru Premier clubs. Five sides have since issued a response to supporters asking for further clarity on the plans.
Barry Town United
The first club to issue a statement to supporters were Barry Town United, with a social media post reading;
“In September 2024, representatives from the Cymru Premier League clubs convened with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and, after deliberation, collectively agreed to pursue further exploration of the Project Cymru proposal.
As a club, we left the meeting with the understanding that this is still in the exploratory phase, and that further details would be provided to the clubs before we take a formal position on the initiative.
We wish to reassure our supporters that we have not yet given our unequivocal support to the proposal. We are awaiting more comprehensive information and responses to the questions we have raised, which we will share with our members once clarified.
We recognise that this matter is likely to spark considerable discussion within the club, and we welcome all questions or concerns to be directed to David Cole via email. As more details are made available, we will organise a members’ meeting to engage in a full and open debate on the proposal.”
Penybont
The Linnets were followed by Penybont, who again asked for further clarity on proposed changes.
“The FAW has today communicated a plan to amend the structure of the Welsh League Cup to include the four highest-ranked clubs playing in England.
The club is, in principle, supportive of the plan, subject to agreement on further details, as it has the potential to significantly enhance interest in the Welsh domestic game and generate much- needed additional revenue for Cymru Premier clubs and grassroots football.
The Board would welcome any comments, observations, or concerns from club supporters about the plan at this stage and will consider these in the context of any final decision made when additional information is shared by the FAW,” stated the club on their social media post.
Haverfordwest County
Tony Pennock’s Bluebirds were next to offer their support for the new project with their statement reading;
“Haverfordwest County AFC expresses its support, in principle, for the proposed reforms to the Welsh League Cup announced today.
“We believe these changes have the potential to enhance the competitiveness and visibility of Welsh football, benefiting clubs across all levels. We will provide further comment once the Football Association of Wales releases additional details.”
Club chairman Rob Edwards also discussed his opinion of fan backlash.
“`The fact that there’s so much negativity around it is crazy really, because people are making comments and statements on what’s right or wrong in this decision without knowing what the impact is going to be,” said Edwards to Pure West Radio.
Caernarfon Town
Following their own European journey last summer, Caernarfon also issued a statement on social media asking for further details on the project.
The Cofis would not have enjoyed their European adventure if the proposed plans were in place for last campaigns competition, leaving fans with the worry of missing out in future to the EFL clubs.
“Following the recent press release by the FAW regarding Project Cymru we wish to make it clear that, whilst the club is open to receiving more information regarding the initiative, as far as we are concerned, no official vote involving the clubs has been taken about it nor the proposed new Welsh League Cup.
We will not be making any further comments about Project Cymru nor the League Cup until we receive definite details from the FAW of what it will all look like,” said the clubs social media post.
The New Saints
The final club to issue a response to the news were current champions TNS, with the Ostwery outfit showing full support to the FAW.
“The New Saints express support, in principle, for yesterday’s proposed reforms to the Welsh League Cup.
As a club, we believe this move will bring a number of benefits, including increased brand recognition for the JD Cymru Premier and an increase in our UEFA country coefficient ranking which will generate more investment for the game in Wales.
In turn, this will lead to more Welsh clubs competing in the league phase of UEFA club competitions like The New Saints this season, increasing revenue for all clubs.
A key part of the new JD Cymru Premier strategy was raising the profile of our domestic game, and this exciting new competition, similar to the FAW Premier Cup which came before it, will help attract new fans and a much wider audience for the domestic game.
We look forward to these exciting plans coming to fruition.”