The latest 'View from Richmond Park' column
The latest 'View from Richmond Park' column from the Carmarthen Journal . . .
Been off on holidays, so this is the 'View from Richmond Park' column from the Journal of August 11 (tweaked because of time delay) -
The Welsh Premier League season is underway. Carmarthen Town AFC took the field against old rivals Aberystwyth Town on Saturday, August 14.
The new season sees plenty of changes in the structure of the Welsh Premier League - the national league of Wales.
The league kicked off the 2010/11 season on August 13 (The New Saints v Prestatyn Town played on Friday night) with 12 clubs, after a reduction in size from 18 clubs in 2009/10.
No teams were promoted from either of the feeder leagues as the only eligible club on playing merit - Cymru Alliance champions Llangefni Town - failed to gain the necessary FAW (Football Association of Wales) domestic licence.
The five lowest-placed clubs in the top flight - Cefn Druids, Caersws, Welshpool, Porthmadog and Connah's Quay - were relegated to the Alliance along with the 2009 champions Rhyl, who finished sixth, but also failed in their licence application and appeal.
The New Saints finished the campaign as champions for the fifth time and also clinched a double by winning the League Cup.
Llanelli were runners-up, with Port Talbot claiming a highest-ever finish of third.
The league had started 2009/10 with the addition of promoted Bala Town, who retained their place for the new 12-club league.
There is no route for promotion from the Welsh Premier League, although the champion side is entered in the UEFA Champions League, with two clubs entered in the Europa League alongside the Welsh Cup winners, who go straight into the second qualifying round.
The league has been sponsored by the Principality Building Society since 2006.
The major change this season is to the fixture format.
The clubs will play each other twice in the first phase of the 2010/11 competition.
The league will then split into top six and bottom six, with the clubs in those groups playing each other twice again to make a 32-fixture league season.
No club in the bottom six may finish higher than seventh, no matter how many points are gained during the split stage.
Clubs finishing in third to seventh position will then take part in a play-off to determine who gains the third Europa League spot the following season.
Should the Welsh Cup winners be among those clubs, the eighth placed club would be invited into the play-offs.
Because of this, the season will be extended, as the play-offs will not be able to take place until after the Welsh Cup final.
League Fact: The first-ever goal in the League of Wales was scored by Mitch Patton in a 2-1 Afan Lido win over Connah's Quay Nomads on 15 August 1992.
For the previous column see -
http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/latest-view-from-richmond-park-column.html
Been off on holidays, so this is the 'View from Richmond Park' column from the Journal of August 11 (tweaked because of time delay) -
The Welsh Premier League season is underway. Carmarthen Town AFC took the field against old rivals Aberystwyth Town on Saturday, August 14.
The new season sees plenty of changes in the structure of the Welsh Premier League - the national league of Wales.
The league kicked off the 2010/11 season on August 13 (The New Saints v Prestatyn Town played on Friday night) with 12 clubs, after a reduction in size from 18 clubs in 2009/10.
No teams were promoted from either of the feeder leagues as the only eligible club on playing merit - Cymru Alliance champions Llangefni Town - failed to gain the necessary FAW (Football Association of Wales) domestic licence.
The five lowest-placed clubs in the top flight - Cefn Druids, Caersws, Welshpool, Porthmadog and Connah's Quay - were relegated to the Alliance along with the 2009 champions Rhyl, who finished sixth, but also failed in their licence application and appeal.
The New Saints finished the campaign as champions for the fifth time and also clinched a double by winning the League Cup.
Llanelli were runners-up, with Port Talbot claiming a highest-ever finish of third.
The league had started 2009/10 with the addition of promoted Bala Town, who retained their place for the new 12-club league.
There is no route for promotion from the Welsh Premier League, although the champion side is entered in the UEFA Champions League, with two clubs entered in the Europa League alongside the Welsh Cup winners, who go straight into the second qualifying round.
The league has been sponsored by the Principality Building Society since 2006.
The major change this season is to the fixture format.
The clubs will play each other twice in the first phase of the 2010/11 competition.
The league will then split into top six and bottom six, with the clubs in those groups playing each other twice again to make a 32-fixture league season.
No club in the bottom six may finish higher than seventh, no matter how many points are gained during the split stage.
Clubs finishing in third to seventh position will then take part in a play-off to determine who gains the third Europa League spot the following season.
Should the Welsh Cup winners be among those clubs, the eighth placed club would be invited into the play-offs.
Because of this, the season will be extended, as the play-offs will not be able to take place until after the Welsh Cup final.
League Fact: The first-ever goal in the League of Wales was scored by Mitch Patton in a 2-1 Afan Lido win over Connah's Quay Nomads on 15 August 1992.
For the previous column see -
http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/latest-view-from-richmond-park-column.html
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