Just read about this feels like it's aimed just to get Hollywood Wrexham into Europe. Kind of a joke though because one of those 4 teams will almost definitely win it and steal a European place from a Welsh team.
I don't really see a major problem with this, as long as the claim that it won't affect the existing routes to European qualification for Cymru Premier clubs turns out to be true. The only real stumbling block I can see, as unlikely as it might seem at the moment, is if any of the four Football League clubs reach a level of competitiveness that would mean the Conference League wasn't good enough for them.
Big decision for the other Welsh club playing within the English pyramid to make too. Merthyr Town: FAW wants Martyrs to join revamped Cymru Premier
There seems to be an obvious symbolism here that the FAW couldn't be seen to woo the Welsh EFL teams back into the fold, even in the limited way that they are, without being seen to do something for the only Welsh club currently playing in the English non-league structure. But, assuming there is a strategic reason for it too, I guess they think they need Merthyr to help improve competition in an expanded Cymru Premier. What I'd be interested to know is whether the existing Cymru Premier sides view this proposal any differently to the expanded Welsh League Cup. I get that it's a much easier sell than the four EFL clubs joining the league would be (as remote a prospect as that is) but it still seems to be putting them at a major competitive disadvantage.
Looks like a pretty substantial spanner in the works, even if one might be tempted to think the FA and EFL are laying it on a bit thick. Blow for EFL clubs’ European hopes as FA blocks Welsh League Cup plan
Given the reports before today of both the FA and EFL being, at best, uneasy about this proposal, we probably shouldn't be surprised by this outcome and I'd be interested to hear the views of fans of the Welsh EFL teams on it. The idea that the Welsh EFL clubs should pick one side or the other does raise an interesting hypothetical question about whether a Welsh league with those clubs in might be more interesting than, say, the current Scottish Premiership. Personally, though, I can't help feeling the FA's arguments are flawed even if their final conclusion might appear logical. Let's deal with the practicalities first. The argument that this proposal could create new issues of player welfare and fixture congestion does have merit but only if the team qualifying for Europe through this new competition actually makes it to the league phase. Given how low Wales' UEFA co-efficient ranking currently is, it's likely whoever got into the Conference League through this path would have to win four rounds of qualifying (the first of which began on July 10 this season) just to get to that point. There is simply no guarantee that scenario would ever arise and, even it it did, I'm quite sure solutions could be found if the collective will was there to do so. The FA's case against this proposal also denies historical reality. Up until the mid-1990s, these clubs were able to play in European competition through the Welsh Cup. The precedent has been set. But it's the claim of impact on other competitions that is the biggest load of tosh in this whole statement. There is no measurable impact on the English cup competitions from this and the idea that competition integrity may be jeopardised through the money generated from Europe is ridiculous when one compares the sums involved here to, for example, the parachute payments made to clubs who are relegated from the Premier League every year.
