Deeside AM Calls for root and branch review of rules after Wales FA blocks FC Nomads promotion bid

Deeside Assembly member calls for a root and branch review of the Football Association of Wales’s rules which he says are undermining the grassroots game.

Carl Sargeant made the call last week after his local football club, FC Nomads of Connah’s Quay, lost its appeal to be allowed to move up to the Cymru Alliance after a missed deadline.

Despite winning this year’s Welsh National League Premier Division title, FC Nomads, of which Mr Sargeant is proud to be president, cannot move up after an application to ground-share was submitted after the April 1 deadline.

The club thought the deadline was April 30 and were not even confirmed as champions until May 3.

The Alyn and Deeside Assembly Member last week wrote to FAW’s chief executive officer Jonathan Ford and to the Cabinet Secretary for Sport Vaughan Gething calling for a root and branch review of its rules and appeals procedures.

“Clubs such as FC Nomads of Connah’s Quay are run by volunteers who work so hard to improve and to progress and to nurture Welsh football at grassroots level,” said Carl Sargeant.

“I am very surprised that the club’s appeal could not have been treated sympathetically. I believe the principles of grassroots football are being undermined by the rules the FAW is operating.

“I’ve written to the chief executive officer and to the Cabinet Secretary for Sport expressing my dismay at the situation and calling for a full review and look forward to receiving their responses.”

Background image courtesy of the94thminute.wordpress.com

Last week club Chairman Bernie Attridge said the FAW didnt give “a toss” about grassroots after learning of the ruling.

Mr Attridge the Deputy Leader of Flintshire County Council said:

“I have put my life into this club to get us where we are today. I had a 12 month deal secured at Airbus UK to ground share for 12 Months whilst we brought Wepre Park up to standard.

“All this time I have been working to a 30th April deadline to enter the Cymru Alliance and have the relevant paper work in place only to find out on 10th April that the ground share applications had to be in on 1st April, although we didn’t know at that time if we had won the League or not.”

Cllr Attridge continued:

“I have fought to the bitter end to try and overturn a technicality but it has fell on deaf ears. The constitution of F.C Nomads was to play at the highest level, we have achieved this but we are being denied on a technicality that is hard to swallow. We have not had one ounce of help or support from CA or the FAW.

“The FAW contribution has been shallow and their contribution has been to take the appeal money off us without a full hearing for me to put our case over. I even had Welsh Government members taking the matter up on the clubs behalf but they have also hit a brick wall. So we won’t be promoted as Champions this year.”