CELG(4) WPL 05

Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee

Inquiry into the Welsh Premier League

Response from Matthew Jones

I would like to express my viewpoints regarding the Welsh Premiership. I occasionally go to watch Bangor City games, but have started to go less regularly due to the current structure. I have become very bored with the same teams appearing over the course of the season. A twelve team league is not conclusive to good football in my opinion. In Scotland, the league has for many years become a nonsense with Celtic and Rangers forever running away with the league. In Wales, we have an odd system of splitting the league in two. Great for the top six but a complete nonsense for the bottom six. Attendances are down overall and who can blame the spectators from staying away?

Before the split I used to go to watch Porthmadog regularly. They were consistently at the bottom of the league yet they still averaged in advance of 180 average gate. Caernarfon Town v Porthmadog or any of the The ‘local’ derbies ensured that games had a spice to them. Caernarfon Town , Porthmadog and Bangor City games always had an edge to themGranted 20 teams was too much with too many weak teams involved but 12 is also too little. A 16 league would be a very good compromise in my opinion.

It is also a shame that teams like Rhyl and Porthmadog and indeed Caernarfon are no longer involved. Recently a local Caernarfon game had an attendance of over 800 which dwarfed most attendances in the WPL. Attendances in the WPL are not good enough despite S4C trying to raise the profile of the league. It doesn’t look good where our league only gains an average attendance of 200. An interesting suggestion could be a league based on the old English Div 3 N and Div 3 S. Two 12 team league play home and away until Xmas with a Top Six /bottom six playoff occurring after this .

Many thanks for launching this enquiry

Matthew Jones