SOUTH ALLIANCE FOOTBALL LEAGUE www.southwalesallianceleague.co.uk

SWAL NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2021

FAW LATEST COVID UPDATE &​ GUIDELINES

Wales is currently in an Alert Level 4 lockdown as per the 's COVID-19 control plan. Football is impacted in the following ways: ● All non-professional and non-elite (as defined by from time to time) activity, including all junior football, detailed in the FAWs Return to Play Protocols, will be suspended during this period. ● The FAW urges everyone to follow the Welsh Government guidelines during the Alert Level 4 lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Welsh Government has released d​ etailed guidance​ and a C​ OVID-19 control plan regarding the Alert Level 4 system that is currently imposed.

As a result of the Alert Level 4 lockdown Sport Wales confirmed the decision of the National Sport Group (NSG) to remove the elite status designation provided to the top levels of : ● JD ● Orchard Welsh Premier Women’s League ● JD ● JD

The NSG includes representation from Sport Wales, Welsh Sports Association, Welsh Government and Commonwealth Games Wales to consider the elite status designation.

The decision by the NSG has been made in the context of the rapidly developing public health crisis here in Wales.

The NSG has confirmed that the elite status designation will be automatically reinstated under lower Alert Levels.

The FAW urges everyone to follow the Welsh Government g​ uidelines​ during the lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19. https://gov.wales/local-lockdown https://www.faw.cymru/en/covid-19/

SW ALLIANCE LEAGUE - UPDATES

Sadly, with no football there is not much to report on. At this moment in time we have no further idea if or when football will start at any point - particularly as the Welsh Government have announced the present lockdown will continue to at least the 29 January 2021. Once we hear anything we will inform clubs ASAP.

New Ground for Llanrumney United Llanrumney United will be moving to a new ground f​ rom the 1 March 2021 departing their long term home ground at Riverside Park. The club will be temporarily be moving to the 3G ground at University Fields in Llanrumney and will share with Cardiff Cosmopolitan in the short term. Later in 2021 it is envisaged that Llanrumney United will have a new ground a short distance away. Their old ground is to become part of an Olympic standard BMX facility to be built in Llanrumney

FAW Tier 3 Licence

The following SWAL clubs have registered their application for the FAW Tier 3 Licence: ● Aberdare Town FC ● Baglan Dragons ● Street AFC ● Canton Liberal FC ● Cardiff Corinthians FC ● Pencoed Athletic BGC ● Porthcawl Town Athletic FC

Constitution and Rule Changes for 2021-2022 Season

The League Management Boards’ sub committee will shortly be meeting to review the SWAL’s Constitution and League/Cup Rules for next season. Should anyone have any thoughts then please put your ideas for to the SWAL Secretary David Wilcox: email: [email protected]

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SWAL - LEAGUE MANAGEMENT BOARD MEMBERS PROFILE

DAVID G. WILCOX SWAL Patron / League Secretary / Life Member (1973)

David’s football career started as a young lad playing for Treorchy Boys Club. Treorchy Boys Club were elected to the South Wales Amateur League in 1959 regaining their status as a former founder Members of the League which was initially formed in 1946 as the ​South Wales Corinthian League.

In 1968 David took on the role as secretary of the club and was elected to the Management Committee of the South Wales Amateur League in 1973. In 1977 he was appointed as the Assistant Secretary of the League and following the retirement of his mentor - the late W. John Owen - David became the League Secretary in 1983.

David has held this position for 32 years which has surpassed that of former League Secretaries A. J. Thomas (21 Years) and W. John Owen (16 Years). In 2015 he was appointed as the inaugural Secretary of the South Wales Alliance League - a position he still holds to date.

In recognition for his services as a football administrator, in 2008, David received an award from of Wales for 40 Years continuous service in Football Administration. In the same year he was presented with a Meritorious Award from the South Wales Amateur League to recognise his 25​th ​ year as Secretary of the League.

The icing on the cake for David came in 2010 when he was extremely proud and honoured to receive the Sports Personality Award from the Rhondda Boys & Girls Appeals Committee in further recognition of his Administrative career. He received the award at a fund raising dinner from the former World Cup Referee Clive Thomas - who was also a fellow member of Treorchy Boys Club in their younger days.

A LOOK BACK IN TIME - GROUNDHOP Coke Friday 25th August 2017 kick off 6.45pm SOUTH WALES ALLIANCE - PREMIER DIVISION

CWM WELFARE 2-3 CARDIFF CORINTHIANS (Williams 24; Whitfield 90) (R Withers 6 & 90; Misbah 57pen)

Attendance 233

Seldom have I felt so relaxed travelling down to a hop I’ve been involved in. The South Wales Alliance are the main reason why life is straightforward, we at GroundhopUK have been working with them and their predecessors, the South Wales Amateur League for years. Chris Berezai and I know that as and when an issue arises its simply a question of phoning either Dave or Phil at the league and it’s dealt with. We understand their needs, and they ours, and not every league can claim that!

It makes the compromise that is every successful groundhop an easier circle to square, and our one (small) issue proved the success of the relationship. We really wanted to put Canton Liberal on the hop, as they’d put themselves out to help us by being the away side at Sully Sports last time round. The issue was that with their ground being refurbished this season, they’ve moved 100 yards or so to Leckwith Stadium.

On one hand, Leckwith hasn’t seen a hop game, but then plenty of our clientele would have done it for the now defunct Cardiff Grange Quins, and more used Cardiff City‘s U23 game at 14.00 at Leckwith as a good excuse for a double! From a GroundhopUK perspective the league knew all this and when we phoned, they’d got Cogan Coronation ready to go!

Last year I’d have been surprised if you’d have told me we’d spend Friday evening in Beddau. Cwm Welfare are named after the Cwmbeddau coal mine and coking works, that lie derelict on the outskirts of the village near Pontypridd. Last year they suffered the agony of relegation from the Welsh League, as their opponents Cardiff Corinthians did the season before.

I always wonder what I’ll find when you visit a freshly relegated side, and that goes double in Wales. There’s a tragic precedent for a club to go into a death spiral, think of the likes of Abergavenny Thursdays and even Bettws who lost their Welsh League status in 2016. We saw them capitulate at Llantwit Fardre last year, and are now playing in the Bridgend & District League, 5 divisions away from the Welsh League. Thankfully we saw no evidence of that malaise here. What we got was a club bang in the centre of it’s facing outwards and making the most of a big crowd. I loved my faggots and peas, and if you think the crowd looked larger than what was pitchside, perhaps you should have looked down to the beer area. The place did a roaring trade in local real ales, to the extent that further supplies had to be sought-twice!

In this part of South Wales tends to be more popular than association rules, a glance to the right to Beddau RUFC rather proved the point, but it was good to buck that trend on a dull Friday night. That said we couldn’t produce a Cwm win, but truth be known I wasn’t unhappy at seeing a Corries victory.

They’d looked out-of-sorts when we’d seen them at Grange Albion, and although they’s improved massively by the time we visited in March, they still lost to eventual champions Pontyclun. Perhaps they were due a little groundhop luck.

Now one staple of the Welsh Hop is the Otley Arms in Treforest. Wales’ best real ale pub is at the bottom of the hill from the GroundhopUK accomodation at the university and after a day’s hopping far more get off the coach at the pub than at the uni!

This year my girlfriend Robyn couldn’t get the time off work to come to Cwm, so aimed to arrive at the Otley by train at around 9.00pm. The Otley agreed to keep the kitchen open a little longer to allow her to eat. Unfortunately the train out of Cardiff was delayed so she didn’t arrive until 9.45. We’d cancelled her order, but when we walked in the pub, we were amazed when they spotted her, and asked her whether she’d still like her food? Robyn greatly enjoyed her meal, and thanks to all at the Otley Arms in Treforest for their kindness. It set the tone for the entire weekend.

Laurence Reade https://laurencereade.com/2017/09/10/coke

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If you have any articles, stories or information for the next Newsletter please feel free to email me Terry Terry Allday SWAL COMET/Vice Chair T: 07966269457 E: [email protected]

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