LEAGUE HISTORY
The first ever Ardal Northern league cuo final was played on May 7th. at Penycae between Caersws and Mold Alex with Caersws scoring the only goal of the game through Glynn Coney
May 2022 Chirk AAA and Mold Alex become the first clubs to win the Ardal Northeast and Ardal Northwest leagues
April 2022 Mold Alex of the Lack Stock Ardal Northwest win the FAW Amatuer Trophy
August 2021 Josh Astley of Llanfair United scored seven goals in an away game at Kerry
The Ardal Northern leagues finally got under way on July 30th 2021 with Berriew defeating Rhos Aelwyd in the first ever league game
In March 2021 Montgomery Town informed the league that they were resigning from the Ardal North East league. Due to FAW pyramid regulationa an announcment on who would replace them would not be made until June
2020/21 SEASON (The first)
The new Ardal Northern leagues never got going due to the CORVID 19 virus. Various start dates were considered but due to government restrictions due the virus the league was finally cancelled in January 2021
Ardal Northern is sponsored by Lock Stock Self Storage. "Lock Stock have a tradition of supporting local football across North and Mid Wales," said Shon Powell, Director of Lock Stock Self Storage. "We are glad to continue that by sponsoring the new Ardal NW and Ardal NE divisions. This level of football is the base that provides the strength of the game in Wales and as a company that has a presence across the region we know the importance of these clubs to their communities and are proud to continue that support."
On July 28th. 2020 The FAW announced in that the new leagues would be called The Ardal Leagues with Lock Stock the official sponsors of the Northern leagues which would be knows as the Lock Stock Ardal leagues, the two leagues being the Lock Stock Ardal North East and Lock Stock Ardal North West
As part of the FAW’s “2020 vision and strategic plan for Welsh football”, the FAW committed to the following strategic objective.
“Stronger clubs operating at levels 1 and 2 following a successful restructure of the FAW Pyramid and a greater number of clubs attaining the National Licence.”
A Pyramid Review was established to ensure that the Association addressed this key objective for the domestic game in Wales.
The FAW’s National Game Board (NGB), now the National League board (NLB) established a Working Group to review the Welsh Football Domestic Pyramid structure in September 2014.
Following a review of Tier 1, where it was agreed that no structural changes would be recommended, the Working Group identified one weakness being the magnitude of the step up from Tier 2 to Tier 1 and agreed the following.
- To implement a standard Tier 2 Ground Criteria for implementation in April 2017 (which was latterly deferred until April 2018). This is aimed at improving facilities at Tier 2 and to reduce the gap between the standard facilities at Tiers 1 and 2
The Working Group then focused on the structure of the Pyramid from Tiers 2 down and developed the terms of reference for a study, which covered some of the following key areas during a series of meetings between April and September 2017:
- Strengths and limitations of the existing structure
- Potential new structure
The recommendations of the Working Group were shared with the FAW Community Game Board, National Game Board, International Game Board and the FAW ExCo before being discussed and approved by the FAW Council in October 2017, by a strong majority vote.
The agreed new structure can be seen below
The following was then agreed for the new tier three leagues
- Ground criteria
- Rules
The new tier three leagues would commence in season 2020/21 and clubs had until April 30th, 2020 to reach the required ground criteria. This was extended to the Coronas virus
The Clubs who applied for the criteria (closing date December 31st. 2019) and to be considered for the new leagues were:
Mid Wales League | Welsh Alliance | Welsh National | ||
Aberaeron | Blaenau Amateurs | Brickfield Rangers | ||
Bow Street | Bodedern Athletic | Brymbo | ||
Caersws | Denbigh Town | Cefn Albion | ||
Carno | Greenfield | Chirk AAA | ||
Berriew | Holyhead Hotspur | Holywell Town | ||
Four Crosses | Llandudno Albion | Llay Welfare | ||
Kerry | Llanrwst United | Llanuwchllyn | ||
Llansantffraid | Mynydd Llandegai | Mold Alex | ||
Llandrindod Wells | Nantlle Vale | Penycae | ||
Llanidloes | Penrhyndeudraeth | Queens Park | ||
Montgomery Town | St Asaph City | Rhos Aelwyd | ||
Radnor Valley | Barmouth & Dyffryn | Rhostyllen | ||
Tywyn Bryncrug | Llandudno Amateurs | Rhydymwyn | ||
Welshpool Town | CPD Llanefydd | Saltney Town | ||
Machynllech | Y Felinheli | Lex XI | ||
Rhayader | Pwllheli | Llangollen Town | ||
Penparcau | Penmaenmawr Pheonix | |||
Newbridge on Wye | Aberffraw | |||
Dolgellau | ||||
Borth United |
After a series of applications and interviews by the FAW the officers to administer the leagues on behalf of the FAW were appointed in 2019
A sponsorship deal was agreed with Lock Stock self storage and the two new FAW Northern league would be branded as - Lock Stock Ardal North East and Lock Stock Ardal North West
FOUNDER MEMBER
NORTH WEST | NORTH EAST | |
Blaenau Am. | Berriew | |
Brickfield | Bow Street | |
Brymbo | Caersws | |
Denbigh Town | Carno | |
Llandudno Albion | Cefn Albion | |
Llanrwst | Chirk AAA | |
Llanuwchllyn | Corwen | |
Llay Welfare | Four Crosses | |
Mold Alex | Kerry | |
Nantle Vale | Llanfair United | |
Porthmadog | Machynllech | |
Rhostyllen | Montgomery | |
Rhydymwyn | Penparcau | |
Saltney | Penycae | |
St Asaph | Rhos Aelwyd | |
Y Fellinheli | Welshpool |