THE delayed final of last season’s North Wales Coast Football Association (NWCFA) Intermediate Challenge Cup, between CPD Y Rhyl 1879 and CPD Bangor 1876 FC, has had a new date set.

The final of the competition, which has been carried over from 2021-22, will now take place on Wednesday, August 31 at Rhyl’s Belle Vue ground, kicking off at 6.30pm.

The NWCFA said that, while several grounds were considered, Belle Vue was deemed the "only remaining option" due to safety issues at other venues.

The tournament had been cancelled by the NWCFA on May 16 after it was felt a backlog of matches in the competition rendered it impossible to finish it by the end of last season.

This followed the abandonment of a first round match on January 15 between Meliden FC and CPD Llanberis Football Club, after a Llanberis player was allegedly the target of a racist comment.

NWCFA had awarded the tie to Meliden, a ruling which Llanberis appealed to the Football Association of Wales (FAW), before later dropping the appeal.

The NWCFA then resumed the competition, with a re-arranged date for the final, initially scheduled for May 21, set for May 31.

This was then put back again, though, with safety concerns cited as the reason for another postponement.

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Bryan Roberts, NWCFA president, said: "It was decided at the full council of the NWCFA last night (August 2) that the final be held at Belle Vue, Rhyl on August 31, with kick-off 6.30pm.

"Several grounds within the NWCFA area were considered prior to this decision, but those approached felt they could not comply in relation to safeguarding issues.

"This decision is unusual, but to bring the competition to a conclusion, the council felt that Belle Vue was the only remaining option, otherwise the competition would have to be declared null and void."

The new date of August 31 will come after both Bangor and Rhyl are due to have played five league games each of their new seasons.

Last year, their first since re-forming, Rhyl also won the North Wales Coast East Football League Premier Division, going the entire season unbeaten, and the Cookson Cup, so will hope to complete a treble.

Their promotion to the third tier also means the club will not be eligible to enter the Intermediate Challenge Cup this season, either.

Rhyl and Bangor 1876 have been contacted for further comments.