BANGOR City face another showdown with the Football Association of Wales this week at their long-awaited arbitration hearing.

Officials from the troubled club will travel to Birmingham on Friday, August 16 for the hearing, which could finally put an end to the long-running saga regarding their eventual tier positioning for the current campaign.

The two topics up for discussion will be the original 21-point deduction that was halved on appeal and secured their JD Cymru North status on goal difference, but there is an additional charge regarding an alleged ineligible player in their fixture against Prestatyn Town that would see them demoted to the third tier if more points are taken off last season’s tally.

The governing body suspended City from competitive fixtures until a formal conclusion to the base has been resolved, with Holywell Town and Llandyrnog United also having their matches postponed as they await the decision.

Holywell will return to the second tier at Bangor’s expense if the ruling goes in favour of the FAW, with United relegated to Lock Stock Welsh Alliance Division Two should the same decision come to pass.

The suspension can last up to seven calendar days following the arbitration ruling even if it goes in the favour of Stephen Vaughan Jr’s side, who have gone from JD Cymru Premier runners-up to facing the prospect of Welsh Alliance football in the space of 12 months.

City have been “preparing as normal” for the campaign ahead of the hearing with a new-look squad mixed with domestic based and European players, with Vaughan Jr assuming the position of manager in addition to his duties as the club’s chairman.

This is another pivotal decision in the turbulent recent history at the EuroGold Stadium, which has seen much of their beleaguered fan base switch allegiances to the newly formed Bangor 1876, a fan-owned club that have gathered significant community support over the summer since their inception.