THE Football Association of Wales have finally outlined plans for the remainder of the 2020/21 season.
With current restrictions implemented by the Welsh Government putting a stop to fixtures prior to the festive period, the governing body has now taken steps to ensure the top two tiers of the domestic pyramid can either start or continue their respective campaigns in the coming months.
The JD Cymru Premier will continue to have elite athlete status from Sport Wales and plans to resume on March 5, with a conclusion set for May 31 providing there are no further complications.
This also applies to the Orchard Welsh Premier Women’s League, who now have a revised schedule of March 5 to May 23 to complete their season.
FAW proposals will also see the JD Cymru North finally get underway after a year without competitive action, with their 15-game campaign running from March 20 to May 29 during what is going to be a hectic schedule for semi-professional footballers with families and jobs.
The timeframe is also in place for the JD Cymru South.
Academy Leagues across the country will resume at “Alert Level 3” if government regulations permit, with the Nathaniel MG Cup also resuming if the calendar allows.
In a further blow to grassroots football, the FAW confirmed that any senior leagues below Tier 3 will not take place this season, which also includes the Cymru Premier Development League, FAW Reserve League and FAW Youth League.
There will also be summer football to look forward to in the form of the JD Welsh Cup, which will feature 44 teams from the top-two tiers and run from April 20 until June 5, but the FAW Youth Cup, FAW Trophy and all area association cups have been cancelled.
An FAW spokesman, said: “The FAW fully understands the frustrations felt by many throughout the country of not being able to play, volunteer and support their clubs.
“However, these are unprecedented times and the FAW is not responsible for the national COVID-19 policies and guidelines, which are in place to keep the nation as safe as possible.
“The FAW is exploring a number of options for the 2021/22 season to ensure that competitive football can resume as quickly as possible.”
Teams that entered competitions in the 2020/21 season, that have either not started, or have started but will not be completed, will now be automatically entered into the equivalent competitions for the 2021/22 season free of charge.
Clubs and leagues that affiliated with either the FAW or an Area Association in the 2020/21 season will not need to pay a fee to affiliate in respect of the 2021/22 season.
Player and referee registration fees for the 2021/22 season will be discounted and further details will be communicated in due course, although there will be no refund for the current campaign.
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