Promoted Merthyr to compete in National League North
They are the football club proud to come from the south Wales valleys – but have been told they will be a 'northern' team next season.There were huge celebrations when community-owned Merthyr Town won the Southern Premier League South title.But it has been confirmed they will now play in the National League North next term – with 300-mile away trips to Darlington and South Shields among their away days in a regionalised division.In front of more than 3,000 fans at Penydarren Park last month, the part-time outfit sealed promotion to English football's sixth tier, their highest level in 30 years.
The Martyrs had played in the Western and Southern Leagues since being reformed after Merthyr Tydfil's liquidation in 2010.And the club had been aware the potential make-up of the teams next season at sixth tier level – and the large contingent of teams from the south of England - could see them having to plan to head north.Three south of England sides, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet and Maidenhead, dropping out of the fifth-tier National League would have given organisers a headache in how to split clubs.The National League confirmed its allocations for the 2025-26 season on Thursday, although says those are subject to appeal.A Football Association spokesperson said: "We make every effort each season to allocate National League System [NLS] clubs to the most geographically suitable league possible. "The clubs are allocated to a league based on the step in the NLS that they will be playing in, and their location in the country. These allocations are subject to appeals. "Geographical suitability continues to play an important part in NLS allocations, and we always try to balance this against the number of teams in each division to ensure sporting integrity is maintained."
Merthyr are not alone in the anomaly: Oxford City, Hereford United and Bedford Town have also been placed in National League North, whose other new clubs include Robbie Savage's Macclesfield Town.The game at Hereford's Edgar Street will be Merthyr's shortest away day, with a 43-mile, one-way trip taking around an hour.But it will take fans – and players – as much as 12 hours on the road in a round-trip for their game at South Shields.At the time of their promotion, chairman Les Barlow said their placing would make "no difference" as they revelled in a season in which they enjoyed a 32-game unbeaten run.Merthyr won the Welsh Cup in 1987 and went on to upset Italian giants Atalanta in the following season's European Cup Winners' Cup.Last season, they turned down a lucrative offer from the Football Association of Wales to join the Welsh league system, a decision manager Paul Michael says was vindicated by their promotion.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cordina to return at lightweight against Gonzalez
Former IBF super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina will return to the ring on 5 July to fight Mexico's Jaret Gonzalez at 33, lost his title to Anthony Cacace in a surprise defeat in Saudi Arabia 13 months Welsh boxer had been due to make his comeback against Shakur Stevenson in October, but the WBC lightweight champion pulled out with a hand return to lightweight - where he won British and Commonwealth titles earlier in his career - will come on the undercard of Jack Catterall v Harlem Eubank at Manchester's AO to the announcement on social media Cordina simply posted: "Baby I'm back."Gonzalez, 24, is 17-1 in a career that includes 13 KOs, similar to the Welshman's 17-1 (9 KOs), though not at the same level as Cordina who has moved back to south Wales and will train for the fight with Gary Lockett. Cardiff's Cordina was a decorated amateur boxer who fought at an Olympics and in the same Team GB programme as his friend Anthony won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and was European amateur champion in turning professional in 2017 he became Wales' 13th world champion boxer when he beat Kenichi Ogawa to claim the IBF super-featherweight title in June was stripped of the title when he was unable to defend it within a 90-day window after suffering a broken hand but won it back with a hard-fought split-decision win over Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in April then made one successful defence, a majority decision win over Edward Vazquez, before losing to Northern Ireland's Cacace in May to that first professional defeat promoter Eddie Hearn had predicted Cordina was set for some "huge fights" if he could retain his previous promotional contract with Hearn's Matchroom having since elapsed, this will be Cordina's first fight of a new deal with the organisation.
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Crystal Palace release TWENTY players including star man Ebere Eze's brother as they anxiously await European fate
CRYSTAL PALACE have released 20 players following the 2024-25 season. The Eagles enjoyed a successful campaign this term, winning the FA Cup and qualifying for Europa League football. 3 But they will now bid farewell to several players as they prepare for the upcoming season. As previously announced, Joel Ward is leaving Selhurst Park after 13 years. The 35-year-old made 364 appearances for Crystal Palace after joining from Portsmouth. But a calf issue hampered his final year at the club, limiting him to just three outings. Jeffrey Schlupp is also confirmed to be leaving after eight-and-a-half years. The 32-year-old spent the second half of the season with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. Among the other players listed as free transfers, as per the official Premier League website, are; Cormac Austin, Chris Francis, Roshaun Mathurin, Louie Moulden, Kurainashe Musanhi, David Obou, Killian Phillips, Luke Plange, Jadan Raymond, Joe Sheridan and Jack Wells-Morrison. Chimaechi Eze, the brother of star man Eberechi Eze, has also been listed as a free transfer. The players released by Palace are; Freddie Cowin, William Eastwood, Joseph Khoshaba, Enruque Lameiras, Finley Marjoram and Caleb Redhead. Despite qualifing for next season's Europa League, the Eagles are currently at risk of being kicked out of the competition. Crystal Palace could be KICKED OUT of Europa League before a ball is even kicked John Textor has a stake in both Crystal Palace and Lyon, who have also qualified. Uefa rules on multi-club ownership prevent any two clubs controlled by the same person or group from competing in the same competition. A decision is expected to be made on Palace's participation by the end of this month. 3
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shameful scenes as woman goes viral for 'disgusting behaviour' during junior rugby league match
Rugby league fans have been left shocked after a video clip has surfaced online appearing to show a group of spectators jeering a junior rugby league player as he attempted to take a kick at goal. The incident appears to have occurred during this weekend's British Amateur Rugby League Association's (BARLA) U14 Youth Cup semi-final between West Bank Bears and Myton Warriors Greens. In the clip, a player from the West Bank Bears' U14s side appears to line up a kick from the touchline. Behind him, a group of spectators had gathered and appeared to be booing and jeering the player as he stepped forward to take the kick. One woman was seen cupping her hands to her mouth and shouted in the direction of the junior player, while multiple other spectators were also seen attempting to put the kicker off. One individual was also overheard blowing a horn. Couldn't believe this yesterday, an army of ppl run down behind the kicker to put him off. In a u14 game 🤯 — Skyrugby (@sky_rugby) June 9, 2025 A group of spectators were seen stood behind the young player and appeared to jeer him as he took a kick at goal during the West Bank Bears game against the Myton Warriors Greens The Bears player stepped up to take the kick from the tricky angle but appeared to miss the posts. Fans on the touchline then jeered the player again, appearing to express their delight that he had missed the kick, with the female spectator again raising her hands to her mouth to shout at the youngster again. West Bank Bears would ultimately go on to beat Myton Warrior Greens, 14-10 and advance to the finals of the BARLA U14 Youth Cup finals, where they will take on Pilkington Recs. However, the clip which was published by @Skyrugby has now been seen by 4.3million social media users on X. Many took to the comments section to hit out at the spectators on the touchline. One of those commenting on the clip was Wales and British and Irish Lions legend, Liam Williams, who branded the actions of the fans as 'outrageous.' Sky Rugby wrote: 'Couldn't believe this yesterday, an army of ppl run down behind the kicker to put him off.' 'Some parents have no idea,' another wrote, while on X user called the spectators: 'Morons.' Some social media users, including former Wales rugby union international Liam Williams, took to X to expresss their outrage at the video 'This is outrageous - rugby is not a game for this. 'Parents who are living their lives through their kids. Shocking.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted BARLA, the West Bank Bears and the Myton Warror Greens for comment. It is not the first time in recent months that an ugly incident has marred a youth sporting event. In February, shameful footage emerged online leaving social media viewers astonished after a group of parents at an U10s football match in Kent appeared to break out into a mass brawl.
