Club Chairman Donald Kane: "The Cymru Premier is Dying"

Aberystwyth Town FC Chairman Donald Kane has issued an impassioned plea for financial help from the Welsh Government to help save the Cymru Premier League in its current form.

Following a meeting of Member Clubs last night, it has become clear that unless financial help is found, a number of member clubs are unlikely to reach Christmas, let alone the end of the season.

Clubs are currently operating without gate receipts, or secondary income, such as match day sponsorship and hospitality, and many view the current status quo, with matches being played behind closed doors and other income streams also closed off, as unsustainable.

Kane said: "I really worry that our League in its current form is dying. After hearing from the other Chairman in the Cymru Premier and FAW representatives in a meeting last night, it seems that without new finance being injected, many clubs will fold." 

The loss of Cymru Premier Clubs would be devastating for their local communities. Having been developed through the community hubs model, quite apart from the First Teams, all Clubs run vibrant community ventures such as Academies which offer weekly coaching sessions for up to 200 boys and girls, as well as Women's teams, Disability and Mental Health teams, to name but a few. 

However Kane does see a solution to the dire situation: "The U.K. Government has invested £10 million over the next three months into the National Leagues in England, which are benchmarked as the same level as the Cymru Premier."

"Using the Barnett Formula a proportionate amount of money should also be made available to the Welsh Government for Cymru Premier Clubs, and we are urging the Welsh Government now to pursue this urgently, to help preserve our National Football League."
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Aberystwyth Town FC Officials are already in contact with their local Member of Parliament and Senedd Member to pursue this appeal further.

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