Montgomeryshire League in disarray

The Montgomeryshire Amatuer Football League has been thrown into disarray, just one week before its big kick-off on August 21.

Newtown Reserves’s shock decision to fold, along with Bishop’s Castle’s switch to English football and Trefonen’s wish to be relegated to Division Two, has stripped an already threadbare league down to its bare bones.

“To say it has not been easy is an understatement but my job is to ensure that football is available for as many players as possible so we have just needed to switch things around,” said league secretary Bernie Jones. “It is not ideal but we have to get on with it and get the right balance to have two divisions.”

Already missing seven clubs that stepped up to the newly-reorganised Spar Mid Wales Leagues this summer, the Montgomeryshire Amateur League was due to kick-off with 11 first division clubs and 10 in the second.

But the eleventh hour withdrawals have meant that Churchstoke can now take their place in the top flight having initially been included in division two. Now, nine clubs start the season in Division One with 10 in the next flight.

Newtown’s decision to call time on their Reserves creates the strange scenario that only one club now represents the town on a Saturday – Newtown in the Super 12.

To make up the numbers, Jones even offered a lifeline to Defaid Du, who folded last week, to sort a side out by the end of September in order to take a position in the Amateur League. The offer was not taken.

New-look Montgomeryshire Amateur League:

Division One: Bettws, Llangedwyn, Guilsfield Reserves, Waterloo Reserves, Caersws Reserves, Carno Reserves, Berriew Reserves, Llanidloes Reserves, Churchstoke.

Division Two: Llanfair Reserves, Llanfechain, Dyffryn Banw Reserves, Waterloo Colts, Llansantffraid Reserves, Kerry Reserves, Llanrhaeadr Reserves, Morda Reserves, Welshpool Reserves, Trefonen.