| Clubs ponder fixture format |
| Wednesday 26 May 2010 |
 WELSH Premier clubs will meet over the course of the next week or so to discuss the fixture format for next season. Now that the composition of the 12-club league is known, decisions can be taken on the way forward. Llanelli will push for either a 33 or 34-game league, while the FAW are understood to have suggested four possible fixture structures for the new 12-team league which kicks-off on August 13. The current plan, put forward by the Welsh Premier board, is to stage a 44-game competition with each team playing each other four times, although that is unlikely to come to pass, because of the pressure it will place on club squads and finances. The second proposal is to have a 22-game competition with every team playing each other home and away, while also reintroducing the FAW Premier Cup. But reviving the lucrative tournament, which features teams from the Welsh Premier and the clubs that play in the English pyramid, is dependent on Swansea City and Cardiff City agreeing to take part. A third option would see each team playing each other three times, either once home and twice away or vice versa, to create a 33-game season. The final idea is for clubs to complete the 22-game programme before the league splits into a top and bottom half competition, creating a 34-game campaign. Those placed first to sixth would compete for the title and European qualification, while those from seventh to 12th would be fighting to avoid relegation - similar to the formats in the Scottish and Irish Premier leagues. Clubs will meet on a regional basis to discuss the options before a vote at the league's AGM in Llandudno on June 12. |