Road to Nowhere - The Welsh Cup

The Welsh Cup kick-off lastweekend 128 teams were involved in the opening first round qualifying. NoCardiff City in the Welsh Cup this season after they were invited back in butafter not receiving certain information declined the offer.

In the early rounds, the competitionis split into North and South so I decided to follow one team from each. Fromthe southern section I went for local Cardiff team Splott Albion who beatTrethomas Bluebirds away 1-0 in extra time. The second draw round will see themat home up against AFC Llwydcoed

In the northern section,it was Llanberis because my wife carer comes from there. They were also playingaway from home at Builth Wells were they lost 3-2 on the day. In the next round Builth Walls, face a trip to BrickfieldRangers.

NO Welsh Cup for Cardiff

Only this morning I was writing about the whole Welsh Cup and would the Bluebirds enter this year, but with the announcement in the last hour of the first fixture and the teams that have byes until later rounds Cardiff City was not among them.

Therefore, no Welsh Cup for Cardiff City they have decided not to enter along with Swansea City and Colwyn Bay, but Merthyr Town have and they have a bye until the qualifying second round. Wrexham and Newport County have also accepted places and will enter the competition in Round 3.

Every season for my own amusement I pick a team and follow a route to the final but for this season, I am going to follow one from the North section and the south. From the north it will be Llanberis and the southern section it is Splott Albion the ties to be played Saturday, 13th August and Sunday, 14th August.

FULL LIST HERE

Are we in next season Welsh Cup then

So what's happening about Cardiff City and the Welsh Cup? It's been well over a month since news broke that the Football Association Wales were planning the controversial move to welcome back the clubs that play in the English league set-up. It's been a long 16-year absence for the English based clubs it was the formation of the Welsh Premier League in 1995 that was the catalyst to them being forced out. At the time, the hierarchy that the FAW felt the inclusion for the English based club could be detrimental to the status of the newly formed league.

There was an attempt to bring the Welsh clubs and Cardiff City, Swansea City and the others together with the setup of the FAW Premier Cup, but without the carrot of a European place it was never going to work. The fans saw it has a failure the crowds were dismal, but it ploughed on for 11 seasons (1997/2008). BBC Wales did their best to promote the competition, games were shown live and there were highlights shown, but that didn't help. The Welsh clubs and non-league teams found prize money helpfully and tried to keep it going, but when the BBC decided cancel their sponsorship that was the end.

Before his sacking, Dave Jones said he was up for the Welsh Cup even telling the press he would use his best possible team. If the club was too re-enter the competition the door would be open for a return to European football if they win it of course. The FAW were planning to speak with UEFA and the English FA about their plans, but like the search for the new manager at Cardiff City they are taking their time about it.

Cardiff and the Welsh Cup

A return to the Welsh Cup?

All Bluebirds fans on my list here feel free to add me on Facebook if u hasn’t already Could Cardiff City find a way back into Europe via the Welsh Cup? The BBC are reporting that the FAW are about to end the 16-year absence of the Bluebirds plus Swansea City, Newport County and Wrexham, but it seems not Colwyn Bay and Merthyr Town. It would be unfair to exclude Colwyn Bay and Merthyr Town from any possible return of the exiled six.

According to the article on the BBC website the plan has been discussed at FAW council meeting recently, it could well cause some discord among the Welsh Premier League teams. It's not sure if the clubs would be interested in the Welsh Cup anyway. It would mean more games to fit in to any already congestion On the question of a place in Europe it would be in the lap of Uefa and the English FA to see if they would be allowed entry to the Europa League.

The likelihood could be the clubs would use a reserve team until the latter stages of the competition something the FAW have frond upon in the past.

BBC Story