Merthyr Town FC have rejected a £6mn offer from The Football Association of Wales (FAW) to join the Welsh first division in 2026, in a major blow to the expansion plans of the Cymru Premier. Members of the fan-owned club voted overwhelmingly (96%) to remain in the English set-up. The Martyrs are currently top of the Southern League Premier South, eight points clear of second place AFC Totton. Merthyr are currently the only Welsh non-league team competing in England, while Welsh counterparts Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, and Newport all compete in the professional EFL. They do, however, continue to compete in the Welsh League Cup, having been knocked out by Cardiff U21s in the round of sixteen earlier this season. To the fans of Merthyr Town, Welsh domestic football remains an unattractive prospect. The club also refused to join the FAW proposed “League of Wales” in 1992. This is in spite of the opportunities to compete in European football offered by the Cymru Premier. Reigning Welsh champions The New Saints recently enjoyed their maiden campaign in a European group stage, bowing out of the UEFA Conference League in December 2024. Paul Michael, manager of Merthyr Town, described his club’s aspirations. “Merthyr might not have been at the top echelons of this pyramid for a long period of time but it’s the hope that one day they could be”. Evidently, a club with high ambition sees Wales’ domestic league as a potential constraint on their growth and success, and it is no secret that the ceiling of English football is significantly higher. Average attendances at Cymru Premier fixtures was 305 during the 2022–23 season—the lowest in Europe. By comparison, the EFL Championship (England’s second division) attracted average attendances north of 23,000. For now, Welsh football continues to lag far behind the English leagues in almost every metric. Moving up the English divisions, the prospect of higher attendances and revenue is more attractive than the £6mn offer from the FAW, and an ambitious club such as Merthyr has emphatically confirmed this. Having lost two of their first four league games, Merthyr are now unbeaten in the League since August. The title is theirs to lose. Promotion is the expectation and the owners of Merthyr Town FC are excited to continue their journey up the English pyramid.