It has been a thrilling few months in women’s Welsh domestic and international football. It has been a game-changing period for women’s football everywhere following last Summer’s UEFA Euro. With the Welsh national team just falling short of World Cup qualification and a competitive first phase in the domestic league, there is plenty to discuss!
The Adran Premier launched for the 2021/2022 season in a bid to revamp women’s football in Wales. The new structure aims to raise the profile and quality of the domestic game to give some of the top talents in Wales the chance to thrive without having to travel to England to play top-class competitive football. The league consists of eight Welsh teams who battle it out in the first phase for a spot in the top four. After the first phase concludes the league is split into a top and bottom four. The second phase begins on the 26th of February and the bottom four play against each other twice with hopes of winning the conference place and avoiding the dreaded relegation. While the top four go head-to-head to be crowned league champions with a spot in the qualifying rounds for the Champions League.
The phase one action concluded last weekend when The New Saints beat Abergavenny to steal the final spot in the top four from Pontypridd United. The task in hand for TNS was to beat bottom of the table Abergavenny by four goals and the spot in the top four was theirs. This came after Pontypridd United had their successful run slowed as they lost 1-0 to Abergavenny in their final game of the phase allowing that fourth spot to slip out of their hands. The New Saints equalled Pontypridd United in points, but an advantage of just one goal separated the sides.
The competitiveness in the league has risen significantly since last year and the fight to finish in the top four went down to the wire. As a result of this Pontypridd United, Aberystwyth Town, Barry Town United, and Abergavenny all finished in the bottom four and Cardiff City, Swansea City, Cardiff Met, and The New Saints occupy the top four spots. In previous years Swansea City has dominated the women’s league in Wales but this year Cardiff City has taken the league by storm. The Bluebirds remain unbeaten in the 14 league games so far and sit seven points clear at the top of the table. Something evident in this season is the array of youth talents coming through the ranks in Wales. Olivia Francis, Phoebe Poole, and Lily Billingham are just some of the names to remember as they have been making a statement week in and week out. The FAW’s recent push to increase participation and opportunity for girls and women in football is paying off and the future is bright.
With the second half of the season starting in a few weeks, it’s the perfect time to get involved and enjoy what is set to be an exciting next phase.