The Welsh Premier League kick-off this weekend and this season there is something different about the league. There is a team from Cardiff for the first time in years. The last time a capital team played in the top Welsh league was in 2000/01 season when Inter Cable-Tel were relegated.
Cable-Tel later merged with Cardiff Metropolitan University who at the time were called (UWIC) to form UWIC Inter Cardiff FC. Digging around for some information about the new boys in the Welsh Premier there was not much out there but I did find some.
I believe their manager is Director of Football, Dr. Christian Edwards, a former Swansea City defender, and Welsh international whom after quitting football completed a doctorate. They are a University team and I would think that is a rarity in European football at the top anyway.
Cardiff Met were in Welsh League Division Three (4th tier) at the start of 2012/13 season. Then they won successive League promotions from Division Three and Two before earning promotion to the Welsh Division One. The plan was always the Welsh Premier League and last season they reached they goal. Their place in the Welsh Premier League was only confirmed after Caernarfon Town and Denbigh Town failed to secure licenses to play in the top flight of Welsh football.
The players are a mix of current and former students. Will that be enough in the robust league? Their pitch is at the Cyncoed Campus, Cyncoed Road with a capacity of just 1620.
After writing about the need to support your local newspapers, I was surprised this morning not to find one word written about Cardiff Met, and I was bitterly disappointed. I checked Wales Online the internet presents of the paper and again the pages were bare.
The first fixture is tomorrow with an away trip to Airbus UK Broughton.
No comments:
Post a Comment