Welsh Cup route to the Final

The Welsh Cup Qualifying First Round draw was completed the other day and like with the FA Cup, which I have already written about I like to follow a team/route to the Final.

One big change for this coming season is the competition now has sponsorship having secured a record two-year deal with the sports fashion retailer JD according to the Football Association of Wales (FAW). From this season, it will be the JD Welsh Cup.

Stephen White of JD said, “We’ve been the official retail partner of the FAW for the past two years and this new sponsorship underpins our support of Welsh football and ongoing commitment to the FAW”.

Jonathan Ford, FAW chief executive, said, “We are delighted to announce this record sponsorship deal with JD. We already have an excellent partnership and this deal further strengthens our relationship. We look forward to the next couple of years.”

I was never a real fan of the competition when my team Cardiff City competed but for the odd away game and final. I could never understand why because I have always love cup games like the FA Cup and League Cup but I was never fired up with the Welsh Cup.

So which team to follow is my decision? There are around 200 clubs entering next season’s tournament regionalised in to groups in the early rounds, North-West, North–East, Central, South-West, South–East and finally South–Central. As a rule I have picked a team from the South–Central region because it was local to me and last season started with Cardiff base team Splott Albion ending up with losing finalist Newtown.

Looking down the list were some interesting names and the only reason I nowhere many of the clubs are is thanks to the Welsh Cup. Like Mynydd Llandegai FC, which needed a google search? I have one rule when playing this game that the first game must be a home fixture and picked Brecon Corries who face a visit from Penrhiwfe.