KNIGHTON Town have dropped a bombshell by resigning from MMP-NL Mid Wales League East.
The Bryn-Y-Castell club become the third Radnorshire club to resign from the reorganised fourth tier of Welsh football following the folding of Newbridge and withdrawal of Presteigne St Andrews at the start of the season.
Manager Mark Jones resigned last month and the Robins have since lost two games and seen two more cancelled and sat in ninth position prior to the decision to quit.
The news represents the latest time the club has been forced to withdraw from a league having previously resigned from the Mid Wales League in 2019 while also quitting the Cymru Alliance in 1999.
Knighton Town Football Club. Picture by Stuart Townsend.
The club runs a reserve side in the Watson Financial Mid Wales League South which will now run as their senior side as the border club once again rebuilds in the bottom tier of the Welsh football pyramid.
Club chairman Gary Cooper said: "It is with great sadness, frustration and anger that the decision has been made by the committee of Knighton Town Football Club to resign from the Mid Wales League.
"We were left with no option with manager Mark Jones standing down and long term injuries to seven or eight of the first team squad while others left giving us no option to steady the ship and regroup.
Cooper could not hide his disappointment after a a year which started with so much promise ends with the club back in the bottom tier of Welsh football.
"We thought this was going to be our year with a good group if young, local players to move the club forward," said Cooper.
"There seems to be a lack of commitment and loyalty to rise above issues throughout the season, roll up their sleeves and keep going."
The stand at Bryn-Y-Castell. Picture by Stuart Townsend.
However the long-serving Cooper insisted the club would strive for a return to the Mid Wales League,
"We will not lie down and die, we will keep on going, because there are a lot of people and supporters who want to see the club succeed.
The club's under 8s. Picture by Phil Blagg Photography.
"We apologise to all the other teams in the league and to our supporters and sponsors.
"Our aim now is to give 100 per cent support to our previous reserve side and all our junior teams."
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