THE Central Wales Football Association has defended its decision to deny a junior club from Newtown a place in the Aberystwyth Junior League.

Newtown Whitestars Under 15s coach Craig Beckerleg hoped admittance into the league would keep the side together having dismissed the idea of joining the Mid and North Powys Under 16s League which would have seen the side's female players ineligible.

However the CWFA rejected the application and the side now faces the prospect of folding after seven years, angering Mr Beckerleg and parents of the players.

Secretary David Hinton-Jones defended the decision while sympathising with the club.

Mr Hinton-Jones accepted the switch to the Aberystwyth Under 15s League would have meant the Under 14s age grade girls in White Stars squad would have been eligible to continue to represent the club.

However he said the CWFA had not wanted to "set a precedent" and insisted Under 14s provision already existed in the Newtown area for the girls to continue their football development.

He said: "The CWFA will allow clubs to move a team to play in a different junior league if it is satisfied that there is no provision for that team in its local junior league.

MORE NEWS: 

"In this case CWFA was satisfied that there is local provision for the Newtown Whitestars Under 15’s team to play in the local Mid and North Powys Junior Under 16 league and has more than sufficient Under 15 players to do so.

"The CWFA was also satisfied that although the Under 14 girls would not be able to continue to play for the Under 15’s team in the local junior league there is sufficient provision for Under 14’s football in that junior league."

County Times: Newtown Whitestars U15s and their coaches.Newtown Whitestars U15s and their coaches. (Image: Submitted)

Newtown White Stars U15s and their coaches.

Mr Hinton-Jones insisted the decision to deny the White Stars had also been made to ensure other clubs had not sought to emulate moves away from their area and undermine their local leagues.

He said: "The CWFA was keen not to set a precedent that might be used by other junior clubs to support ‘league hopping’ where a club or a team of a club leaves its local junior league seeking either easier or more challenging competition in another junior league.

"It was not suggested that Newtown Whitestars were attempting that type of league hopping but there was concern that granting the application would set an unfortunate precedent."

With the club's appeal dismissed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) the side's coach has insisted he will continue to fight the decision though Mr Hinton-Jones hoped the matter would be resolved.

Mr Hinton-Jones added: "Disappointment is understandable but the Mid & North Powys Junior League has confirmed that it is still willing and able to accommodate Newtown Whitestars U15 in its Under 16 league fixture programme and there are clubs and teams that could accommodate the U14 girls."