Cymru Premier back after 'extremely difficult time'
- Published
Connah's Quay players celebrate after clinching the Cymru Premier title at Penybont in May 2021
The Cymru Premier resumes after an enforced break, with one club official describing it as an "extremely difficult" time.
Welsh government brought in restrictions in December to fight the spread of Covid-19, with spectators not allowed at elite sporting events.
The Cymru Premier was suspended before Christmas as a result.
"It's been extremely difficult, not just on the footballing side," Penybont general manager Wayne Anderson said.
"It's a community based club and the turnover we create through the hospitality gets ploughed back into the football team.
"The better the football team play the more crowds come in, the more hospitality we have and that creates more funds."
The league resumption comes after the lifting of restrictions on spectators at sporting events in Wales.
But the loss of festive fixtures on Boxing Day and New Year's Day has impacted on clubs, according to Cymru Premier general manager Gwyn Derfel.
"Financially it has been a huge blow," Derfel told BBC Radio Wales.
"Gates would have more than doubled at most grounds during that period.
"There were some Welsh government grants available but they were for games being played behind closed doors.
"As yet we haven't been given guidance whether our clubs will be recompensed for the additional loses they incurred over the festive period."
The action resumes on Friday evening with league leaders The New Saints hosting champions Connah's Quay Nomads, Penybont face Aberystwyth Town and Cefn Druids welcome Caernarfon Town to The Rock.
The league general manager said that despite the enforced break, he had no concerns over a fixture backlog.
"We listened to what the projections were about the third wave so we did build in a safety net during January," Derfel added.
"It won't have a negative impact on the fixture schedule because we'll finish at the same time.
"But losing the fixtures over the festive period, where it's a great opportunity to attract more supporters, the financial impact on our members clubs has been great."