What next for the Cymru Premier as Football Association of Wales hold review?

Caernarfon Town players celebrate their win in the 2022 Cymru Premier play-off final

The Cymru Premier, which was founded 30 years ago, will come under review as the Football Association of Wales (FAW) looks to put together a strategy for its future.

FAW president Steve Williams says the time is right for a review and that clubs and fans will be consulted over the coming months.

Williams told BBC Radio Wales that the governing body will be "open minded" over potential reforms to the competition.

Since the 2010-11 season, the league has operated with 12 teams and options for the future include a further reduction or expansion.

A switch to playing summer football - as happens in the Republic of Ireland - has long been debated and is seen as a way of helping clubs playing in Europe and also to increase crowds.

Williams said the governing body will not rule anything out, with games played on Fridays and Sundays as well as a winter break also suggested.

BBC Sport Wales canvassed the views of those involved in the Cymru Premier as well as seasoned observers.

Craig Harrison left Connah's Quay Nomads to return for a second spell as The New Saints boss in August 2022

The New Saints head coach Craig Harrison

"I think it's gradually improving in all aspects.

"For instance the qualifications for coaches, pro licence holders have to be in charge if teams want to be challenging for Europe, which is great.

"I think in the Championship you only have to have the A licence.

"From that point of view the priority is really high with some fantastic coaches, while facilities and pitches are getting better.

"I had experience of the National League with Hartlepool for a season, and the only real main difference is the crowds really.

"You go into that National League and there are some huge clubs - you look at Wrexham at the moment and they are getting 10,000.

"It would be nice to see more people at Cymru Premier games because it's definitely improving and there's some good teams in it.

"Friday nights would be a good thing. Tranmere Rovers have done it historically to avoid Liverpool, Everton and the Manchester teams.

"I'm not too sure about Sundays, I don't really think I'd want to be involved on Sundays, but if that's what it takes to get people through the door then that's what we have to do."

Jake Phillips has played for Connah's Quay, Newtown, Airbus UK and Flint Town United

Airbus UK Broughton midfielder Jake Phillips

"As a kid growing up it was always my ambition to play football, first and foremost at professional level.

"When I got released by Wrexham, an opportunity came for me to stay part-time and to work with Andy Morrison at Connah's Quay.

"From there on it's been a real pleasure to play in the league, year on year with different players, different clubs and different managers and getting different experiences from how they all work.

"The growth from when I've been in the league has been massive.

"For a part-time outfit from Wales to qualify for the group stages of the Europa Conference or Europa League would be massive, not only for the league but players' opportunities as well.

"It's a real big aim for some of the clubs, particularly The New Saints being a full-time club, and it might be a more realistic target for them.

"Everything on the pitch seems to be developing year on year in terms of the quality of coaches and players.

"You look at the likes of Dave Edwards and Jazz Richards who played in the European Championship for Wales dropping into the system, which is fantastic.

"I think the next thing would be trying to recruit more fans and bigger gates."

Newtown chairman Howard Ellis is a former League of Wales referee

Newtown AFC chairman Howard Ellis

"There are a lot of sides that have been in the league that have gone and to be founder members along with Aberystwyth Town is a marvellous achievement.

"To keep it going is really about hard work, with the amount of people and volunteers, and it takes a lot of sponsorship to sustain our place in the league.

"I think the FAW could be a lot more supportive to change things in the league.

"The most important thing I'd like to see is the FAW come in with more financial support so that we get on board with the likes of TNS so we can go full-time

"It's all about the money side of things to try and get up to that level.

"No to summer football - stick to winter."

Former Wales international and S4C Sgorio pundit Malcolm Allen

"There's still a lot of growing up to do and a lot of development to be implemented for us to progress in Europe to getting into the group stages.

"Because that is the next step - we need to get into a group stage of the European competitions and we haven't done that yet.

"We need to get back to the drawing board and get some players from Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham on loan to make the league stronger.

"We need youngsters to come on loan to the clubs to make them stronger, get them into Europe and play for them for a few years until they're ready to go back to their clubs in their first teams.

"I think that's the only way forward unless you've got some sugar daddies out there who are willing to put some money into these football clubs and then we can get some better players in.

"At the moment players are just moving from one club to another and we're really not going onto the next level and that's the problem.

"The stronger the teams and clubs we can have in there, the better the league is going to get.

"Colwyn Bay are not too far away and I would love for Merthyr to get involved."

Andy Legg won six caps for Wales between 1996 and 2002

Former Llanelli and Bangor City manager and ex-Wales international Andy Legg

"They can't stand still - they've got to try and advance the league as it's been stood still for quite a long time now.

"Results in Europe have proved that - I look at TNS' results last year and they lost two games in injury time or the last couple of minutes.

"Fitness counts and I don't think you can get players fit enough just training or playing one practice match against each other.

"Summer football may help to bring it forward, I'm not sure but it's something they really need to look at.

"I've said it for years, even when I was manager at Llanelli, I believe summer football would be better as they would get better crowds in and would stand them better in Europe."

BBC Wales football correspondent Rob Phillips

"There's a really good geographical spread now with Pontypridd United coming in and Penybont now established.

"Take those two - Pontypridd is in the heart of a rugby community and Penybont has got Cardiff City 15 miles away and Swansea City 30 miles away, the two biggest clubs in Wales.

"It's a tough terrain for them both and you do wonder whether Friday nights added with Sundays may well be the way forward.

"Mike Harris is against summer football - he doesn't think it would help. But I noticed Steve Williams threw in maybe a winter break and that could be a way forward.

"I'm really pleased we've heard someone from the Welsh top brass looking at it and I would suggest giving the Cymru Premier and the set-up its due consideration.

"Let's see what comes out of this review because it could be really exciting and long overdue."