Coaches from Cardiff City and Swansea City have stressed the importance of the Nathaniel MG Cup ahead of the first round this weekend.
The two EFL Championship teams were granted wildcard entries into this season’s competition and will battle alongside the 44 JD Cymru Leagues clubs for the chance to lift the trophy.
While there are no restrictions on the players who are eligible, both Cardiff and Swansea are expected to field young sides in their first round ties this weekend.
The Bluebirds travel to Cambrian & Clydach Vale on Friday night (KO 7:45pm), where former academy full-back Connor Davies now calls home.
It will be Cardiff’s second appearance in the competition after also being handed a wildcard entry in 2020/21. That season, a team containing the likes of Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies won 2-0 over Taffs Well in the first round before the competition was cancelled for the rest of the campaign due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Former Barry Town United boss Gavin Chesterfield, who led the Linnets to the 2017 Nathaniel MG Cup final, is now the Bluebirds’ academy manager and has highlighted why the club applied for a wildcard entry in this season’s competition.
“Ultimately, what we look at across the board in the Academy is the variety of playing experiences we can provide,” Chesterfield said.
“This competition offers another type of enrichment to the players. It will be playing against senior teams in Welsh league grounds. We see this as a great opportunity to challenge our players in a different way. We are looking forward to going out there and meeting some new friends along the way.”
Meanwhile, it is a debut in the competition for Swansea City who travel west to Carmarthen Town on Saturday afternoon (KO 2:30pm).
The Old Gold’s squad contains players such as Tom Dyson and Mason Jones-Thomas who are formerly of the Swans’ academy – while veteran goalkeeper Lee Idzi was also in the junior ranks at the club.
“It’s a brand new competition for us, which is exciting for everyone involved,” Swansea under-21 coach Anthony Wright said. “It’s also an opportunity for the younger players to play against some more senior players in a competitive environment.
“Not only that, it’s a great competition within the Welsh football pyramid and we are very happy the FAW have given us this entry, as it will only aid the development of our players.
“We’re looking forward to playing a new team, pre-season has been going well and, hopefully, we’ll see a lot of Swans fans there cheering the boys on.”
