The 33rd JD Cymru Premier campaign is dawning, with plenty of twists, turns and drama to come over the next nine months.
The New Saints will unsurprisingly head into the new season as overwhelming title favourites, having lifted the trophy in each of the last three years.
Last season was one of the Saints’ most impressive title triumphs yet, as they finished 35 points ahead of second place and became only the second side in JD Cymru Premier history to go an entire league campaign unbeaten.
Long-serving captain Chris Marriott has departed Park Hall, but Craig Harrison has strengthened his squad with the signings of 2023/24 JD Cymru Premier Player of the Season Sion Bradley, former Cardiff City academy prospect Jack Bodenham and Harrison McGahey who has over 200 EFL appearances.
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Connah’s Quay Nomads denied TNS a domestic treble last season with a famous victory in the JD Welsh Cup final and they will now aim to chase them at the top of the league table again.
Several key names have exited this summer, including Andy Firth, Ryan Harrington, Harry Franklin and Jordan Davies, while teenage midfielder Josh Williams earned a move to EFL League Two side Tranmere Rovers.
However, Firth has been replaced between the sticks by former Cymru U21 goalkeeper George Ratcliffe who starred for Pontypridd United last season, Chris Marriott adds plenty of experience in defence and Ben Maher links up with Neil Gibson again and has already scored in Europe.
It was a historic season for Caernarfon Town in 2023/24 as they qualified for Europe for the first time in their history, with nearly 2,000 fans at The Oval to watch them defeat Penybont in the play-off final in May.
Richard Davies has now set the benchmark for the Cofis, but they head into the new campaign without last season’s star man Sion Bradley who has signed for The New Saints.
There have been plenty of new arrivals though, including former Newtown pair Matty Jones and Ryan Sears, ex-Colwyn Bay duo Matty Hill and Sam Downey, plus the return of midfielder Paulo Mendes. Teenage goalkeeper Stephen McMullan, on loan from Fleetwood Town, has already proved his prowess in penalty shootout wins in Europe and the Nathaniel MG Cup.
The division’s fourth European representative this summer was Bala Town, who qualified following an impressive third-place finish last term.
Colin Caton clocks 21 years at Maes Tegid this summer and he continues to guide the Lakesiders to the upper echelons of the table despite regular squad changes.
This year, captain Kieran Smith headlines the list of departures alongside Cymru C goalkeeper Kelland Absalom and midfielder Ollie Shannon. However, Louis Robles and Lassana Mendes are both back at Maes Tegid, while Alex Downes has been recruited from Colwyn Bay.
Briton Ferry Llansawel’s JD Cymru South title win last season means they will play JD Cymru Premier football for the first time in their current guise – Briton Ferry Athletic were relegated from the top-flight in 1997.
Andy Dyer has kept the majority of his promotion-winning squad together, with strike pairing Luke Bowen and Tom Walters ready to attack the JD Cymru Premier after scoring a combined 43 league goals last season.
Cymru C international Tom Price has arrived from Cardiff Met to boost the squad’s top-flight experience, while 18-year-old Ellis Sage is an exciting addition after starring for Taffs Well last term.
Flint Town United have made an immediate return to the JD Cymru Premier following relegation in 2023, losing just two league games on their way to a second-place finish in the JD Cymru North last season.
Elliott Reeves set that division alight with 30 goals to earn the Player of the Season award, but other key members of the Silkmen’s promotion-winning squad have departed such as Sol Forde, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and Anthony Stephens.
Bobby Beaumont and Harry Owen are both back at the club – the latter has been named captain – to bolster the defence, while Florian Yonsian adds to the attacking ranks at the Essity Stadium.
Penybont were beaten by Caernarfon Town in last season’s European play-off final and Rhys Griffiths has been busy giving his squad a summer shake-up as they attempt to return to continental competition.
Older heads Shaun MacDonald, Mark Little and Ashley Evans are all gone, while Ryan Reynolds has completed a move to Cardiff Met.
Clayton Green, who captained Cymru C earlier this year, has come in through the door from Pontypridd United, alongside experienced goalkeeper Mike Lewis and exciting young forward – and Bridgend native – James Crole who was released by Cardiff City this summer.
It will be a first full season in the Newtown dugout for former JD Cymru Premier winner Scott Ruscoe, who took over from Chris Hughes at Latham Park in January.
The Robins finished fourth last season – their fifth top six finish in the last six years – but were thrashed by Penybont in the European play-off semi-finals.
Ryan Sears, Matty Jones and Louis Robles have departed for pastures new, but Ruscoe has recruited two of the standout performers in last season’s JD Cymru North – midfielder Josh Lock on loan from TNS and goalkeeper Alex Swindell from Mold Alexandra.
Newtown begin the campaign at home against the only other ever-present side in the JD Cymru Premier over the last 32 years, Aberystwyth Town.
The Seasiders have left it until the final day to secure survival from relegation in the previous two seasons, so manager Anthony Williams will now hope to push on up the table.
Harry Arnison and Niall Flint, both key members of the team’s great escape in 2023, are back at Park Avenue while full-back Rhys Davies also returns following two years at Barry Town United.
It has been a summer of change at Cardiff Met as Emlyn Lewis, Charlie Corsby and Kyle McCarthy have all departed after a combined 38 years of service to the Archers.
However, one member of the old guard has returned as Adam Roscrow is back at Cyncoed Campus, while Ryan Reynolds – the JD Cymru Premier Young Player of the Season in 2022/23 – has also joined.
A third consecutive top half finish will be the target for Met, who remain the last team to beat TNS in a league fixture in February 2023.
All eyes were on Haverfordwest County last season following their exploits in Europe, so the Bluebirds may have been disappointed to finish eighth and miss out on a play-off place.
Last season’s top scorer Martell Taylor-Crossdale has departed this summer alongside defender Oscar Borg and midfielder Kai Whitmore – who became the latest JD Cymru Premier export to Newport County.
Cymru C international Ben Ahmun has been signed to replace Taylor-Crossdale’s goals, while Greg Walters and Kyle McCarthy add experience to a squad which contains exciting youngsters such as Lee Jenkins and Rio Dyer.
Finally, attentions turn to Barry Town United, who achieved a ninth-place finish in their first back in the top-flight last term.
The Linnets were the only club to take a point off TNS at Park Hall last season, but they only won one of their 10 matches in phase two to slip away from play-off contention.
Long-serving trio Mike Lewis, Chris Hugh and Jordan Cotterill have all departed Jenner Park this summer, but Josh Yorwerth and Ben Margetson bolster the defence in addition to new attackers Eliot Richards and Rhys Schwank.
