NEWTOWN have withdrawn their reserve side from the J T Hughes Montgomeryshire League.
The side was demoted from the Spar Mid Wales League last season and secretary Owen Durbridge this week confirmed the club would not be competing in the local amateur league.
The decision will leave the first divison of the Montgomeryshire League with just nine clubs next season.
Durbridge cited the FAW decision barring reserve sides from affiliated leagues as the reason behind the club's decision while insisting the creation of a reserve league for northern Welsh Premier and Huws Gray Alliance clubs was now an absolute priority.
"This is a decision that has been made with a great deal of regret and which has come largely because of the great gulf that would have divided the first team from the Montgomeryshire Amateur League that the reserves would have been forced into," he said.
“Removed from their home in the Spar Mid Wales League at the end of last season by an FAW ruling that makes very little sense, the reserves went from league champions one season ago to a very competent young side last year, to non-existent at the end of the season.
"Players who, quite rightly, saw themselves as too good for the Amateur League quickly sought out new teams in the Cymru Alliance and Spar League, as well as some who went to already organised sides in the Amateur League."
Durbridge hit out at the confusion following the end of last season when no firm moves were made to create provision for the regions reserve sides.
"The announcement of the possibility of a reserve lLeague in the Welsh Premier League, that is still a likelihood, has taken too long to sort out and the lack of a manager has made it impossible to recruit anyone with few existing players and no firm decision on where a team would play exactly," he added.
However Durbridge confirmed that the club had already begun plotting for next season and revealed entering a reserve side in the Montgomeryshire League was on the agenda.
"This will be a conduit for our 16-year-olds who leave our academy structure to enter adult football," said Durbridge. "This side will compliment a youth side playing in the CWFA Youth League.
"We are currently considering entering an additional side in this league which will incorporate Newtown Whitestars and allow these players to continue as a team.
"With the club's partnershiup with Coleg Powys which will be fielding an under 19s side next season, there will wxist several footballing opportunities for youth football in Newtown."