ONE of Wales' most historic football clubs has applied to join the English pyramid.

The original Llanymynech Football Club was founded in 1858, and while it has folded and reformed since that moment, it was the first club to be officially formed in Wales.

However the current club has now opted to follow in the footsteps of Cardiff City, Swansea City, Newport County, Wrexham and Merthyr Town in applying to join the English system.

The club cited the lack of regular fixtures in the Montgomeryshire League among the reasons for seeking to join the Salop Leisure Shropshire League next season.

READ MORE: The history of Wales' oldest football club

The Montgomeryshire League continues to reel from the impact of last season's Welsh pyramid restructure which saw only a handful of sides remain as members while a shortage of officials has further hit the competition.

Llanymynech Football Club director Nathan Bartram said: "We hope our supporters will understand the steps we have taken as a measure to secure the future of our football club and the pathway for its supporters.

"This application was made solely for those reasons."

County Times: Llanymynech Football Club in their new kit.

Could this be the last ever Llanymynech Football Club squad to play in Wales?

The application to switch countries is currently in the hands of the English Football Association (FA) and Football Association of Wales (FAW).

The club hopes to align its senior team with its juniors which competes in Shropshire.

"We currently compete in a single eight club league, a reduction of the two league 20 club set up of 2020," said Bartram. "We have gone from plating an 18 game season to 14 and reduced participation by some margin.

"Currently two clubs have applied for promotion and another has applied to join the reserve league which will remove any sort of competitive football in the Montgomeryshire League."

Bartram added: "The unreliability of league fixtures being played has also led to players expecting games to be called off and finding alternative activities to fill their recreation time."

Bartram insisted the club should be treated as English with its ground situated on the English side of the Welsh border with a decision to be made on their application expected in coming weeks.

However should the club depart along with Meifod being promoted to the Mid Wales League it would leave the Montgomeryshire League unviable next season unless new clubs are formed and the referee shortage in the region is finally addressed.

Bartram added "Whatever happens we cannot speak highly enough of our time in the Montgomeryshire League. This move is no reflection at all on what is a fantastically ran local league.

"Our application, as stated, is to give our player pathway from U9s to mens the greatest chance of success."