September 24 – Welsh club The New Saints, the first team from the Welsh leagues to ever qualify for European club competition, will play their league phase matches in the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League in England at the 9,875 capacity Croud Meadow, the home of Shrewsbury Town who play in England’s League 1.
Although UEFA Conference League rules stipulate that clubs must play their home fixtures in a stadium within the association in which it represents, The New Saints have been granted dispensation from UEFA to hold the matches outside of Wales due to no suitable local stadium being available to host all three matches.
Shrewsbury is in Shropshire and 18 miles from where TNS currently play their home games, in Oswestry at the 3,000 capacity Park Hall stadium. Oswestry is also in Shropshire, England, but on the Welsh border.
The club was formed as Llansantffraid F.C. and merged with Oswestry in 2003 who also played in the Welsh leagues.
TNS are the first JD Cymru Premier side to feature in the league phase of a European competition following their qualification last month, and will face Astana (Kazakhstan), Djurgården (Sweden) and Panathinaikos (Greece).
Since the 2001/02 season, they have finished as Welsh league champions or runners-up in every season, apart from 2008/09, when they finished third in the league.
The New Saints chairman Mike Harris said: “We’d like to thank Shrewsbury Town for allowing us to host these historic matches at the Croud Meadow.
“We are hopeful the community will come out in full force to support The New Saints as we face some of the continent’s biggest clubs. Being so close to our Park Hall home will mean that supporters from Oswestry, Mid Wales, and North Wales can travel to cheer on the team.”
The New Saints travel to Fiorentina next Thursday for their opening UECL fixture before playing their first home game at the Croud Meadow.
Liam Dooley, Shrewsbury Town chief executive, said: “A lot of work has been completed behind the scenes on this by both clubs working together and we are really happy to get this over the line.It gives us the chance to showcase our stadium around Europe, as well as providing additional revenue for the club, and supporting TNS on their journey.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734950284labto1734950284ofdlr1734950284owedi1734950284sni@g1734950284niwe.1734950284yrrah1734950284