WE DON'T WANT TO STOP NOW

PAUL Michael says Merthyr Town's Welsh League proposal dilemma has had no effect on their title chances - and wants to continue giving the fans a team to be proud of.

- Jon Couch

The fan-led club this week rejected an offer to join the Cymru Premier in 2026, in a deal worth up to £6m, with a whopping 96 per cent of members voting to stay in the English Non-League system.

It comes at a time when the Martyrs are eight points clear at the top of Southern League Premier South following an impressive 22-match unbeaten run.

Boss Michael has led the club's rise up the Step 3 ladder from their lowest ebb after dropping out of the 2020-21 Southern League due to Covid restrictions in Wales.

He says the club's united front, both on and off the pitch, ensured the FAW's proposal did not prove a distraction.

"It hasn't really affected the team or the management to be honest," the Martyrs boss told The NLP. "The 96%, that was expected, we knew that was going to be the case.

Focus "When you are immersed in Merthyr Town you know the feeling of the owners and the supporters and we knew the idea was never really going to get off the ground.