The Football Association of Wales has granted Flint Mountain FC’s request for elective relegation from the Cymru North, putting the club into Tier 4 for the 2026/27 season. The decision settles Flint Mountain’s level for next year before a ball is kicked, and it also shifts the shape of two other divisions.
That change matters now because the league picture for 2026/27 is already being decided in the background, and Flint Mountain’s move opens the door for Ruthin Town FC and Kerry FC to stay up. Ruthin will continue in the Cymru North, while Kerry remains in the Ardal North East.
The FAW received formal communication from Flint Mountain asking to go down, and it accepted the request. That outcome is notable because FAW Men’s Pyramid Regulation 4(b) ordinarily expects a qualifying club to play in Tier 3 or two levels below the level it played at before it stopped competing, whichever is lower. Flint Mountain’s case sits outside the normal downward path, even as the governing body has now signed off on it.
The knock-on effect is immediate for the clubs around them. In 2025/26, Ruthin and Kerry became the highest-ranked relegated clubs in their divisions, but both have now been granted reprieves that keep them in place for the next campaign. For Ruthin, that means another year in the Cymru North. For Kerry, it means another season in the Ardal North East.
What remains unresolved is the full shape of the 2026/27 FAW Men’s National Leagues, which the governing body says will be confirmed in due course. Flint Mountain’s downgrade is fixed, and the two reprieves are in hand, but the final composition of the pyramid will not be complete until the FAW finishes the rest of its checks.
