‘Game-changing’ project back on for Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney: Wrexham need one more green light before route to Europe opens up

Plans regarding the reintroduction of Wrexham, Cardiff, Swansea and Newport into the Welsh League Cup have been met with opposition by some. With approval needed from UEFA, the FA, English Football League and the Football Association of Wales, a spanner was expected to be thrown into the works somewhere.

Doubts have been cast over whether the likes of Wrexham will ever get the chance to compete for Europa Conference League qualification through a tournament hosted by the country in which they reside. Proposals entitled 'Prosiect Cymru' (Project Wales) have, however, been put to the relevant authorities, with the scheme's vision being mapped out.

It is claimed that the new Welsh League Cup format would generate at least £3m each season to be invested in "grassroots infrastructure projects, women's football, Cymru Premier clubs and FAW Tier Two clubs". The EFL clubs involved are "totally committed to playing in the English system" and would not jeopardise their status in the English league pyramid, with a League Cup review set to be held after four years.

FAW chief executive Noel Mooney hopes common sense will prevail, telling BBC Sport Wales as a green light from the English FA is waited on: "It's a game-changer for Welsh football. This really does change the revenues of Welsh football. This is about improving Wales and improving Welsh football. I have to thank the four top-ranked clubs in the English system for understanding that we need resources. We need better grassroots facilities, investments into the women's game.

"If people object to this idea, I really think they're holding back Wales. And why would you want to hold back Wales? What would be someone's motivation to hold back Wales as a country trying to stand on its own two feet as a football nation?"

Mooney went on to say of the dissenting voices that have emanated out of some English clubs: "It's clearly not having your cake and eating it too because they [Welsh EFL clubs] would be resigning from playing in Europe through the English system. So if you're an English club that play in the Championship, for example, you can win the Carabao Cup, you can win the FA Cup, you can go to Europe like that. They are resigning from doing that to represent their own country in European football.

"These are the four biggest cities in Wales. What other country in Europe would take out its four biggest cities to not play for them in European competition? It's depriving Wales of tens of millions of pounds, to enable kids to play on good facilities, to enable grassroots clubs to emerge, to enable the women's game to reach its full potential. It doesn't make any sense. When something like this happens, there's always someone who lodges objections for whatever reason that may be. But for us, the only possible objection is to deliberately prevent Wales from moving forward as a football nation."

Wrexham last played European football back in 1995-96, when they graced the Cup Winners’ Cup. Hollywood co-owners Reynolds and McElhenney boast big ambition for the Red Dragons, with the long-term plan being to guide them towards the Premier League.