Prestatyn's Promotion confirmed to Welsh Premier

The promotion of Prestatyn Town to the Principality Building Society Welsh Premier League was confirmed at a League Board Meeting held in Wrexham on Thursday. The Board were impressed by the commitment of the club, which resulted with the installation of the floodlights at Bastion Road, in a very tight time-frame.

In welcoming this decision League Secretary John Deakin said,

"I am delighted that Prestatyn Town are going to be promoted to the Principality Welsh Premier League. They are a progressive club and well run and the type of club that we need to raise standards in the League.

He added, "I am sure that they will perform well next season after winning the Cymru Alliance Championship so comfortably."

A delighted Prestatyn Town Chairman Tony Thackerey said, "We're delighted that we have been accepted to the Principality Welsh Premier League. I'd like to thank all of the Committee Members and the public, who helped to ensure that our Ground met the League's standards in such a short space of time.

"It's great news for Denbighshire and especially the town of Prestatyn itself as we pride ourselves on our squad coming from the locality."

Thackerey has a lot of faith in the squad that achieved promotion to the League as he added,

"We feel that we can hold our own in the Premier League with the current squad that we have and a few additions that we will need when we make the step up."

As a result of this decision, Llangefni Town will be relegated to the Cymru Alliance, after just one season in the Top Flight. Caersws, who finished in penultimate place, will retain their status, given the fact that no club from the Welsh League, who meets the Ground Criteria has qualified for promotion.

Prestatyn Town are led by their Player/Manager Neil Gibson, who will be the youngest boss in the League when the new season kicks-off in August. At just 28 years of age, Gibson has been a tremendous success story at Bastion Road. As a player he was a one-time Wales Under-21 International, who played for his country alongside the likes of Danny Gabbidon and Robert Earnshaw. Neil made just one Football League appearance for Tranmere Rovers in November 1998, when he came on as a late substitute in a 3-1 Championship home defeat against Norwich.

He also had spells with Sheffield Wednesday, Rhyl, Southport, Halesowen and Leigh RMI before returning to Prestatyn in the 2005/06 campaign. He became the player manager in 2007/08 and led his side to an immediate and first-ever Cymru Alliance Championship and now his deserves his opportunity in the Principality Welsh Premier League.

The club also boast a goalscorer of natural scoring ability in Steve Bowes. The striker has been a target of Premier League clubs over the last 18 months, but remained loyal to Prestatyn. The 22-year old broke into the club's first team in January 2006 and netted 19 times to help inspire Town to the Welsh Alliance title.

He then became one of Welsh football's most prolific forwards last season with an incredible 53 goals in all competitions - 38 of them in the Cymru Alliance and he bagged another 28 in the League this year. He is a former Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion youth player.