Cardiff will compete in FAW Premier Cup

Last updated : 01 July 2003 By Michael Morris
Sam Hammam has agreed to keep a Cardiff City XI in the FAW Premier Cup for one more season. It has been officially agreed that the Bluebirds will use a representative XI and not first team players. There is a chance that big name players could use the games as an aid to recovery after injury but that'll be the exception not the rule.

Sam met with the FAW and afterwards told the Echo

"We are totally focussed on what we are doing - and the Nationwide League is where it's at, for Wales and Cardiff.

"It is in the interests of Welsh football that Cardiff City perform in the Nationwide League to the best of their ability - and the danger of players being injured in cup games is clear.

"When we are playing in the FAW Cup other teams are trying their best and we don't want key players being injured.

"We must not pretend we are putting out our best team. At Newport last season we had 200 to 300 fans. That shows everybody knows we are not putting our best team out.

"We would love to do everything asked of us, but the FAW accept that it's in the interests of Welsh football that a strong League performance is better for Wales. "An injury to one of our players may have a far more damaging effect than weakening the competition to some extent."