EUROPE IS THE CHIEFS LAUNCH

Ammanford’s Tristan Jenkins evades the tackle of Llanelli Town’s Peter Smith in last season’s JD Cymru South.

LLANELLI Town have launched an ambitious programme to bring European football back to the town.

The club dropped out of the top tier of the Welsh club game in the summer of 2019 following relegation from the Welsh Premier League.

But now club chiefs are targeting a return to the top table. And a return to Europe further down the line.

Club chairman Wayne Stephens has revealed the target following a restructure of the senior management group.

Neil Stephens is the club’s secretary, Peter Tiffin the CEO, Rob Griffiths is assistant chairman and Jonathan Garcia director of football.

The immediate intention is to take Llanelli back into the JD Cymru Premier as soon as possible. The Reds were lying fifth in JD Cymru South when the season was brought to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic, but there are clearly hopes of a higher finish next term.

Writing on the club website, chairman Stephens said: “With all of the appointments that I have put in place over the last few weeks, it is now time to roll out my vision for Llanelli Town AFC.

“Evident from the experience of the team put in place, I have now set a challenge.

“The primary objective and one we hope to achieve in year one is to be crowned champions of Cymru South, apply and be granted a Tier 1 domestic license, and gain promotion to the Cymru Premier League.

“From there we hope to play and maintain in the league, and to grow year on year to finally push for a European place in year four or five.

“All of the above are not unrealistic and whilst nurturing and developing our senior and academy players, staff, volunteers, and supporters for what can be achieved, we can once again bring European football back to Llanelli.”

Griffiths is the former head of football coaching and development at the University of South Wales.

He told the Reds website: “As a strong advocate of community sport, I am passionate about the health and social benefits that people can get from football, whether that’s from playing, coaching or spectating.

“I am committed to further developing the links between the club and the local community, in particular engaging with schools, community clubs, and Coleg Sir Gar.

“It is vital that we continue to develop the identity of Llanelli Town AFC within the region and ensure that the best players from the town that are playing in the Welsh pyramid are doing that with the Reds.

“We have an academy that is the envy of many clubs within the JD Cymru South and we need to develop the pathways between the academy and the first team. My focus will