MONMOUTH Town FC's experimental move to Abergavenny has ended.

The club's hierarchy has decided that the challenges of overcoming opposition about the future, and of working with harmoniously, are too much to overcome.

After a decent season ended with the Kingfishers in sixth place in Welsh League Division One, Club Chairman Lee Robson issued a statement detailing the reasons for the decision and why the club should have no regrets about the move, or about coming home!

He wrote: "As you know we moved to, and were welcomed at, Penypound Stadium this year for a number of reasons. Firstly, to give us chance of having a ground not only to progress to the FAW Premier League but also, failing that, to retain Division One status when tier two licenses are enforced in the not too distant future.

During the season we have applied for the domestic license which put us in the box seat to benefit from grants in the region of £130,000 from the FAW Trust to upgrade Penypound by installing 500 seats and upgrading the main stand and floodlights. 

"Those grants were dependent also on us having a form of security of tenure at Penypound which, despite assurances, was not forthcoming. The grant applications were turned down solely for this reason.

FAW Trust have also stated that they would welcome serious discussion with us and the Thursdays Trust to develop a 3G facility at Penypound.

Although this a really exciting opportunity for us and indeed for Abergavenny and football in Monmouthshire there are a number of obstacles. Firstly, the Trust as it stands do not currently support the 3G proposal and secondly, Abergavenny Town have indicated that they want to have a reserve team in the Welsh League for 15/16 which would have the effect of forcing the Trust to choose whether they would prefer MTFC as partners or ATFC reserve team.

"Ordinarily I would be minded to propose we assert our rights to stay as per the original agreement and look to the long term. To be successful, however, we would have to be sure we can work together in a true partnership. There were some positive aspects to our stay at the ground this season. Some of the Abergavenny Trust members have been very accommodating and helpful particularly early on and I thank them for that.

However, our experience with other matters gives me no confidence and in my view this gives us no option but to return our first team to Monmouth Sports Ground next season.

I would like to thank Jeff Parry, chairman of Abergavenny Town, Ray Warren, chairman of Thursdays Trust, and others who have at least tried to abide by the spirit of the 'agreements' we made this time last year. It is a shame that we couldn't work through it but it does need willing partners to make any partnership work and unfortunately some saw short term gain as more important than the longer term improvement of a facility that has sadly been in long term decline and could be a huge asset to the football family of Monmouthshire and South Wales.

"We will never say never and hope to continue doing our bit for that future. We wish the players and supporters of Abergavenny Town FC well as they deserve a chance to shine on a higher stage given the phenomenal season they have had.

"As for us, we go again. We've had a pretty good season spoilt by fixture changes in the middle which killed momentum in my view. We will take a top six finish in the circumstances and entry into next season's Word Cup - top six from north and south with 12 WPL teams and could still win the Gwent Senior Cup for the first time since 1940.

"The Under 19s will finish runners up in the Welsh league Youth Division and although the Academy has struggled we are still in it with some very good under 16s emerging.

"Our new under 18s had a decent enough season and junior wise we have picked up our first titles for a few years winning under 12s titles and picking up runners up spots and cup finals at all age groups. The minis goes from strength to strength so we are in a good place overall.

"Next season we are planning to run a team to replace the Under 19s in the FAW development League playing out of Penypound in floodlit midweek games.

"Our Academy will be moved administratively to come under the auspices of the Junior Section to ensure better pathways and coordination and hopefully some opportunities for our growing and developing band of home grown coaches. In the meantime may I thank you all, player officials supporters and sponsors for your continued hard work and support. Kingfishers All The Way."