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Last season’s FAW Amateur Trophy champions, Trethomas Bluebirds, considered withdrawing from the competition this year after a last minute change to the fixture schedule.

Both the Bluebirds and Risca United were drawn away in round five of the tournament, which was initially due to be played on Saturday January 20.

The Bluebirds and the Cuckoos admitted this wouldn’t have been such a big issue, if they didn’t have to both make 390-mile round trips to north Wales with just two weeks notice.

Defending champions Trethomas Bluebirds were handed a 190-mile trip to Anglesey to face the lowest ranked side left in the competition, Clwb Pel Droed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Meanwhile Risca’s trip is no short hop either – they’ll be making the four-hour plus drive north to play Llannefydd FC.

Having only discovered they’d now be playing these matches on Saturday December 16 instead of January 20, both clubs have expressed anger and frustration at the lack of communication from the FAW.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, Trethomas Bluebirds manager Mark Dunford, said: “It’s a crazy long trip, about as far as you can go.

“We had heard nothing until it came up on the app saying we were now playing in December. To throw that on an amateur club and expect them to be able to arrange a four-hour coach trip a couple weeks before Christmas is crazy.”

Since then, the Bluebirds have managed to arrange a coach up to north Wales, but club chairman Dave Evans described the situation as “difficult to understand”, and had to weigh-up other factors such as player availability, and the welfare of players who might have to drive up if a coach wasn’t available.

He said: “You’re looking at a £1,200 coach up or a £500 fine if you pull-out of the competition. What if we drive all the way up there and the game is called off because of bad weather?”

Risca manager Simon Berry explained how they too only discovered the change of date when the draw was made. He said: “To put a game in December last minute is a tough break, especially with such a long trip.

“We’re focusing on our next couple of games then we’ll address it.”

When asked, the FAW said they made clubs aware of the additional round of the competition on October 18.