Conference League: Welsh champions The New Saints on the cusp of historic European qualification

No team that plays domestic Welsh football has ever made it through qualifying unscathed and reached the league stage of a UEFA competition.

On Thursday night, Cymru Premier champions The New Saints (TNS) will potentially be only 90 minutes from changing that and making history.

They started their latest European adventure in July. They beat Montenegrin side FK Decic 4-1 on aggregate over two legs in the first round of Champions League qualifying, before being humbled with a 7-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Hungarian champions Ferencvaros.

All was not lost, as they dropped into the Europa League third qualifying round. But their time in that competition lasted no more than two matches, with Moldovan champions Petrocub Hincesti prevailing 1-0 on aggregate.

Their third and last chance came in the Conference League, where they were pitted against Lithuanian champions FK Panevezys – and they grabbed it with both hands, returning home to Oswestry – five miles from the Welsh border – with a 3-0 aggregate advantage.

On Thursday night, they face ex-Belgium international Stijn Vreven’s side at Park Hall and, ahead of the game, Sky Sports spoke to key figures at the club as they target a milestone in the footballing history of Wales.

The manager: I never thought I’d feel like I did when I played

Former Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace defender Craig Harrison recently celebrated reaching two years in charge for the second time, having initially managed the club between 2011 and 2017.

He has guided the club to eight league titles, four Welsh Cups and four Welsh League Cups, but there is no doubting this would cap the lot.

“It’s what the club have been building for for a long time,” he tells Sky Sports. “It’s a real big night and a great opportunity to not only be successful for TNS, but also Welsh football in general.

“Most people would have settled for a 0-0 draw last week, which would give us the chance to come home and build on that. But to come away with a 3-0 victory is a fantastic result. It was a really good performance and the lads were great.

“They were really pleased after the game, but everyone was in bed by 11.30pm and ready to travel home the next day. We’ll be making sure the lads are fully on it and ready to – make no bones about it – win this game as well.”

Harrison, 46, knows he and his squad cannot afford to let the situation go to their heads.

“We know, at this level, you can get punished quite quickly if you take your eye off the ball. It’s important we stick to the plan,” he added.

“We’ve also got to be careful that this is their only opportunity for European football to carry on as it doesn’t look like they are going to qualify for next year given the position they are in.

“Their morale can’t be through the roof, but they are still a dangerous team that we won’t be taking for granted. They have experienced Lithuania internationals in their team, so that’s the calibre we’re talking about.”

Regardless, he knows the prize on offer is a tantalising one.

“My playing career got cut short by a serious injury when I was 25 and I never thought I’d get the opportunity to feel like I did when I played, but I can probably say this feels better. It feels worse when it doesn’t go well, but the highs are so much higher and the lows are so much lower.

“From my point of view, I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to possibly get to the group stages of European football because it’s right up there on the list as a manager.”

The chairman: Qualification would help put Welsh football on the map

TNS chairman Mike Harris first got involved with the club in the late 1990s and became chairman in 2003. Under his stewardship, the club have gone from strength to strength, securing 15 league titles and only once finishing below second.

But a sustained period in Europe has always been the aim.

“There will be a couple of people with a wry smile if we do it – Gary Evans and Danny Barton,” he says.

“We were having a beer at one of the local pubs in Oswestry years ago and they were ripping it out of me – I didn’t dare tell them I wanted to get into the group stages as they’d have rung the police and had me carted off!

“I often rib them when I see them and ask if they remember that conversation – and they remember it vividly! I’m hoping the last laugh isn’t on me!”

Even though his club are the ones close to making their mark on the history books, Harris is, selflessly, thinking about the impact their success could have on the wider Welsh game.

“It’s great we have got as far as we have as it’s a major milestone, not just for our club, but for the league.

“It will retain the four places for clubs to represent Wales in Europe because our coefficient has been flicking between 51st and 49th and, at 51st, we lose a place as a country. The game last week put us back to 50th, which retained the extra place, so winning the game tomorrow is quite important.

“It brings an extra €300,000 or €400,000 for another club, as that’s probably what it’s worth to a club entering at the very start of the European journey at the start of July.

“Entering the group stages would put Welsh domestic football on the map. There are still a handful of countries yet to hit that marker and I do think it means the Welsh public and stakeholders of the game can actually start to believe in the domestic product, which hopefully helps clubs attract better sponsors and more media attention.”

With his business head firmly on, Harris is aware of the financial outlay that will come with the historic progression. Flights have been chartered in the past and may have to be again, while, more significantly, strict UEFA regulations mean the club would have to play games away from Park Hall.

“You don’t get involved in football to make a lot of money! Harris says with a chuckle.

“Hopefully my 25+ years involved with the club show there’s more to it than just funding the club. You’ve got to want to do it, you’ve got to enjoy doing it, you’ve got to take the highs and the lows and still come out the other side enjoying it.

“I’ve tried to keep myself pretty occupied since last week’s result because I don’t want to sit there and dwell on it. This will be something that sinks in after the 90 minutes have gone by!”

The striker: Europa League exit hurt – it would mean everything to qualify

Striker Brad Young has thrived with TNS after a permanent move from Aston Villa and scored 29 goals in 35 games in all competitions last season, which has reportedly attracted attention from the EFL.

He scored three across the two-legged Champions League win against FK Decic, but has drawn a blank in the five games since – and it is clear he is fired up to break the drought on Thursday.

The 21-year-old is confident a bright start will bring about a positive end.

“Speaking to the gaffer and watching their clips, it definitely gives the team a lot of confidence going into it,” he said.

“The staff have seen the players arguing with the manager, which works in our favour. They are not doing well and if we get one goal, their heads will drop.

“That said, we know how football is. I know they are top, top teams, but look at Barcelona vs Liverpool [in 2019] – no one ever thought Liverpool would turn it around.

“We know we have got a lot more to do, so we’ve just got to stick together and keep our feet on the ground.

“The week before the first leg, we played in the Europa League (against Petrocub) and everyone felt we should have won that game, so we were all disappointed.

“The gaffer pulled us in after the game and told us to use the feeling as motivation. He said we had one last shot at it. We went to Lithuania, expressed ourselves and came away with a 3-0 win.

“Look at the teams we could face in the group stages! I came here to qualify for Europe and it would mean everything if we do.”

Courtesy of TNS’ club sponsors, viewers are able to watch Thursday’s game for free HERE.