CLUB FOOTBALL RETURNS - WELSH CLUBS START THEIR EUROPEAN CAMPAIGNS NEXT WEEK

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND FIRST LEG  

THE NEW SAINTS v FC EUROPA - TUESDAY 27th JUNE 

The New Saints play Gibraltar Premier Division Champions FC Europa. The Green Machine (as FC Europa) are nick named have played in the Champions League since 2014. They lost to FC Vaduz in 14/15, SK Slovan Bratislava in 15/16 before beating Armenian side FC Pyunik last season 3-2 on aggregate - they lost (0-2 on agg) in the second qualifying round to Swedish side AIK. 

TNS have won the Welsh Premier League for six years in a row and have a long history of playing in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and UEFA Cup. They have won four ties - In the 2010/11 Champion's League they beat Irish League side Bohemians 4-1 on agg, Northern Irish side Cliftonville were beaten 2-1 in the Europa League before two victories in the last two seasons of the UEFA Champions League. B36 Torshavn (of the Faore Islands) were beaten 6-2 on agg in 15/16 and San Marino's Tre Penne 5-1 in 16/17. 

TNS are hot favourites to win the game at Park Hall (which is actually in Oswestry, England*) priced at 1/4 with Paddy Power - the visitors are 8/1 and a draw priced at 9/2. 

* The club moved to redeveloped ground in Oswestry in 2007 from the Recreation Ground in Llansantffraid. 

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND FIRST LEG 

BALA TOWN v FC VADUZ - THURSDAY 29th JUNE 

Bala Town make their fourth appearance in the EUROPA league - they have lost on all three previous occasions to Levadia Tallin (13/14), Differdange (15/16) and AIK (16/17). 

FC Vaduz (of Liechtenstein) are a unique club as they play in the Swiss Football League but represent their home country when playing in Europe as they compete in the Liechtenstein domestic cup - the country don't organise it's own National League. Vaduz's home (The Rheinpark Stadium) is only metres from the border with Switzerland. 

They are another side with a long history of playing qualification games in European competition first playing in 1992/93 in the European Cup Winners Cup - they lost their first two ties 1-12 and 1-14 on aggregate. In total they have played 62 games winning 16 times. 

CONNAH'S KEY NOMADS v HJK HELSINKI- THURSDAY 29th JUNE 

The Nomads made history last season playing in Europe for the first time in their history. They won their first Europa League tie against Norwegian side Stabaek before losing to Seriban side Vojvodina Novi Sad in the second qualifying round. HJK Helsinki are their opponents this year who are the only Finnish side to qualify for the Champion's League group stages which was in 1998/99. In 2014/15 they qualified for the Europa League group stage. They first played in Europe in 1965 losing to Manchester United 2-9 on aggregate. 

LYNGBY BOLDKLUB v BANGOR CITY - THURSDAY 29th JUNE 

The Citizens first foray into Europe came way back in 1962/63 when they lost to Napoli in the Cup Winner's Cup in a play off at Highbury after a 3-3 draw over two legs in Wales and Italy. Their last game in Europe was in 2014 when Icelandic side Stjarnan won 8-0 over two legs. Their opponents are making their European debut having finished third in the Danish Superliga - they won Denmark's second division in 2015/16. 


THE COLD END WISHES BANGOR CITY, CONNAH'S KEY NOMADS, BALA TOWN and THE NEW SAINTS THE BEST OF LUCK IN EUROPEAN ACTION.