Cymru Premier: Sides to share 1m euro pot – TNS chairman Harris

The New Saints’ 11 Cymru Premier opponents will split a windfall of 1m euros as a result of the domestic reigning champions’ European success so far, according to Saints chairman Mike Harris.

Craig Harrison’s side became the first domestic Welsh club to win in the league or group stage of a major European competition by beating Astana 2-0 in Shrewsbury.

They are set to bank around 400,000 euros as a result of that triumph, while also collecting in the region of 5m euros for reaching the group phase of the Uefa Conference League.

But Saints chairman Harris says funds TNS would normally have received for failing to reach the group phase will now be spread between their 11 top-flight domestic rivals by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) given that the club progressed beyond qualifying for the first time.

“One of the things we have done, 600,000 euros of what we would normally get for appearing in the qualifiers, that money has gone into the FAW and will be distributed amongst the other clubs,” he told BBC Radio Wales’ Call Rob phone-in.

“It’s called the consolidation payment which is normally part of your Champions League payment for not getting to the group stage.

“But instead of us getting that now, that goes into the main pot, and I think there’s a million euros there now to be distributed to the other 11 clubs.”