TNS and Oswestry Town have announced a shock merger at today's Welsh Premier AGM. 

The clubs will join forces and play in next season's Welsh Premier under the Total Network Solutions name. The club have plans for a modern 'super stadium' in Oswestry, which should be ready for 2005. Meanwhile the club will continue to play at their Treflan home in the village of Llansantffraid until the new stadium is complete. 

TNS Managing Director, Mike Harris has revealed that his plans to find a site suitable for building a new stadium capable of meeting UEFA standards were hampered by the FAW's insistance that the Llansantffraid club could not play outside Wales. Harris has his eye on a site in the town of Oswestry, and now the clubs have merged the club can proceed with the relocation.

Both TNS and Oswestry have suffered from poor crowds in the Welsh Premier, and Harris is clearly hoping that this merger will be the catalyst to attract new fans and appeal to a larger fan base. Harris told www.saints-alive.co.uk "UEFA's licensing regulations will prove difficult for a number of clubs. With TNS pioneering the way forward, this merger of two ambitious clubs will perhaps act as a catalyst for other Welsh Premier outfits."

Although there is no official news on the Welshpool relegation situation, it seems unlikely that they will have been awarded a reprieve now that the league will be reduced to 16 clubs with the merger of Oswestry and TNS. We will confirm this as soon as we hear the official decision.

What do you think about the merger? Mike Harris has appealed for more WP clubs to merge - Is this a sensible idea or have TNS just followed in Wimbledon's route and re-located to a new town with a larger fan base? Let us know your thoughts on the messageboard, and please remember that there is a chat tonight (Sunday) from 8pm, which is sure to be lively!

More reaction to follow

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