AT the start of the season, the thought of Rhyl FC’s campaign turning into an obituary for the club was inconceivable.

The Lilywhites’ looked primed for a tilt at the JD Cymru North title after manager Eddie Maurice-Jones made some superb additions to the squad last summer.

The likes of Asa Hamilton and Steve Thomas provided experience and strength to an already talented group, which saw them enter the campaign with plenty of expectations on their shoulders.

However, it became evident early on that things were not quite right at the club, both on and off the pitch. Their inconsistencies early on were matched by murmurings of financial hardship, which forced the club to move their kick-off times due to issues regarding the floodlights.

This is a trend that continued as the season went on. Maurice-Jones did manage to turn things round during the autumn, but he lost some key squad members in order to trim the wage bill.

The new year brought even more concerns for the club. Their severe plight was announced during a supporters’ meeting and in the end, they failed to find the necessary £175,000 needed to stay afloat and began winding up proceedings.

Having a Welsh domestic system without Rhyl FC is a bitter blow. Although a new club has already been formed in double-quick time. It does not detract from the fact that one of Wales’ most storied clubs has gone by the wayside after more than 140 years.

Maurice-Jones deserves a great amount of credit for his tireless work ethic to try and turn things around in difficult circumstances. Working with one hand tied behind your back isn’t easy, and communication to the manager and playing staff throughout this whole process could have been far better.

It won’t be long before the talented boss finds a new home after deciding not to apply for the CPD Y Rhyl 1879 managerial role, which eventually went to former Conwy Borough boss Gareth Thomas.

Although this was a season of unprecedented turmoil for everyone associated from the club, there were some bright spots from a performance perspective.

The likes of Aaron Hassall, Ben Nash, Tommy Creamer and Sam Molyneux all performed well, and the now disbanded Academy also contributed to the first team with debuts for Mason Blackwell-Jones, Oliver Staveley and Callum Roberts.

This really is the end of an era, but the new club moved quickly to build momentum and even managed to secure ground rights to Belle Vue after an almost unbelievable U-turn from owner David Butters, who was labelled as the scapegoat throughout the whole scenario.

While things might not ever be the same, it does provide a footballing town with a new club to call their own. There is reportedly finances available to enable a quick rise through the pyramid. But much like Bangor 1876 last season, they go into their inaugural campaign with a huge bullseye on their back.

Tier 4 will not be easy next season, if that’s where the new club is placed. However, they have an experienced man at the helm and plenty of momentum building, so there is every chance they could make a real statement.

Welsh football now says goodbye to Rhyl FC after an illustrious period of success, and although the writing was on the wall for some time, it doesn’t make the situation any easier for those who passionately followed the club.