THE Dafabet Welsh Premier League has released its fixtures for the 2016/17 season, with Aberystwyth Town starting their new campaign with five away matches - four to be played on a Sunday.

Following discussions between Welsh Premier League clubs and League administrators, it has been decided that around half of the fixtures will be on Sunday afternoons, with a 3pm kick-off.

"It’s very difficult for us to further develop our national League as Premier League football games in England will be filling the screens to an even greater extent during the coming season," said Welsh Premier League Secretary Gwyn Derfel.

"The football authorities in England deserve great credit for marketing their brand of football so successfully, and we in Wales aim to do all that we can to promote our National League as pro-actively as possible," he added.

"A number of English Premier League games will now be shown live on Friday nights during season 2016/17, and so we need to establish a niche for the Dafabet Welsh Premier League to further strengthen our identity as a progressive league.

"The clubs have requested that we try to establish Sunday afternoons as the home for numerous matches, as it presents a great opportunity for us to further engage with our communities and potential new supporters.

"I look forward to working closely with our clubs to establish and embed this initiative in the psyche of Welsh football supporters."

Aberystwyth Town will start their campaign with four successive away matches, before playing their first match on the new 3G pitch at Park Avenue.

Matthew Bishop’s side start their campaign against reigning champions The New Saints at Park Hall on Sunday, 14 August, and then travel to play Airbus UK Broughton the following Sunday, 21 August, before travelling to take on Llandudno on Sunday, 28 August.On Wednesday, 31 August they travel to play Rhyl, and on Sunday, 4 September they travel to play Bangor City.The first visitors to the new 3G pitch at Park Avenue will be west Wales rivals Carmarthen Town on Saturday, 10 September, and to mark the occasion, the game will be broadcast live on S4C, with a 5.15pm kick-off.

Aberystwyth’s second live televised match on S4C will be at newly promoted Cardiff Metropolitan on Saturday, 24 September with kick off at 5.15pm.

Meanwhile Aber can look forward to a festive double-header against mid Wales rivals Newtown, at Park Avenue on Boxing Day, and six days later at Latham Park on New Year’s Day.

Meanwhile Bala Town start their season at Newtown on Saturday, 13 August, and will travel to Cardiff Met on Sunday, 21 August, before their first match on their new 3G match at Maes Tegid will be played on Friday, 26 August against Bangor City.

Over the Christmas period, Bala take on Rhyl on Monday, 26 December, before travelling to play the Lilywhites on New Year’s Day.