COLWYN By have reignited the debate as to whether or not they should return to the Welsh football pyramid.

The club issued a poll on social media site Twitter asking fans for their thoughts, although there are now such plans in place for the Seagulls to make the move.

Reporter Dean Jones investigates the pros and cons of Bay returning to play their trade on home soil:

As is the case with most fresh starts, there are plenty of advantages to Colwyn Bay cutting their losses and making a return to Welsh football.

Phill Hadland’s side have suffered on the pitch in recent seasons, something that now sees them looking to secure promotion from the seventh tier of English football this term.

The club has seen an incredible turnover of both managers and players since the departure of Frank Sinclair, but there were definitely some encouraging signs towards the end of the last campaign under Hadland.

Once upon a time the Seagulls would have been considered as favourites to win the Welsh Premier League had they been playing in the division, given the quality within their squad and the professional experience behind the scenes.

Sadly, this is no longer the case, mainly due to their back-to-back relegations and the rise of clubs such as The New Saints, Connah’s Quay, Bala Town and big spending Bangor City.

Recent friendly results against WPL opposition further enhance this claim, and they are in stark contrast to the emphatic nature of victories Bay achieved over top flight opposition in years gone by.

There is no doubt that they would be a huge asset to the league that is now more competitive than ever, and their presence would also bring with it the possibility of European qualification that they would not have the chance to experience in England.

This would bring with it a huge financial windfall not seen before at the club, perhaps even more so than if the Seagulls were to go on a fairytale run in the FA Cup.

However, playing in the English system is something that separates Bay from all other teams in the region besides Wrexham, which gives them increased exposure and an authenticity that other sides do not necessarily possess.

With the emergence of rugby side RGC just a short distance down the road at Parc Eirias, it is essential that officials at the club offer their fans something different to keep them coming through the turnstiles.

English football definitely offers that, and it also attracts players from further afield which can also bring with it financial gain, as was seen when Wes Baynes made a six-figure move to Connah’s Quay a number of seasons ago.

There is also the argument of where they would start should they decide to ever make a return to Welsh football.

Throwing them straight back into the top flight would not sit well with ambitious sides such as Airbus Broughton, Rhyl and Caernarfon Town in the Huws Gray Alliance, and any such move would surely be met with stern opposition from clubs of this nature.

All this does seem to be a long way off, but the tongue-in-cheek poll made a lot of football fans across the reason think hard about what negatives and benefits would arise from such a move, and the debate is sure to be raised again in the future should their fortunes on the field fail to improve.