Football in Wales
Encyclopedia
Association football in Wales
is governed by the Football Association of Wales
(FAW), which was established in 1876. The FAW oversees the Wales national football team
and the Welsh football league system
.
Popularity and attendances for club matches varies across the country, with the largest cities/towns such as Cardiff
, Swansea
, Newport
and Wrexham
having the largest followings.
but if the sides are relegated they are either relegated to the Cymru Alliance
(North Wales) or the Welsh Football League
(South Wales). Originally the league had 18 teams, but for the 2010-11 season onwards there is only 12 after a proposal by the clubs in the League.
(covering Brecknockshire, Radnorshire, Montgomeryshire and Ceredigion) the Welsh Alliance League
(covering all of the north except Wrexham) and the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area)
(covering the small region around Wrexham). Again, the champions or runners-up of these leagues can be promoted into the Cymru Alliance, given suitable grounds.
Below these third tier leagues are even more localised leagues: in Central Wales there are four leagues feeding into the Mid Wales League
(covering Ceredigion, Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales South, and Aberystwyth areas respectively), while below the Welsh Alliance there are the Gwynedd League
and the Clwyd League
and these even have feeder leagues of their own such as the Anglesey League
. The Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) has three lower divisions of its own but no feeder leagues below it.
, whose champions (or runners-up) are eligible, if they satisfy Welsh Football League criteria. (Below the three divisions of the Gwent County, there are the Newport and District
, East Gwent, Central Gwent and North Gwent leagues)
The South Wales FA area is more complicated however, as this region has two senior leagues of identical status covering the same area, each with two divisions - the South Wales Senior League
and the South Wales Amateur League
- often the champions of these leagues have to play off for the single promotion place to the Welsh Football League. Below these two leagues are local leagues in the towns and cities of South Wales, the champions of which can confusingly be promoted into either of the higher leagues.
The West Wales FA area is the only one not to have set up a senior league in its area - this means that there are four local leagues (Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath & District) with all their champions potentially having to play-off for the one available promotion place. However as few west Wales clubs can face the prospect of the travelling implications of moving up to the Welsh Football League
, this four-way play-off idea is theory rather than practice. The latest clubs to gain promotion from this region were Llansawel
in 2006 (from the Neath & District League), West End
in 2005 (from the Swansea Senior League), Ystradgynlais
in 2004 (from the Neath & District League), Cwmamman United
in 2002 (from the Neath & District League) and Garden Village
in 1999 (from the Carmarthenshire League).
are in the Premier League and Cardiff City
in the Football League, with Newport County, Wrexham
, Colwyn Bay
and Merthyr Town
in feeder leagues. These six teams have all played in the English football league system
since their founding and all declined the offer to move into the League of Wales, now known as the Welsh Premier League, when it was founded in 1992. However, the Welsh teams Bangor City
, Barry Town
, Caernarfon Town
, Newtown and Rhyl
did move into the Welsh league system from the English league system. All Welsh teams in the English league system are governed by the FAW for disciplinary and administrative matters.
From 1996 to 2011 the FAW only allowed teams in the Welsh league system to enter the Welsh Cup
. Prior to 1996 Welsh teams playing in the English league system were invited to participate along with some English teams located near the Welsh border. As this rule excluded the biggest Welsh clubs from the Welsh Cup, the FAW launched the FAW Premier Cup
in the 1997-98 season to include the top Welsh Premier League teams and the top Welsh teams in the English league system. The FAW Premier Cup was discontinued after the 2007-08 season. On 20 April 2011, the Football Association of Wales
invited the six clubs playing in the English league system to rejoin the Welsh Cup for the 2011-12 season but only Newport County, Wrexham and Merthyr Town accepted .
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
is governed by the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
(FAW), which was established in 1876. The FAW oversees the Wales national football team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
and the Welsh football league system
Welsh football league system
The Welsh football league system is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them.-Structure of Welsh football:...
.
Popularity and attendances for club matches varies across the country, with the largest cities/towns such as Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
having the largest followings.
Premier League
The Welsh Premier League was founded in 1992, as Wales didn't have a national league at the time. The Premier League broke away from the Welsh Football LeagueWelsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
but if the sides are relegated they are either relegated to the Cymru Alliance
Cymru Alliance
The Huws Gray Alliance is a football league and forms the second level of the Welsh football league system in north and central Wales....
(North Wales) or the Welsh Football League
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
(South Wales). Originally the league had 18 teams, but for the 2010-11 season onwards there is only 12 after a proposal by the clubs in the League.
North Wales
In the north the Cymru Alliance has only one division, and has a feeder league structure of its own with three regional leagues feeding it—the Mid Wales LeagueMid Wales League
The Mid Wales Football League, currently styled as the SPAR Mid Wales Football League under a sponsorship deal, is a football league in Wales, consisting of 31 teams, 15 in Division One and 16 in Division Two. Division One sits at the third tier of the Welsh football league system, and promotes...
(covering Brecknockshire, Radnorshire, Montgomeryshire and Ceredigion) the Welsh Alliance League
Welsh Alliance League
The Welsh Alliance Football League is a football league formed in 1984...
(covering all of the north except Wrexham) and the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area)
Welsh National League (Wrexham Area)
The Welsh National League is a football league in Wales and forms level 3 of the Welsh football league system in Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Gwynedd...
(covering the small region around Wrexham). Again, the champions or runners-up of these leagues can be promoted into the Cymru Alliance, given suitable grounds.
Below these third tier leagues are even more localised leagues: in Central Wales there are four leagues feeding into the Mid Wales League
Mid Wales League
The Mid Wales Football League, currently styled as the SPAR Mid Wales Football League under a sponsorship deal, is a football league in Wales, consisting of 31 teams, 15 in Division One and 16 in Division Two. Division One sits at the third tier of the Welsh football league system, and promotes...
(covering Ceredigion, Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales South, and Aberystwyth areas respectively), while below the Welsh Alliance there are the Gwynedd League
Gwynedd League
The Gwynedd Football League is a football league at the fifth level of the Welsh football league system in north-west Wales.There are currently 4 active cups played within the league...
and the Clwyd League
Clwyd League
The Clwyd Football League is a football league equivalent to the fifth level of the Welsh football league system in North Wales....
and these even have feeder leagues of their own such as the Anglesey League
Anglesey League
The Anglesey Football League is a football league on Anglesey, Wales, and is equivalent to the fifth level of the Welsh football league system in North Wales...
. The Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) has three lower divisions of its own but no feeder leagues below it.
South Wales
In the south, the Welsh Football League has three divisions all covering the whole of the South Wales geographical area, and it is not until the fifth tier of the pyramid that local leagues appear. Promotion to, and relegation from the Welsh League is structured, as in the north, on three regional football associations (Gwent FA, South Wales FA, and West Wales FA). Each can send one promoted team into the Welsh Football League. This is straightforward enough in the Gwent FA area, where there is one senior league, the Gwent County LeagueGwent County League
The Gwent County League is a football league in South Wales, consisting of 3 divisions, named Divisions One, Two and Three...
, whose champions (or runners-up) are eligible, if they satisfy Welsh Football League criteria. (Below the three divisions of the Gwent County, there are the Newport and District
Newport and District Football League
The Newport and District Football League is a football league covering the city of Newport and surrounding areas in South Wales...
, East Gwent, Central Gwent and North Gwent leagues)
The South Wales FA area is more complicated however, as this region has two senior leagues of identical status covering the same area, each with two divisions - the South Wales Senior League
South Wales Senior League
The South Wales Senior League is a football league in South Wales. The league consists of two divisions, named Divisions One and Two. Division One is a feeder to the Welsh Football League Division Three, and therefore sits at levels 5 of the Welsh football pyramid.For sponsorship reasons, the...
and the South Wales Amateur League
South Wales Amateur League
The South Wales Amateur League is a football league in South Wales. The league consists of two divisions, named Divisions One and Two. Division One is a feeder to the Welsh Football League Division Three, and therefore sits at levels 5 of the Welsh football pyramid.For sponsorship reasons, the...
- often the champions of these leagues have to play off for the single promotion place to the Welsh Football League. Below these two leagues are local leagues in the towns and cities of South Wales, the champions of which can confusingly be promoted into either of the higher leagues.
The West Wales FA area is the only one not to have set up a senior league in its area - this means that there are four local leagues (Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath & District) with all their champions potentially having to play-off for the one available promotion place. However as few west Wales clubs can face the prospect of the travelling implications of moving up to the Welsh Football League
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
, this four-way play-off idea is theory rather than practice. The latest clubs to gain promotion from this region were Llansawel
Llansawel F.C.
Llansawel F.C. was a Welsh football club that merged with Briton Ferry Athletic to form Briton Ferry Llansawel A.F.C.-Introduction:...
in 2006 (from the Neath & District League), West End
West End F.C.
West End Football Club is a football team, based in the Mayhill area of Swansea, Wales, and which plays in the Welsh Football League Division One...
in 2005 (from the Swansea Senior League), Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais F.C.
Ystradgynlais FC are a Welsh football club based in the Swansea area and are a member of West Wales Football Association.-History:After a mixed time playing in the Welsh League between 2004 and 2009, they now currently play in the Neath Premier League...
in 2004 (from the Neath & District League), Cwmamman United
Cwmamman United A.F.C.
-Introduction:Cwmamman United are a Welsh football team based in the villages of Glanaman and Garnant which is in Carmarthenshire. Cwmamman United currently have 3 senior teams and seven junior teams. The first team play in the MacWhirter Welsh League Division 3...
in 2002 (from the Neath & District League) and Garden Village
Garden Village F.C.
Garden Village Association Football Club is a football club, based in Swansea, south west Wales and currently playing in the Welsh Football League Division Two...
in 1999 (from the Carmarthenshire League).
Welsh teams in the English leagues
Swansea CitySwansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
are in the Premier League and Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in the Football League, with Newport County, Wrexham
Wrexham A.F.C.
Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...
, Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...
and Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town F.C.
Merthyr Town Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. For the 2011–2012 season the club will be playing in the Western Football League Premier Division at Penydarren Park in Merthyr....
in feeder leagues. These six teams have all played in the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
since their founding and all declined the offer to move into the League of Wales, now known as the Welsh Premier League, when it was founded in 1992. However, the Welsh teams Bangor City
Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....
, Barry Town
Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated...
, Caernarfon Town
Caernarfon Town F.C.
Caernarfon Town F.C. is a football team, playing in the Cymru Alliance. The club ia nicknamed The Canaries because of its yellow and green strip. Caernarfon Town plays at The Oval, Caernarfon, Gwynedd.-History:...
, Newtown and Rhyl
Rhyl F.C.
Rhyl Football Club is a Welsh football club, playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1882 and the team plays its home matches at Belle Vue, Rhyl, which can accommodate 3,000 spectators.- History :Few clubs in the Welsh Premier League have as distinguished a past as Rhyl's...
did move into the Welsh league system from the English league system. All Welsh teams in the English league system are governed by the FAW for disciplinary and administrative matters.
From 1996 to 2011 the FAW only allowed teams in the Welsh league system to enter the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
. Prior to 1996 Welsh teams playing in the English league system were invited to participate along with some English teams located near the Welsh border. As this rule excluded the biggest Welsh clubs from the Welsh Cup, the FAW launched the FAW Premier Cup
FAW Premier Cup
The FAW Premier Cup is a defunct Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008...
in the 1997-98 season to include the top Welsh Premier League teams and the top Welsh teams in the English league system. The FAW Premier Cup was discontinued after the 2007-08 season. On 20 April 2011, the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
invited the six clubs playing in the English league system to rejoin the Welsh Cup for the 2011-12 season but only Newport County, Wrexham and Merthyr Town accepted .
Cup Competitions
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
- Is the oldest and most prized cup trophy in WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, the cup is open to 135 teams in the Welsh League. Until 1995 any Welsh club playing in the English league were allowed to participate as well as certain English clubs, the winner of the cup is given a UEFA Europa League qualifying place. - Welsh League CupWelsh League CupThe Welsh League Cup is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Welsh Premier League...
- Is only open to the Welsh Premier League clubs. - FAW TrophyFAW TrophyThe FAW Welsh Trophy is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1890–91 for clubs competing in the lower echelons of the pyramid.It was...
- Is open to Clubs at level 2 of the Welsh football league systemWelsh football league systemThe Welsh football league system is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them.-Structure of Welsh football:... - Welsh Football League CupWelsh Football League CupThe Welsh Football League Challenge Cup is a knock-out competition for all members of the three divisions that make up the Welsh Football League in south Wales....
- Is only competed by the clubs participating in the three Welsh Football LeagueWelsh Football LeagueThe Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
tiers.
Qualification for European competitions
| Competition | Who Qualifies | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... second qualifying round |
Champions of Welsh Premier League | |
| UEFA Europa League first qualifying round | Runner-up of Welsh Premier League Winner of UEFA Europa League play-off (3-7 place in league) |
8th place will take place of a domestic cup winner who finishes in 3-7 place |
| UEFA Europa League second qualifying round | Winners of Welsh Cup Welsh Cup The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78... |
See also
- Welsh football league systemWelsh football league systemThe Welsh football league system is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them.-Structure of Welsh football:...
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
- Welsh League CupWelsh League CupThe Welsh League Cup is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Welsh Premier League...
- FAW Premier CupFAW Premier CupThe FAW Premier Cup is a defunct Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008...
- List of football clubs in Wales
- List of stadiums in Wales by capacity