Welsh Premier League
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| Countries | Wales, England. |
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Relegation to | Cymru Alliance Welsh Football League First Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Welsh Cup Loosemore's League Cup |
| International cup(s) | Champions League UEFA Europa League |
| Current champions | The New Saints (2009–10) |
| Most championships | Barry Town (7 times) |
| Website | www.welshpremiership.com |
 2009–10 |
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The Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales, but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal. Currently, the full sponsored name of the league is the Principality Building Society Welsh Premier Football League.
The Welsh Premier League is ranked by the UEFA coefficient in 47th place out of 53 current members.
Contents |
A troubled start
The league was formed in October 1991 by Alun Evans, Secretary General of the Football Association of Wales (FAW), as he believed that the Welsh international football team was under threat from FIFA. Wales, along with the other three home nations (England, Northern Ireland and Scotland), had a permanent seat on the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and it was thought that many FIFA members were resentful of this and pressing for the four nations to unite into one combined side for the whole of the United Kingdom.
The new league was formed for the 1992-93 season. At the time, Wales was almost unique in world football in that despite the FAW being a FIFA member it didn't organise a national league. Traditionally, the best teams in Wales had always played in the English leagues. Aberdare Athletic, Cardiff City, Merthyr Town, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham have all been members of the Football League.
Because of poor north-south transportation links within Wales, it has always been easier for Welsh clubs to travel east-west so Welsh clubs tended to look east to England for competitors and many of the top semi-professional sides in Wales played in the English football league system; Bangor City were founder members of the Football Conference (then the Alliance Premier League) in 1979 and reached the FA Trophy final in 1984, before transferring to the new League of Wales in 1992.
The formation of the League of Wales saw the start of a bitter dispute between the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and those non-league clubs who wanted to remain part of the English football league. The 'Irate Eight', as they were dubbed, consisted of Bangor City, Barry Town, Caernarfon Town, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport County, Newtown and Rhyl.
Prior to the inaugural season, Bangor City, Newtown and Rhyl returned to play in the League of Wales. However as Rhyl's application to join the league was late, they were placed in the second level of the pyramid system. Because of FAW sanctions, the remaining five clubs were forced to play their home matches in England. Following a season in exile at Worcester City, five became four, as Barry Town joined the League of Wales.
A court ruling in 1995 allowed the remaining four clubs to return to Wales to play their home matches while still remaining within the English system; despite this victory, Caernarfon Town decided to join the League of Wales. However, Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil and Colwyn Bay remain in the English league pyramid system. Conversely, in 1996 now-defunct Oswestry Town from the English side of the border was accepted by the League of Wales and currently The New Saints are based in Oswestry. In 2010, another English club, Chester City, whose stadium sits on the England/Wales border, unsuccessfully applied to join the Welsh Premier League before being wound up.
For the first four seasons of the league's existence, its results had not been featured on the Press Association's vidiprinter service and consequently had not appeared on Final Score. The PA started featuring the league's results at the start of the 1996/97 season, which was also when the PA began providing the results for the Northern Irish league.
Demographics
One of the major problems facing the league is its failure to attract teams from the major population centres of Wales, which hampers the chances of high attendances at matches. This is because the four most populous areas of Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham have teams that are long established within the English football league system. The Welsh Premier League is therefore made up of clubs from smaller towns and even villages. One option to extend participation may be for the Welsh clubs playing in the English Football League to field reserve or representative teams in the Welsh Premier League.
Promotion and relegation
Clubs are promoted to the Welsh Premier League from the two regional feeder leagues; the Cymru Alliance in the north and the Welsh Football League Division One in the south. Clubs who finish as champions of the feeder leagues, or as runners-up if the champions decide not to seek promotion, are promoted subject to an application for membership being received and accepted and the stadium and infrastructure safety criteria of the Welsh Premier League being met.
No teams were promoted to the Welsh Premier League following the 2005-06 season. However, Cardiff Grange Quins, who finished bottom of the Welsh Premier League resigned leaving the league to operate with an odd number of clubs for 2006-07.
Eighteen clubs competed in the Welsh Premier League for the 2007-08 season as both Neath Athletic (Welsh Football League Division One) and Llangefni Town (Cymru Alliance) were promoted whilst Cwmbran Town were relegated to Welsh Football League Division One.
For 2008-09, Prestatyn Town played in the Welsh Premier League for the first time after promotion from the Cymru Alliance, whilst Llangefni Town were relegated to the Cymru Alliance after only one season.
The 2009-10 season saw Bala Town promoted to the Welsh Premier League after they won the Cymru Alliance in 2008-09. They replaced Caernarfon Town who were relegated to the Cymru Alliance.
At the end of the 2009-10 season, due to league restructuring Connah's Quay, Porthmadog, Welshpool Town, Caersws and Cefn Druids were relegated to the Cymru Alliance league. Rhyl were also relegated to the Cymru Alliance, despite finishing 6th in the Welsh Premier League, as they did not meet the ground criteria for the Welsh Premier League. No teams were promoted to the Welsh Premier League from the feeder leagues.
League Restructure, 2010-11 Season
The 18 Welsh Premier League clubs met on April 13, 2008 and voted to support a restructuring proposal put forward by Welsh Premier League secretary John Deakin which would replace the single Welsh Premier League with a First and Second Division with 10 teams in each Division for the 2010-11 season. A further proposal was accepted that the Football Association of Wales should take full control of the Welsh Premier League and the existing Company, 'Football League of Wales Limited' should be dissolved. These proposals were forwarded to the Football Association of Wales for their consideration.[1]
In June 2009 the clubs voted to accept an alternative proposal to reduce the premier League from 18 clubs to 12 for the 2010-11 season onwards.[2]
European competition
The champions of the Welsh Premier League qualify, along with the champions of every European domestic league, for the UEFA Champions League. The second and third placed teams qualify for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. A place in the second round of the Europa League is also awarded to the winners of the Welsh Cup. If the winners of the Welsh Cup have already qualified for Europe via their league placing (e.g. finishing first and winning the Cup) the fourth placed team inherits the Europa spot.
Results in Europe have been mixed-some notable successes, such as Barry Town's run to the first round proper of the UEFA Cup, drawing 3-3 with Aberdeen at Jenner Park, and Barry's 3-1 victory over FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League, combined with some heavy defeats, such as Total Network Solutions' 12-1 aggregate defeat to Amica Wronki of Poland.
The aforementioned Barry Town have been by some way the most successful Welsh side in Europe in the league's 15-year history, winning a total of six games in Europe.
In recent times results in Europe have generally improved; whereas in the past Welsh sides had been on the wrong end of some heavy scorelines, all Welsh sides now enter Europe with the realistic aim of at least winning their first round tie. In the last two years in particular European results have been good, with Rhyl, Carmarthen Town and Llanelli all enjoying success.
Media coverage
There is no doubt that the advent of the League has brought increased media coverage for its member clubs. Although there is sometimes complaint about the lack of it at times, the league does enjoy coverage by the Welsh national (notably the Western Mail and Daily Post) and local press.
Since the start of the 2007/08 season goals and results from the league have appeared on the Press Association vidiprinter service. Prior to this only the full time score had been displayed although the half time score had also been shown from around 2000. Both Final Score and Soccer Saturday now include the Welsh Premier League results as part of their classified football results sequence.
On television, brief highlights from one of the day's games were featured on BBC Wales' sports results programme Wales on Saturday along with occasional live matches until the corporation lost the broadcast rights to BSkyB at the end of the 2003/4 season. Sky opted to sell the Welsh Premier rights to S4C, signaling the start of a half-hour highlights show on Saturday nights and several live matches per year. Sgorio Cymru (formerly Y Clwb Pel Droed) now broadcasts in Wales & throughout the rest of the UK via digital satellite with an interactive option for English-language commentary available via digital satellite.
Welsh Clubs' European games are sometimes broadcast live also, again, usually on the BBC or S4C (although TNS's Champions League tie against Liverpool was live on ITV2).
Clubs
A total of 38 clubs have played in the league from its inception in 1992 and the end of the 2009–10 season. Of the 20 clibs that played in the inogreal season on the League of Wales, ten have since been relagated yet to return, with one, Ebbw Vale, folding in 1998.[3] For a list of all clubs past and present see List of Welsh Premier League clubs and an amalgamated table can be found at All-time Welsh Premier League table. For a list of winners and runners-up of the Welsh Premier League since its inception, and top scorers for each season, see List of Welsh football champions.
Only three clubs have played in every season League of Wales/Welsh Premier League since its inception. These three clubs are Aberystwyth Town, Bangor City and Newtown.[4]
Members for 2010–11
The following 12 clubs will be competing in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010-11 season:
| Club |
Ground |
Position in 2009–10 |
First season in top division |
Number of seasons in top division |
Number of seasons in the Premier League |
First season of current spell in top division |
Top division titles |
Last top division title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberystwyth Town | Park Avenue | 4th | 1992–93 | 19 | 19 | 1992–93 | 0 | – |
| Airbus UK Broughton | The Airfield | 7th | 2004–05 | 7 | 7 | 2004–05 | 0 | – |
| Bala Town | Maes Tegid | 12th | 2009–10 | 2 | 2 | 2009–10 | 0 | – |
| Bangor City | Farrar Road Stadium | 5th | 1992–93 | 19 | 19 | 1992–93 | 2 | 1994–95 |
| Carmarthen Town | Richmond Park | 10th | 1997–98 | 14 | 14 | 1997–98 | 0 | – |
| Haverfordwest County | Bridge Meadow Stadium | 13th | 1992–93 | 16 | 14 | 1997–98 | 0 | – |
| Llanelli | Stebonheath Park | 2nd | 1992–93 | 15 | 7 | 2005–06 | 1 | 2007–08 |
| Neath | The Gnoll | 9th | 2007–08 | 4 | 4 | 2007–08 | 0 | – |
| Newtown | Latham Park | 12th | 1992–93 | 19 | 19 | 1992–93 | 0 | – |
| Port Talbot Town | Victoria Road | 3rd | 2000–01 | 11 | 11 | 2000–01 | 0 | – |
| Prestatyn Town | Bastion Road | 8th | 2008–09 | 3 | 3 | 2008–09 | 0 | – |
| The New Saints | Park Hall* | 1st | 1993–94 | 18 | 18 | 1993–94 | 5 | 2009–10 |
Bold indicates League of Wales founders.
Italic indicates club never relegated from League of Wales/Welsh Premier League.
* Ground situated in Oswestry, England.
Former members of the League of Wales/Welsh Premier League
| Club Name | Stadium | Period in Top Flight | Current League 2009-10 Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abergavenny Thursdays | Pen-y-Pound | (1992–1993) | Gwent County League Division 3 |
| Afan Lido | The Marston's Stadium | (1992–1996, 1998–2005) | Welsh Football League Division One |
| Barry Town | Jenner Park | (1992–2004) | Welsh Football League Division One |
| Briton Ferry Athletic | Old Road Ground | (1992–1994, 1995–1997) | See Briton Ferry Llansawel |
| Caernarfon Town | The Oval | (1995–2000, 2001–2009) | Cymru Alliance |
| Caersws | Recreation Ground | (1992-2010) | Cymru Alliance |
| Elements Cefn Druids | Plaskynaston Lane | (1999-2010) | Cymru Alliance |
| Gap Connah's Quay | Deeside Stadium | (1990-2010) | Cymru Alliance |
| Cardiff Grange Quins | Cardiff Athletics Stadium | (2005–2006) | Welsh Football League Division Two |
| Cemaes Bay | School Lane | (1995–1998) | Anglesey League |
| Conwy United | Morfa | (1992–2000) | Welsh Alliance League |
| Cwmbran Town | Cwmbran Stadium | (1992–2007) | Welsh Football League Division Two |
| Ebbw Vale | (1992–1998) | Club folded | |
| Flint Town United | Cae-y-Castell | (1992–1998) | Cymru Alliance |
| Holywell Town | Halkyn Road | (1992–1997, 1998–1999) | Welsh Alliance League |
| Llangefni Town | Bob Parry Field | (2007–2008) | Cymru Alliance |
| Llanidloes Town | Victoria Road | (1992–1993) | Montgomeryshire League |
| Maesteg Park | Tudor Park | (1992–1995) | Welsh Football League Division Two |
| Mold Alexandra | Alyn Park | (1992–1995) | Cymru Alliance |
| Oswestry Town | (1996–2003) | See The New Saints | |
| Porthmadog | Y Traeth | (1992-1998,2003-2010) | Cymru Alliance |
| Rhayader Town | Y Weirglodd | (1997–2002) | Cymru Alliance |
| Rhyl | Belle Vue | (1994-2010) | Cymru Alliance |
| Technogroup Welshpool Town | Maes y Dre Recreation Ground | (1996-2010) | Cymru Alliance |
| Ton Pentre | Ynys Park | (1993–1996) | Welsh Football League Division One |
| UWIC Inter Cardiff | Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff | (1992–2001) | Welsh Football League Division Two |
Champions
| Year | Winner (number of titles) | Runners-up | Third | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–1993 | Cwmbran Town (1) | Inter Cardiff | Aberystwyth Town | |
| 1993–1994 | Bangor City (1) | Inter Cardiff | Ton Pentre | |
| 1994–1995 | Bangor City (2) | Afan Lido | Ton Pentre | |
| 1995–1996 | Barry Town (1) | Newtown | Conwy United | |
| 1996–1997 | Barry Town (2) | Inter Cardiff | Ebbw Vale | Barry Town also won Welsh Cup and Welsh League Cup |
| 1997–1998 | Barry Town (3) | Newtown | Ebbw Vale | Barry Town also won Welsh League Cup |
| 1998–1999 | Barry Town (4) | Inter Cardiff | Cwmbran Town | Barry Town also won FAW Premier Cup and Welsh League Cup |
| 1999–2000 | Total Network Solutions (1) | Barry Town | Cwmbran Town | |
| 2000-2001 | Barry Town (5) | Cwmbran Town | Carmarthen Town | Barry Town also won Welsh Cup |
| 2001–2002 | Barry Town (6) | Total Network Solutions | Bangor City | Barry Town also won Welsh Cup |
| 2002–2003 | Barry Town (7) | Total Network Solutions | Bangor City | Barry Town also won Welsh Cup |
| 2003–2004 | Rhyl (1) | Total Network Solutions | Haverfordwest County | Rhyl also won Welsh Cup and Welsh League Cup |
| 2004–2005 | Total Network Solutions (2) | Rhyl | Bangor City | Total Network Solutions also won Welsh Cup |
| 2005–2006 | Total Network Solutions (3) | Llanelli | Rhyl | Total Network Solutions also won Welsh League Cup |
| 2006–2007 | The New Saints (4) | Rhyl | Llanelli | The New Saints also won FAW Premier Cup |
| 2007–2008 | Llanelli (1) | The New Saints | Rhyl | Llanelli also won Welsh League Cup |
| 2008–2009 | Rhyl (2) | Llanelli | The New Saints | |
| 2009–2010 | The New Saints (5) | Llanelli | Port Talbot Town |
Record league champions
| Rank | Club | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry Town | 7 | 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 |
| 2 | Total Network Solutions/The New Saints | 5 | 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010 |
| 3 | Bangor City | 2 | 1994, 1995 |
| = | Rhyl | 2 | 2004, 2009 |
| 5 | Cwmbran Town | 1 | 1993 |
| = | Llanelli | 1 | 2008 |
Players
Marc Lloyd Williams, currently playing with Airbus UK Broughton, has scored more than 300 goals in 400-plus appearances in the league, making him the most prolific goalscorer in the league's history.[5]
Colin Reynolds holds the record for the number of appearances in the league.[6]
Sponsorship
Below is a list of the League's sponsors and what they chose to name the competition:
- 1992: Konica Peter Llewellyn Limited of Swansea (Konica League of Wales)
- 1993-2001: No sponsor .
- 2002-2004: JT Hughes Mitsubishi (JT Hughes Mitsubishi Welsh Premiership)
- 2004-2006: Vauxhall Masterfit Retailers (Vauxhall Masterfit Retailers Welsh Premier League)
- 2006–Present: Principality Building Society (Principality Building Society Welsh Premier Football League)
See also
- Football in Wales
- Welsh football league system
- Welsh Cup
- Welsh League Cup
- FAW Premier Cup
- List of football clubs in Wales
- List of stadiums in Wales by capacity
External links
- Official Principality Welsh Premier League website
- Unofficial website for the Welsh Premier League
- Welsh Football Data Archive website
- All Welsh Premier League official club website links at welsh-premier.com
References
- ↑ "Clubs vote to Re-structure the League". Welsh Premier League. 2008-04-13. http://www.welshpremiership.com/news/WelshPrem33645.ink. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ↑ "Clubs accept reduced Premier League". 2009-06-13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_of_wales/8097299.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
- ↑ Relegated clubs:Ebbw Vale welsh-premier.com Retrieved 16 June 2010 23:45
- ↑ "It's official - Tottenham have the worst defence in Premier League history". Daily Mail. 14 November 2007. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=493532&in_page_id=1779. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ↑ Welsh Premier all-time leading goal scorers Welsh Premier Football
- ↑ Welsh Premier all-time appearances Welsh Premier Football
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