List of Cymru Premier clubs

The Cymru Premier is an association football league based in Wales. Formed in 1992 as the League of Wales, it was the first national football league in the country.[1] The competition changed its name to the Welsh Premier League in 2002 and then to the Cymru Premier in 2019. In its inaugural season 20 teams played in the league, but it has since been significantly restructured and had 12 member clubs in the 201819 season. Although it is the highest level of the Welsh football league system, the Welsh Premier League has never included the country's major professional clubs, Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County. For historical reasons these clubs all play within the English league system.[2] Instead the Welsh Premier League consists primarily of clubs from large towns (like Barry and Bridgend) and some smaller towns (like Bala), and the majority of the players are semi-professional. As of 2013, The New Saints, who have played in Oswestry in England since 2005,[3] were the only full-time professional team in the league.[4]

Barry Town United (then known simply as Barry Town) won the league title seven times in nine seasons

Since its formation, 39 clubs have taken part in the league. The only clubs to have played in the league in every season since it was formed are Aberystwyth Town and Newtown. Conversely two other founder members, Abergavenny Thursdays and Llanidloes Town, were relegated at the end of the league's inaugural season and have never returned. Two other clubs, Llangefni Town and Cardiff Grange Harlequins, have spent only a single season in the league. The most recent team to make its debut in the league was Pen-y-Bont, who gained promotion to the league for the first time in 2019. A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Cymru Premier and the two regional leagues at the second level of the Welsh league system, the Cymru North in the northern half of the country and the Cymru South in the southern half.[5]

Clubs

The table shows the first and most recent season in which each club competed in the league up to and including the 201920 season. Some clubs' membership was intermittent between their first and last season. The name shown for each club is the most recent, and the table is initially sorted in alphabetical order of these names. Any other names under which the club played in the league are shown in footnotes. A dagger symbol () indicates that the club was a founder member of the league.

List of Cymru Premier clubs
Club First season Most recent season Total seasons Best finish Times champions 201920 status Ref(s).
Abergavenny Thursdays 199293199293120thDefunct; folded in 2013 [6][7]
Aberystwyth Town 199293201920284thPlaying in Cymru Premier [8]
Afan Lido 199293201314142ndPlaying in Cymru South [9]
Airbus UK Broughton[nb1] 200405201920142ndPlaying in Cymru Premier [10][11]
Bala Town 200910201920112ndPlaying in Cymru Premier [12]
Bangor City 199293201718261st3Playing in Cymru North [13]
Barry Town United 199495201920131st7Playing in Cymru Premier [14][15][16]
Briton Ferry Athletic 199293199697417thMerged with Llansawel in 2009 to form Briton Ferry Llansawel [17]
Caernarfon Town 199596201920155thPlaying in Cymru Premier [18]
Caersws 199293200910184thPlaying in Mid-Wales League Division One [19]
Cardiff Grange Harlequins 200506200506118thDefunct; folded in 2015 [20]
Cardiff Metropolitan University [nb10] 199293201920132ndPlaying in Cymru Premier [21][22][23][24][25]
Carmarthen Town 199697201920243rdPlaying in Cymru Premier [26]
Cefn Druids[nb3] 19992000201920165thPlaying in Cymru Premier [27][28][29][30]
Cemaes Bay[nb2] 199596199798312thPlaying in Anglesey League [31][32]
Connah's Quay Nomads [nb4] 199293201920261st1Playing in Cymru Premier [33][34]
Conwy Borough 1992931999200083rdPlaying in Cymru North [35]
Cwmbran Town 199293200607151st1Playing in Gwent County League Premier Division [36]
Ebbw Vale 19929319979863rdDefunct; folded in 1998 [37]
Flint Town United 19929319979864thPlaying in Cymru North [38]
Haverfordwest County 199293201516172ndPlaying in Cymru South [39]
Holywell Town 19929319989965thPlaying in Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division [40]
Llandudno [nb5] 20151620181943rdPlaying in Cymru North [41]
Llanelli Town 199293201819181st1Playing in Cymru South [42][43][44]
Llangefni Town 200708200708118thPlaying in Cymru North [45]
Llanidloes Town 199293199293119thPlaying in Mid-Wales League Division One [46]
Maesteg Park Athletic 199293199495315thDefunct; folded in 2010 [47]
Mold Alexandra 199293199495313thPlaying in Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division [48]
Neath[nb6] 20070820111253rdDefunct; folded in 2012 [49][50][51]
The New Saints[nb9] 199394201920271st13Playing in Cymru Premier [52][53][54]
Newtown 199293201920282ndPlaying in Cymru Premier [55]
Oswestry Town 200001200203315thMerged with The New Saints in 2003 [56]
Pen-y-Bont 201920201920110thPlaying in Cymru Premier [57]
Port Talbot Town[nb7] 200001201516163rdPlaying in Welsh Football League Division One [58][59]
Porthmadog 199293200910139thPlaying in Cymru North [60]
Prestatyn Town 20080920141575thPlaying in Cymru North [61]
Rhayader Town 199798200102512thPlaying in Mid-Wales League Division Two [62]
Rhyl 199495201617201st2Defunct; folded in 2020 [63]
Welshpool Town[nb8] 199697200910104thPlaying in Mid-Wales League Division One [64][65]
Ton Pentre 19939419969743rdPlaying in Welsh Football League Division One [66]

Notes

  1. nb1 Known as Airbus UK until 2007[10][11]
  2. nb2 Known as Cemaes Ynys Mon from 1997 until 1998[31][32]
  3. nb3 Known as Flexsys Cefn Druids until 2003, NEWI Cefn Druids from 2003 until 2009, and Elements Cefn Druids from 2009 until 2010[27][28][29]
  4. nb4 Known as Gap Connah's Quay from 2008 to 2017[33][34]
  5. nb5 Known as MBi Llandudno from 2015 to 2016[41]
  6. nb6 Known as Neath Athletic until 2008[49][50][51]
  7. nb7 Known as Port Talbot Athletic until 2001[58][59]
  8. nb8 Known as Technogroup Welshpool between 2009 and 2011[64][65]
  9. nb0 Known as Llansantffraid until 1997 and Total Network Solutions from 1997 until 2006. Merged with fellow Welsh Premier League club Oswestry Town in 2003, continuing under the Total Network Solutions name.[52][53][54]
  10. nb10 Inter Cardiff played in the Welsh Premier League until 2000, but was known as Inter Cable Tel from 1996 until 1999. In 2000 the club merged with UWIC of the Welsh Football League to form UWIC Inter Cardiff and continued to play in the Welsh Premier League. The club adopted its current name in 2012.[21][22][23][24][25]

References

  1. Goldblatt, David (2009). The Football Book. Dorling Kindersley. p. 168. ISBN 1-4053-3738-9.
  2. "Uefa give Swansea and Cardiff European assurance". BBC. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  3. "TNS on the move to Oswestry". Wales Online. 1 November 2005. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  4. Williams, Marc Lloyd (3 May 2013). "Europa League play-off keeps interest alive after TNS title stroll". BBC. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  5. "The Pyramid". Welsh Premier League. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  6. Penman, Andrew (20 August 2013). "Abergavenny Thursdays withdraw from Gwent County League". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  7. "Abergavenny Thursdays". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  8. "Aberystwyth Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  9. "Afan Lido". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  10. "Airbus U K". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  11. "Airbus U K Broughton". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  12. "Bala Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  13. "Bangor City". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  14. "Barry Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  15. "FAW votes to admit Barry Town United to Welsh League". BBC. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  16. "Barry Town United". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  17. "Britton Ferry Athletic". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  18. "Caernarfon Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  19. "Caernarfon Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  20. "Cardiff Grange Harlequins". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  21. "Inter Cardiff". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  22. "Inter Cable Tel". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  23. "UWIC Inter Cardiff". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  24. "UWIC". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  25. "Cardiff Met University". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  26. "Carmarthen Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  27. "Flexsys Cefn Druids". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  28. "N E W I Cefn Druids". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  29. "Elements Cefn Druids". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  30. "Cefn Druids". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  31. "Cemaes Bay". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  32. "Cemaes Ynys Mon". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  33. "Gap Connah's Quay". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  34. "Connah's Quay Nomads". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  35. "Conwy United". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  36. "Cwmbran Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  37. "Ebbw Vale". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  38. "Flint Town United". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  39. "Haverfordwest County". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  40. "Holywell Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  41. "Llandudno". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  42. "Llanelli". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  43. "Llanelli AFC wound up at High Court over tax debts". BBC. 22 April 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  44. "Llanelli Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  45. "Llangefni Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  46. "Llanidloes Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  47. "Maesteg Park Athletic". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  48. "Mold Alexandra". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  49. "Neath Athletic". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  50. "Neath". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  51. "Neath FC wound up at High Court". BBC. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  52. "Llansantffraid". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  53. "Total Network Solutions". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  54. "The New Saints". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  55. "Newtown". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  56. "Oswestry Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  57. "Penybont". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  58. "Port Talbot Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  59. "Port Talbot Athletic". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  60. "Porthmadog". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  61. "Prestatyn Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  62. "Rhayader Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  63. "Rhyl". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  64. "Welshpool". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  65. "Technogroup Welshpool". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  66. "Ton Pentre". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
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