Association football in WalesWales 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 WalesThe 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 teamThe 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 systemThe 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
CardiffCardiff 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...
,
SwanseaSwansea 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...
,
NewportNewport 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
WrexhamWrexham 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 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...
but if the sides are relegated they are either relegated to the
Cymru AllianceThe 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 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...
(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 LeagueThe 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 LeagueThe 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)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 LeagueThe 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 LeagueThe 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 LeagueThe 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 LeagueThe 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 LeagueThe 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 DistrictThe 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 LeagueThe 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 LeagueThe 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 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...
, this four-way play-off idea is theory rather than practice. The latest clubs to gain promotion from this region were
LlansawelLlansawel 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 EndWest 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),
YstradgynlaisYstradgynlais 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-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 VillageGarden 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 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 CityCardiff 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,
WrexhamWrexham 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 BayColwyn 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 TownMerthyr 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 systemThe 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 CityBangor 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 TownBarry 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 TownCaernarfon 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
RhylRhyl 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 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...
. 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 CupThe 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 WalesThe 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 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...
- Is the oldest and most prized cup trophy in WalesWales 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 Cup
The 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 Trophy
The 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 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 Cup
The 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 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 LeagueThe 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 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...
|
|
See also
- 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:...
- 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...
- Welsh League Cup
The Welsh League Cup is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Welsh Premier League...
- 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...
- List of football clubs in Wales
- List of stadiums in Wales by capacity