2011–12 Welsh Premier League

Welsh Premier League
Season 2011–12
Champions TNS
Relegated Neath
Champions League TNS
Europa League Bangor City
Llanelli
Cefn Druids (via cup)
Matches played 192
Goals scored 608 (3.17 per match)
Biggest home win Llanelli 9–2 Newtown
Biggest away win Neath 1–5 Llanelli
Aberystwyth Town 0-4 Bala Town
Newtown 0–4 Neath
Prestatyn 0–4 TNS
Newtown 0–4 Airbus
Highest scoring Llanelli 9–2 Newtown

The 2011–12 Welsh Premier League season was the 20th season of the Welsh Premier League, the highest football league of Wales since its establishment in 1992. Bangor City were the defending champions, but lost their title to The New Saints in a meeting on the final game of the season.

Teams

Haverfordwest County were relegated to the 2011–12 Football League Division One at the end of the 2010–11 season after finishing at the bottom of the table. The club thus ended a fourteen-year tenure in the league. They were replaced by 2010–11 Football League runners-up Afan Lido, who returned to the Premier League after six seasons.

Originally, Bala Town as 11th-placed team were going to be relegated as well; however, they were eventually spared as 2010–11 Cymru Alliance champions Connah's Quay Nomads were denied a Premier League licence.[1]

Stadia and location

Team Stadium Capacity
Aberystwyth Town Park Avenue 5,500
Afan Lido Marston Stadium 4,200
Airbus UK Broughton The Airfield 2,100
Bala Town Maes Tegid 3,000
Bangor City Nantporth 3,000
Carmarthen Town Richmond Park 3,000
Llanelli AFC Stebonheath Park 3,700
Neath The Gnoll 7,000
Newtown AFC Latham Park 5,000
Port Talbot Town Victoria Road 2,500
Prestatyn Town Bastion Road 2,500
The New Saints Park Hall 2,500

League table

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 The New Saints (C) 32 23 5 4 75 31+44 74 2012–13 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round
2 Bangor City 32 22 3 7 72 45+27 69 2012–13 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round
3 Neath (R) 32 18 8 6 60 36+24 621
4 Llanelli (O) 32 18 5 9 63 36+27 59 Qualification to UEFA Europa League play-offs
5 Bala Town 32 14 7 11 48 41+7 49
6 Prestatyn Town 32 8 4 20 41 6322 28
7 Airbus UK Broughton 32 10 9 13 48 502 39 Qualification to UEFA Europa League play-offs
8 Aberystwyth Town 32 8 10 14 44 506 033**
9 Port Talbot Town 32 8 9 15 39 5112 33
10 Afan Lido 32 7 11 14 40 5515 32
11 Carmarthen Town 32 10 2 20 33 6734 32
12 Newtown 32 7 5 20 44 8238 023*2

Updated to games played on 21 April 2012.
Source: Welsh Premier
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
* Newtown deducted 3 points for fielding ineligible players.
** Aberystwyth Town deducted 1 point for fielding ineligible player
Cefn Druids, playing in the 2011–12 Cymru Alliance, will qualify for the first qualifying round of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, even though they lost to The New Saints (themselves qualifiers for the UEFA Champions League), in the final of the 2011–12 Welsh Cup
.

Relegation issues

1.^ Neath were relegated on 27 April 2012, after failing in their Domestic and UEFA Competitions Licensing appeal, meaning they were relegated from the Welsh Premier League. Newtown would have been relegated otherwise.[2]
2 ^ Haverfordwest County would have replaced Newtown AFC should they have finished second in a feeder league, and thus gaining promotion. A win for Taffs Well in a game Vs Caerau Ely meant this could not happen, sparing Newtown's relegation.[3]

Results

Teams played each other twice on a home and away basis, before the league was split into two groups at the end of round 22 - the top six and the bottom six. Clubs in these groups played each other twice again bringing the total fixture count to 32.

Matches 1–22

Home ╲ Away ABE AFA AIRBALBANCARLLANEANEWPTAPRETNS
Aberystwyth Town 11 12 04 02 41 12 11 41 02 13 11
Afan Lido 00 00 01 00 10 00 10 32 12 01 31
Airbus UK Broughton 11 31 12 24 31 11 22 32 11 21 12
Bala Town 30 31 10 12 20 24 00 22 20 11 22
Bangor City 11 41 21 21 40 32 21 40 31 53 03
Carmarthen Town 21 25 31 01 12 03 22 01 20 21 01
Llanelli 20 41 11 31 21 20 01 92 20 32 01
Neath 42 11 30 40 20 10 20 50 32 31 11
Newtown 12 21 13 02 21 42 02 04 20 12 13
Port Talbot Town 04 22 21 22 12 20 01 12 31 00 21
Prestatyn Town 10 31 22 01 05 61 02 11 21 21 02
The New Saints 32 30 31 11 34 40 42 30 50 32 21

Updated to games played on 14 January 2012.
Source: Welsh Premiership Football League
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 23–32

Top six

Home ╲ Away BAN TNS LLANEABALPRE
Bangor City 13 22 13 42 21
The New Saints 50 11 12 32 21
Llanelli 01 02 12 12 32
Neath 13 01 15 20 10
Bala Town 01 01 01 22 30
Prestatyn Town 04 04 12 23 12

Updated to games played on 21 April 2012.
Source: Welsh Premiership Football League
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Bottom six

Home ╲ Away AIR ABE PTAAFANEWCAR
Airbus UK Broughton 22 11 32 31 01
Aberystwyth Town 20 11 11 32 22
Port Talbot Town 21 12 21 11 01
Afan Lido 12 22 02 16 51
Newtown 04 22 11 11 21
Carmarthen Town 10 10 32 03 32

Updated to games played on 21 April 2012.
Source: Welsh Premiership Football League
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

UEFA Europa League play-offs

Teams who finished in positions fourth through eighth at the end of the season participated in a play-off to determine the second participant for the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. As Neath failed to win their appeal against an FAW Domestic license, Aberystwyth Town took their place (See Relegation Section)

Quarter-finals

7 May 2012
14:00 BST
Airbus UK Broughton 0 – 1 Aberystwyth Town
Report Thomas  57'
The Airfield, Broughton
Attendance: 327
Referee: Lee Evans

Semi-finals

12 May 2012
14:00 BST
Llanelli 1 0 (a.e.t.) Aberystwyth Town
Follows  108' Report
Stebonheath Park, Llanelli
Attendance: 281
Referee: Bryn Markham-Jones

12 May 2012
14:30 BST
Bala Town 2 1 Prestatyn Town
Sheridan  4'
Hunt  47'
report Hayes  30'
Maes Tegid, Bala
Attendance: 426
Referee: Dean John

Final

19 May 2012
15:15 BST
Llanelli 2 1 Bala Town
Griffiths  4'
Grist  19'
report Hunt  76'
Stebonheath Park, Llanelli
Attendance: 318
Referee: Huw Jones

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Wales Rhys Griffiths Llanelli AFC 22
2 New Zealand Greg Draper The New Saints 21
3 Wales Les Davies Bangor City 15
4 England Ian Sheridan Airbus UK/Bala Town 14
England Lee Hunt Bala Town 14
5 Wales Luke Bowen Neath Athletic 13

References

External links

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