List of Welsh Premier League clubs

Park Avenue, home of Aberystwyth Town, one of the longest-serving members of the league

The Welsh Premier League (Welsh: Uwch Gynghrair Cymru) is an association football league based in Wales. Formed in 1992 as the League of Wales, a name it retained until 2002, it was the first national football league in the country.^[1] In its inaugural season 20 teams played in the league, but it has since been significantly restructured and has 12 member clubs in the 2013–14 season. Although it is the highest level of the Welsh football league system, the Welsh Premier League has never included the country's 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 small towns and villages 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]

Since its formation, 39 clubs have taken part in the Welsh Premier League. The only clubs to have played in the league in every season since it was formed are Aberystwyth Town, Bangor City 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 Llandudno, who gained promotion to the league for the first time in 2015. A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Welsh Premier League and the two regional leagues at the second level of the Welsh league system, the Cymru Alliance in the north of the country and the Welsh Football League in the south.^[5]

Clubs

The table show the first and last season in which each club competed in the league. 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 Welsh Premier League clubs

Club	First season	Last season	Total seasons	Best finish	Times champions	Current status (2013–14)	Ref(s).
Abergavenny Thursdays	1992–93	1992–93	1	20th	–	Defunct; folded in 2013	[6][7]
Aberystwyth Town	1992–93	-	24	4th	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[8]
Afan Lido	1992–93	2013–14	14	2nd	–	Playing in Welsh Football League Division One	[9]
Airbus UK Broughton^[nb1]	2004–05	-	12	2nd	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[10][11]
Bala Town	2009–10	-	7	2nd	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[12]
Bangor City	1992–93	-	24	1st	3	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[13]
Barry Town United	1994–95	2003–04	10	1st	7	Playing in Welsh Football League Division One	[14][15][16]
Briton Ferry Athletic	1992–93	1996–97	4	17th	–	Merged with Llansawel in 2009 to form Briton Ferry Llansawel	[17]
Caernarfon Town	1995–96	2008–09	13	5th	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[18]
Caersws	1992–93	2009–10	18	4th	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[19]
Cardiff Grange Harlequins	2005–06	2005–06	1	18th	–	Defunct; folded in 2015	[20]
Cardiff Metropolitan University ^[nb9]	1992–93	2000–01	9	2nd	–	Playing in Welsh Football League Division One	[21][22][23][24][25]
Carmarthen Town	1996–97	-	20	3rd	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[26]
Cefn Druids^[nb3]	1999–2000	2014–15	12	12th	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[27][28][29][30]
Cemaes Bay^[nb2]	1995–96	1997–98	3	12th	–	Playing in Anglesey League	[31][32][33]
Conwy Borough	1992–93	1999–2000	8	3rd	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[34]
Cwmbran Town	1992–93	2006–07	15	1st	1	Playing in Gwent County League Division One	[35]
Ebbw Vale	1992–93	1997–98	6	3rd	–	Defunct; folded in 1998	[36]
Flint Town United	1992–93	1997–98	6	4th	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[37]
Gap Connah's Quay ^[nb4]	1992–93	-	22	5th	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[38][39]
Haverfordwest County	1992–93	-	17	3rd	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[40]
Holywell Town	1992–93	1998–99	6	5th	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[41]
Llandudno	2015–16	-	1	-	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[42]
Llanelli Town	1992–93	2012–13	17	1st	1	Playing in Welsh Football League Division Two	[43][44][45]
Llangefni Town	2007–08	2007–08	1	18th	–	Playing in Welsh Alliance League Division One	[46]
Llanidloes Town	1992–93	1992–93	1	19th	–	Playing in Mid-Wales League	[47]
Maesteg Park Athletic	1992–93	1994–95	3	15th	–	Defunct; folded in 2010	[48]
Mold Alexandra	1992–93	1994–95	3	13th	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[49]
Neath^[nb5]	2007–08	2011–12	5	3rd	–	Defunct; folded in 2012	[50][51][52]
Newtown	1992–93	-	24	2nd	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[53]
Oswestry Town	2000–01	2002–03	3	15th	–	Merged with The New Saints in 2003	[54]
Port Talbot Town^[nb6]	2000–01	-	16	4th	–	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[55][56]
Porthmadog	1992–93	2009–10	13	9th	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[57]
Prestatyn Town	2008–09	2014–15	7	5th	–	laying in Cymru Alliance	[58]
Rhayader Town	1997–98	2001–02	5	12th	–	Playing in Cymru Alliance	[59]
Rhyl	1994–95	-	19	1st	2	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[60]
Welshpool Town^[nb7]	1996–97	2009–10	10	4th	–	Playing in Mid-Wales League	[61][62]
The New Saints^[nb8]	1993–94	-	23	1st	9	Playing in Welsh Premier League	[63][64][65]
Ton Pentre	1993–94	1996–97	4	3rd	–	Playing 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 Connah's Quay Nomads until 2008^[38][39]
5. ^nb5 Known as Neath Athletic until 2008^[50][51][52]
6. ^nb6 Known as Port Talbot Athletic until 2001^[55][56]
7. ^nb7 Known as Technogroup Welshpool between 2009 and 2011^[61][62]
8. ^nb8 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.^[63][64][65]
9. ^nb9 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.^{[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. "First Team". Cemaes Bay F.C. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
34. "Conwy United". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
35. "Cwmbran Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
36. "Ebbw Vale". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
37. "Flint Town United". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
38. "Gap Connah's Quay". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
39. "Connah's Quay Nomads". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
40. "Haverfordwest County". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
41. "Holywell Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
42. "Llandudno". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
43. "Llanelli". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
44. "Llanelli AFC wound up at High Court over tax debts". BBC. 22 April 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
45. "Llanelli Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
46. "Llangefni Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
47. "Llanidloes Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
48. "Maesteg Park Athletic". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
49. "Mold Alexandra". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
50. "Neath Athletic". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
51. "Neath". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
52. "Neath FC wound up at High Court". BBC. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
53. "Newtown". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
54. "Oswestry Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
55. "Port Talbot Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
56. "Port Talbot Athletic". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
57. "Porthmadog". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
58. "Prestatyn Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
59. "Rhayader Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
60. "Rhyl". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
61. "Welshpool". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
62. "Technogroup Welshpool". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
63. "Llansantffraid". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
64. "Total Network Solutions". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
65. "The New Saints". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
66. "Ton Pentre". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.