Welsh Premier Women's Football League

Welsh Premier Women's Football League
Country  Wales
Confederation UEFA
Founded 2009
Number of teams 12
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to since 2010–11
Domestic cup(s) FAW Women's Cup
International cup(s) UEFA Champions League
Current champions Cardiff Met. (4th title)
(2015–16)
Most championships Cardiff Met. (4 titles)
Website Official

The Welsh Premier League is the top level women's football league in Wales.

It was founded in 2009 and was the first women's football league in Wales. The winner qualifies for a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

In previous years the national cup winner was sent into European competition.

The league is divided into two Conferences that play a double round robin, with the winner of both contesting a final for the championship. The first season featured no relegation, from the 2010-11 season onwards, the last placed team in each conference gets relegated.[1]

History

The eight clubs who formed the League were Aberystwyth Town Ladies, Caernarfon Town Ladies, Llanidloes Ladies, Manorbier Ladies, Newcastle Emlyn Ladies, Swansea City Ladies, UWIC Ladies and Wrexham Ladies.

2012 Season Launch

The league was increased to five teams per Conference in 2010–11,[2] with Caerphilly Castle Ladies and Trefelin Ladies joining the South and Llandudno Junction Ladies joining the North. Manorbier Ladies ceased playing activities after their inaugural season.[3]

Llandudno Junction's stay in the league lasted just one season before they were relegated; they were replaced by Northop Hall Girls.

Format

In its first three years the league was divided into two conferences, north and south. Both winners then played a championship play-off for the title and right to play in the UEFA Women's Champions League. A relegation system was introduced in the second season, when the last place in each conference was relegated. The league changed the format to a single division for the 2012–13 season.[4] The league was also expanded for the second time. After eight teams in the first season and ten teams in second and third season, now twelve teams will participate in the league.

2014–15 teams

PILCS LFC
Newcastle Emlyn
Cardiff Met. & Cardiff City
Cwmbran Celtic
Prestatyn
Port Talbot Town
Llandudno Ladies
Locations of teams in the 2014–15 Premier League

For this season Llandudno Junction renamed to Llandudno Ladies and moved to 3G facility at Maesdu Park. Llanidloes Ladies was renamed to Hafren United Ladies FC.[5] They however withdraw from the league before the start of the season.[6] Caernarfon had withdrawn from the league after the 2013/14 season, they were replaced by Aberystwyth Town.[7]

Team City Ground
Aberystwyth Town Ladies Aberystwyth Park Avenue
Cardiff City FC Cardiff Leckwith Athletics Stadium
Cardiff Met. Ladies F.C. Cardiff Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cyncoed Campus
PILCS LFC Pontypool
Cwmbran Celtic Cwmbran
Hafren United Ladies FC Llanidloes Victoria Park
Llandudno Ladies F.C. Llandudno Maesdu Park
Newcastle Emlyn Ladies Newcastle Emlyn Parc Emlyn
Port Talbot Town Ladies Port Talbot The Genquip Stadium
Rhyl & Prestatyn Ladies Prestatyn Rhyl FC's Corbett Sports Stadium
Swansea City Ladies Port Talbot Baglan Playing Fields
Wrexham Ladies Wrexham Colliers Road

Former teams were Manorbier Ladies, Aberystwyth Town Ladies, Northop Hall Girls, Caerphilly Castle Ladies and Trefelin Ladies (since then joint Port Talbot Town)

List of champions

In the first three seasons a final between the division winners determined the champion. Cardiff Met. (former UWIC) have won the most titles with three.

Season Champion Runners-up Third place
2009–10 Swansea City Ladies Caernarfon Town n/a (4–0 final)
2010–11 Swansea City Ladies Caernarfon Town n/a (3–1 final)
2011–12 UWIC Ladies Wrexham Ladies n/a (3–0 final)
2012–13 Cardiff City Cardiff Met. Ladies Wrexham Ladies
2013–14 Cardiff Met. Ladies PILCS LFC Cardiff City
2014–15 Cardiff Met. Ladies Swansea City Ladies PILCS LFC
2015–16 Cardiff Met. Ladies

References

  1. http://atfc.org.uk/page.php?16 ; Website of Aberystwyth Town Ladies
  2. http://www.welshpremier.com/uploads/documents/WelshPrem10977Pages1.PDF
  3. Tenby Observer (15 October 2010). "Manorbier Ladies call it a day".
  4. "Wrexham Odds on for Play-off place". shekicks.net. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  5. "Four new team names in Welsh Premier Women's league". BBC. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  6. "Hafren United Withdraw from WPWL". welshpremier.org. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  7. "Aberystwyth Replace Caernarfon in WPWL". welshpremier.co.uk. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.

External links

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