Welsh Football League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Welsh Football League |
|---|
 |
| Founded |
| 1904 |
| Nation |
 Wales |
| Feeder To |
| Welsh Premier League |
| Divisions |
| Division 1 Division 2 Division 3 |
| Number of Teams |
| 54 |
| Levels on Pyramid |
| Levels 2-4 |
| Cups |
| Shamrock Travel League Cup |
| Current Champions (2008-09) |
| Aberaman Athletic (Division 1) West End (Division 2) Llwydcoed (Division 3) |
| Website |
| Welsh Football League |
The Welsh Football League (also known as the MacWhirter Welsh Football League for sponsorship reasons) is a club football league in Wales. The First Division of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.
Despite its name, the Welsh football league covers only the south of Wales. The Cymru Alliance and feeder leagues to the Cymru Alliance are its equivalent in north and mid Wales. The Welsh Football League Third Division is above the Level 5 leagues: Gwent County League and South Wales Amateur League.
The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first formed.
It also has its own knock-out competition, the Nathaniel Car Sales Welsh Football League Cup, which was lifted by Afan Lido at the end of the 2008-09 season after they beat Penrhiwceiber 6-5 on penalties after the game finishing 11 after extra time had been played.
Contents |
[edit] Structure
The league is made up of three divisions (named the First Division, the Second Division and the Third Division) each having 18 clubs. There is promotion and relegation between the divisions, with the top three teams in each division being promoted to the one above and the bottom three being relegated to the one below. The winner of the First Division may be promoted to the national Welsh Premier League (subject to ground facilities), the highest level of Welsh football. The bottom three teams in the Third Division may be relegated to the appropriate parallel regional league running below the Welsh Football League, subject to champions of the feeder leagues being promoted, again assuming ground criteria being met.
The 2008-09 champions were Aberaman Athletic, but they were not promoted to the Welsh Premiership. Normally, the top clubs from each of the two feeder leagues (the Welsh Football League and the Cymru Alliance) are promoted subject to an application for membership of the League of Wales being received and accepted and the stadium and infrastructure safety criteria of that League being met. Aberaman Athletic did apply for promotion but were rejected on ground grading criteria, and the First Division runners-up, Goytre United also failed to meet the stadium criteria and had their bid for promotion rejected. [1]
Neath Athletic, though, were champions of the Welsh Football League for 2006-07 with 92 points, a record number for Division One, and took their place in Wales' top-flight for 2007-08 and remain there today.
[edit] Current clubs
[edit] Champions
- 1904-1912 - Unknown
- 1913 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1914 - Llanelli
- 1915 - Barry Town
- 1920 - Mid Rhondda
- 1921 - Aberdare
- 1922 - Porth
- 1923 - Cardiff City Reserves
- 1924 - Pontypridd
- 1925 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1926 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1927 - Barry Town Reserves
- 1928 - Newport County Reserves
- 1929 - Cardiff City Reserves
- 1930 - Llanelli
- 1931 - Merthyr Town Reserves
- 1932 - Lovell's Athletic
- 1933 - Llanelli
- 1934 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1935 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1936 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1937 - Newport County Reserves
- 1938 - Lovell's Athletic
- 1939 - Lovell's Athletic
- 1946 - Lovell's Athletic
- 1947 - Lovell's Athletic
- 1948 - Lovell's Athletic
- 1949 - Merthyr Town Reserves
- 1950 - Merthyr Tydfil Reserves
- 1951 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1952 - Merthyr Tydfil Reserves
- 1953 - Ebbw Vale & Cwm
- 1954 - Pembroke Borough
- 1955 - Newport County Reserves
- 1956 - Pembroke Borough
- 1957 - Haverfordwest County
- 1958 - Ton Pentre
- 1959 - Abergavenny Thursdays
- 1960 - Abergavenny Thursdays
- 1961 - Ton Pentre
- 1962 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1963 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1964 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1965 - Swansea Town Reserves
- 1966 - Lovell's Athletic
- 1967 - Cardiff City Reserves
- 1968 - Cardiff City Reserves
- 1969 - Bridgend Town
- 1970 - Cardiff City Reserves
- 1971 - Llanelli
- 1972 - Cardiff City Reserves
- 1973 - Bridgend Town
- 1974 - Ton Pentre
- 1975 - Newport County Reserves
- 1976 - Swansea City Reserves
- 1977 - Llanelli
- 1978 - Llanelli
- 1979 - Pontllanfraith
- 1980 - Newport County Reserves
- 1981 - Haverfordwest County
- 1982 - Ton Pentre
- 1983 - Barry Town
- 1984 - Barry Town
- 1985 - Barry Town
- 1986 - Barry Town
- 1987 - Barry Town
- 1988 - Ebbw Vale
- 1989 - Barry Town
- 1990 - Haverfordwest County
- 1991 - Abergavenny Thursdays
- 1992 - Abergavenny Thursdays
- 1993 - Ton Pentre
- 1994 - Barry Town
- 1995 - Briton Ferry Athletic
- 1996 - Carmarthen Town
- 1997 - Haverfordwest County
- 1998 - Ton Pentre
- 1999 - Ton Pentre
- 2000 - Ton Pentre
- 2001 - Ton Pentre
- 2002 - Ton Pentre
- 2003 - Bettws
- 2004 - Llanelli
- 2005 - Ton Pentre
- 2006 - Goytre United
- 2007 - Neath
- 2008 - Goytre United
- 2009 - Aberaman Athletic
| Times won | Clubs (champions between 1904-1912 are unknown) |
|---|---|
| 12 | Swansea City/Town Reserves |
| 11 | Ton Pentre |
| 8 | Barry Town |
| 7 | Llanelli, Lovell's Athletic |
| 6 | Cardiff City Reserves |
| 5 | Newport County Reserves |
| 4 | Abergavenny Thursdays, Haverfordwest County |
| 2 | Bridgend Town, Goytre United, Merthyr Town Reserves, Merthyr Tydfil Reserves, Pembroke Borough |
| 1 | Aberaman Athletic, Aberdare, Barry Reserves, Bettws, Briton Ferry, Carmarthen Town, Ebbw Vale, Ebbw Vale & Cwm, Mid Rhondda, Neath Athletic, Pontllanfraith, Pontypridd, Porth. |
