4 November 2022

Welsh League and Cup

By tolgagenc

Wales Overview:

Like the rest of the island, football is ancient in Wales, which is always an exciting place we know with its famous football players who always play in important clubs and mostly with national teams. Football began in the north, in Wrexham in the 1860s. The first association, the Football Association of Wales, was formed in 1876. In the first international match in 1877, they lost 4-0 to Scotland. The country’s south kept the sport cold for a long time, but they hosted a national match in Swansea for the first time in 1894. These were the years when Welsh football was on the rise. In 1906 Wrexham joined the Birmingham and District League in England. In 1909 Swansea, Newport, Ton Pentre, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, and Riverside from the south joined the Southern Football League in England.

Although the league has been played for a long time, they also had a Premier League since 1992. The clubs with the most titles in 30 years are Bangor City (1876), Barry Town (1912), and The New Saints (1959). The first two clubs, whose establishment dates differ, also played in the English leagues. The New Saints are the rising club of the last period, and the interesting thing is that they are an English club. Apart from them, Newcastle AFC, Bucknell, Trefonen, Morda United, and Bishop’s Castle Town are other Brits in the Welsh leagues.

Five clubs play in the English leagues: Swansea City (1912) and Cardiff City (1899) are currently in the EFL Championship. Newport County (1912) is in League 2. Wrexham (1864) and Merthyr Town (1909) are in the lower leagues. After the Premier League organization establishment in 1992, clubs such as Bangor City, Barry Town, Caernarfon Town, Colwyn Bay, Newtown, and Rhyl accepted the invitation, while the five clubs we mentioned preferred to stay in England. While these five clubs can participate in the FA Cup, they cannot participate in the Welsh Cup.

Welsh Cup Finals (1877-1890):

Welsh Cup Finals (1890-1900):

Welsh Cup Finals (1900-1918):

Welsh Cup Finals Club Performances (1877-1918):