Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales, immediately below the League of Wales in the Welsh football league system. It is often referred to as the MacWhirter Welsh Football League after its main sponsor. Despite its name, the league covers only the south of Wales. The Cymru Alliance and a number of regional leagues are its equivalents in the north. The Welsh Football League lies above the parallel Gwent County League, South Wales Amateur League, South Wales Senior League, and a number of feeder leagues in west Wales.
The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first formed.
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 League of Wales (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 2005/06 champions were Goytre United, but they were not promoted to the League of Wales even though Grange Quins resigned from the LOW. 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. Goytre United elected not to apply for promotion, and the First Division runners-up, Neath Athletic, failed to meet the stadium criteria and had their bid for promotion rejected. [1] Accordingly, there are only 17 teams competing in the League of Wales in the 2006/07 season.
Current clubs
- Afan Lido F.C.
- Barry Town F.C.
- Bridgend Town F.C.
- Bryntirion Athletic F.C.
- Caerleon F.C.
- Croesyceiliog F.C.
- Dinas Powys F.C.
- Ely Rangers A.F.C.
- ENTO Aberaman Athletic F.C.
- Goytre United F.C. (Port Talbot)
- Grange Harlequins A.F.C.
- Maesteg Park F.C.
- Neath Athletic F.C.
- Newport YMCA FC
- Pontardawe Town A.F.C.
- Pontypridd Town A.F.C.
- Taffs Well F.C.
- Ton Pentre F.C.
- UWIC Inter Cardiff A.F.C.
- AFC Llwydcoed
- Ammanford A.F.C.
- Bettws F.C.
- Briton Ferry F.C.
- Caerau (Ely) A.F.C.
- Caldicot Town A.F.C.
- Cambrian & Clydach F.C.
- Cardiff Corinthians F.C.
- Garden Village F.C.
- Garw Athletic F.C.
- Merthyr Saints A.F.C.
- Morriston Town F.C.
- Penrhiwceiber Rangers F.C.
- Pontyclun A.F.C.
- Tredegar Town F.C.
- Treharris Athletic F.C
- Troedyrhiw F.C.
- West End F.C.
- Aberbargoed Buds F.C
- Abertillery Excelsiors F.C.
- AFC Porth (formerly AFC Rhondda)
- Chepstow Town F.C.
- Cwmbran Celtic F.C.
- Cwmamman Utd. F.C.
- Goytre A.F.C. (Monmouthshire)
- Gwynfi United F.C.
- Llangeinor F.C.
- Llansawel F.C.
- Llantwit Fardre F.C.
- Llanwern F.C.
- Newcastle Emlyn F.C.
- Pentwyn Dynamo F.C.
- Porthcawl Town F.C.
- Risca United F.C.
- Seven Sisters A.F.C.
- Ystradgynlais F.C.
List of League Champions from 1964 onwards
- 1964 - Swansea Town
- 1965 - Swansea Town
- 1966 - Lovell's Athletic
- 1967 - Cardiff City
- 1968 - Cardiff City
- 1969 - Bridgend Town
- 1970 - Cardiff City
- 1971 - Llanelli
- 1972 - Cardiff City
- 1973 - Bridgend Town
- 1974 - Ton Pentre
- 1975 - Newport County
- 1976 - Swansea City
- 1977 - Llanelli
- 1978 - Llanelli
- 1979 - Pontllanfraith
- 1980 - Newport County
- 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 -
- 2002 - Ton Pentre
- 2003 - Bettws
- 2004 - Llanelli
- 2005 - Ton Pentre
- 2006 - Goytre United
