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Welsh National League (Wrexham Area)

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Welsh National League (Wrexham Area)
Founded1945
Folded2020
Country Wales
Number of teams26
Level on pyramid3 and 4
Last championsPremier Division - Holywell Town
Division One - Hawarden Rangers
Reserves - Mold Alexandra
Reserves & Colts - Connah's Quay Nomads
(2019–20)
WebsiteLeague Website

The Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) was a football league in Wales and operated at level 3 and 4 of the Welsh football league system in Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough, but with some teams from Denbighshire (Corwen and Llangollen Town) and Gwynedd (Llanuwchllyn). For sponsorship purposes it was last known as the Guy Walmsley & Co Welsh National League.

History

The League grew out of the Wrexham and District League which ran during the early years of the twentieth century. At that time the senior clubs in the Wrexham area played in English leagues such as The Combination and the Birmingham & District League. Their reserve sides, along with local amateur teams, contested the Wrexham and District League (1903–1912). The Wrexham and District League folded in 1912 and its clubs joined the North Wales Alliance League.[1]

In the inter-war years, the new Welsh National League with its various sections was organised. Clubs from the Wrexham area, and the rest of North Wales, joined the Welsh National League Northern Section which ran from 1921–1930.

Teams from the Wrexham Area competed in the Wrexham and District League (1925–1939).

After World War II they re-organised as the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area).[2]

At the end of the 2019–20 season the league folded as part of the reorganisation on the Welsh football pyramid, with the Football Association of Wales taking over running tier 3 leagues and local football associations tier 4.[3]

Member clubs for the final 2019–20 season

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Locations of teams in the Welsh National League Premier Division, 2019–20 season
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Locations of teams in the Welsh National League Premier Division, 2019–20 season
Club Ground Town
Premier Division
Brickfield Rangers Clywedog Park Wrexham
Brymbo Brymbo Sports Complex Broughton
Castell Alun Colts Castell Alun Sports & Leisure Complex Hope
Cefn Albion The Myga, Cefn Mawr Cefn
Chirk Amateur Athletic Association Holyhead Road Chirk
FC Queens Park The Dunks Caia Park
Holywell Town Halkyn Road Holywell
Llanuwchllyn Church Street Llanuwchllyn
Llay Welfare The Ring Llay
Mold Alexandra Alyn Park Mold
Penycae Afoneitha Road Penycae
Plas Madoc (club folded July 2020 after end of season) The Myga, Cefn Mawr Cefn Mawr
Rhos Aelwyd Ponciau Park, Ponciau Rhosllanerchrugog
Rhostyllen Parish Hall Rhostyllen
Saltney Town Saltney Community Centre Saltney
Rhydymwyn Vicarage Road Rhydymwyn
Division One
Cefn Mawr Rangers The Myga, Cefn Mawr Cefn Mawr
Coedpoeth United Penygelli Playing Fields Coedpoeth
Halkyn & Flint Mountain Pant Newydd Pentre Halkyn
Hawarden Rangers Gladstone Playing Field Hawarden
Johnstown Youth Moreton Playing Fields Johnstown
Lex XI Stansty Park Summerhill
Llangollen Town Tower Fields Llangollen
Mynydd Isa Spartans Argoed Mynydd Isa
New Brighton Villa New Brighton Community Centre New Brighton
Overton Recreation Recreation Ground Overton-on-Dee
Rhosllanerchrugog (resigned from league in December 2019)[4] Rhos Rugby Club Rhosllanerchrugog

Divisional Champions

The league underwent various restructures in its history, with the number of divisions and their names changing.[5]

For its first season the league had just one division, the Senior Division.

Season Senior Division
1945–46 Llay United

In 1946 two regional divisions were introduced below the Senior Division.

Season Senior Division East Division West Division
1946–47 Wrexham 'A' Gresford Athletic Rhostyllen Sports Club
1947–48 Chirk AAA Rhostyllen/Bersham BL Coedpoeth
1948–49 Johnstown United Overton St Mary's Coedpoeth

In 1949 the regionalised divisions were merged and the resulting three divisions renamed Divisions One, Two and Three.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three
1949–50 Chirk AAA Ruabon Athletic New Boughton
1950–51 Druids United Penycae Rubery Owen Rockwell
1951–52 Chirk AAA Holt Nomads Royal Pioneer Corps
1952–53 Overton St Mary's Llangollen Town Bradley Rangers

In 1953–54 Division Three was not contested due to a lack of clubs.

Season Division One Division Two
1953–54 Overton St Mary's Bradley Rangers

In 1954 Division Three was revived.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three
1954–55 Welshpool Gresford Colliery Bradley Rangers Reserves
1955–56 Buckley Wanderers Holt Nomads Tanyfron Youth Club
1956–57 Welshpool Rubery Owen Rockwell Ponciau Youth Club
1957–58 Brymbo Steelworks Royal Pioneer Corps Marshalls Sports Club
1958–59 Chirk AAA Rhos Aelwyd Tanyfron
1959–60 Chirk AAA Buckley Rovers Fron

In 1960 Division Three was discontinued once again.

Season Division One Division Two
1960–61 Chirk AAA Pentre Broughton
1961–62 Welshpool Rhosddu

In 1962 Division Three was revived once again.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three
1962–63 Llay Welfare Gresford Athletic Summerhill
1963–64 Ruthin Town Summerhill Llanuwchllyn
1964–65 Welshpool Buckley Rovers Coedpoeth Sports Club
1965–66 Brymbo Steelworks Rubery Owen Rockwell Marshalls Sports Club
1966–67 Brymbo Steelworks Coedpoeth Sports Club British Celanese
1967–68 Llangollen Town Bala Town Rossett Villa
1968–69 Brymbo Steelworks Rossett Villa Burntwood & Drury

In 1969 Division Three was split into two sections, A and B.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three A Division Three B
1969–70 Brymbo Steelworks Druids United Gresford Athletic Reserves Cefn Albion

In 1970 the two Division Three sections were reorganised into Divisions Three and Four.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three Division Four
1970–71 Brymbo Steelworks Burntwood & Drury Rhosddu Castell Alun
1971–72 Llangollen Town Rhosddu Castell Alun Druids United Reserves
1972–73 Denbigh Town Ruabon St Marys Hawarden Rangers Treuddyn Villa
1973–74 Denbigh Town Buckley Rovers Coedpoeth Sports Club Overton Athletic

In 1974 the four divisions were reduced to just two.

Season Division One Division Two
1974–75 Denbigh Town Lex XI

In 1975 Division Three was reintroduced.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three
1975–76 Denbigh Town Coedpoeth Sports Club Castell Alun Colts

In 1976 Division Three was discontinued once again.

Season Division One Division Two
1976–77 Brymbo Steelworks Castell Alun Colts
1977–78 New Broughton Cefn Albion

In 1978 Divisions Three and Four were revived.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three Division Four
1978–79 Brymbo Steelworks Chirk AAA Penley Tunnel Cement

In 1979 Division Four was discontinued once again.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three
1979–80 Cefn Albion Ruthin Town Grapes

NB: The NW Sport site [6] disagrees that Division Four was not in operation for season 1979-80, and gives the four divisional winners as Cefn Albion, Ruthin Town, Ruthin Town Reserves, and Grapes, respectively.

In 1980 Division Four was once again revived.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three Division Four
1980–81 Cefn Albion Rhostyllen Villa Grapes New Broughton
1981–82 Brymbo Steelworks Grapes Hawkesbury Villa Coedpoeth
1982–83 Brymbo Steelworks Rhos Aelwyd Coedpoeth Llay RBL

In 1983 Division Four was split into two sections, North and South.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three Division Four (North) Division Four (South)
1983–84 Chirk AAA Lex XI Reserves Penycae Connah's Quay Reserves Johnstown Athletic

In 1983 the two Division Four sections were merged back and the four divisions renamed Premier, One, Two and Three.

Season Premier Division Division One Division Two Division Three
1984–85 Lex XI Llay RBL Chirk AAA Reserves Llangollen Town Reserves
1985–86 Mold Alexandra Llangollen Town Penycae Reserves Bradley
1986–87 Mold Alexandra Llay Welfare Corwen Flint Town
1987–88 Lex XI Corwen St Marys Ruabon New Broughton
1988–89 Lex XI Rhostyllen Villa Marchwiel Villa Kelloggs
1989–90 Mold Alexandra Bala Town New Broughton Kinnerton

In 1990 Division Three was discontinued.

Season Premier Division Division One Division Two
1990–91 Marchwiel Villa Llay Welfare Bradley
1991–92 Wrexham Reserves Treuddyn Villa British Aerospace
1992–93 Penley Cefn Druids Reserves Rhostyllen/Bersham
1993–94 Penycae Brymbo Reserves Rhosddu
1994–95 Oswestry Town Rhostyllen/Bersham RBL Wrexham Colts
1995–96 Gresford Athletic Wrexham Colts Gresford Athletic Colts
1996–97 Wrexham Colts Castell AC Owens Corning
1997–98 Penley Bala Town Bradley Villa
1998–99 Corwen Bradley Villa Borras Park Albion

In 1999 Division Three was revived.

Season Premier Division Division One Division Two Division Three
1999–2000 British Aerospace Hand Hotel Cefn United Buckley Town
2000–01 Gresford Athletic Cefn United Llay Welfare Colts Queen's Park
2001–02 Mold Alexandra Mynydd Isa Queen's Park Brynteg Village
2002–03 Castell Alun Colts Queen's Park Brynteg Village Ruabon Villa
2003–04 Bala Town Acrefair Youth Coedpoeth United Buckley Town Reserves
2004–05 Queen's Park Brynteg Village New Brighton FC Mold Juniors
2005–06 Rhos Aelwyd Castell Alun Colts Bala Town Reserves Venture Community
2006–07 Brymbo Bala Town Reserves Venture Community Brymbo Reserves
2007–08 Brymbo Airbus UK Reserves Garden Village FC Cefn

In 2008, all reserve and colts teams were split off, leaving two divisions for first teams and two divisions for lower teams.

Season Premier Division Division One Reserves Division Reserves & Colts Division
2008–09 Llangollen Town FC Cefn Bala Town Castell AC
2009–10 Rhos Aelwyd Garden Village Airbus UK Ruthin Town
2010–11 Penycae Penyffordd Rhos Aelwyd Airbus UK
2011–12[7] FC Cefn Saltney Town Chirk AAA Mold Alex
2012–13 Chirk AAA Borras Park Albion Ruthin Town Buckley Town
2013–14 Mold Alexandra FC Nomads of Connah's Quay Penycae FC Nomads of Connah's Quay
2014–15 Gresford Athletic FC Queens Park Cefn Druids Mold Alex
2015–16 FC Nomads of Connah's Quay Cefn Albion Mold Alex Saltney Town
2016–17 FC Queens Park Lex Glyndwr Cefn Druids Flint Town United
2017-18 Buckley Town Brymbo Ruthin Town Brickfield Rangers
2018-19 Corwen Plas Madoc Cefn Druids Holywell Town FC
2019-20 Holywell Town Hawarden Rangers Mold Alexandra Connah's Quay Nomads

References

  1. ^ "Wrexham & District League 1911/12". Welsh Football. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Welsh National League". wnl.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Farewell to the Welsh National (Wrexham Area) League – a tribute". North Wales Sport. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  4. ^ @i/web (20 December 2019). "Majority of our players and management have merged with @JTYouthFC (Johnstown). We are delighted with this merger and gives the chance for both sides to put together a really good competitive outfit. We thank everyone for there support over the years!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ^ "Welsh National League". wnl.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  6. ^ nwsport.co.uk/2020/05/27/farewell-to-the-welsh-national-wrexham-area-league-a-tribute/amp/
  7. ^ "2011-12 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.

See also

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