Cefn Druids A.F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Cefn Druids Association Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Ancients, Druids | ||
| Founded | 1872 | ||
| Ground | The Rock, Rhosymedre, Wrexham |
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| Capacity | 3,000 (500 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Des Williams | ||
| Manager | ??? | ||
| League | Cymru North | ||
| 2021–22 | Cymru Premier, 12th of 12 (relegated) | ||
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Cefn Druids Association Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Derwyddon Cefn) is a football team from Cefn Mawr, Wrexham. The club started playing again in the 2024–25 season. Before that, they were in the Cymru North league. They had been moved down from the top league, the Cymru Premier, in 2021–22.
The club had to stop playing in the 2023–24 season. This was because of problems with their management and players.
Cefn Druids was founded in 1872 by Llewelyn Kenrick. He later helped start the Football Association of Wales. Over the years, different clubs joined together. In 1992, Cefn Albion F.C. and Druids United combined to form Cefn Druids AFC.
This club is one of the oldest and most successful in Wales. They have won the Welsh Cup 8 times. They also reached the final 14 times, most recently in 2012. Recently, the club has done very well. They had their best ever finish in the top league. They also won a play-off game to enter the Europa League for the second time.
The team's main uniform is black and white striped shirts, black shorts, and black socks. Their second uniform is red shirts, red shorts, and red socks. Their kit is made by Errea. Wrexham Lager and Johnstown Tyre Service are their sponsors.
Contents
Cefn Druids AFC: A Historic Football Club
Where Do They Play? The Rock Stadium
The Cefn Druids play at a stadium called The Rock. It is located in Rhosymedre. In March 2009, they got permission to build a stadium that could hold 3,500 people.
There were some delays, but the club moved into the new stadium in August 2010. Before this, they played at Plas Kynaston Lane in Cefn Mawr.
The Story of the Druids: How the Club Began
The club's long history comes from a famous old Welsh team called Druids FC. This team started in the early 1870s. They won the Welsh Cup 8 times and were runners-up 5 times. However, they faced difficulties when professional football became popular.
The name "Druids" comes from ancient mystic men. These men lived in Celtic areas and were strongly linked to Wales.
How Druids FC Started
The modern club says that Druids FC was formed in 1872. They say it happened when Plasmadoc FC, Ruabon Rovers, and Ruabon Volunteers merged. This was guided by Llewelyn Kenrick.
However, old records from that time tell a different story. For example, on October 6, 1872, a new football club played its first game at Plasmadoc Park. Mr. George Hampden Whalley was the captain.
Later, in February 1873, Ruabon Rovers played against Ruabon Volunteers. This shows that these clubs were still separate. Ruabon Volunteers was actually a military team.
In September 1873, the club was still known as Ruabon Rovers. Many important people, who later joined Druids, were part of this club. The club was often called the Plasmadoc Club from 1874 to 1876. Llewelyn Kenrick himself said in 1882 that the Plasmadoc Club was started by David Thomson in 1874.
The Name Druids FC Emerges
The name "Druids" first appeared in local newspapers in January 1876. By 1877, the club was commonly known as Druids Football Club.
The club used to play at Plasmadoc Park. But after George Hammond Whalley MP died in 1878, Druids could no longer use the ground. Because of this, Druids had to pull out of the 1878–79 competition. The club stopped playing for over a year.
In November 1879, the club was brought back to life. The Williams-Wynn family helped by letting the club use land on their Wynnstay Estate. This became Wynnstay Park. It was the home of the Druids for the next forty years.
With their new home, Druids entered the Welsh Cup again. The 1879–80 season started a very successful time for the club. Druids reached the Welsh Cup final seven times in a row between 1879 and 1886. They won the trophy five times. Druids also did well in the FA Cup. They reached the Fifth Round (the last eight teams) in 1882–83.
After many years of success, Druids started to struggle. This was due to the rise of professional football. They did not get past the Second Round in the Welsh Cup for a while. Their FA Cup success also ended.
Club Mergers Over Time
In September 1888, Druids merged with a nearby club called Ruabon Wanderers. They decided to keep the name Druids because it was well known.
After World War I, Druids FC merged with Rhosymedre to form Rhosymedre Druids. Even with this new team, Druids still had money problems. In August 1927, they merged again with Acrefair United F.C. to create Druids United.
In 1992, after many talks, Druids United and Cefn Albion F.C. finally joined together. This ended the local football rivalry in Cefn Mawr. The new club decided to join the new Cymru Alliance league. By combining their resources, they hoped to bring back football success to Cefn Mawr.
Is Cefn Druids the Oldest Club?
The club badge and signs at their clubhouse say they are the oldest club in Wales. However, this claim is not quite right.
For example, Oswestry Town claimed to start in 1860. This would be before Druids. But old records suggest 1875 is more likely for Oswestry. Even though Oswestry was in England, they played in the Welsh football system.
When the National Library of Wales put its old newspapers online in 2012, new information was found. It showed that Wrexham AFC was formed in 1864. This is 8 years before the original Druids FC. So, Cefn Druids is not the oldest club in Wales.
However, Cefn Druids can still say they come from one of the oldest existing teams in Wales. This makes them one of the oldest football clubs in the world outside of England. Their nickname, 'The Ancients', comes from 'The Ancient Britons', which was used for Druids FC as far back as 1893. This nickname is linked to Celtic history, not just the club's age.
Druids can still claim to be the oldest club playing in the Welsh Pyramid through their history.
Modern Era: Challenges and Successes
Flexsys Cefn Druids
The club became stronger in the Cymru Alliance league. They focused on developing young players. Under manager Gareth Powell, they won the 1998/99 Cymru Alliance championship, scoring over 100 goals. This led to their promotion to the League of Wales. They finished 13th, avoiding being moved back down.
In 2000–01, the Druids felt confident. However, Gareth Powell resigned as manager. After Steve O'Shaughnessy became manager in 2001, the Ancients had some of their best results in a long time.
The 2001–02 season was about staying in the Cymru Premier. They finished 14th. But in the Welsh Cup, they reached the semi-finals for the first time in 98 years! They beat several teams, but lost to Bangor City 5–0.
The 2002–03 season was tough financially. Players and staff sometimes went weeks without pay. This even made O'Shaughnessy resign for a short time. Luckily, he came back. On the field, Cefn finished a good 12th place.
NEWI Cefn Druids
Before the 2003–04 season, Cefn Druids partnered with NEWI, a college in Wrexham. This partnership gave NEWI students a chance to play football while studying. It also gave the club more resources.
In the 2003–04 season, many young players joined the club. The average age of the team for one match was only 21. The partnership with NEWI was successful, and they signed a three-year deal in 2004.
However, in April 2004, O'Shaughnessy was dismissed by the club's board. After this, many players left. The club struggled on the field. In April 2005, the Ancients should have been moved down from the Cymru Premier. But they got a last-minute chance to stay. This was because Buckley Town, who won the Cymru Alliance, decided not to be promoted.
Under former Wrexham manager Dixie McNeil, the Ancients finished 14th in 2005–06 and 13th in 2006–07. McNeil later stepped down.
The club quickly hired two new managers, Wayne Phillips and Lee Jones. They both continued to play. Their partnership started well with a surprising 1–0 win against the champions, Total Network Solutions. Phillips and Jones helped the club stay in the Cymru Premier, finishing 12th and 13th in the next two seasons.
Rebranding and Recent Times
There were delays in building the new stadium. Also, the Welsh Premier League changed. In the 2009–10 season, the club had less money for players. They mostly played with a young squad. They finished last and were moved down to the Cymru Alliance. Phillips and Jones left the club. Huw Griffiths, a former player, became the new manager. The club finished 3rd in their first season back in the second tier.
In 2011, Cefn Druids started a Ladies team. They began playing in the North Wales Women's Football League.
Cefn Druids reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup in the 2011–12 season. They beat strong teams like Connahs Quay Nomads and Cymru Premier teams Prestatyn Town and Aberystwyth Town. On March 31, 2012, Cefn Druids beat Airbus 4–1 to reach their first Welsh Cup final in 108 years! Andrew Swarbrick scored three goals. Druids lost 2–0 to the New Saints in the final. But because they reached the final, they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
Manager Huw Griffiths left the club because they could not agree on a budget. John Keegan then took over as manager. In May 2015, Huw Griffiths returned to the club.
The 2017–18 season was a great one for Cefn. They finished in fifth place, which was their highest ever finish in the top league.
Club Honours: Trophies and Achievements
Druids (1872–1927)/ Druids United (1927–1992)/ Cefn Druids A.F.C. (1992–present)
League Titles
- Wrexham & District Amateur League
- Champions: 1931–32, 1933–34, 1936–37
- Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division One
- Champions: 1950–51
- Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division Two
- Champions: 1969–70
- Cymru Alliance
- Champions: 1998–99, 2013–14
Cup Wins
- FAW Welsh Cup
- Winners: 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886, 1898, 1899, 1904
- Welsh Amateur Cup
- Winners: 1903
- Welsh Youth Cup
- Winners: 1958, 1959
- North East Wales FA Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1980, 1998–99, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19
- North East Wales Presidents Cup
- Winners: 1998–99
- WPL Europa League Play-off Final
- Winners: 2017–18
Cefn Albion (1967–1992)
League Titles
- Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division 1
- Champions: 1979–80, 1980–81
- Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division 3B
- Champions: 1969–70
Cup Wins
- North East Wales FA Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1978
- North East Wales FA Horace Wynn Cup
- Winners: 1977
- Welsh National League Division 2 Cup
- Winners: 1974
European Record
Cefn Druids has played in European competitions:
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home Score | Away Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | First qualifying round |  MYPA |
0–0 | 0–5 | 0–5 |
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | Preliminary round |  Trakai |
1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
See also
In Spanish: Cefn Druids Association Football Club para niños
