Cymru Premier facts for kids
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| Founded | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Wales |
| Other club(s) from |  England (1 team) |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 12 16 (In 2026-27) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Cymru North Cymru South |
| Domestic cup(s) | Welsh Cup |
| League cup(s) | Welsh League Cup |
| International cup(s) | |
| Current champions |  The New Saints (17th title)(2024–25) |
| Most championships | The New Saints (17 titles) |
| Most appearances | Chris Venables (537) |
| Top goalscorer | Marc Lloyd Williams (319) |
The Cymru Premier, also known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the top football league in Wales. It's where professional and semi-professional clubs play. The league started in 1992. It was the first league to include teams from all over Wales.
Before 2002, it was called the League of Wales. Then it became the Welsh Premier League. In the 2019–20 season, it changed its name again to the Cymru Premier. Many clubs in the league are very old, some founded in the 1870s or 1880s. Most of these clubs are still owned by local communities or people from the area.
The league uses a system where teams can move up (promotion) or down (relegation). Teams move between the Cymru Premier and the two lower leagues, Cymru North and Cymru South. Currently, 12 teams play in the Cymru Premier. They play each other twice, once at home and once away.
After these games, the league splits into two groups. The top 6 teams go into the Championship Conference. The bottom 6 teams go into the Play-Off Conference. Each team then plays the others in their group two more times. The team with the most points in the Championship Conference wins the league. The two lowest teams in the Play-Off Conference are moved down to a lower league. Seasons usually run from August to May. Each team plays 32 matches in total. The league will grow to 16 teams in the 2026-27 season with a new game format.
The Cymru Premier is ranked 49th in Europe by UEFA. This ranking helps decide how many teams from the league can play in European competitions. Four teams from the Cymru Premier get a chance to play in these big European tournaments.
The current champions are TNS. They won the league for the 17th time in the 2024–25 season. Seven different teams have won the league since it began. TNS has won 17 times, Barry Town 7 times, Bangor City 3 times, Connah's Quay Nomads 2 times, Rhyl 2 times, Llanelli 1 time, and Cwmbran Town 1 time. As of the 2024-25 season, 42 clubs have played in Wales' top football league.
Contents
How the League Started
The Cymru Premier was created in October 1991. Alun Evans, who worked for the Football Association of Wales (FAW), believed a national league was needed. Before this, Wales didn't have one single top football league.
The new league officially started on August 15, 1992, for the 1992–93 season. Before this, the FAW only organized the Welsh Cup. Many Welsh teams used to play in English leagues because it was sometimes easier to travel east to England. Some famous Welsh clubs like Cardiff City and Swansea City played in the English system.
When the league began, some Welsh clubs chose to stay in the English football system. These clubs were called the 'Irate Eight'. Over time, most of them joined the Welsh league system. For example, Bangor City joined the new League of Wales in 1992. Caernarfon Town joined in 1995. Colwyn Bay joined in 2019. Only Newport County and Merthyr Town still play in the English system from that group.
Even though the league itself is quite new, many of its clubs are very old. Some have been playing football since the 1800s. The oldest club currently in the league is Newtown, formed in 1875.
Future Plans for the League
In April 2024, the Football Association of Wales announced big plans for the league. They are investing a lot of money to make the league more competitive. These plans include having more teams in the league and changing how the competition works.
In September 2024, the FAW confirmed the new league format. It will start in the 2026–27 season. The league will have 16 teams. They will play each other home and away. Then, the league will split into three groups. The top six teams will play each other once more. The team at the very top after 35 games will be the champion.
Teams finishing from second to sixth place will get a chance to play in special play-off games. These play-offs decide which teams qualify for European competitions. The two lowest teams in the league will be moved down to a lower league. The team in 14th place will play in a relegation play-off. This play-off will decide if they stay in the Cymru Premier or move down.
How the League Works
The Cymru Premier season is divided into two parts. After the regular season, there are special play-off games. These play-offs decide which Welsh team gets the fourth spot in European competitions.
First Part of the Season
The first part of the season runs from August to mid-January. Each team plays every other team twice. They play one game at home and one game away. This means each team plays 22 games in total.
After these 22 games, the league splits into two groups. The top six teams form the Championship Conference. The bottom six teams form the Playoff Conference. All the points teams earned in the first part of the season carry over to the second part.
Second Part of the Season
The second part of the season runs from February to the end of April. Each team plays the other five teams in their conference twice more. This means each team plays 10 more games, bringing their total to 32 games for the season.
The team that finishes first in the Championship Conference after 32 games wins the league title. This team then gets to play in the UEFA Champions League. The team that finishes second in the Championship Conference automatically qualifies for the UEFA Conference League. The other teams in the Championship Conference, and the top team from the Playoff Conference, go into the European Playoffs.
The two teams at the very bottom of the Playoff Conference are moved down to a lower league. The team that finishes first in the Playoff Conference (which is seventh place overall) gets to join the European Playoffs. Teams in the Playoff Conference cannot finish higher than seventh place in the league table.
European Playoffs
The five teams that finish from 3rd to 7th place play in the European Playoffs. The 6th placed team plays against the 7th placed team in a quarter-final. The winner of that game then plays against the 3rd placed team in a semi-final. In the other semi-final, the 4th placed team plays against the 5th placed team.
The winners of the two semi-finals then play in a final game. The team that wins the final qualifies for the UEFA Conference League. If a team has already qualified for Europe by winning the Welsh Cup, then fewer teams will play in the playoffs.
Playing in Europe
The team that wins the Cymru Premier gets to play in the UEFA Champions League. This is the biggest club competition in Europe. The teams that finish second or third (depending on who wins the Welsh Cup) get to play in the UEFA Conference League.
The winner of the Welsh Cup also gets a spot in the UEFA Conference League. If the Welsh Cup winner has already qualified for Europe through their league position, then the third-placed team in the league gets their spot.
Welsh clubs have had some exciting moments in European competitions. For example, Barry Town once drew 3-3 with Aberdeen in the UEFA Cup. They also beat FC Porto 3-1 in a Champions League game, though they lost overall.
In August 2024, The New Saints made history. They became the first club from Wales' top league to reach the group stage of a European competition. They qualified for the UEFA Conference League.
As of October 2024, the Cymru Premier is ranked 49th out of 55 European leagues by UEFA. This ranking shows how well Welsh teams have performed in European competitions over the past five years.
How the Media Covers the League
The Cymru Premier gets good media coverage. Since 1996, the league's results have been shown on the Press Association's service. This means you can see the scores on TV shows like the BBC's Final Score.
On television, the Welsh-language channel S4C shows highlights and live games. Their show Sgorio covers the league. Since the 2010–11 season, S4C has shown one live game each week. They also stream these games online on the Sgorio Facebook page. They stream extra games online too.
Weekly highlights of all league games are shown on S4C on Monday evenings. You can also find these highlights on Sgorio's social media and YouTube channels. Newspapers like the Western Mail and Daily Post also cover the league.
Clubs in the League
Out of the 20 clubs that played in the first season of the League of Wales, many have been moved down to lower leagues. Only two clubs, Aberystwyth Town and Newtown, had played in every season since the league started. However, as of the 2024–25 season, this will change.
League Sponsors
The Cymru Premier has had different sponsors over the years. These sponsors help support the league. The league's name often changes to include the sponsor's name.
| Period | Sponsor | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–1993 | Konica Peter Llewellyn Limited of Swansea | Konica League of Wales |
| 1993–2002 | No sponsor | League of Wales |
| 2002–2004 | JT Hughes Mitsubishi | JT Hughes Mitsubishi Welsh Premiership |
| 2004–2006 | Vauxhall Masterfit Retailers | Vauxhall Masterfit Retailers Welsh Premier League |
| 2006–2011 | Principality Building Society | Principality Building Society Welsh Premier Football League |
| 2011–2015 | CorbettSports.com | Corbett Sports Welsh Premier League |
| 2015–2017 | Dafabet | The Dafabet Welsh Premier League |
| 2017–2019 | JD Sports | The JD Welsh Premier League |
| 2019–present | JD Cymru Premier |
League Champions
Here are the teams that have won the Cymru Premier since it began:
| Seasons | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Cwmbran Town (1) | Inter Cardiff | Aberystwyth Town | – |
| 1993–94 | Bangor City (1) | Inter Cardiff | Ton Pentre | – |
| 1994–95 | Bangor City (2) | Afan Lido | Ton Pentre | – |
| 1995–96 | Barry Town (1) | Newtown | Conwy United | – |
| 1996–97 | Barry Town (2) | Inter CabelTel | Ebbw Vale | Won three trophies this season |
| 1997–98 | Barry Town (3) | Newtown | Ebbw Vale | Won two trophies this season |
| 1998–99 | Barry Town (4) | Inter CabelTel | Cwmbran Town | Won three trophies this season |
| 1999–00 | Total Network Solutions (1) | Barry Town | Cwmbran Town | – |
| 2000–01 | Barry Town (5) | Cwmbran Town | Carmarthen Town | Won two trophies this season |
| 2001–02 | Barry Town (6) | Total Network Solutions | Bangor City | Won two trophies this season |
| 2002–03 | Barry Town (7) | Total Network Solutions | Bangor City | Won two trophies this season |
| 2003–04 | Rhyl (1) | Total Network Solutions | Haverfordwest County | Won three trophies this season |
| 2004–05 | Total Network Solutions (2) | Rhyl | Bangor City | Won two trophies this season |
| 2005–06 | Total Network Solutions (3) | Llanelli | Rhyl | Won two trophies this season |
| 2006–07 | The New Saints (4) | Rhyl | Llanelli | Won two trophies this season |
| 2007–08 | Llanelli (1) | The New Saints | Rhyl | Won two trophies this season |
| 2008–09 | Rhyl (2) | Llanelli | The New Saints | – |
| 2009–10 | The New Saints (5) | Llanelli | Port Talbot Town | Won two trophies this season |
| 2010–11 | Bangor City (3) | The New Saints | Neath | – |
| 2011–12 | The New Saints (6) | Bangor City | Neath | Won two trophies this season |
| 2012–13 | The New Saints (7) | Airbus UK Broughton | Bangor City | – |
| 2013–14 | The New Saints (8) | Airbus UK Broughton | Carmarthen Town | Won two trophies this season |
| 2014–15 | The New Saints (9) | Bala Town | Airbus UK Broughton | Won three trophies this season |
| 2015–16 | The New Saints (10) | Bala Town | Llandudno | Won three trophies this season |
| 2016–17 | The New Saints (11) | Gap Connah's Quay | Bala Town | Won two trophies this season |
| 2017–18 | The New Saints (12) | Bangor City | Connah's Quay Nomads | Won two trophies this season |
| 2018–19 | The New Saints (13) | Connah's Quay Nomads | Barry Town United | Won two trophies this season |
| 2019–20 | Connah's Quay Nomads (1) | The New Saints | Bala Town | Won two trophies this season |
| 2020–21 | Connah's Quay Nomads (2) | The New Saints | Bala Town | – |
| 2021–22 | The New Saints (14) | Bala Town | Newtown | Won two trophies this season |
| 2022–23 | The New Saints (15) | Connah's Quay Nomads | Penybont | Won two trophies this season |
| 2023–24 | The New Saints (16) | Connah's Quay Nomads | Bala Town | Won two trophies this season |
| 2024–25 | The New Saints (17) | Penybont | Haverfordwest County | Won three trophies this season |
Top Clubs in the League
Seven clubs have won the Cymru Premier title. The clubs in bold are playing in the 2025–26 season.
| Club | Wins | Runner-up | Third Place | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The New Saints | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1999–00, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 |
| Barry Town United | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 |
| Bangor City | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1993–94, 1994–95, 2010–11 |
| Connah's Quay Nomads | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2019–20, 2020–21 |
| Rhyl | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2003–04, 2008–09 |
| Llanelli | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2007–08 |
| Cwmbran Town | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1992–93 |
| Inter Cardiff | – | 4 | – | – |
| Bala Town | – | 3 | 4 | – |
| Airbus UK Broughton | – | 2 | 1 | – |
| Newtown | – | 2 | 1 | – |
| Afan Lido | – | 1 | – | – |
| Ton Pentre | – | – | 2 | – |
| Ebbw Vale | – | – | 2 | – |
| Neath | – | – | 2 | – |
| Carmarthen Town | – | – | 2 | – |
| Aberystwyth Town | – | – | 1 | – |
| Conwy United | – | – | 1 | – |
| Haverfordwest County | – | – | 2 | – |
| Llandudno | – | – | 1 | – |
| Port Talbot Town | – | – | 1 | – |
| Penybont | – | 1 | 1 | – |
Notes:
- The New Saints were known by different names in the past. They were called Llansantffraid until 1996. Then they were Total Network Solutions until 2006.
How Many Titles Each Club Has Won
Titles won by club (%) The New Saints – 17 (51.52%) Barry Town United – 7 (21.21%) Bangor City – 3 (9.09%) Rhyl – 2 (6.06%) Connah's Quay – 2 (6.06%) Cwmbran Town – 1 (3.03%) Llanelli – 1 (3.03%)
Top Players in the League
Marc Lloyd Williams is the top goal scorer in the league's history. He scored 319 goals in 467 games.
Chris Venables has played the most games in the league. He has played 537 matches.
Paul Harrison holds the record for playing the most games in a row. He played over 190 consecutive matches.
See also
In Spanish: Cymru Premier para niños
- Football in Wales
- Welsh football league system
- Welsh Cup
- Welsh League Cup
- FAW Premier Cup
- List of association football competitions
- List of football clubs in Wales
- List of stadiums in Wales by capacity
