The Cymru Premier is an association football league based in Wales. Formed in 1992 as the League of Wales, it was the first national football league in the country. The competition changed its name to the Welsh Premier League in 2002 and then to the Cymru Premier in 2019. In its inaugural season 20 teams played in the league, but it has been restructured since and has 12 member clubs in the 2024–25 season. Although it is the highest level of the Welsh football league system, the Welsh Premier League does not include the country's four largest professional clubs, Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County; for historical reasons these clubs all play within the English league system. As of 2024, The New Saints, who have played in Oswestry in England since 2005, are the only full-time professional team in the league. Many of the clubs that have played in the league were founded in the 19th century and spent a century or more playing in regional leagues before the creation of the League of Wales in 1992.
Since its formation, 42 clubs have taken part in the league. The only clubs to have played in the league in every season since it was formed are Aberystwyth Town and Newtown. Conversely two other founder members, Abergavenny Thursdays and Llanidloes Town, were relegated at the end of the league's inaugural season and have never returned. Two other clubs, Llangefni Town and Cardiff Grange Harlequins, have spent only a single season in the league. The most recent team to make its debut in the league was Colwyn Bay, who gained promotion to the league for the first time in 2023. A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Cymru Premier and the two regional leagues at the second level of the Welsh league system, the Cymru North in the northern half of the country and the Cymru South in the southern half.
Clubs The table shows the first and most recent season in which each club competed in the league up to and including the 2023–24 season. Some clubs' membership was intermittent between their first and last season. The name shown for each club is the most recent, and the table is initially sorted in alphabetical order of these names. Any other names under which the club played in the league are shown in footnotes. A dagger symbol () indicates that the club was a founder member of the league. +List of Cymru Premier clubsClubFoundedFirst seasonMost recent seasonTotal seasonsBest finishTimes champions2023–24 statusRef(s).Abergavenny Thursdays 19271992–931992–931–Defunct; folded in 2013Aberystwyth Town 18841992–932023–2432–Playing in Cymru PremierAfan Lido 19671992–932013–1414–Playing in Cymru SouthAirbus UK Broughton19462004–052022–2315–Playing in Cymru NorthBala Town18802009–102023–2415–Playing in Cymru PremierBangor City 18761992–932017–1826InactiveBarry Town United19121994–952023–2415Playing in Cymru PremierBriton Ferry Athletic 19251992–931996–974–Merged with Llansawel in 2009 to form Briton Ferry LlansawelCaernarfon Town19371995–962023–2419–Playing in Cymru PremierCaersws 18871992–932009–1018–Playing in Cymru NorthCardiff Grange Harlequins19352005–06 2005–06 1 – Defunct; folded in 2015Cardiff Metropolitan University 20001992–93 2023–24 17– Playing in Cymru PremierCarmarthen Town19501996–97 2019–2024– Playing in Cymru SouthCefn Druids18721999–20002021–2218–InactiveCemaes Bay19761995–96 1997–98 3 – Playing in North Wales Coast West Football LeagueColwyn Bay18812023–242023–241– –Playing in Cymru PremierConnah's Quay Nomads 19461992–93 2023–24301 Playing in Cymru PremierConwy Borough 19771992–93 1999–2000 8 – Playing in Ardal NWCwmbran Town 19511992–93 2006–07 15 Playing in Gwent County League Premier DivisionEbbw Vale 18881992–93 1997–98 6 – Defunct; folded in 1998Flint Town United 18861992–93 2022–23 8 – Playing in Cymru NorthHaverfordwest County 18991992–93 2023–2420– Playing in Cymru PremierHolywell Town 18801992–93 1998–996 – Playing in Cymru NorthLlandudno 18782015–162018–194– Playing in Cymru NorthLlanelli Town 18961992–93 2018–1918 Playing in Cymru SouthLlangefni Town18972007–08 2007–08 1 –Playing in Ardal NWLlanidloes Town 18751992–93 1992–93 1 – Playing in Cymru NorthMaesteg Park Athletic 19451992–93 1994–95 3 – Defunct; folded in 2010Mold Alexandra 19291992–93 1994–95 3 – Playing in Cymru NorthNeath19222007–08 2011–12 5 – Defunct; folded in 201219591993–94 2023–2431 Playing in Cymru PremierNewtown 18751992–93 2023–2432– Playing in Cymru PremierOswestry Town20032000–01 2002–03 3 – Merged with The New Saints in 2003Penybont20132019–20 2023–244– Playing in Cymru PremierPontypridd United19922022–232023–242–Playing in Cymru PremierPort Talbot Town19012000–01 2015–16 16 –Playing in Ardal SWPorthmadog 18841992–93 2009–10 13 –Playing in Cymru NorthPrestatyn Town19102008–09 2014–15 7 –Playing in Cymru NorthRhayader Town20071997–98 2001–02 5 –Playing in Central Wales Football League Southern DivisionRhyl18781994–95 2016–1720 Defunct; folded in 2020Welshpool Town18771996–97 2009–10 10 –Playing in Ardal NETon Pentre18961993–94 1996–97 4 – Playing in South Wales Alliance League Premier Division
Notes
Known as Airbus UK until 2007 Known as Cemaes Ynys Mon from 1997 until 1998 Known as Flexsys Cefn Druids until 2003, NEWI Cefn Druids from 2003 until 2009, and Elements Cefn Druids from 2009 until 2010 Known as Gap Connah's Quay from 2008 to 2017 Known as MBi Llandudno from 2015 to 2016 Known as Neath Athletic until 2008 Known as Port Talbot Athletic until 2001 Known as Technogroup Welshpool between 2009 and 2011 Known as Llansantffraid until 1997 and Total Network Solutions from 1997 until 2006. Merged with fellow Welsh Premier League club Oswestry Town in 2003, continuing under the Total Network Solutions name. Inter Cardiff played in the Welsh Premier League until 2000, but was known as Inter Cable Tel from 1996 until 1999. In 2000 the club merged with UWIC of the Welsh Football League to form UWIC Inter Cardiff and continued to play in the Welsh Premier League. The club adopted its current name in 2012.
References