The Clwyd Football League was a football league formed in 1974 as an amalgamation of the Dyserth League and the Halkyn Mountain League. The top division was at different periods at the second, third and fourth levels of the Welsh football league system in North Wales. The league ran until 2011 when a split led to the formation of the Clwyd East Football League comprising Flintshire teams under the North East Wales Football Association and the Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Football League, made up of Denbighshire, Conwy county and Vale of Conwy sides, under the North Wales Coast Football Association.
History of league formation The Clwyd Football League was proposed in February 1974 as an amalgamation of the Dyserth, and the Halkyn Mountain Leagues. Both these leagues were operating at division three level in the North Wales and the new format was intended to have division two status, which no league in the area then enjoyed.
The newly named Clwyd Football League was set up in time for the 1974–75 season with 10 clubs being accepted, lower than the intended 14 - they were:
Connah's Quay Nomads Courtaulds Flint Courtaulds Greenfield Denbigh Town Flint Town United Point of Ayr Prestatyn Town Rhyl Wanderers Saltney Social Summers Sports
The inaugural champions were Prestatyn Town.
At the league AGM in June 1975, a further proposal was put forward to allow smaller clubs from the Dyserth and Halkyn Mountain Leagues to be given a new incentive to join the leagues, with the bigger clubs moving up to the Clwyd Premier League. The amalgamation of the Dyserth, Halkyn and Flintshire Youth Leagues was proposed to be embraced by the Clwyd Premier League within five divisions.
A further meeting was convened at Courtaulds Greenfield FC on 10 July. Of the 30 clubs present, 25 voted for the amalgamation with three against. Four divisions were agreed upon with the second and third divisions being made up of clubs from the Halkyn Mountain and Dyserth Leagues and the existing Clwyd Premier League clubs forming the top tier. The Flintshire Youth League would form the basis of the fourth division restricted to under-18 players. Approval was then sought from the parent League – the Welsh National League (North) – at their AGM on Saturday 12 July and permission was unanimously granted.
At a meeting took place in Flint on the 24 July to formulate the league. The number of clubs prepared to participate in the new league had reached 45 and they were asked to formally adopt the constitution of the new body. It was agreed that the Clwyd Premier League would become Division Two, with the Welsh National League (North) being Division One, and limited to 12 clubs. Division Three would also be limited to 12 clubs, made up of the top six clubs in each of the Dyserth and Halkyn Leagues. Division Four would have unlimited membership and include the remaining Dyserth and Halkyn clubs plus any new applicants. Division Five, the youth division, would also be unlimited with the Flintshire Youth League clubs forming the initial membership plus any new applicants. . Dyserth League clubs formally accepted membership of the new league at a special meeting on the 29 July at Rhyl FC. A proposal by Pilkingtons FC, seconded by St Asaph City, that the Dyserth League be formally disbanded was adopted.
Geographic area The boundaries of the league stretched eastwards along the North Wales coast as far as the English border at Chester, covering the whole of Flintshire, parts of Denbighshire, and Conwy.
Promotion and relegation All new clubs who joined the league normally entered Division One, or Two, although there were some exceptions when the Vale of Conwy League was functional, the champions, or the runners up were admitted to the Premier Division.
Clubs being promoted from Division 1 (normally the top two), were subject to ground criteria, and dressing rooms must have been on site, and the playing area must have a spectator rail, or at least be roped off during matches.
One team from the top two in the Premier Division could be promoted to the Welsh Alliance League.
League Champions The following clubs were the senior champions of the league during its duration. Some of the leagues records are missing - tables for four years (1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88) are missing. It has been suggested that this is due to two league officials falling out and blaming the other for the omissions.
1970s
1974–75: – Prestatyn Town 1975–76: – Prestatyn Town 1976–77: – Courtaulds Greenfield 1977–78: – Courtaulds Greenfield 1978–79: – Flint Town United 1979–80: – Connah's Quay Nomads
1980s
1980–81: – Connah's Quay Nomads 1981–82: – Connah's Quay Nomads 1982–83: – Prestatyn Town 1983–84: – Prestatyn Town 1984–85: – Pilkingtons (St Asaph) 1985–86: – United Services 1986–87: – Holywell Town 1987–88: – Holywell Town 1988–89: – Mostyn 1989–90: – Connah's Quay Nomads reserves
1990s
1990–91: – Connah's Quay Albion 1991–92: – Llandyrnog United 1992–93: – St Asaph City 1993–94: – Flint Town United reserves 1994–95: – Halkyn United 1995–96: – Saltney Community Centre 1996–97: – Colwyn Bay Y.M.C.A. 1997–98: – Rhyl Delta 1998–99: – Prestatyn Town 1999–2000: – Abergele Town
2000s
2000–01: – Rhydymwyn 2001–02: – Sealand Leisure 2002–03: – Rhyl third team 2003–04: – Rhyl third team 2004–05: – ABS Sports 2005–06: – Castle Rhuddlan 2006–07: – Prestatyn Town reserves 2007–08: – Prestatyn Town reserves 2008–09: – Prestatyn Town reserves 2009–10: – Abergele Rovers
2010s
2010–11: – Abergele Rovers
References