Cardiff Grange Harlequins (known as the 'Quins') are a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
football team originating in
Grangetown, Cardiff
Grangetown (Welsh: usually ''Grangetown'', also Trelluest) is a district and community in the south of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is one of the largest districts in the south of the city and is bordered by Riverside, Canton and Butetown. ...
. The team's first choice strip is red shirts, black shorts and red socks. Their second strip is gold and black shirts, black shorts and black socks. They used to play their football at
Cardiff Athletics Stadium in Leckwith.
The Quins were formed in 1935,
and progressed in the 1990s from 'parks' football into the Welsh League, via the FAW Pyramid system. The club won the Welsh League Challenge Cup in 1995.
In the 2005–06 season, they played in the
Welsh Premier League
The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to ...
. However, a lack of finances and fan support led to the departure of key players, leaving the club to rely on youth and reserve players. The 'Quins' remained rooted to the bottom of the table, and never looked able to avoid relegation. A second relegation followed in 2006–07, and the club's prospects of returning to the Premier in the short term looked slim.
With the demolition of the old Cardiff Athletics Stadium in 2007 Grange Quins lost their home ground. Because a replacement was not due to be completed until late 2009 the Quins had nowhere to play and, in any case, were considering withdrawing from the Welsh League because of the far higher costs of playing at the new
Cardiff International Sports Stadium.
The club had a long-standing rivalry with fellow Cardiff side
Cardiff Corinthians
Cardiff Corinthians F.C. are a football club from Cardiff, Wales. They play in the South Wales Alliance League Premier Division.
History
The club was formed in 1898 when players from the Alpha Cricket Club decided to form a football team to k ...
which dated back to the 1980s, when both clubs were fierce cross-city rivals and took part in some mouth-watering fixtures. Both clubs have rarely been in the same division, but the rivalry resumed in 2014–15 with the Corinthians relegation to Division 3.
In 2014–15 the Cardiff Grange Harlequins resigned from the Welsh League towards the end of the season
and their record was expunged.
The team continued to play in the
Cardiff & District League for a season, though with none of the players that played in the Welsh League, using the park facilities at Pontcanna Fields as their home ground.
The club folded shortly afterwards. The club was reformed in 2020 as ''Grangetown Harlequins'',
playing in the Cardiff & District League Division Three for the 2021–22 season, but withdrew mid-season. The club continues as a junior club.
Honours
*
Welsh Football League Division One
The Welsh Football League Division One, known as the Nathanielcars.co.uk Welsh League First Division for sponsorship reasons, was a football league in South Wales. It formed the top division of the Welsh Football League and the second level of ...
- Runners-up: 2004–05
*
Welsh Football League Division Two
The Welsh Football League Division Two, (last known as the ''Nathanielcars.co.uk Welsh League Division Two'', for sponsorship reasons) was a football league and forms the fourth level of the Welsh football league system in South Wales.
If ...
- Runners-up: 2002–03
*
Welsh Football League Division Three
The Welsh Football League Division Three, (last known as the ''Nathanielcars.co.uk Welsh League Division Three'', for sponsorship reasons) was a football league.
History
Until the 1964–65 season the Welsh Football League operated three d ...
- Runners-up: 1993–94
*
South Wales Senior League
The South Wales Senior League is a former football league in South Wales. The league consisted of two divisions, named Divisions One and Two. Division One was a feeder to the Welsh Football League Division Three, and therefore sat at levels 5 ...
- Champions: 1992–93
*
South Wales Senior League
The South Wales Senior League is a former football league in South Wales. The league consisted of two divisions, named Divisions One and Two. Division One was a feeder to the Welsh Football League Division Three, and therefore sat at levels 5 ...
- Runners-up: 1991–92
Team names
*1935–1999: Grange Harlequins
*1999–2002: Porto Grange Harlequins
*2002–2005: Grange Harlequins
*2005–2006: Cardiff Grange Harlequins
*2006–2009: Grange Harlequins
*2009–2010: Cardiff Bay Harlequins
*2010–2015: Cardiff Grange Harlequins
*2020–date: Grangetown Harlequins
References
{{Sport in Cardiff
Football clubs in Cardiff
1935 establishments in Wales
2016 disestablishments in Wales
Cymru Premier clubs
Welsh Football League clubs
South Wales Senior League clubs
Association football clubs established in 1935
Association football clubs disestablished in 2016
Cardiff & District League clubs