The Welsh Football League Division One, known as the Nathanielcars.co.uk Welsh League First Division for sponsorship reasons, was a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
league in
South Wales
South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...
. It formed the top division of the
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League (also known as the Nathaniel Car Sales Welsh Football League for sponsorship reasons) was a club football league in Wales. For its final season in 2019–20 season it operated at levels 3 and 4 of the Welsh football leag ...
and the second level of the
Welsh football league system
The Welsh football league system (or League system, pyramid) is a series of association football, football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them.
It consists of four main tiers, as well as lower local leagues.
While most W ...
until the 2019–20 season when it was replaced by the
Cymru South
The Cymru South is a regional association football, football league in Wales, covering the southern half of the country. It initially had clubs with semi-professional status. Together with the Cymru North, it forms the second tier of the Welsh fo ...
. From the 2019–20 season it operated at the third level of the Welsh football league system.
If the team which finished top of the Division had good enough ground facilities, it was promoted to 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. It was found ...
and was replaced by one of the two teams finishing bottom of the Premiership. If the Division champions' ground did not meet Premiership standards, then the team which finished second may have been promoted. The team which finished in bottom position was relegated to the
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 the ...
.
From its inception in 1904 it had always been the top flight of the Welsh League, or the Rhymney Valley League and Glamorgan League as it was known until 1912. This division changed its name on numerous occasions, which includes Premier Division and National Division.
In 1992 it became level two of the Welsh Football Pyramid following the creation of 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. It was found ...
.
In 2019 it became level three of the Welsh Football Pyramid following the creation of the
Cymru South
The Cymru South is a regional association football, football league in Wales, covering the southern half of the country. It initially had clubs with semi-professional status. Together with the Cymru North, it forms the second tier of the Welsh fo ...
. It folded in 2020 after the
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales (FAW; ) is the Governing bodies of sports in Wales, governing body of association football and futsal in Wales, and controls the Wales national football team, its Wales women's national football team, correspo ...
took over the running of tier 3 leagues and the responsibility for tier 4 passed to regional football associations.
Member clubs for the final 2019–20 season
*
Aberbargoed Buds
*
Abergavenny Town
*
AFC Llwydcoed
*
Bridgend Street
*
Caldicot Town
*
Croesyceiliog
Croesyceiliog (; ) is a suburb and community of Cwmbran, Torfaen, Wales.
Housing
Croesyceiliog is primarily a residential district and contains a wide variety of housing from Victorian terraces and even older Welsh cottages to property built ...
*
Dinas Powys
Dinas Powys (; also spelt "Dinas Powis" in English) is a town and community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Its name means "fort of the provincial place" and refers to the Dinas Powys hillfort, Iron Age hillfort which ...
*
Garden Village
*
Goytre
*
Monmouth Town
*
Penydarren BGC
*
Pontardawe Town
*
Port Talbot Town
*
Risca United
*
Ton Pentre
Ton Pentre () is a village in the Rhondda, Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historic counties of Wales, Historically part of Glamorgan, Ton Pentre, a former industrial coal mining village, is a district of the comm ...
*
Trefelin BGC
Top Division of the Welsh League (1904–1992)
Since its inception in 1904 it has always been the top flight of the Welsh League for the teams located in
South Wales
South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...
.
This division has changed its name on numerous occasions.
Performance by club
*22 Clubs won Top Division of the Welsh League (1904–1992) in
South Wales
South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...
.
Welsh Football League Division One (1992–2019)
In 1992 it became
level two of the Welsh Football Pyramid following the creation of 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. It was found ...
.
Performance by club
Welsh Football League Division One (2019–2020)
In 2019 it became
level three of the Welsh Football Pyramid following the creation of the
Cymru South
The Cymru South is a regional association football, football league in Wales, covering the southern half of the country. It initially had clubs with semi-professional status. Together with the Cymru North, it forms the second tier of the Welsh fo ...
.
References
See also
*
Football in Wales
Association football is one of the most popular sports in Wales, along with rugby union. Wales has produced club teams of varying fortunes since the early birth of football during the Victorian period, and in 1876 a Wales national football te ...
*
Welsh football league system
The Welsh football league system (or League system, pyramid) is a series of association football, football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them.
It consists of four main tiers, as well as lower local leagues.
While most W ...
*
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup (), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most prestigious of the cup competitions ...
*
Welsh League Cup
The Cymru League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a cup competition in Welsh association football, football organised by the Football Association of Wales.
The competition was established in 1992 and is c ...
*
FAW Premier Cup
The FAW Premier Cup (until 1998 the FAW Invitation Cup) was a Wales, Welsh association football, football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English fo ...
*
List of football clubs in Wales
This is a list of association football, football clubs that compete within the leagues and divisions of the Welsh football league system as far down as Level 4, that is to say, down to the first division of the Welsh Regional Leagues. The relat ...
*
List of stadiums in Wales by capacity
The following is a list of stadiums in Wales, in order by capacity. The list only includes stadiums and grounds that have been built and remain in use, with a capacity of at least 2,000 temporary seating included. The ground of successful Welsh ...
{{Football in Wales
1
2
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
2020 disestablishments in Wales
Sports leagues disestablished in 2020
Defunct football competitions in Wales
Sports leagues established in 1904