What is now known as the Cymru Premier was formed in October 1991 by secretary-General of the FAW, Alun Evans.
Since its inception, Wales’ top flight has gone from strength to strength and is ever-growing in audience and quality.
20 teams competed in the inaugural season of the Cymru Premier. We take a look at each founding club and where they are now.
Cwmbrân Town
The Cymru Premier’s first ever title winners, Cwmbrân Town edged Inter Cardiff by five points in an impressive season under Tony Wilcox.
Welsh top flight glory earned the Crows a place in European competition for the first time in the club’s history, eventually going out on away goals to Cork City of the Republic of Ireland.
Cwmbrân again qualified for Europe in 1998 and 1999, with historic ties against Progresul Bucuresti and Celtic their reward.
The Crows were eventually relegated to the Welsh Football League Division One in 2007, after a season that was heavily affected by financial problems, with players not being paid.
Two relegations either side of a demotion due to league restructure between 2008 and 2011 saw Cwmbrân drop three divisions in as many years, into the Gwent County League.
The inaugural winners of the Cymru Premier are currently in their ninth season in the Gwent County League Premier Division, and are 12th in the table.
Inter Cardiff
In second place in the Cymru Premier’s first season was Inter Cardiff, who were later known between 1996 and 1999 as Inter CabelTel, until their sponsors withdrew.
Before the turn of the millennium, the club enjoyed a great period of success, finishing second in the Cymru Premier on four occasions and playing historic ties in Europe against the likes of Celtic, GKS Katowice and HIT Gorica. The club also won the Welsh Cup in the 1998-1999 season.
The club later merged with the University of Wales Institute to form UWIC Inter Cardiff.
Another two name changes came in 2009 and 2012, as the Inter Cardiff was dropped to be solely UWIC, before the institution’s name was changed to Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Cardiff Metropolitan University as we now know them have had a terrific period of success of late, clinching three promotions in just four years to reach Wales’ top flight and have since established themselves as a Cymru Premier club.
The Archers defeated Bala Town on penalties in May 2019 to reach the Europa League preliminary Round.
Aberystwyth Town
Aberystwyth’s third place finish in the Cymru Premier’s opening season is their highest ever finish in Wales’ top flight.
While other clubs’ fortunes have ebbed and flowed, the Seasiders have impressively been an ever-present in the Cymru Premier since its inception.
Ceredigion’s only top-flight side, Aberystwyth had their first taste of European football, qualifying for the UEFA Intertoto Cup in the 1998-1998 season with a fourth place finish under Meirion Appleton, but it was Barry Powell who led them to a narrow 3-4 loss to Floriana of Malta.
In recent years, the Seasiders have come close to European qualification, after taking part in the Europa League qualifiers in the 2014-2015 season, most notably losing out to Newtown in the play-off final in May 2015.
Ebbw Vale
Steve Woods claimed the Golden Boot for Ebbw Vale with 39 goals as the club finished fourth, a feat that the Cowboys topped in the 1997-1998 season by finishing third, earning qualification into the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Ebbw Vale faced the likes of Bastia, GAK, NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac and Silkeborg IF in an exciting time for the club.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys, within a decade of competing in the first Cymru Premier season, ceased to exist, as the club were expelled from the league in 1998 and promptly went out of business.
The town of Ebbw Vale now has just one representative in RTB Ebbw Vale of the Gwent County League Division One, after phoenix club Ebbw Vale Town folded in 2018.
Bangor City
Despite a fifth place finish in the inaugural Cymru Premier season, Bangor City won the next two titles and earned UEFA Cup ties against ÍA Akranes and Widzew Łódź respectively.
After a 16 year wait to regain Cymru Premier glory, the Citizens won the 2010-2011 title, defeating The New Saints on the final day and earning a Champions League tie against HJK Helsinki.
A turning point in the club’s fortunes came in 2016 when Bangor were taken over by Vaughan Sports Management.
The club’s Tier 1 and UEFA license was revoked in April 2018, which saw Bangor demoted, before the club were found in breach of various league and FAW regulations in May 2019, as the club faced a points deduction, a transfer embargo and a third winding up order from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
In the months that followed, the winding up order was avoided by paying the outstanding debt in full and the club won their appeal against the FAW. The club was then sold to Domenico Serafino in September 2019 in a fresh start for the Citizens in the Cymru North.
Holywell Town
The Wellmen’s sixth place finish under Glyn Griffiths was during an exciting period for the club, as they also won the Clwyd League Youth Cup and the Auxiliary Youth Cup.
After Griffiths’ departure however, the club fell into the Cymru Alliance and, despite gaining promotion the following season, were relegated again in 1999.
Since their relegation in 1999, the Wellmen have ebbed and flowed, but had a remarkable Welsh Cup campaign in 2013-2014, reaching the semi-finals after knocking out Cymru Premier side Newtown.
Holywell Town are currently second in the Welsh National League Premier Division, after relegation from the Cymru Alliance, now known as the Cymru North.
Conwy United
After finishing in a creditable seventh place in the 1992-1993 Cymru Premier, Conwy Borough finished third just three years later, earning qualification to the UEFA Intertoto Cup, where they faced Charleroi, SV Ried, Zaglebie Lubin and Silkeborg.
In the following years, the Tangerines had financial difficulties, contributing to their relegation from the Cymru Premier at the turn of the millennium. The club accepted an invitation to compete in the Welsh Alliance League, rather than the Cymru Alliance.
Conwy’s started the 2004-2005 season in remarkable form, until the tragic death of manager Nigel Roberts saw them miss out on the title.
The Tangerines gained promotion to the Cymru Alliance in the 2010-2011 season, and were renamed as Conwy Borough a year later.
Conwy Borough now compete in the Cymru North in Wales’ second tier.
Connah’s Quay Nomads
An eighth place finish for Connah’s Quay Nomads was a fine achievement after a poor start to the first ever Cymru Premier season.
The Nomads steadily competed in Wales’ top flight, staking a claim for European qualification, until the club missed out in the cutting of the Cymru Premier to twelve teams in 2010.
Under the management of Mark McGregor, the Nomads won back-to-back Cymru Alliance titles and were granted promotion back to the Cymru Premier after missing out on a license a year prior.
Now managed by Andy Morrison, the Nomads are one of the Cymru Premier’s elite and currently lead The New Saints in the table by four points, while representing Wales in the Europa League in recent seasons, most notably defeating Stabæk and Kilmarnock.
Porthmadog
Porthmadog’s ninth place finish was largely contributed to by the signing of Dave Taylor, who won the European Golden Boot a year later, during the season Port broke the record for the highest Cymru Premier attendance, as 3,250 watched Porthmadog face Bangor City.
Despite an upturn in form in the 1997-1998 season, the sale of the top scorer Paul Roberts to Wrexham left a void in Port’s side, and the club were eventually relegated to the Cymru Alliance in 1998, as four teams were relegated.
The arrival of Osian Roberts as manager in 1999 sparked a positive period for the club, as Roberts went on to become a Porthmadog and Wales legend. Port were crowned Cymru Alliance champions in the 2002-2003 season and gained promotion back to the Cymru Premier.
In a similar case to Connah’s Quay Nomads, Port missed the cut as the Cymru Premier became a league of twelve teams in 2010, and the club now remain in the Cymru North.
Haverfordwest County
Another founding member of the Cymru Premier were Haverfordwest County, who finished the season in mid-table.
The Bluebirds’ stay in Wales’ top flight was short however, as the club decided to redevelop Bridge Meadow and were unable to find a ground of Cymru Premier standard.
Haverfordwest County returned to the Cymru Premier just three years later and qualified for the Europa League in 2004, as they faced Fimleikafelag Hafnarfjardar of Iceland.
The Bluebirds, like the Nomads and Porthmadog, were one of the sides cut from the league in 2010, but again bounced back, gaining promotion in May 2015 with a 5-0 victory over Aberdare.
After just a season back in the Cymru Premier, the club finished 12th and were relegated to what is now known as the Cymru South, where the Bluebirds are currently in second.
Caersws
Also in mid-table were Caersws, finishing in eleventh with 52 points.
The Bluebirds became regulars in Wales’ top flight and competed in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2002, where they faced PFC Marek Dupnitsa of Bulgaria.
As the Cymru Premier was cut to twelve teams in 2010, Caersws were relegated after finishing second from bottom the year prior, ending an eighteen year stay in Wales’ top flight.
The Bluebirds then spent eight years in the Cymru Alliance, before becoming a Mid Wales Football League Division One club in 2018.
Afan Lido
In twelfth place in the Cymru Premier’s inaugural season were Afan Lido.
After winning the Nathaniel MG Cup in 1993 and 1994, the club finished second in the Cymru Premier, earning a UEFA Cup tie against RAF Riga of Latvia. A narrow defeat proved to affect Afan Lido, as they were relegated from Wales’ top flight in the same season.
The club returned to the Cymru Premier just two years later and stayed in the league until 2005, when a points deduction for fielding an ineligible player saw them drop into the relegation zone.
Once again, however, Afan Lido bounced back into the Cymru Premier in 2011 and secured safety and the Nathaniel MG Cup in their first season back in the league, defeating Newtown on penalties in the final.
Despite finishing bottom the following season, Afan Lido were granted safety by Llanelli’s demise, but were eventually relegated in 2014 and now compete in the Cymru South.
Mold Alexandra
Mold Alexandra finished in thirteenth place in the 1992-1993 Cymru Premier, despite being temporarily suspended after failing to meet ground the requirements.
After financial troubles, the club were relegated in 1995 and 1998 and opted to join Division One of the Wrexham based, Welsh National League, taking the place of the club’s reserve side.
The club have since ebbed and flowed between the Cymru Alliance and the Welsh National League, currently seeking promotion from the latter.
Llanelli
After initially looking stable in the early stages of the Cymru Premier, financial troubles led Llanelli to relegation in 1996, but the Reds returned to Wales’ top flight at the turn of the millennium.
It was financial reasons that again caused their departure from the Cymru Premier in 2003, but Llanelli returned promptly and started a successful period for the club.
Under Peter Nicholas, Llanelli got their first taste of European football, qualifying for the UEFA Cup after finishing second in the league, where they went on to face Odense BK, after beating Gefle IF.
The Reds then won the Cymru Premier in 2008, earning them a Champions League tie against FK Ventspils.
Former Wales international Andy Legg led Llanelli to Welsh Cup glory in 2011, before a winding up order was issued against the club in 2014 due to unpaid tax. Therefore, the club had to be reformed as Llanelli Town.
The Reds stayed in Wales’ top flight until the end of last season, and now play in the Cymru South.
Maesteg Park
In fifteenth place were Maesteg Park, whose stay in the Cymru Premier was a short one, as the club were relegated in 1995, finishing 22 points adrift of Mold Alexandra, who were also relegated.
In the years that followed, the Park flirted with promotion back to Wales’ top flight and reached two Welsh Cup semi-finals in nine years.
Maesteg Park narrowly missed out on promotion, finishing third in 1996 and 2000, and second on goal difference in 2001.
After the club dissolved in 2010, the club was re-established and now play in the South Wales Alliance League Division Two, after gaining promotion via the play-offs last season.
Flint Town United
Another of the Cymru Premier founder clubs was Flint Town United, who finished in sixteenth place.
After five years in the Cymru Premier, the club lost its place in the league, finishing 18th, relegated due to Wales’ top flight reducing the number of teams within the league under UEFA rules.
Since their relegation, Flint Town have gone close to a Cymru Premier return on numerous occasions, finishing third in 1999, 2006, 2007 and 2008, while the club finished second in 2010 and 2019.
The Silkmen are currently second in the Cymru North.
Briton Ferry Athletic
Despite achieving Cymru Premier survival in their first season, Briton Ferry’s stay in Wales’ top flight was a short one, as the club were relegated in 1994.
The club were unable to return to the Cymru Premier in the years that followed and were relegated to the third division of the Welsh Football League in 2009, after a succession of poor seasons.
This sparked a merger with Llansawel in the summer of 2009 to form Briton Ferry Llansawel, which proved to be successful, as the club climbed their way back to today’s Cymru South.
Newtown
Although Newtown avoided relegation from the Cymru Premier by just one place in 1993, the club have remained in Wales’ top flight ever since, finishing second in 1996 and 1998.
The Robins earned UEFA Cup ties against Skonto Riga of Latvia and Wisła Kraków of Poland for their efforts in the league.
In recent years, Newtown have remained an established Cymru Premier side, and won the European play-offs in 2015, defeating Port Talbot Town and Aberystwyth Town to clinch a Europa League qualifying tie.
Under the management of Chris Hughes, the Robins were eventually knocked out by Danish giants Copenhagen, after defeating Valletta of Malta.
Llanidloes Town
Finishing the first season of the Cymru Premier in nineteenth with 30 points, Llanidloes Town were relegated despite the FAW’s initial intentions not to relegate in the first season.
A series of relegations followed for the Daffs, as the club fell into the Mid Wales League in 1999 and the Montgomeryshire League in 2008.
However, Llanidloes won the title in 2010, gaining promotion back to the Mid Wales League, and followed it up by winning the league in 2013, returning to the Cymru Alliance.
The Daffs now compete in the Mid Wales League, after being relegated by just one point from the Cymru Alliance in 2015.
Abergavenny Thursdays
The other side relegated from the Cymru Premier in 1993 were Abergavenny Thursdays, after a season of financial difficulties, due to a bond being paid at the start of the season to the FAW for security that floodlights would be installed at Pen-Y-Pound, leading to a mass exodus of players and staff.
Thursdays were relegated again in 1998 after failing to win a game and conceding 210 goals in the campaign.
After finishing twelfth in their first season in the Welsh Football League Division Two, Thursdays were relegated for four successive seasons, resulting in the club playing in Division Three of the Gwent County League.
A supporters trust called The Thursdays Trust took over Abergavenny Thursdays in 2004 in the hope that the club could become financially stable.
Due to a recurring lack of players, Thursdays withdrew from the Gwent County League in 2013 and dissolved.
Football did return to Abergavenny though as they merged with Govilon FC to form Abergavenny Town, who now play in the Welsh Football League Division One.
(Featured Image: Will Cheshire)
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