Welsh Cup attendances ranked as more than 1,100 fans watch biggest crowd of Round Two
Caernarfon Town travelled well in their numbers for their Welsh Cup tie with Flint Town United. (Pic by Nik Mesney/FAW)
The Welsh Cup second round produced a packed programme of fixtures, with supporters turning out across Wales as Cymru Premier clubs entered the competition and lower-league sides chased memorable upsets.
Briton Ferry Llansawel’s meeting with Afan United attracted the biggest confirmed crowd of the round, with 1,158 spectators attending on Friday night. Sunday’s clash between Afan Lido and Penybont drew 723 fans, making it the second-best-attended fixture, while Denbigh Town’s meeting with Bangor City was watched by 646 supporters.
The round also delivered plenty of talking points on the pitch, with fourth-tier clubs Rockspur, Llangennech, Coedpoeth United and Pontarddulais Town all causing upsets against higher-ranked opposition. Meanwhile, fifth-tier Blaen-y-Maes continued their Welsh Cup adventure by beating Ely Rangers to become the lowest-ranked side remaining in the competition.
Across the 24 Welsh Cup fixtures with confirmed attendance figures, the average crowd was 349 spectators per match, with a combined attendance of 8,367. Several other fixtures remain listed as TBC, meaning the final totals and average could change once every figure for the Welsh Cup is confirmed.
Welsh Cup Round Two attendances ranked from highest to lowest
Briton Ferry Llansawel’s home fixture against Afan United topped the attendance rankings, attracting 1,158 spectators on Friday night. Afan Lido’s Sunday meeting with Penybont was next, with 723 fans attending.
The fixtures with attendance figures listed as TBC for Friday, October 16, are Airbus UK Broughton v The New Saints and Cardiff Met v Ynyshir Albions.
On Saturday, October 17, the fixtures are Coedpoeth United v Guilsfield, Cwmaman v Ammanford, Llysfaen v Mochdre, Brickfield Rangers v Llangefni Town, Penycae v Dolgellau, and Trefelin v Llantwit Major.
| Rank | Fixture | Day | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Briton Ferry Llansawel v Afan United | Friday | 1,158 |
| 2 | Afan Lido v Penybont | Sunday | 723 |
| 3 | Denbigh Town v Bangor City | Friday | 646 |
| 4 | Flint Town United v Caernarfon Town | Saturday | 541 |
| 5 | Cambrian United v Trethomas Bluebirds | Friday | 503 |
| 6 | Buckley Town v Colwyn Bay | Saturday | 424 |
| 7 | Haverfordwest County v Cardiff Corinthians | Saturday | 403 |
| 8 | Blaen-y-Maes v Ely Rangers | Saturday | 368 |
| 9 | Barry Town United v Tredegar Town | Saturday | 361 |
| 10 | Aberystwyth Town v Prestatyn Town | Saturday | 297 |
| 11 | Radnor Valley v Cardiff Dracs | Saturday | 296 |
| 12 | Llay Welfare v Holywell Town | Saturday | 280 |
| 13 | Llangennech v Pontardawe Town | Saturday | 277 |
| 14 | Connah’s Quay Nomads v Porthmadog | Friday | 274 |
| 15 | Evans & Williams v Rockspur | Friday | 268 |
| 16 | Newtown v Llanuwchllyn | Saturday | 220 |
| 17 | Cefn Albion v Felinheli | Saturday | 217 |
| 18 | Llannefydd v Llandudno | Saturday | 211 |
| 19 | Caerau Ely v Llanelli Town | Friday | 207 |
| 20 | Bala Town v Holyhead Hotspur | Saturday | 196 |
| 21 | Carmarthen Town v Newport City | Saturday | 182 |
| 22 | Llantwit Fardre v Baglan Dragons | Saturday | 142 |
| 23 | Caerphilly Athletic v Chepstow Town | Saturday | 90 |
| 24 | Pontarddulais Town v Goytre United | Saturday | 83 |
*The rankings include only fixtures with confirmed attendance figures supplied.
Friday night crowds led by Briton Ferry Llansawel
Friday’s Welsh Cup fixtures provided two of the three largest confirmed crowds of the round, with Briton Ferry Llansawel comfortably topping the list after 1,158 fans attended their match against Afan United.
Denbigh Town’s meeting with Bangor City drew 646 spectators, placing it third overall. Cambrian United’s fixture against Trethomas Bluebirds also attracted a healthy crowd of 503, putting it fifth in the overall rankings.
Connah’s Quay Nomads against Porthmadog drew 274, while Evans & Williams’ meeting with Rockspur attracted 268. Caerau Ely’s fixture against Llanelli Town recorded 207 spectators.
The average attendance across the six Friday fixtures with confirmed figures was 509, substantially above the overall average of 349. Airbus UK Broughton against The New Saints and Cardiff Met against Ynyshir Albions remain without confirmed attendance figures.
Saturday’s biggest crowds and the lower-league cup upsets
Saturday supplied the majority of the round’s confirmed attendances, with Flint Town United against Caernarfon Town attracting 541 spectators to rank fourth overall in the Welsh Cup attendance rankings.
Buckley Town’s fixture with Colwyn Bay brought in 424, while Haverfordwest County against Cardiff Corinthians recorded 403. Blaen-y-Maes’ meeting with Ely Rangers attracted 368 fans, placing the Swansea Senior League side eighth in the attendance rankings.
That was a notable figure for the fifth-tier club, who became the lowest-ranked team left in the competition after defeating Ely Rangers. Their progress came amid a round in which fourth-tier sides Rockspur, Llangennech, Coedpoeth United and Pontarddulais Town all caused upsets against higher-ranked opposition.
The confirmed Saturday figures produced an average attendance of 270 across 17 matches, lower than Friday’s average. However, several Saturday fixtures remain without confirmed figures, including Coedpoeth United against Guilsfield, Trefelin against Llantwit Major and Brickfield Rangers against Llangefni Town. The outstanding numbers could therefore alter the comparison between the two days.
At the other end of the table, Pontarddulais Town’s match against Goytre United attracted 83 spectators, the lowest confirmed attendance of the round. Caerphilly Athletic against Chepstow Town was the only other confirmed fixture to fall below 100, with 90 fans in attendance.
Afan Lido draw second-biggest crowd as Welsh Cup opens up
Sunday’s fixture between Afan Lido and Penybont attracted 723 spectators, making it the second-best-attended match of the round, behind only Friday’s meeting between Briton Ferry Llansawel and Afan United.
The crowd at Afan Lido was larger than those recorded at several Saturday fixtures involving Cymru Premier sides, including Flint Town United against Caernarfon Town and Haverfordwest County against Cardiff Corinthians.
The second round was regionalised, but there were still some unusual geographical pairings. Aberystwyth Town, who compete in the Cymru South, were placed in the northern section of the draw and hosted Ardal North West side Prestatyn Town. Their fixture attracted 297 spectators.
Radnor Valley, who play in the Ardal North East, were instead placed in the southern section and hosted Cymru South side Cardiff Dracs. That match drew 296 fans, almost identical to the attendance at Aberystwyth.
Regionalised draw creates unusual journeys ahead of the next round
The second round was regionalised, but there were still some unusual geographical pairings. Aberystwyth Town, who compete in the Cymru South, were placed in the northern section of the draw and hosted Ardal North West side Prestatyn Town. Their fixture attracted 297 spectators.
Radnor Valley, who play in the Ardal North East, were instead placed in the southern section and hosted Cymru South side Cardiff Dracs. That match drew 296 fans, almost identical to the attendance at Aberystwyth.
The next round will not be regionalised, opening the door to longer journeys and potential ties between clubs from opposite ends of Wales. With Cymru Premier sides now involved and lower-league teams continuing to upset the odds, the draw could produce some intriguing match-ups.
