Rhondda & District League

Rhondda & District League

Founded	1907
Country	Wales
Number of clubs	14
Level on pyramid	7
Promotion to	South Wales Premier League
Current champions	Porth Harlequins (2024–25)

The Rhondda & District League (currently the Carol Hosking Rhondda & District League for sponsorship reasons) is a football league covering the Rhondda and surrounding areas in South Wales. The leagues are at the seventh and eighth levels of the Welsh football league system.

History

The Rhondda & District Football League was formed on 7 June 1907. ^[1] The league was originally called The Rhondda Junior League.

The original clubs elected to the league were: ^[2]

• First Division: Ton-Pentre Thistles, Maindy Crescents, Pentre Blue and Whites, Mill Vue, Porth United and (Tre)Hafod Juniors
• Second Division: Ton-Pentre Juniors, Cwmparc Crescents, Ynyshir Albion, Tylorstown Crescents, Porth Reserves and Cymmer United.

In 1927 the league was called The Rhondda Valley (Amateur) Football League. At the time some clubs in the league were made up entirely of unemployed men. This resulted in the North Rhondda League being created because clubs were unable to afford travelling expenses. In 1929 the North Rhondda League was affiliated and in 1933 it was renamed The Upper Rhondda League. The leagues remained separated until the 1962–63 season when they reformed back into one league.

In 1931 a third League was formed called the Rhondda Fach League, but this dissolved after the 1937–38 season.

Throughout the Second World War The Rhondda League was one of the very few leagues to continue playing football; because of the thousands of miners working in the collieries in the Rhondda.

Divisions

The league was reduced to a single division for the 2024/25 season.

Member clubs 2024–25

Premier League

• Banog
• Cwm Rhondda
• Ely Valley
• Ferndale BGC
• Llwynypia BGC
• Penygraig BGC
• Porth Harlequins
• Stanleytown
• The Baglan
• Ton & Gelli
• Tonypandy Albion
• Tonyrefail BGC
• Tonyrefail Welfare
• Ynyscynon

Promotion and relegation

Promotion from the Premier League is possible to the lowest tier of the South Wales Premier League, with the champion of the league playing the other tier 7 champions from the South Wales regional leagues via play-off games to determine promotion.

Champions of the Top division

Information for champions of the top division from 1954–55 to 2006–07 is sourced from a booklet to commemorate 100 Years of Football in the Rhondda League. ^[3]

1900s

• 1907–08: – Trehafod

1930s

• 1936–37: – Rhondda Transport ^[4]

1950s

• 1950–51: –
• 1951–52: –
• 1952–53: –
• 1953–54: –
• 1954–55: – Dinas Corries
• 1955–56: – Ystrad Athletic
• 1956–57: – Trebanog
• 1957–58: – Pentre BC
• 1958–59: – Pentre BC
• 1959–60: – Pentre BC

1960s

• 1960–61: – Blaencwm
• 1961–62: – Beatus
• 1962–63: – Llwynypia BC
• 1963–64: – Beatus
• 1964–65: – Dare Inglis
• 1965–66: – Dare Inglis
• 1966–67: – Dare Inglis
• 1967–68: – Rest Assured
• 1968–69: – Ton & Gelli BC
• 1969–70: – Cambrian United

1970s

• 1970–71: – Cambrian United
• 1971–72: – Cambrian United
• 1972–73: – Wattstown United
• 1973–74: – Gilfach United
• 1974–75: – Cambrian United
• 1975–76: – Gilfach United
• 1976–77: – Ferndale 'A'
• 1977–78: – Gilfach United
• 1978–79: – Ystrad BC
• 1979–80: – Penrhiwfer

1980s

• 1980–81: – Ystrad BC
• 1981–82: – Ystrad BC
• 1982–83: – Blaencwm
• 1983–84: – Treorchy BC
• 1984–85: – Ferndale BC
• 1985–86: – Kensington
• 1986–87: – Ferndale BC
• 1987–88: – Ferndale BC
• 1988–89: – Kensington
• 1989–90: – Blaencwm

1990s

• 1990–91: – Ynyshir/ Wattstown BGC
• 1991–92: – Stanleytown
• 1992–93: – Naval
• 1993–94: – Trebanog Workingmens
• 1994–95: – Penrhiwfer
• 1995–96: – Llwynypia WMC
• 1996–97: – Ynyshir Albions
• 1997–98: – Penrhys Athletic
• 1998–99: – Penrhys United
• 1999–2000: – Tonypandy Naval

2000s

• 2000–01: – Tonyrefail BC
• 2001–02: – Penrhys United
• 2002–03: – Ferndale BC
• 2003–04: – Trebanog Rangers
• 2004–05: – Turberville Arms
• 2005–06: – Cambrian & Clydach BGC
• 2006–07: – Tonypandy Albion
• 2007–08: – Wyndham
• 2008–09: – Ynyshir/ Wattstown BGC
• 2009–10: – Llwynypia BGC

2010s

• 2010–11: – Max United
• 2011–12: – Sporting Marvels
• 2012–13: – Sporting Marvels ^[5]
• 2013–14: – Penygraig United ^[6]
• 2014–15: – Gelli Hibs ^[7]
• 2015–16: – Trebanog ^[8]
• 2016–17: – Blaenrhondda ^[9]
• 2017–18: – AFC Wattstown ^[10]
• 2018–19: – Penygraig United
• 2019–20: – Treherbert BGC

2020s

• 2020–21: – Competition cancelled due to Coronavirus pandemic
• 2021–22: – Penygraig United (promoted to SWAL via playoffs) ^[11]
• 2022–23: – Ferndale BGC
• 2023–24: – Treorchy BGC (promoted to SW Premier League)
• 2024–25: – Porth Harlequins

References

1. "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
2. "The Rhondda Leader". The National Library of Wales. 15 June 1907. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
3. "100 Years of Football 1907-2007". Rhondda & District League. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
4. "RHONDDA AMATEUR LEAGUE TABLES 1936-37". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
5. "2012-13 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
6. "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
7. "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
8. "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
9. "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
10. "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
11. "Margam Youth Centre 0-2 Penygraig United: Hathaway and Daye send Graig up". Y Clwb Pel-Droed. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.

External links

• Rhondda & District League