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 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales (LoW), but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal to the Welsh Premier League. The league was rebranded as the Cymru Premier for the 2019–20 season.
The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club, commonly known as The New Saints or TNS, are a professional football club that currently play in the Cymru Premier. They are a joint Welsh and English team, incorporating the border towns of Llansantffraid in Wales and Oswestry in England, and are the most successful club in the Welsh league structure, with 16 league titles to their name. Since the 2001–02 season, they have finished as champions or runners-up in every season, apart from 2008–09, where they finished third in the league.
Rhyl Football Club was a Welsh football club based in Rhyl, a seaside resort town located in Denbighshire. It withdrew from footballing activities in April 2020 and had its entire footballing record for the 2019–20 season expunged. It was formally dissolved 18 months later in October 2021.
Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2010 the club was liquidated and reformed under the name Merthyr Town, which was accepted into Division One of the Western League.
Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club, commonly known as Cardiff Met F.C., are a Welsh football club, of the Athletic Union of Cardiff Metropolitan University, based in Cyncoed, Cardiff that plays in the Cymru Premier. The club badge features the bowman with the words "I lwyddo, rhaid chwarae" which is translated as "To succeed, [one] must play".
Association football is organised on a separate basis in each of the four constituent countries that make up the United Kingdom (UK), with each having a national football association responsible for the overall management of football within their respective country. There is no United Kingdom national football team. Football has been the most popular sport in the UK since the 1860s. Rugby union, rugby league and cricket are other popular sports.
Merthyr Town Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, currently playing in the Southern League Premier Division South, in the seventh tier of the English football league system.
Colwyn Bay Football Club is a football club based in Old Colwyn in north Wales. They are currently members of the Cymru North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, but also known as 'The Bay', their home ground is Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.
Metropolitan Police Football Club is a football club based in East Molesey, Surrey, England. Originally made up of players from the Metropolitan Police, the rule requiring players to be employees of the service was removed when the Commissioner refused to sanction time off for playing. However, the club is still part-funded by a police staff lottery. They are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division and play at Imber Court, the base of the Met Police Sports and Social Club.
Wimborne Town Football Club is a football club based in Wimborne Minster in Dorset, England. They were established in 1878 and won the FA Vase in 1992. They reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup in the 1982–83 season for the first time.
Lovell's Athletic F.C. was the works team for Lovell's sweet factory in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, which played professional football from 1918 until 1969.
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 team played their first international match. Football has always had a close rivalry with the country's de facto national sport rugby union, and it is much discussed as to which is Wales' more popular game. The Football Association of Wales (FAW), was established in 1876 to oversee the Wales national team and govern the sport in Wales, later creating and running the Welsh football league system.
Maesteg Park Athletic Football Club is a Welsh football club based in Maesteg, Wales. The club played in the Welsh Football League and the top flight League of Wales before being dissolved. The club reformed in 2010 and now compete in South Wales Alliance League Division One West, having won promotion from the Bridgend & District League via the South Wales Alliance League promotion play-offs in June 2019, and the Division Two title in the summer of 2020.
Herbert Gwyn Turner was a Welsh international footballer who played as a full back for Charlton Athletic. He was best known for scoring for both sides in the 1946 FA Cup Final, becoming the first player to do so.
Merthyr Saints F.C. are a Welsh football club from the town of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales.
Kevin Penry Rogers is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Birmingham City and Wrexham. He played in the European Cup Winners' Cup for both Wrexham and Merthyr Tydfil.
AFC Bridgnorth is a football club based in the town of Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. They are currently members of the Midland League Division One and play at Crown Meadow.
STM Sports Association Football Club was a Welsh football club. They were based in St Mellons, Cardiff and played at Cardiff University Sports fields.
