The 1992–93 League of Wales was the inaugural season of the League of Wales, the top division of Welsh football. The League was made up of 20 member clubs that joined from leagues within both the English football league system and Welsh football league system.
Overview
Background The new league was formed for the 1992–93 season. At the time, Wales was unusual in world football in that despite the Football Association of Wales (FAW) being a FIFA member and, along with the other three home nations (England, Northern Ireland and Scotland), holding a permanent seat on the International Football Association Board (IFAB), it did not organise a national league.FIFA's 208 Member Associations fifa.com Retrieved 30 August 2009 With African and Asian nations feeling that the FAW were taking advantage of this fact, FAW Secretary General, Alun Evans announced in October 1991 that the new league would start at the beginning of the next season.League History welsh-premier.com 18 June 2010The Exiles welsh-premier.com Retrieved 18 June 2010
There were cross-regional leagues, such as the Cymru Alliance and the Welsh Football League along with the long established National competition, in the form of the Welsh Cup. However it was always felt that organising a national league would prove too difficult, due to the poor transport links between the North and South, combined with the fact that the larger clubs tended to ply their trade in the English football league system. At the time, Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham were playing in The Football League, with Newport County having been relegated at the end of the 1987–88 season. The FAW decided to allow the remaining Football League teams to continue to play in the English system. Of the non-league clubs: Bangor City, Barry Town, Caernarfon Town, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Newtown and Rhyl, the FAW gave them the ultimatum of joining the Welsh football league system or continue to play in the English system and be forced to play home games on English soil.
The 'Irate Eight', as they were dubbed by the Welsh press, appealed against this decision arguing that they should continue to play where they wished. However, with the exception of Merthyr Tydfil who were playing in the Football Conference, they were all told that they must join the new league. Of the eight only Bangor City, Newtown and Rhyl decided to join the new league, although Rhyl's application was late meaning they were forced to play in the Cymru Alliance, with the remaining five, dubbed 'The Exiles', would continue to play in the English system.Bangor City Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Newtown Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010 Barry Town, who changed their name to Barri while ground-sharing with Worcester City at St George's Lane, continued to play in the Southern Football League Midland Division along with Newport who were ground-sharing with Gloucester City.Barry Town Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Barri Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010 Caernarfon Town and Colwyn Bay continued to play in the Northern Premier League, with Caernarfon Town ground-sharing with Curzon Ashton at their Tameside Stadium and Colwyn Bay doing the same with Northwich Victoria at the Drill Field.Club History clubwebsite.co.uk/caernarfontown Retrieved 18 June 2010
As the new league was to top the Welsh football league system, the FAW sought re-organise the Welsh football pyramid, by placing the League of Wales at the top of the pyramid with the largest regional divisions, the Cymru Alliance and the Welsh Football League, being placed below this as feeder leagues. With this in mind the FAW sought to invite clubs from these leagues to become members of the League of Wales. Of the two leagues eight clubs left the Cymru Alliance with ten clubs leaving the Welsh Football League.Abergavenny Thursdays Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Aberystwyth Town Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Afan Lido Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Briton Ferry Athletic Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Caersws Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Connah's Quay Nomads Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Conwy United Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Cwmbran Town Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Ebbw Vale Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Flint Town United Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Inter Cardiff Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Haverfordwest County Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Holywell Town Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Llanelli Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Llanidloes Town Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Maesteg Park Athletic Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Mold Alexandra Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010Porthmaog Football Club History Database Retrieved 18 June 2010
League members
Club Ground Manager Captain Previous league Pos. Abergavenny Thursdays Pen-y-Pound Welsh Football League National Division 1st Aberystwyth Town Park Avenue Tomi Morgan Welsh Football League National Division 3rd Afan Lido Afan Lido Sports Ground David Rees Phil Robinson Welsh Football League National Division 8th Bangor City Farrar Road Stadium Paul Rowlands Northern Premier League Premier Division 20th Briton Ferry Athletic Old Road Stadium Welsh Football League National Division 2nd Caersws Recreation Ground Cymru Alliance 1st Connah's Quay Nomads Halfway Ground Ray Jones Cymru Alliance 6th Conwy United Y Morfa Cymru Alliance 5th Cwmbran Town Cwmbran Stadium Welsh Football League National Division 7th Ebbw Vale Eugene Cross Park Welsh Football League National Division 11th Flint Town United Cae-y-Castell Cymru Alliance 4th Inter Cardiff Cardiff Athletics Stadium Welsh Football League National Division 12th Haverfordwest County Bridge Meadow Stadium Welsh Football League National Division 4th Holywell Town Halkyn Road Cymru Alliance 11th Llanelli Stebonheath Park Alwyn Mainwaring Welsh Football League National Division 10th Llanidloes Town Victoria Avenue Cymru Alliance 12th Mold Alexandra Alyn Park Cymru Alliance 10th Maesteg Park Tudor Park Welsh Football League National Division 6th Newtown Latham Park Brian Coyne Northern Premier League Division One 14th Porthmadog Y Traeth Cymru Alliance 3rd
League table
Results
Top goalscorers GoalsPlayerTeam39Steve WoodsEbbw Vale26Tim O'ConnorAfan Lido25David O'GormanConnah's Quay NomadsChris SummersInter Cardiff23David TaylorConwy United22Francis FordBriton Ferry Athletic21Chris DaviesConnah's Quay Nomads20Kevin MorrisonAberystywth Town18Mitch PattonAfan Lido17Michael DaviesAberystwyth TownIan HowatHolywell Town
Source:
See also 1992–93 in Welsh football
References