Newtown Association Football Club () is a Welsh football club based in Newtown, Powys, which plays in the

The club plays at Latham Park, Newtown, which accommodates 5,000 spectators.

History

The club has its origins in two previous clubs, both active from 1875; Newtown and White Stars. The latter won the 1878–79 Welsh Cup and in the aftermath an attempt was made to merge the clubs under the name Excelsior. The Newtown club folded into the Excelsior, but White Stars continued, and absorbed the Excelsior in 1880. After losing the 1880–81 Welsh Cup final, the White Stars disbanded; but a meeting at the Lion Hotel on 23 July 1884 re-established a Newtown association football club, featuring many of the players and officials who had been involved with the White Stars, and, in some cases, with the original Newtown club beforehand.

The revived club won the 1894–95 Welsh Cup, beating Wrexham 3–2 at Welshpool, despite Goodwin in goal being ordered off for retaliation before the second half (while Newtown was 2–1 down), but in July 1900 it lost the use of the Cunnings, and, with diminished gates and additional expenses, there were fears for the future of the club. Another article from March 1901 referred to Newtown being defunct, and hoped that Newtown Excelsior would resuscitate the club. Newtown North End and Royal Welsh Warehouse Newtown emerged in the town in their place. In 1910, they were still inactive. No records exist of Newtown Football Club again until 1919.

For most of the years since the 1920s the club operated in the Mid-Wales League, or the Central Wales League as it was sometimes known, winning the championship in 1975–76, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1986–87 and 1987–88 and on the strength of this record, the club gained entry to the English league system in the Northern Premier League.

In 1992 the club became rather reluctant founder members of the League of Wales. Since then it has finished runners-up in the league in both 1995–96 and 1997–98, and subsequently played UEFA cup ties against Skonto Riga of Latvia and Wisła Kraków of Poland.

Newtown Association Football Club are one of the oldest clubs in Wales, being formed in 1875 and are one of the founder members of the FAW. In addition, the club was also one of the founder members of the League of Wales, now known as the Cymru Premier.

The club has a long tradition with the move in the late 1980s into the Northern Premier League being part of the progressive nature of the club.

Way back in 1877, Newtown took part in the first Welsh Cup tie on Saturday 13 October against Druids of Ruabon. Cefn Druids now former members of the Welsh Premier are derived from this club. Wrexham went on to win the competition but in the following season, Newtown White Stars beat the favourites Wrexham 2–1 in Oswestry and became the first club to receive the famous trophy, which had only been purchased a few months earlier. In December 1895 Newtown travelled to play Manchester City at Maine Road and shocked the City team by winning 3–2. Newtown's W. Parry scored all three goals for the Robins.http://welsh-premier.com/rel_club.php?cid=13.

In 2014 Newtown became the second Cymru Premier club, after The New Saints, to change their grass turf for a 3G pitch. During the 2014–15 season Newtown finished in the top six for the second consecutive season. They also took part in their first Welsh Cup final in 118 Years after memorable wins against Caersws, Bangor and Rhyl. However they lost the match 2–0 to The New Saints, despite it being played at Latham Park in front of a capacity crowd. After the cup final defeat, Newtown entered the European play-offs. During the play-offs, they won away at Port Talbot Town and won away at Aberystwyth Town to take a spot in the 2015–16 Europa League qualifiers.

In July 2015 Newtown faced Maltese opponents Valletta in the first round of qualifying for the 2015-16 Europa League. A last minute winner in the 1st leg at Latham Park gave the club their first European win and was followed with an away victory giving Newtown their first Europa League Win over two legs. Newtown faced Danish giants Copenhagen in the second round and were defeated over both legs losing 5–1 on aggregate. Newtown finished in the top 6 again during the following 2015-16 Welsh Premier League season and were also the only team to beat The New Saints at Park Hall, but eventually lost at home to Airbus UK Broughton in the play-off semi final. Newtown again reached the play-offs after finishing 7th in the 2016-17 Welsh Premier League season, but were beaten 3–2 away to Bangor City.

On 13 April 2025, after the most dreadful season Newtown lost 3–2 against Aberystwyth and were relegated for the first time in their history.

Honours

Welsh Cup Winners: 1878–79,White Stars 1894–95 Runner-up: 1880–81, 1885–86, 1887–88, 1896–97, 2014–15 Welsh League Cup Runner-up: 2011–12 League of Wales Runner-up: 1995–96, 1997–98 Welsh Amateur Cup/Welsh Intermediate Cup Winners: 1954–55 Finalists: 1985–86, 1987–88 Ladies Welsh Cup Finalists: 2003–04 Mid Wales League Winners: 1975–76, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1995–96 (Reserves), 2008–09 (Reserves) CWFA Challenge Cup Winners: 1974–75, 1980–81, 1992–93, 2025–26 Summer Cup Winners: 1994–95, 1995–96 Mid Wales South League Winners: 1981–82, 1983–84 (Reserves)

Arthur Barritt Cup Winners: 1986–87 Central Wales Cup Winners: 1992–93, 1993–94 Central Wales Floodlit Cup Winners: 1994–95 Mid Wales League Cup Winners: 1994–95, 1997–98 Montgomeryshire Cup Winners: 1922–23, 1936–37, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1995–96, 2008–09 Radnorshire Cup Winners: 1980–81 (Reserves) Finalists: 1969–70, 1986–87 (Reserves) UEFA Cup/Europa League Preliminary round qualifiers: 1996–97, 1998–99, 2015–16 Shropshire League Winners: 1892–93

Players Current squad

Technical staff

Position Name Manager James Owen Assistant Manager Mike Pearson Academy Manager Goalkeeping Coach Dave Owen First-team Coach Physio Sports Therapist Kit Manager Dave Rose

Managers

Brian Coyne (1992–03) Roger Preece (2003–06) Darren Ryan (2006–10) Andy Cale (2010–11) Darren Ryan (2011) Bernard McNally (2011–13) Chris Hughes (2013–2024) Scott Ruscoe (2024) Callum McKenzie (2024–2025)

Europe

Newtown have participated in UEFA competition five times.

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate 1996–97 UEFA Cup PR Skonto FC 1–4 0–3 1–7 1998–99 UEFA Cup 1Q Wisła Kraków 0–0 0–7 0–72015–16UEFA Europa League 1Q Valletta 2–1 2–1 4–2 2Q Copenhagen 1–3 0–2 1–52021–22UEFA Europa Conference League 1Q Dundalk 0–1 0–4 0–52022–23UEFA Europa Conference League 1Q HB Tórshavn 2–1 0–1 2–2 (4–2 p) 2Q Spartak Trnava 1–2 1–4 2–6

Notes PR: Preliminary round 1Q: First qualifying round 2Q: Second qualifying round

Name Competition Goals Jason Oswell UEFA Europa League 2 Henry Cowans UEFA Europa Conference League 2 Tom Goodwin UEFA Europa League 1 Matty Owen UEFA Europa League 1 Luke Boundford UEFA Europa League 1 Lifumpa Mwandwe UEFA Europa Conference League 1 Aaron Williams UEFA Europa Conference League 1 Romilly Brown UEFA Cup 1

Rivalries Newtown share a local rivalry with Caersws who are only around 5 miles away and often attract big crowds when the teams meet. In the Cymru Premier Newtown have derby matches against fellow Mid-Wales clubs Aberystwyth Town and The New Saints.

League record

Season League Position Pld W D L F A Pts1959–60Mid Wales League7th2612597354291960–61Mid Wales League6th24103116442231961–62Mid Wales League6th2010285442221962–63Mid Wales League7th2211294952241963–64Mid Wales League8th2494115162221964–65Mid Wales League6th24104106449241965–66Mid Wales League9th2697106062251966–67Mid Wales League8th26123116056271967–68Mid Wales League4th2615387649331968–69Mid Wales League4th2615656839361969–70Mid Wales League11th30104166273241970–71Mid Wales League11th2867154677191971–72Mid Wales League11th2659123450191972–73Mid Wales League13th263617——121973–74Mid Wales League11th2675143248191974–75Mid Wales League2nd261844——401975–76Mid Wales League1st2820358633431976–77Mid Wales League4th28153105445331977–78Mid Wales League7th289109 5043 281978–79Mid Wales League1st3025237722521979–80Mid Wales League3rd3019386840411980–81Mid Wales League3rd2616555318371981–82Mid Wales League1st2621327724451982–83Mid Wales League2nd2212735225311983–84Mid Wales League6th2814866738361984–85Mid Wales League5th2813787053331985–86Mid Wales League3rd2615656530361986–87Mid Wales League1st2420226716421987–88Mid Wales League1st2420227221421988–89NPL First Division9th421512156559571989–90NPL First Division14th421412164962541990–91NPL First Division13th421312176875511991–92NPL First Division14th42156216095511992–93League of Wales18th3899205587361993–94League of Wales6th38189115248631994–95League of Wales4th38208107847681995–96League of Wales2nd40231166925801996–97League of Wales5th40225137449711997–98League of Wales2nd38239610147781998–99League of Wales6th32131094535491999–00League of Wales8th34146144941482000–01League of Wales4th34184126837582001–02League of Wales13th34911143544382002–03Welsh Premier League10th34126164854422003–04Welsh Premier League10th32125154350412004–05Welsh Premier League10th34137144955462005–06Welsh Premier League16th34106184261312006–07Welsh Premier League16th3266203063242007–08Welsh Premier League13th34910154766372008–09Welsh Premier League10th341010144654402009–10Welsh Premier League13th341011135457412010–11Welsh Premier League9th32811134055352011–12Welsh Premier League12th3275204482232012–13Welsh Premier League9th32107154454372013–14Welsh Premier League5th32126144658422014–15Welsh Premier League6th32108145265382015–16Welsh Premier League5th32119124654422016–17Welsh Premier League7th32129115941452017–18Welsh Premier League8th32124165255402018–19Welsh Premier League5th32137125356462019–20Cymru Premier6th25105102530352020–21Cymru Premier7th32126145753422021–22Cymru Premier3rd32156115035512022–23Cymru Premier6th32125154956412023–24Cymru Premier4th32135144946442024–25Cymru Premier11th3268183665262025–26Cymru North

References

External links

Whitestars website