MacWhirter Welsh Football League
 |
|
| Founded | 1904 (as Rhymney Valley League Division 1) |
|---|---|
| Country |
 Wales
|
| Number of teams | 48 (16 in each division) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 (1904–1992) 2, 3 and 4 (1992–present) |
| Promotion to | Welsh Premier League |
| Relegation to | Carmarthenshire League Premier Division Gwent County League Division One Neath & District League Premier Division Pembrokeshire League Division One South Wales Amateur League Division One South Wales Senior League Division One Swansea Senior League Division One |
| Domestic cup(s) |
Welsh Cup Welsh Football League Cup |
| Current champions |
Barry Town United (2016-17) |
| Website | League Website |
 2016–17 Welsh Football League Division One2016–17 Welsh Football League Division Two 2016–17 Welsh Football League Division Three |
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The Welsh Football League (also known as the Nathaniel Car Sales Welsh Football League for sponsorship reasons) is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.
The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first formed and Aberdare were crowned first champions of a seven-team First Division. Abergavenny were champions of Division 2 and Trelewis the winners of Division 3.
The Cymru Alliance and feeder leagues to the Cymru Alliance are its equivalent in North Wales and Mid Wales.
The Welsh Football League Division Three is above the Level 5 leagues: Carmarthenshire League, Gwent County League, Neath & District League, Pembrokeshire League, South Wales Amateur League, South Wales Senior League and the Swansea Senior League.
It also has its own knock-out competition, the Nathaniel Car Sales Welsh Football League Cup. Cardiff City Reserves has the record of trophies won with 7 titles.
In April 1904, the Merthyr Express newspaper reported that a new football league would be formed in addition to the South Wales League which had been in existence since 1891.
This new competition would be named the Rhymney Valley League and the reason for its creation was due to the South Wales League being 'overly dominated by Cardiff clubs, though the number of teams from Cardiff barely numbered more than a couple in any one season.
The league is made up of three divisions (named the Welsh Football League Division One, the Welsh Football League Division Two and the Welsh Football League Division Three) each having 16 clubs. There is promotion and relegation between the divisions, with the top three teams in each division being promoted to the one above and the bottom three being relegated to the one below. The winner of the First Division may be promoted to the national Welsh Premier League (subject to ground facilities), the highest level of Welsh football.
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