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Welsh Football League XI

Welsh Football League
Welsh Football League.JPG
Country  Wales
Founded 1904 (as Rhymney Valley League Division 1)
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 One
2016–17 Welsh Football League Division Two
2016–17 Welsh Football League Division Three

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.

Its current title was adopted in 1912 when it changed from the Glamorgan League. Prior to that it was known as the Rhymney Valley League (1904–1909).

During the early days of the Rhymney Valley and Glamorgan Leagues there was also the South Wales League (1890–1911) but this competition had no connection with the origins of the Welsh Football League.

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.


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