Major Honours and The Irate Eight - The Welsh Sides of English Football

The English football pyramid is comprised of four professional leagues followed by an eleven-step scale down to amateur level. The exact number of clubs active within the English footballing pyramid is ultimately unknown; however, the number is estimated to be between 5500 to 7000. 

The English pyramid is often considered the best footballing pyramid in the world, in terms of both quality and structure. The pyramid is set up in a way that would theoretically allow any club to rise from their regional division to the top flight. 

The English pyramid contains teams encompassed in the varying regions of England, with the other nations of the United Kingdom having their own league systems. One such system being the Welsh league system. 

The Welsh football league system is currently structured via ten tiers containing 71 separate leagues and 802 clubs. Football is one of the most popular sports in Wales, with its roots extending back to the 1800s. The Welsh national team is both beloved and progressing, with The Dragons reaching the semi-finals of the 2016 European Championship and, in 2022, qualifying for their first World Cup Finals since 1958. Club football is similarly on the rise in Wales, with the Cymru Premier, the top flight of Welsh football, expanding its league to facilitate 16 teams instead of 14 from the 2026/27 season. 

However, there's an argument that the most supported and successful Welsh club sides don't even play in Wales. But who are these clubs, and why don't they play in the Welsh system? 

Swansea City (Championship)

Current Second Division outfit Swansea City were founded in 1912 as 'Swansea Town'. Swansea City are often considered one of the two biggest Welsh football clubs, having enjoyed seven consecutive seasons in the top flight of English football as well as winning the 2012/13 League Cup and being the first Welsh side to qualify for Europe through the English system via this victory. 

(Credit: Wales Online)

Following their founding, The Swans entered the Southern Football League situated in Level 7 of the English footballing pyramid, as there was no Welsh league alternative for the side to enter. In fact, despite being the third-oldest football association in the world, it took the Football Association of Wales (FAW) until 1992 to create their own associated league system after numerous attempts to do so fell through. The decision to create said league sprouted from the FAW's worry that, without an independent league, the Welsh national team's future could be in danger. 

By the time the FAW had created a working league structure, Swansea had already been active in the English pyramid for eight decades and due to their pedigree in the English game, the FAW allowed Swansea to remain in the English league system. Swansea, however, have previously participated in 'Welsh' footballing tournaments in form of the Welsh Cup and FAW Premier Cup, being ten-time winners of the former and two-time winners of the latter. 

The Welsh Cup was first played in the 1877/78 season and included all Welsh clubs regardless of the league system they played in. Following the formation of the modern Welsh League system in 1992, the FAW banned Welsh teams that competed in the English footballing pyramid from entering the competition from the 1996 season. The ban was then lifted in 2011 but only three of the Welsh teams playing in England returned to play in the cup; Swansea were not one of them. 

The FAW Premier Cup was founded in 1997 to accommodate for the Welsh teams competing in the English pyramid after the FAW's decision to ban them from the Welsh Cup. The FAW Premier Cup was an annual competition that most recently included sixteen teams, ten of which were Welsh Premier League sides in addition to Wrexham, Swansea City, Cardiff City and two of either Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil or Colwyn Bay, with the 16th place going to the previous winners of the Welsh Cup. The FAW Premier Cup was abolished in 2008. 

A.F.C. Wrexham (Championship)

The meteoric rise of Wrexham has been nothing less than blockbuster. The Red Dragons were the first team in the English football pyramid to achieve three back-to-back promotions and could very well be up there in the Championship this season, despite a below par start.

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While the modern Wrexham story is both interesting and well documented, the club's foundations date back to the mid-1860s making Wrexham the oldest club in Wales and the third oldest professional club in the world. 

Wrexham were founded 13 years before the FAW were founded in 1876, meaning the Welsh side had even fewer options than Swansea, as there wasn't even an English league system to enter until the 1890/91 season. Wrexham played their first league football in the, now-defunct, 'Combination League', a league comprised of teams mainly from the North West of England and Wales. 

Prior to joining the Combination League, Wrexham played a mixture of friendlies against local sides and cup fixtures such as the aforementioned Welsh Cup, of which they were the inaugural winners. 

Wrexham initially participated in the Combination League from 1890 to 1894, finishing 8th three times and 6th once, before a steep increase in costs forced the Red Dragons to join the Denbigshire League, another defunct league mainly comprised of teams from Wrexham's local area. Wrexham played in the Denbighshire League for two seasons, winning the title back-to-back, before their return to the Combination League in the 1896/97 season.

When the modern Welsh league system was introduced, Wrexham had just been promoted to the Third Division of English football, and as they did for Swansea, the FAW allowed Wrexham to continue within the English footballing pyramid.

Wrexham were also allowed to play in both the Welsh Cup and FAW Premier Cup, holding the record for most tournament wins for both competitions with 23 and 5 wins respectively. 

Cardiff City (League One)

Cardiff City, who currently play their football in the English Third Division, were founded in 1899 and are, with Swansea, considered one of the biggest teams in Wales, having won one of the two major English league honours by a Welsh team after clinching the FA Cup in the 1926/27 season. The Bluebirds play their first season in the Third Division since the 2000/01 season after their relegation from the Championship last season but have made a bright start amassing 13 points from their first five games. 

(Credit: Getty Images)

Cardiff City were originally founded as Riverside A.F.C. but changed their name to their now-known alias in 1908, entering the Southern Football League two seasons later. Cardiff spent a decade between the divisions of the Southern Football Leagues before joining the English Football League in 1920.

Cardiff were the third, and final, side that the FAW allowed to remain in the English pyramid, due to their established pedigree in the English leagues by 1992. Unlike Wrexham, Cardiff have never played their league football in Wales and have mostly drifted between the third and First Division of England. However, The Bluebirds have also, when allowed, participated in the FAW Premier Cup and Welsh Cup, winning the former only once in 2001/02 and the latter 22 times. 

Newport County (League Two)

Newport County were founded in 1912 and currently play their football in the Fourth Division of English football. The Port were promoted from the Conference League following the 2012/13 season, and have played in League Two ever since, narrowly missing out on promotion by losing the Play-Off Final in 2019 and 2021. 

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Newport played their first league games in the aforementioned Southern League, and in 1920 were invited to become a founding member of the Football League. Newport have had a tumultuous history, bouncing around the regional and lower divisions of English football, mostly playing their football in the, now-defunct, Football League Fourth Division.

Newport stumbled into financial trouble and experienced back-to-back relegations from the Third Division to the Conference League between 1986 and 1988. Newport failed to play all their fixtures in the Conference League season of 1988/89 due to financial issues and were subsequently expelled and stripped of any points they gained, with an accompanying 300,000 pounds of debt. 

By June of 1989, the club had reformed under the name Newport A.F.C. 'The Exiles', as they were now known, opted to return to league football via the Hellenic League, a league four divisions below the Football League. Newport clinched the Hellenic League title in their first season returning to the Southern League, in which they started their footballing journey 77 years prior. 

When the FAW announced the Welsh Football League in 1992, Newport A.F.C. had just achieved a mid-table finish in the Southern League. Unlike Swansea, Wrexham and Cardiff, The Port were not seen as established Football League sides by the FAW and, along with all the other Welsh-based teams below the Third Division of English football, were ordered to join the Welsh pyramid.

Eight Welsh-based teams playing in the English league system refused to join the FAW's new pyramid and were nicknamed the 'Irate Eight' by Welsh media outlets. The Irate Eight, of which Newport were a member, took the FAW to court and won, allowing them to remain playing in the English leagues. However, whilst the Irate Eight were allowed to compete in the English game, they weren't allowed to play home matches in Wales, often forcing teams to ground share with nearby English teams. Newport County ground-shared with Gloucester City, playing their football at Meadow Park, for two years until the home ground ban was lifted in 1994. 

Due to limited success and rising funds in the English game, the only original member of the Irate Eight that remains in the English pyramid is Newport County. 

Much like Swansea, Wrexham and Cardiff, Newport County have also sporadically played in both the Welsh Cup and FAW Premier Cup, winning each once. 

Merthyr Town (National League North)

Merthyr Town currently play their football in the sixth tier of English football and are, at present, the lowest-ranked Welsh outfit playing in the English pyramid. The Martyrs achieved the Premier Division South title last season and currently sit 6th in the National League North, the second-highest division that they have ever competed in.

(Credit: Becky Handley)

Merthyr Town were originally founded in 1908 and had a rocky first two decades. Newport joined the Second Division of the Southern League in 1909 and achieved promotion after the 1911/12 season before subsequently being relegated the following campaign. After the First World War, between 1914 and 1918, Merthyr returned as Southern League First Division participants. 

Prior to the 1920/21 season, the Football League expanded and created a Third Division with Merthyr Town becoming a founding member. The Martyrs achieved their highest finish, finishing 8th in the Third Division, but were unable to build on the momentum gained and slowly, year-by-year, fell down the division until they were voted out of the Football League in 1930, eventually folding in 1934. 

In 1945, the side returned under the new name of Merthyr Tydfil F.C. and played one season in the then First Division of Wales, finishing second, before rejoining the Southern League of England. The club enjoyed immediate success in the Southern League, winning the title five times in their first nine seasons back in English football. However, it took Merthyr Tydfil until 1989 to be invited back into the Football League, joining the National League after winning the Southern League title again in the 1988/89 season. 

When the FAW announced the Welsh Football League, Merthyr Tydfil had just achieved their highest league finish to date, finishing fourth in the Fifth Division. Merthyr Tydfil were one of the original Irate Eight members, refusing the FAW's demand to join the Welsh pyramid and successfully taking them to court. 

Merthyr Tydfil carried on in the National League as normal for the next three seasons before they were relegated back to the Southern League in 1995. The Martyrs remained in the Southern League until 2010, when they fell into financial problems and were subsequently liquidated.

The club reformed a season later and returned to their previous alias, Merthyr Town, under which they still operate today. The club achieved back-to-back promotions in their first two seasons and remained in the Southern League for nine years before attaining their aforementioned promotion to the National League North last season. 

What happened to the rest of the Irate Eight?

Despite beating the FAW in court and being given the freedom to play in the English pyramid, Bangor City, Newtown A.F.C. and Rhyl F.C. reluctantly agreed to move across to the Welsh Pyramid, however Rhyl missed the application cutoff for the league so had to play the 1992/93 campaign in the Welsh Second Division, before winning the title by six points, promoting them to the First Division. 

Barry Town only stayed in the English football pyramid for one more year after the court hearing against the FAW. For the 1992/93 campaign, Barry Town, under the short-term alias 'Barri A.F.C.' played their home matches at Worcester City's ground. Following the conclusion of the 1992/93 season, chairman Neil O'Halloran decided to move the side back to their previous stadium Jenner Park in Wales and eventually accepted the FAW's proposal, removing Barry Town from the English pyramid indefinitely.

When the FAW proposed the Welsh Premier Division, Caernarfon Town had just finished 5th in the Northern Premier League and opted to remain in said league. However, three years of mediocre league positions from 1993 to 1995 prompted the Caernarfon board of directors to re-evaluate their decision and agree to the FAW's proposal. Due to the Welsh home stadium ban imposed by the FAW for the 1992/93 and 1993/94 seasons, Caernarfon Town briefly ground-shared with Curzon Town, playing their football at the Tameside Stadium. 

Colwyn Bay F.C. moved to the Drill Field stadium in Northwich for the 1992/93 season and then to the Ellesmere Port Stadium for the 1993/94 season, following the FAW's home game ban. Colwyn Bay were then allowed to return to their previous stadium of Llanelian in 1994, where they remain to this day. 

Between 1992 and 2019, The Seagulls mainly played their football in the 7th tier of English football, with the club's highest ever division being the 6th tier, where they played four consecutive seasons from 2010 to 2014. Colwyn Bay were relegated to the 8th tier in 2016 and experienced consecutive disappointing campaigns in the three seasons that followed, which prompted the club to rejoin the Welsh football pyramid in 2019.