FAW Premier Cup

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The FAW Premier Cup (formerly the FAW Invitation Cup) is a Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales since 1997. Since the clubs playing in English leagues were excluded from playing in the Welsh Cup in 1996, the FAW needed another competition where their best teams could compete together.

The original format incorporated the three Football League clubs along with Merthyr Tydfil and four League of Wales clubs. Until the 2001-2002 season Merthyr Tydfil had a guaranteed place, as Colwyn Bay and Newport County were not invited to take part. From then onwards the highest placed of the three was invited. From the 2004-05 season the competition has been expanded to 16 clubs - the top 10 placed clubs from the Welsh Premier, joined by the two best-placed of the three non-league teams - Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport County, the Welsh Cup winners plus the three Football League clubs - Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham.

It currently offers a healthy prize fund, including £100,000 for the winning team and a share of television revenue.

The competition's most senior clubs, most notably Cardiff City, have been accused of taking the competition lightly following the arrival of ambitious owner Sam Hammam. Despite the club's success in the Football League, the Bluebirds have won the Premier Cup just once since its conception, beating arch-rivals Swansea City in the 2002 final.

The FAW Premier Cup is broadcast on BBC Wales.

[edit] Results

Year	Winners	Runners-up
1998	Wrexham	Cardiff City
1999	Barry Town	Wrexham
2000	Wrexham	Cardiff City
2001	Wrexham	Swansea City
2002	Cardiff City	Swansea City
2003	Wrexham	Newport County
2004	Wrexham	Rhyl
2005	Swansea City	Wrexham
2006	Swansea City	Wrexham