Welsh Cup
 | |
| Founded | 1877 |
|---|---|
| Region |
Wales England |
| Number of teams | 135 |
| Current champions | The New Saints |
| Most successful club(s) |
Wrexham (23 times) |
 2014–15 Welsh Cup | |
The Welsh Cup (Welsh: Cwpan Cymru) is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.
The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run (except during the two World Wars) every year since its inception in 1877–78.[1]
In the early years of organised football in Wales, football was very much the sport of North Wales rather than the rugby union playing south – the FAW was founded in Ruabon, near Wrexham in 1876, and Wrexham remained the site of the FAW's head office until 1986; it was not until 1912 that a southern team, Cardiff City, won the Welsh Cup for the first time.
The winning team qualifies to play in the following season's UEFA Europa League (previously teams qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup, which was discontinued in 1999).
Participants
Until 1995, some clubs playing in England were also invited to play in the Welsh Cup, but could not progress to the European Cup Winners' Cup by winning the Welsh Cup. Instead, the best placed Welsh club in the Welsh cup would take the European place.
From 1996 to 2011, only clubs playing in the Welsh football league system were allowed to enter the Welsh Cup. This rule excluded the six Welsh clubs who played in the English football league system: Cardiff City, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil/Town, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham. On 20 April 2011, the Football Association of Wales invited these six clubs to rejoin the Welsh Cup for the 2011–12 season, but only Merthyr Town, Newport County and Wrexham accepted.[2] In March 2012, UEFA stated that Welsh clubs playing in the English football league system could not qualify for European competitions via the Welsh cup but they could qualify via the English league and cup competitions,[3] hence they were subsequently again excluded from the Welsh Cup.[4]
History
Between the 1961–62 and 1984–85 seasons, the final was played as a two-leg match, originally on a points basis rather than aggregate score. In the 1985–86 season, it reverted to a single game, to be decided by extra time and penalties as necessary.[1]
Shrewsbury Town hold the record for the most times an English team has won the Cup, a record that will remain unbroken owing to the fact that English teams have not been allowed to compete in the cup since 1995. The last English winner of the Welsh Cup was Hereford United in 1990.
Welsh Cup Final results
For a list of Welsh Cup finals including venue and attendance information see List of Welsh Cup finals.
Performance by club
| Club | Wins | Runners-up | Total final appearances |
Last final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrexham[w 1] | 23 | 22 | 45 | 1995 |
| 2 | Cardiff City[w 1] | 22 | 10 | 32 | 1995 |
| 3 | Swansea City[w 1][5] | 10 | 8 | 18 | 1991 |
| 4 | Bangor City | 8 | 10 | 18 | 2013 |
| 5 | Cefn Druids | 8 | 6 | 14 | 2012 |
| 6 | Shrewsbury Town  |
6 | 3 | 9 | 1985 |
| 7 | Barry Town | 6 | 1 | 7 | 2003 |
| 8 | Chirk A.A.A. | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1894 |
| 9 | Rhyl | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2006 |
| 10 | The New Saints[6] | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2014 |
| 11 | Chester City[7] |
3 | 10 | 13 | 1970 |
| 12 | Merthyr Tydfil[w 1] | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1987 |
| 13 | Wellington Town[7] |
3 | 3 | 1940 | |
| 14 | Newtown | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1897 |
| 15 | Crewe Alexandra |
2 | 2 | 1937 | |
| 15 | Oswestry United[7] |
2 | 2 | 1901 | |
| 17 | Hereford United |
1 | 3 | 4 | 1990 |
| 18 | Llanelli | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2011 |
| 18 | Newport County[w 1] | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1987 |
| 18 | Carmarthen Town | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2007 |
| 18 | Connah's Quay & Shotton[7] | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1929 |
| 22 | Tranmere Rovers |
1 | 1 | 2 | 1935 |
| 22 | Lovell's Athletic[7] | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1959 |
| 22 | Oswestry White Stars[7] |
1 | 1 | 2 | 1885 |
| 22 | Aberystwyth Town | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2014 |
| 26 | Borough United[7] | 1 | 1 | 1963 | |
| 26 | Bristol City |
1 | 1 | 1934 | |
| 26 | Ebbw Vale[7] | 1 | 1 | 1926 | |
| 26 | Flint Town United | 1 | 1 | 1954 | |
| 26 | Inter Cardiff | 1 | 1 | 1999 | |
| 26 | Prestatyn Town | 1 | 1 | 2013 | |
| 26 | South Liverpool |
1 | 1 | 1939 | |
| 33 | Aberdare Athletic[w 1] | 4 | 4 | 1923 | |
| 34 | Cwmbran Town | 3 | 3 | 2002 | |
| 34 | Pontypridd | 3 | 3 | 1921 | |
| 36 | Kidderminster Harriers |
2 | 2 | 1989 | |
| 36 | Northwich Victoria |
2 | 2 | 1910 | |
| 36 | Westminster Rovers[7] | 2 | 2 | 1892 | |
| 36 | Whitchurch [7] |
2 | 2 | 1906 | |
| 40 | Afan Lido | 1 | 1 | 2007 | |
| 40 | Aberaman | 1 | 1 | 1903 | |
| 40 | Connah's Quay Nomads | 1 | 1 | 1998 | |
| 40 | Davenham[7] | 1 | 1 | 1887 | |
| 40 | Flint Town[7] | 1 | 1 | 1925 | |
| 40 | Hednesford Town |
1 | 1 | 1992 | |
| 40 | Merthyr Town[w 1] | 1 | 1 | 1924 | |
| 40 | Ruthin | 1 | 1 | 1880 | |
| 40 | Stourbridge |
1 | 1 | 1974 | |
| 40 | Ton Pentre | 1 | 1 | 1922 | |
| 40 | Port Talbot Town | 1 | 1 | 2010 |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Indicates a Welsh club that plays or has played in the English system.
See also
- FAW Premier Cup
- Football in Wales
- List of football clubs in Wales
- List of stadiums in Wales by capacity
- Welsh football league system
- Welsh League Cup
- FAW Trophy
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Welsh Cup Notes". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ↑ "Welsh cup exile over". South Wales Argus.
- ↑ "Uefa give Swansea and Cardiff European assurance". BBC Sport. 21 March 2012.
- ↑ "Welsh clubs excluded from Welsh cup". BBC Sport. 20 June 2012.
- ↑ Have played in the final as Swansea Town and Swansea City.
- ↑ Have played in the final as Llansantffraid and Total Network Solutions.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 7.11 Italics indicates the club no longer exists.
External links
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