FAW Premier Cup
Encyclopedia
The FAW Premier Cup is a defunct Welsh
football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales
from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English leagues
(including six Welsh clubs) from playing in the Welsh Cup
from 1996 onwards, the FAW needed another competition where the best Welsh teams could compete.
The original format incorporated the three Welsh clubs playing in the Football League
(Cardiff City
, Swansea City
and Wrexham) along with Merthyr Tydfil
and four League of Wales clubs (now the Welsh Premier League). Until the 2001–02 season, Merthyr Tydfil had a guaranteed place, as Newport County
and Colwyn Bay
were not invited to take part. From then onwards, the highest placed of the three were invited. Colwyn Bay never subsequently qualified.
From the 2004–05 season, the competition was expanded to 16 clubs – the top 10 placed clubs from the Welsh Premier League
, joined by the two best-placed of the three teams: Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil and Colwyn Bay, the Welsh Cup
winners plus the three Football League clubs – Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham.
The competition offered a healthy prize fund. In 2007, the losing semi-final teams each received £25,000. The losing finalists received £50,000 each plus a share of TV coverage money, with the winners receiving £100,000.
The competition's most senior clubs were accused of taking the competition lightly. Cardiff City in particular, following the arrival of ambitious owner Sam Hammam
enjoyed relative success in the Football League but Cardiff City won the FAW Premier Cup just once, beating arch-rivals Swansea City in the 2002 final.
Wrexham appeared in all but three finals. The only Welsh Premier League clubs to have played in the final are Barry Town, Rhyl, The New Saints and Llanelli. The 2007 final was the first final not to include one of the English Football League clubs. In the last final, on 11 March 2008, Newport County
beat Llanelli
at Newport Stadium.
The FAW Premier Cup was broadcast on BBC Wales
. However, after BBC Wales withdrew their sponsorship of the competition in 2008, the competition was cancelled.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English leagues
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
(including six Welsh clubs) from playing in the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup 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 every year since its inception in 1877-78...
from 1996 onwards, the FAW needed another competition where the best Welsh teams could compete.
The original format incorporated the three Welsh clubs playing in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
(Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
and Wrexham) along with Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2010 the club was liquidated and reformed under the name Merthyr Town, which was accepted into Division One of the Western League.-History:...
and four League of Wales clubs (now the Welsh Premier League). Until the 2001–02 season, Merthyr Tydfil had a guaranteed place, as Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
and Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...
were not invited to take part. From then onwards, the highest placed of the three were invited. Colwyn Bay never subsequently qualified.
From the 2004–05 season, the competition was expanded to 16 clubs – the top 10 placed clubs from the Welsh Premier League
League of Wales
The Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales. It has both Professional and Semi-Professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales, but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal...
, joined by the two best-placed of the three teams: Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil and Colwyn Bay, the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup 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 every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winners plus the three Football League clubs – Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham.
The competition offered a healthy prize fund. In 2007, the losing semi-final teams each received £25,000. The losing finalists received £50,000 each plus a share of TV coverage money, with the winners receiving £100,000.
The competition's most senior clubs were accused of taking the competition lightly. Cardiff City in particular, following the arrival of ambitious owner Sam Hammam
Sam Hammam
Samir "Sam" Hammam is a Lebanese business man, most notable for his high profile involvement in British football clubs.-Career:...
enjoyed relative success in the Football League but Cardiff City won the FAW Premier Cup just once, beating arch-rivals Swansea City in the 2002 final.
Wrexham appeared in all but three finals. The only Welsh Premier League clubs to have played in the final are Barry Town, Rhyl, The New Saints and Llanelli. The 2007 final was the first final not to include one of the English Football League clubs. In the last final, on 11 March 2008, Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
beat Llanelli
Llanelli A.F.C.
Llanelli Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club that plays in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010–11 season. The team has been based at Stebonheath Park since 1920, and as of 2009 is managed by Andy Legg....
at Newport Stadium.
The FAW Premier Cup was broadcast on BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
. However, after BBC Wales withdrew their sponsorship of the competition in 2008, the competition was cancelled.
Results of finals
| Year | Winners | Result | Runners-up | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | Wrexham | 2–1 | Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
Racecourse Ground Racecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... |
|
| 1998–99 | Barry Town Barry Town F.C. Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated... |
2–1 | Wrexham | Racecourse Ground Racecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... |
|
| 1999–2000 | Wrexham | 2–0 | Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
Racecourse Ground Racecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... |
|
| 2000–01 | Wrexham | 2–0 | Swansea City | Vetch Field Vetch Field The Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak... |
|
| 2001–02 | Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
1–0 | Swansea City | Ninian Park Ninian Park Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship... |
6,629 |
| 2002–03 | Wrexham | 6–1 | Newport County | Racecourse Ground Racecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... |
4,014 |
| 2003–04 | Wrexham | 4–1 | Rhyl Rhyl F.C. Rhyl Football Club is a Welsh football club, playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1882 and the team plays its home matches at Belle Vue, Rhyl, which can accommodate 3,000 spectators.- History :Few clubs in the Welsh Premier League have as distinguished a past as Rhyl's... |
Belle Vue Belle Vue (Rhyl) Belle Vue is a multi-purpose stadium in Rhyl, Wales. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Rhyl F.C.. The stadium holds 3,000 people.... |
2,800 |
| 2004–05 | Swansea City | 2–1 | Wrexham | Vetch Field Vetch Field The Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak... |
9,000 |
| 2005–06 | Swansea City | 2–1 | Wrexham | Racecourse Ground Racecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... |
3,032 |
| 2006–07 | The New Saints The New Saints F.C. The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club , also known as The New Saints or simply TNS is a full-time-professional British football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Powys, Wales and Oswestry in Shropshire, England . They play in the Welsh Premier League... |
1–0 | Newport County Newport County A.F.C. Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system... |
Newport Stadium Newport Stadium Newport Stadium is a football and athletics stadium in Newport, Wales. It is currently the home of Newport County A.F.C., Llanwern F.C. and Newport Harriers Athletic Club. Albion Rovers F.C... |
1,809 |
| 2007–08 | Newport County | 1–0 | Llanelli Llanelli A.F.C. Llanelli Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club that plays in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010–11 season. The team has been based at Stebonheath Park since 1920, and as of 2009 is managed by Andy Legg.... |
Newport Stadium Newport Stadium Newport Stadium is a football and athletics stadium in Newport, Wales. It is currently the home of Newport County A.F.C., Llanwern F.C. and Newport Harriers Athletic Club. Albion Rovers F.C... |
1,889 |
Club-by-club record
| Rank | Club | Appearances | Winners | Runners-up | Winning year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrexham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04 |
| 2 | Swansea City Swansea City A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position... |
11 | 2 | 2 | 2004–05, 2005–06 |
| 3 | Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
11 | 1 | 2 | 2001–02 |
| Newport County Newport County A.F.C. Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system... |
7 | 1 | 2 | 2007–08 | |
| 5 | Barry Town Barry Town F.C. Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated... |
7 | 1 | 0 | 1998–99 |
| The New Saints The New Saints F.C. The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club , also known as The New Saints or simply TNS is a full-time-professional British football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Powys, Wales and Oswestry in Shropshire, England . They play in the Welsh Premier League... |
9 | 1 | 0 | 2006–07 | |
| 7 | Rhyl Rhyl F.C. Rhyl Football Club is a Welsh football club, playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1882 and the team plays its home matches at Belle Vue, Rhyl, which can accommodate 3,000 spectators.- History :Few clubs in the Welsh Premier League have as distinguished a past as Rhyl's... |
8 | 0 | 1 | |
| Llanelli Llanelli A.F.C. Llanelli Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club that plays in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010–11 season. The team has been based at Stebonheath Park since 1920, and as of 2009 is managed by Andy Legg.... |
3 | 0 | 1 |
See also
- Football in WalesFootball in WalesAssociation football in Wales is governed by the Football Association of Wales , which was established in 1876. The FAW oversees the Wales national football team and the Welsh football league system....
- Welsh football league systemWelsh football league systemThe Welsh football league system is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them.-Structure of Welsh football:...
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup 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 every year since its inception in 1877-78...
- Welsh League CupWelsh League CupThe Welsh League Cup is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Welsh Premier League...
- List of football clubs in Wales
- List of stadiums in Wales by capacity