Interesting facts about the Clwyd Football League

There are many different and interesting facts about the Clwyd Football League and here you have the ones that we have viewed as the most important ones:

  • The last season of the Clwyd Football League was 2008-09.
  • The first official season had ten teams, although the people involved determined that fourteen was the best possible number, but the reality was much different as a couple of teams disagreed to be part of this project.
  • The ten clubs that played in the first official season were Prestatyn Town, Point of Ayr, Flint Town United, Connah’s Quay Nomads, Rhyl Wanderers, Saltney Social, Denbigh Town, Courtaulds Greenfield, Courtaulds Flint, and Summers Sports.
  • Prestatyn Town were the first ever champions of the Clwyd Football League, having won the tournament in 1975 with 33 points after 18 games.
  • As an interesting way to end the cycle, the Prestatyn Town Reserves were also the last ever champions of the Clwyd Football League, having won the tournament in the 2008-09 season with 67 points after 26 games.
  • During the latter years of the competition, the Clwyd Football League worked was as a feeder tournament to Welsh Alliance League, which was also known for a while as the North Welsh League.
  • After the success of the first season, the following one had more changes, with the divisional titles being modified, so know you had the top tier being called Premier Division and the following in the pecking order being known as divisions 1, 2 and 3.
  • Naturally, being the amalgamation of two different leagues, the Clwyd Football League covered a lot more grounded than its predecessors, stretching from North Wales all the way up to Chester, which was close to the English border, thus covering the likes of Flintshire, Conwy and some areas of Denbighshire in the process.
  • The first group of elected officers for the league were the following: E J Owen, President; Dr H.D. McKenzie, Chairman; Elfed Ellis, Vice Chairman; Noel Price, Secretary; B. Gough Roberts, Fixture Secretary; P.A. White, Treasurer; L.M. Williams, Assistant Treasurer; D. Fleming and R.E.M. Jones at Registration Secretary.

Overall, the Clwyd Football League was a necessary step at a time where football in Wales was in a constant state of upheaval and there was a need and demand for changes in order to keep the beautiful game in the place it deserved among the youth in their country.

It’s worth pointing out that the mid-70s were a time where rugby was gaining more prominence in Wales and that was another worrying aspect for the people in charge of their football.

This was a tournament that lasted almost four decades and which had a major impact in the growth and development of football in Wales, which is also part of the constant process of restructuring that their football divisions have gone throughout the years.