Welshpool

Welshpool Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pel-droed Y Trallwng) is a football team, based in Welshpool, playing in the Mid Wales Football League.

The club was founded as Welshpool Town F.C. in 1878 and plays at the Maes y Dre Recreation Ground, Welshpool, playing in the Ardal Leagues North East.

History

Welshpool Town was formed in 1878 but adopted such colourful names as Welshpool Wanderers and Welshpool Warriors – although the latter may have been a separate club. The club reformed as Welshpool AFC in 1889 after one season as Welshpool United and briefly flirted with the Shropshire League. After the First World War Welshpool competed in the Central Wales leagues winning the Central Section in 1921. Four years later in 1925 the club stepped up to the First Division (North) after finishing as runners up to Llanidloes Town.

After the Second World War Welshpool moved to the Welsh National League (Wrexham area). Success followed including Welsh National League Champions 1955, 1956, 1962 and 1965. The club then returned to the Mid Wales League which it won seven times between 1968 and 1980, as well as winning the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1972. The club continued to be a force in Mid Wales football throughout the 1970s and 1980s which led to their application to apply as founder members of the Cymru Alliance in 1990. They finished second in 1993 and 1996 and as champions Oswestry Town were not eligible for promotion, Welshpool took their place in the League of Wales in the 1996–97 season instead, finishing 17th.

Next season they were relegated and stayed in the Alliance until winning the competition in 2002. In the 2002–03 season they finished next to bottom, but appealed against relegation to the FAW, because Neath were denied promotion as they failed to meet Welsh Premier ground criteria. To the surprise of many, they were reinstated in the League for 2003–04.

In the 2005–06 season, the club finished 6th in the Welsh Premier League, their highest finish in the league to date.