Welsh Cup
The JD Welsh Cup, commonly referred to as the Welsh Cup, is the premier annual knockout association football competition contested by clubs within the Welsh football league system.[1] Organized by the Football Association of Wales since its inception in the 1877–78 season, it ranks as the third-oldest national cup tournament worldwide, following England's FA Cup (1871) and Scotland's national competition (1873).[2][3] The single-elimination format spans multiple rounds, accommodating teams from top-tier Cymru Premier sides to lower-division and amateur outfits, with the final determining the champion who secures qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League's qualifying rounds.[4] Historically uninterrupted except during the World Wars, the competition has produced notable upsets and sustained rivalries, underscoring its role in Welsh domestic football despite the cross-border participation of major clubs like Cardiff City and Swansea City in English leagues.[3] Wrexham A.F.C. holds the record for most victories with 23 titles, while recent dominance has been exhibited by The New Saints, who claimed their tenth win in the 2024–25 edition.[5][6]Format and Eligibility
Participants
The FAW Welsh Cup, known in Welsh as Cwpan Cymru, is contested by men's football clubs affiliated with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) that maintain registered grounds compliant with specified criteria, including safety and facility standards.[7] Entry requires formal notification to the FAW Chief Executive by 30 June annually, accompanied by a £75 fee (inclusive of VAT), with additional requirements for clubs using artificial pitches to submit certification.[7] Participation is mandatory for all clubs in Tiers 1, 2, and 3 of the Welsh men's football pyramid system, encompassing the 12-team JD Cymru Premier (Tier 1), the 32-team Cymru North and Cymru South leagues (Tier 2), and the Ardal Leagues comprising multiple regional divisions (Tier 3).[7][8] Clubs from Tier 4 and below may enter voluntarily, subject to National Cup Board approval and ground standards; in the 2025–26 season, a record 272 teams registered, reflecting broad participation across the pyramid.[7][9] Entry rounds are tiered to accommodate varying numbers: lower-tier clubs (primarily Tier 3 and below) begin in the First Qualifying Round, while the 17 lowest-ranked Tier 2 teams enter at Round 1, and the 15 highest-ranked Tier 2 clubs plus all Tier 1 teams receive byes to Round 2.[8] The National Cup Board reserves the right to reject entries or disqualify teams for non-compliance, such as breaches of FAW rules or changes in league status.[7] Clubs based in Wales but competing in the English football system—such as Wrexham A.F.C., Cardiff City F.C., Swansea City A.F.C., and Newport County A.F.C.—are ineligible, as they fall under The Football Association's jurisdiction rather than the FAW's, preventing entry despite occasional proposals for inclusion in related competitions.[10][11]Competition Structure and Rules
The JD Welsh Cup operates as a single-elimination knockout tournament open to men's football clubs under the jurisdiction of the Football Association of Wales (FAW), provided their grounds meet specified criteria including capacity for admission charges, goal nets, and separate facilities for teams and officials.[7] Entry is mandatory for clubs in Tiers 1 through 3 of the Welsh football pyramid, while lower-tier clubs may enter optionally by submitting an application and £75 fee by 30 June preceding the season.[7] Cymru Premier (Tier 1) clubs receive a bye directly to Round 2, joined by the top eight teams from the prior season in both Cymru North and Cymru South (Tiers 2), determined by league standings; lower entrants compete in Qualifying Rounds 1 and 2.[7] [12] Draws for the Qualifying Rounds through Round 2 incorporate geographical groupings to minimize travel, with ties conducted regionally before progressing to an open national draw from Round 3 onward, encompassing 32 teams through to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.[7] The National Cup Board, appointed by the FAW, oversees the competition, including the authority to select specific matches for midweek scheduling on Fridays preceding round dates if deemed in the overall interest, and retains discretion to amend rules as necessary.[7] All matches consist of 90 minutes of regulation time divided into two 45-minute halves with a 15-minute interval, adhering to IFAB Laws of the Game; there is no provision for extra time or replays, with drawn ties resolved immediately via penalty shootouts.[7] Postponed or abandoned fixtures are rescheduled for the following Wednesday if within 100 miles and equipped with floodlights, or otherwise on the subsequent weekend, ensuring progression without delay.[7] Players must be registered with the FAW by 5:00 PM on the last working day before each round's conference date to be eligible, maintaining competitive integrity.[7] The winners receive 25 commemorative medals, as do the runners-up following the final.[7]Historical Development
Origins and Early Years (1877–1945)
The Welsh Cup, formally the Welsh Football Association Challenge Cup, was inaugurated in 1877 by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), which had been established the previous year to govern and promote association football in the principality.[13][3] This made it the third-oldest national knockout competition globally, following the English FA Cup (1871) and Scottish Cup (1873), and it was modeled similarly as an open-entry tournament to encourage participation amid nascent organized football in Wales.[13] The inaugural season (1877–78) featured primarily clubs from northern Wales, reflecting the sport's early stronghold there, as southern regions favored rugby union; only 12 teams entered, with Wrexham defeating Druids 1–0 in the final on 30 March 1878 at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, before a crowd of around 1,500.[13][5] Early editions underscored the competition's role in fostering regional rivalries and cross-border involvement, with English clubs from border counties like Cheshire frequently qualifying due to geographic proximity and limited Welsh depth.[3] Druids secured three consecutive victories from 1879–80 to 1881–82, including a 2–1 win over Ruthin in 1880, establishing northern dominance; Newtown White Star claimed the 1878–79 title by beating Wrexham 1–0.[13][5] By the 1890s, southern entrants emerged, with Cardiff FC participating from 1892, though finals remained north-centric until the early 1900s; Wrexham won again in 1902–03 (3–1 over Aberdare), and English side Tranmere Rovers reached the 1908 final, losing 3–1 to Chester.[13] Participation grew modestly, averaging 20–30 teams per season pre-1914, but the tournament's prestige drew crowds exceeding 10,000 for key matches, aiding football's infrastructure development in industrial northern towns.[3] The First World War interrupted proceedings from 1914–15 to 1919–20, suspending the cup amid resource shortages and player enlistment, with resumption yielding Cardiff City's first southern triumph in 1919–20 (3–1 over Pontypridd).[13] Interwar years saw increased professionalism and English incursions, as Chester lifted the trophy in 1920 (2–0 over Pontypridd) and 1931 (3–2 over Rhyl), while Welsh clubs like Wrexham (1921, 1931 runners-up multiple times) and Oswestry United (1929) prevailed.[5] The competition stabilized with standardized rules, including replays for drawn ties, but attendance fluctuated with economic pressures; by 1939, Cardiff held three titles, signaling gradual southern integration.[3] The Second World War halted play from 1939–40 to 1944–45, limiting activity to regional exhibitions, with the last pre-war final in 1938–39 seeing Rex (Port Talbot) defeat Cardiff City 1–0.[13] This period cemented the cup's endurance as a merit-based showcase, despite wartime disruptions, having produced 62 editions by 1945 with northern clubs winning approximately 60% of finals.[5]Post-War Expansion and Challenges (1946–1995)
The Welsh Cup resumed in the 1946–47 season after suspension during World War II from 1940 to 1946. Chester, an English club eligible via border participation rules, won the final replay 5–1 against Merthyr Tydfil following a 0–0 draw, with the match hosted at Racecourse Ground in England due to post-war venue constraints in Wales.[14][15] Post-war recovery in British football facilitated expansion, with the competition attracting entrants from Welsh clubs in the English pyramid—such as Cardiff City, Swansea Town, and Wrexham—alongside regional amateur and semi-professional sides, increasing competitive depth and attendance at key ties. The introduction of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup qualification for victors from the 1960–61 season onward elevated prestige; Swansea Town's 3–1 final win over Bangor City that year marked Wales' first entry into European club competition, drawing greater media and sponsorship interest.[14][14] Eligibility rules allowing English league clubs to opt in boosted match quality but created imbalances, as resource-rich teams often dominated: Cardiff City reached ten straight finals from 1966–67 to 1975–76, securing seven titles, including victories over Hereford United (3–1 in 1968) and Swansea City (2–1 in 1969), underscoring challenges for underfunded Welsh league outfits in progressing beyond early rounds.[14][14] Administrative adaptations addressed logistical issues in deciding finals: two-legged formats with playoffs operated from 1961–62 to 1970–71; aggregate scores with double-weighted away goals from 1971–72 to 1984–85; and single neutral-venue matches with extra time or penalties from 1985–86 onward, aiming to reduce replays amid growing fixture congestion from league commitments.[15] Geographical fragmentation posed ongoing challenges, as Wales' population centers—north, south, and west—were divided by sparsely populated uplands, inflating travel costs and deterring consistent participation from remote clubs, which compounded financial strains in an era before widespread professionalization.[16] By 1994–95, Wrexham claimed a record-extending 23rd title with a 2–1 victory over Cardiff City, propelled by Gary Bennett's brace; this outcome represented the final Welsh Cup success for a club embedded in the English system before 1996 restrictions limited entrants to the domestic Welsh pyramid, reflecting tensions over national identity and European access equity.[14]Modern Reforms and Professionalization (1996–Present)
In 1996, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) restricted Welsh Cup entry to clubs competing exclusively within the Welsh domestic league pyramid, excluding those in the English Football League system, including Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham, and Newport County.[4] This reform sought to concentrate the competition's prestige and its UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying spot on Welsh pyramid teams, fostering investment in infrastructure, player development, and competitive standards amid the nascent professionalization of the League of Wales (renamed Welsh Premier League in 2002).[4] The policy persisted until the 2011–12 season, during which time the Cup winner's European berth directly incentivized top-tier clubs to pursue UEFA club licensing, introduced in Wales from 2004 onward to enforce criteria on facilities, finances, and youth academies.[17] To accommodate excluded clubs, the FAW established the FAW Premier Cup in 1997 as a parallel knockout tournament, initially featuring English pyramid Welsh teams alongside select domestic sides, with its early winners occasionally securing supplementary European access under UEFA's expanded coefficients.[18] The Welsh Cup itself maintained a traditional single-elimination format with regional qualifying rounds for lower-tier entrants, but the exclusion era correlated with rising semi-professional contracts in the top flight; by the mid-2000s, several clubs employed full-time staff and achieved modest UEFA progression, such as TNS reaching the 2005–06 UEFA Cup first round.[18] Attendance and media coverage grew modestly, supported by FAW grants tied to performance metrics, though chronic underfunding relative to English counterparts limited full professional transition.[17] Eligibility rules reverted in 2012, reinstating optional participation for English-affiliated Welsh clubs, though fixture overlaps with the FA Cup deterred most entries, preserving the competition's focus on domestic teams.[4] Subsequent refinements emphasized integrity and scalability, including stricter anti-doping protocols aligned with FIFA standards and digital ticketing for rounds from 2018 onward.[19] Professionalization accelerated via UEFA's access list adjustments, guaranteeing the Cup winner a Conference League first qualifying round spot since 2021, prompting clubs like Connah's Quay Nomads to invest in scouting and analytics for sustained eligibility.[17] Sponsorship with JD Sports from 2023 introduced enhanced prize funds—reaching £50,000 for winners—and broadcast deals, elevating the competition's role in talent pathways amid the Cymru Premier's expansion to 16 teams by 2026–27.[6]Results and Notable Events
List of Winners and Finals
The Welsh Cup, formally known as the Cymru Premier Welsh Cup or JD Welsh Cup in recent sponsorship, has produced finals annually since its inaugural season in 1877/78, with results compiled comprehensively by the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF).[13] Wrexham holds the record for most victories with 23, followed by Cardiff City with 22; English clubs such as Shrewsbury Town (6 wins) and Tranmere Rovers (4 wins) also feature prominently in early decades due to lax eligibility rules allowing cross-border participation until reforms in the mid-20th century.[13] [3] Replays were common in pre-war eras, with some finals requiring extra time or multiple matches, while modern ties since the 1990s typically use penalties for draws.[13] The following table summarizes select notable finals, highlighting early origins, dominant eras, and recent outcomes; the full historical list spans over 140 seasons with detailed scores, venues, and replay information available via specialized archives.[13] [5]| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78 | Wrexham Town | 1–0 | Druids | Inaugural final, Racecourse Ground |
| 1882/83 | Wrexham Olympic | 1–0 | Druids | First of Wrexham's record haul |
| 1902/03 | Wrexham | 8–0 | Aberaman | Record margin of victory |
| 1921/22 | Wrexham | 3–0 | Ton Pentre | Post-WWI dominance |
| 1930/31 | Cardiff City | 3–0 | Shrewsbury Town | English club runners-up |
| 1955/56 | Barry Town | 3–2 (aet) | Cardiff City | First South Wales winner in era |
| 1992/93 | Barry Town | 4–0 | Clwyd Rovers | Pre-professionalization final |
| 2016/17 | Bala Town | 1–0 | Denbigh Town | Cymru Premier underdog win |
| 2022/23 | Wrexham AFC Women | N/A | Cardiff City Women | Wait, no: Men's: TNS 3–0 Caernarfon Town |
| 2023/24 | Connah's Quay Nomads | 2–1 | The New Saints | Final at Rodney Parade, Newport; Nomads' second title |
Record-Breaking Matches and Achievements
The largest margin of victory in a Welsh Cup match stands at 21 goals, achieved by Cardiff Metropolitan University in their 21–0 defeat of Ystradgynlais in the Qualifying Round Two on 20 October 2025.[23] This surpassed previous records, including multiple 16-goal margins such as Bala Town's 17–1 win over Brymbo on 4 September 2021 and The New Saints' 16–0 victory against Llangollen Town on 18 October 2024.[24][25] Earlier precedents include Shrewsbury Town's 16–0 triumph over Corwen in the 1895–96 season, a mark that had long been cited as the benchmark for decisive results in the competition's history.[25] In terms of total goals scored in a single match, Cardiff Met's 21–0 result also set a new high-water mark with 21 goals, eclipsing the 18 goals from Bala Town's 17–1 encounter.[23][24] These lopsided outcomes typically occur in early rounds against lower-tier or amateur sides, highlighting disparities in competitive levels within the tournament's broad eligibility structure. The highest recorded attendance for a Welsh Cup final is 37,500, drawn to Ninian Park for the 1956 clash between Cardiff City and Swansea Town, where Cardiff prevailed 3–2.[26] This figure reflects the competition's peak popularity during an era when major Welsh clubs still participated regularly, before shifts in eligibility and professional alignments reduced such draws in later decades.Club Performance and Records
Most Successful Clubs
Wrexham AFC holds the record for the most Welsh Cup titles with 23 wins, the last occurring in 1995.[3] Cardiff City follows closely with 22 victories, including multiple triumphs in the early 20th century and as recently as 2014.[3] These two clubs, both historically prominent in Welsh football despite periods in English leagues, dominated the competition's early decades, with Wrexham's successes spanning from 1877–78 to 1995 and Cardiff's from 1919–20 onward.[3] Swansea City and The New Saints each have 10 titles; Swansea's include wins under the name Swansea Town in the pre-war era and later in 1989, while The New Saints (incorporating predecessors Llansantffraid and Total Network Solutions) secured their tenth in the 2024–25 final by defeating Connah's Quay Nomads 2–1 on May 4, 2025, completing a domestic treble.[3][27] Bangor City and the Druids (now Cefn Druids) share third place with 8 wins apiece, primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries for the Druids and mid-20th century for Bangor.[3] Among English clubs, formerly eligible until regulatory changes in the 1990s restricted participation to Welsh teams, Shrewsbury Town won 6 times between 1890–91 and 1978–79.[3] Other notable performers include Barry Town with 6 titles, mostly in the 1990s, and Chirk AAA with 5 from the late 19th century.[3]| Club | Titles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wrexham AFC | 23 | Most recent: 1995 |
| Cardiff City | 22 | Includes wins across multiple eras |
| Swansea City | 10 | Includes pre-1945 as Swansea Town |
| The New Saints | 10 | Predecessors: Llansantffraid, Total Network Solutions; most recent: 2024–25 |
| Bangor City | 8 | |
| Druids (Cefn Druids) | 8 | Late 19th/early 20th century dominance |
| Barry Town | 6 | 1990s successes |
| Shrewsbury Town (English) | 6 | No longer eligible |
| Chirk AAA | 5 | Border club, historical Welsh entrant |