Welsh Premier Women's League

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Welsh Premier Women's League
Founded2009
Country Wales
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams9
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toRegional Leagues
Domestic cup(s)FAW Women's Cup
League cup(s)Welsh Premier Women's Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
Current championsSwansea City[1]
(2019–20)
Most championshipsCardiff Met. (6 titles)
WebsiteOfficial
Current: 2020–21 Welsh Premier Women's League

The Welsh Premier Women's League is the top level women's football league in Wales. It was founded in 2009. The winner qualifies for a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League. Prior to the league's formation the national cup winner was sent into European competition.

Competition format[]

The club with the highest number of points at the end of the season will be the League Champions. In the event of two or more clubs having the same number of points the League winners will be decided by the difference between goals scored and goals against. In the event of more than one club having the same goal difference, the club that has scored the highest number of goals will be the Champions.[2]

Promotion and relegation[]

Two clubs may be promoted to the League and the equivalent number relegated from the League. One from the South Wales Tier Two and one from either the North Wales or Central Wales League. To determine the club to be promoted from North and Central Wales - the qualified clubs from the two leagues concerned will play off.

European qualification[]

UEFA country coefficient 2020–21
Rank Association Coefficient
2 37 Slovakia Slovakia 4.000
2 38 Estonia Estonia 3.500
2 39 Wales Wales 3.500
1 40 Montenegro Montenegro 3.000
4 41 Bulgaria Bulgaria 2.500

UEFA grants European places to the Football Association of Wales, determined by Wales' position in the UEFA country coefficient rankings. The Welsh Football Association in turn allocate a number of these European places to the final Welsh Premier Women's League positions. At the end of the 2018–19 season, Wales was ranked 39th in Europe – granting them a single side in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

In the 2019–20 season, the top placed team in the Welsh Premier Women's League gained qualification to the Champions League qualifying round.[3]

History[]

In its first three seasons, the league was divided into two Conferences that played a double round robin, with the winner of both contesting a final for the championship. The first season featured no relegation, from the 2010-11 season onwards, the last placed team in each conference got relegated.[4]

Since 2012–13 the league is played in one group only. In 2015–16 two teams were relegated. The eight clubs who formed the League were Aberystwyth Town Ladies, , Llanidloes Ladies, , , Swansea City Ladies, UWIC Ladies and Wrexham Ladies.

2012 Season Launch

The league was increased to five teams per Conference in 2010–11,[5] with Caerphilly Castle Ladies and Trefelin Ladies joining the South and Llandudno Junction Ladies joining the North. Manorbier Ladies ceased playing activities after their inaugural season.[6]

Llandudno Junction's stay in the league lasted just one season before they were relegated; they were replaced by Northop Hall Girls.

In May 2021, the Football Association of Wales announced a restructuring of the league, including cutting the number of teams from nine to eight, the splitting the second tier into northern and southern conferences, and the introduction of a U19 development league. The restructuring would see Abergavenny Women's FC, Caerphilly's Cascade Ladies YC and Briton Ferry Llansawel Ladies demoted to the second tier and Barry Town United Ladies FC and The New Saints joining the Premier League.[7] The choice of top-tier teams in the restructuring was met with a significant amount of criticism, especially as Abergavenny had finished within the top four during the 2020-21 season and The New Saints did not a complete senior women's side.[8][9] FAW head of women's football Lowri Roberts stated that the Association would not be reversing their decision, adding that "we have to be able to compete with Tier 3 in England. The WSL and Championship in England are professional and semi-professional and we’re a long way off that. It’s unlikely we’ll get to a professional level."[10]

Format[]

In its first three years the league was divided into two conferences, north and south. Both winners then played a championship play-off for the title and right to play in the UEFA Women's Champions League. A relegation system was introduced in the second season, when the last place in each conference was relegated. The league changed the format to a single division for the 2012–13 season.[11] The league was also expanded for the second time. The number of teams in the league has fluctuated in preceding years and has contained eight, ten and twelve teams in various seasons.

2020-21 teams[]

Welsh Premier Women's League is located in Wales
Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Aberystwyth Town
Briton Ferry
Cascade
Cascade
Cardiff (3 teams)
Cardiff (3 teams)
Port Talbot
Swansea City
Locations of teams in the 2019–20 Premier League
Team City Ground
Abergavenny
Aberystwyth Town Aberystwyth Park Avenue (Aberystwyth)
Briton Ferry Llansawel Briton Ferry
Cardiff City Cardiff
Cardiff Met Cardiff
Cyncoed Cardiff University of South Wales
Cascade Caerphilly Aberbargoed Recreational Ground
Port Talbot Town Port Talbot
Swansea City Neath

Former teams were: Manorbier Ladies, Northop Hall Girls, Caerphilly Castle Ladies, Caernarfon Town Women, Trefelin Ladies (since then joint Port Talbot Town), Llanidloes Ladies F.C. (now Hafren United Ladies), Cwmbran Celtic, Caldicot Town Ladies, Rhyl & Prestatyn Ladies, Llandudno Ladies and Wrexham Ladies.

List of champions[]

In the first three seasons a final between the north and south division winners determined the champion.

Season Champion Runners-up Third place
2009–10 Swansea City Ladies Caernarfon Town n/a (4–0 final)
2010–11 Swansea City Ladies Caernarfon Town n/a (3–1 final)
2011–12 Cardiff Met. Ladies F.C. Wrexham Ladies n/a (3–0 final)
2012–13 Cardiff City Cardiff Met. Ladies Wrexham Ladies
2013–14 Cardiff Met. Ladies Cardiff City
2014–15 Cardiff Met. Ladies Swansea City Ladies
2015–16 Cardiff Met. Ladies Swansea City Ladies Cardiff City
2016–17[12] Swansea City Ladies Cardiff Met. Ladies Cardiff City
2017–18[13] Cardiff Met. Ladies Swansea City Ladies Abergavenny
2018–19[14] Cardiff Met. Ladies Swansea City Ladies Cardiff City
2019–20[15] Swansea City Ladies Cardiff Met. Ladies Cardiff City
2020–21 Swansea City Ladies Cardiff Met. Ladies Cardiff City
Titles Team
6 Cardiff Met. Ladies
5 Swansea City Ladies
1 Cardiff City

Premier League Cup[]

A Premier League cup has been held since 2014.

References[]

  1. ^ "Orchard WPWL End of Season Round-Up 2019/20 :: Cymru Football". www.cymrufootball.wales. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Welsh Premier Women's League 2018/19 Rules" (PDF). Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Women's Champions League entries confirmed". UEFA.com. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-11. Retrieved 2010-10-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-07-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ Tenby Observer (15 October 2010). "Manorbier Ladies call it a day".
  7. ^ "Women's football: FAW announce the make-up of new tiers - BBC Sport". Bbc.com. 2021-05-31. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  8. ^ "Abergavenny condemns FAW restructure of Welsh women's football". The National Wales. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  9. ^ "Welsh Premier Women's League shake-up 'unjust and wrong', say relegated clubs - BBC News". Bbc.com. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  10. ^ "FAW chief Lowri Roberts responds to restructuring outcry". The National Wales. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  11. ^ "Wrexham Odds on for Play-off place". shekicks.net. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  12. ^ "Net draw hands Swansea Welsh title". shekicks.net. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  13. ^ "#WPWL: Cardiff Met secure title for fifth time". shekicks.net. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  14. ^ "Summary - Welsh Premier Women's League - Wales - Results, fixtures, tables and news". Women Soccerway. 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  15. ^ "Summary - Welsh Premier Women's League - Wales - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Women Soccerway". int.women.soccerway.com. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  16. ^ http://www.azure-design.com/. "She Kicks - News Section: Cardiff Met Win Welsh Premier Cup". www.shekicks.net. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  17. ^ 2650, Andy Houldsworth, Jon Harris (c) 2017 www.OmniwebAgency.com +44 1883 742. "PILCS Come From Behind to Claim League Cup - Welsh Premier League". www.welshpremier.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2017.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ http://www.azure-design.com/. "She Kicks - News Section: Swans Exact Welsh Premier Cup Final Revenge". www.shekicks.net. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  19. ^ http://www.azure-design.com/. "She Kicks - News Section: Cardiff Met Win Welsh Premier League Cup". shekicks.net. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  20. ^ http://tbgwales.com/index.php/2018/03/25/cyncoed-lift-the-cup-for-first-time/. "She Kicks - News Section: Cyncoed lift the League Cup for first time". Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  21. ^ "Cardiff Met beat Swansea Ladies 3-1 to win Welsh Premier Women's Cup". 5 April 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.

External links[]

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