First-ever goal

The first-ever goal in the League of Wales was scored by Mitch Patton in a 2-1 Afan Lido win over Connah's Quay Nomads on 15 August 1992.
Welsh Premier League


THE Welsh Premier - the national league of Wales - will kick-off 2009/10 with 18 clubs for the last time in a crucial campaign that will see a reduction in size to 12 clubs for the following season.
Cymru Alliance champions Bala Town reached the top flight for the first time, but Welsh League winners ENTO Aberaman were denied promotion because they failed to meet the league's ground-grading deadline at the end of April.
Caernarfon Town were relegated, but Caersws - who finished 17th - survived for a second successive season because there was no club promoted from the south.
During the season 2009/10, clubs must obtain the FAW's domestic licence to reach the "Super 12". The top ten clubs that meet the licence criteria will remain in the league. The champions and/or runners-up of the two main feeder leagues will also be promoted if they obtain the licence. The six, seven or eight clubs relegated from the Welsh Premier will be allocated to either the Alliance or the Welsh League.
In 2008, Llangefni Town were relegated after finishing bottom in their first season, to be replaced by Prestatyn Town, champions of the Cymru Alliance.
But, as no club that met the ground criteria of the top flight finished in the top two of the Welsh League, 17th-placed Caersws survived to fight their 17th consecutive season in the top flight.
The league had started season 2007/8 restored to 18 clubs with the promotion of Llangefni and Neath FC (champions of Welsh League Division One). Inaugural champions in 1992/3, Cwmbran Town were relegated.
The previous season, bottom club Cardiff Grange Quins had elected to resign from the league after struggling throughout much of the campaign, Welsh League champions Goytre United declined the chance to move up and runners-up Neath were unable to meet the ground criteria. Despite a late bid, their application was rejected by the clubs.
Neither of the top two clubs in the Cymru Alliance had applied for promotion, thus 17th placed Cwmbran survived in the top flight, despite a 13-point deduction for fielding ineligible players.
In 2006, the clubs voted that only one club should be relegated the following season, to restore the league to an even number.
There is no route for promotion from the Welsh Premier, although the champion side is entered in the Uefa Champions League, with two clubs entered in the new Europa League (formerly the Uefa Cup) alongside the Welsh Cup winners.
The league has been sponsored by the Principality Building Society since 2006.