Newtown A.F.C.
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| Full name | Newtown Association Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Robins | ||
| Founded | 1875 | ||
| Ground | Latham Park | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 (1,300 seated)[1] | ||
| Chairman | Nick Evans | ||
| Manager | Scott Ruscoe | ||
| League | Cymru Premier | ||
| 2022–23 | Cymru Premier, 6th of 12 | ||
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Newtown Association Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Y Drenewydd) is a Welsh football club based in Newtown, Powys, which plays in the Cymru Premier. Newtown are one of only two clubs that can claim unbroken membership of the league since its formation in 1992, with the other club being Aberystwyth Town.
The club plays at Latham Park, Newtown, which accommodates 5,000 spectators. They are the only top flight football club in Powys.
History[edit]
For a full history see List of football seasons involving Newtown AFC and its predecessor clubs
A club was founded in 1875 by the name of Newtown White Stars, and was one of the founder members of the Football Association of Wales. A club named Newtown Football Club also formed around the same time. Newtown Football Club appeared in the first Welsh Cup match on 13 October 1877. Newtown White Stars, who also competed in the first Welsh Cup competition, is believed to have merged with Newtown Excelsior to form another Newtown Football Club in time to be Welsh Cup finalists in 1885 and 1888.[2][3][4] There is some ambiguity over the merger as a September 1879 article states that Newtown Football Club, Newtown White Stars and other clubs, merged to form Newtown Excelsior.[5] However, subsequent reports suggest that White Stars survived the merger and carried on independently.
An article from July 1900 refers to the club losing the use of the Cunnings, diminished gates and additional expenses, and fears for the future of the club.[6] Another article from March 1901 referred to Newtown being defunct, and hoped that Newtown Excelsior would resuscitate the club.[7] Newtown North End and Royal Welsh Warehouse Newtown emerged in the town in their place.[8] In 1910, they were still inactive.[9] No records exist of Newtown Football Club again until the 1919.[10]
For most of the years since the 1920s the club operated in the Mid-Wales League, or the Central Wales League as it was sometimes known, winning the championship in 1975–76, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1986–87 and 1987–88 and on the strength of this record, the club gained entry to the English league system in the Northern Premier League.
In 1992 the club became rather reluctant founder members of the League of Wales. Since then it has finished runners-up in the league in both 1995–96 and 1997–98, and subsequently played UEFA cup ties against Skonto Riga of Latvia and Wisła Kraków of Poland.
Newtown Association Football Club are one of the oldest clubs in Wales, being formed in 1875 and are one of the founder members of the FAW. In addition, the club was also one of the founder members of the League of Wales, now known as the Cymru Premier.
The club has a long and proud tradition with the move in the late 1980s into the Northern Premier League being part of the progressive nature of the club.
Way back in 1877, Newtown took part in the first Welsh Cup tie on Saturday 13 October against Druids of Ruabon. Cefn Druids now former members of the Welsh Premier are derived from this club. Wrexham went on to win the competition but in the following season, Newtown White Stars beat the favourites Wrexham 2–1 in Oswestry and became the first club to receive the famous trophy, which had only been purchased a few months earlier. In December 1895 Newtown travelled to play Manchester City at Maine Road and shocked the City team by winning 3–2. Newtown’s W. Parry scored all three goals for the Robins.[11]
In 2014 Newtown became the second Cymru Premier club, after The New Saints, to change their grass turf for a 3G pitch. During the 2014–15 season Newtown finished in the top six for the second consecutive season. They also took part in their first Welsh Cup final in 118 Years after memorable wins against Caersws, Bangor and Rhyl. However they lost the match 2–0 to The New Saints, despite it being played at Latham Park in front of a capacity crowd. After the cup final defeat, Newtown entered the European play-offs. During the play-offs, they won away at Port Talbot Town and won away at Aberystwyth Town to take a spot in the 2015–16 Europa League qualifiers.
In July 2015 Newtown faced Maltese opponents Valletta in the first round of qualifying for the 2015-16 Europa League. A last minute winner in the 1st leg at Latham Park gave the club their first European win and was followed with an away victory giving Newtown their first Europa League Win over two legs. Newtown faced Danish giants Copenhagen in the second round and were defeated over both legs losing 5–1 on aggregate. Newtown finished in the top 6 again during the following 2015-16 Welsh Premier League season and were also the only team to beat The New Saints at Park Hall, but eventually lost at home to Airbus UK Broughton in the play-off semi final. Newtown again reached the play-offs after finishing 7th in the 2016-17 Welsh Premier League season, but were beaten 3–2 away to Bangor City.
Honours[edit]
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Current squad[edit]
- As of 1 February 2024[12]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Technical staff[edit]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Chris Hughes
|
| Assistant manager | Callum McKenzie
|
| Goalkeeping coach | Andy Roberts
|
| First-team coach | Matty Lewis
|
| Physio | Andy Pellow
|
| Kit Man |  Dave Rose
|
Managers[edit]
 |
Brian Coyne (1992–03)
Roger Preece (2003–06)- Darren Ryan (2006–10)
- Andy Cale (2010–11)
- Darren Ryan (2011)
Bernard McNally (2011–13)
Chris Hughes (2013–2024)- Scott Ruscoe (2024–present)
Europe[edit]
Newtown have participated in UEFA competition five times.
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | UEFA Cup | PR |  Skonto FC
|
1–4 | 0–3 | 1–7 |
| 1998–99 | UEFA Cup | 1Q |  Wisła Kraków
|
0–0 | 0–7 | 0–7 |
| 2015–16 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Valletta
|
2–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 |
| 2Q |  Copenhagen
|
1–3 | 0–2 | 1–5 | ||
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q |  Dundalk
|
0–1 | 0–4 | 0–5 |
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q |  HB Tórshavn
|
2–1 (a.e.t.) | 0–1 | 2–2 (4–2 p) |
| 2Q |  Spartak Trnava
|
1–2 | 1–4 | 2–6 |
- Notes
- PR: Preliminary round
- 1Q: First qualifying round
- 2Q: Second qualifying round
| Name | Competition | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Oswell | UEFA Europa League | 2 |
| Henry Cowans | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2 |
| Tom Goodwin | UEFA Europa League | 1 |
| Matty Owen | UEFA Europa League | 1 |
| Luke Boundford | UEFA Europa League | 1 |
| Lifumpa Mwandwe | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1 |
| Aaron Williams | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1 |
| Romilly Brown | UEFA Cup | 1 |
Rivalries[edit]
Newtown share a local rivalry with Caersws who are only around 5 miles away and often attract big crowds when the teams meet. In the Cymru Premier Newtown have derby matches against fellow Mid-Wales clubs Aberystwyth Town and The New Saints.
League Record[edit]
| Season | League | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959–60 | Mid Wales League | 7th | 26 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 73 | 54 | 29 |
| 1960–61 | Mid Wales League | 6th | 24 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 64 | 42 | 23 |
| 1961–62 | Mid Wales League | 6th | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 54 | 42 | 22 |
| 1962–63 | Mid Wales League | 7th | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 49 | 52 | 24 |
| 1963–64 | Mid Wales League | 8th | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 51 | 62 | 22 |
| 1964–65 | Mid Wales League | 6th | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 64 | 49 | 24 |
| 1965–66 | Mid Wales League | 9th | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 60 | 62 | 25 |
| 1966–67 | Mid Wales League | 8th | 26 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 60 | 56 | 27 |
| 1967–68 | Mid Wales League | 4th | 26 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 76 | 49 | 33 |
| 1968–69 | Mid Wales League | 4th | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 68 | 39 | 36 |
| 1969–70 | Mid Wales League | 11th | 30 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 62 | 73 | 24 |
| 1970–71 | Mid Wales League | 11th | 28 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 46 | 77 | 19 |
| 1971–72 | Mid Wales League | 11th | 26 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 34 | 50 | 19 |
| 1972–73 | Mid Wales League | 13th | 26 | 3 | 6 | 17 | — | — | 12 |
| 1973–74 | Mid Wales League | 11th | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 32 | 48 | 19 |
| 1974–75 | Mid Wales League | 2nd | 26 | 18 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 40 |
| 1975–76 | Mid Wales League | 1st | 28 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 86 | 33 | 43 |
| 1976–77 | Mid Wales League | 4th | 28 | 15 | 3 | 10 | 54 | 45 | 33 |
| 1977–78 | Mid Wales League | 7th | 28 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 50 | 43 | 28 |
| 1978–79 | Mid Wales League | 1st | 30 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 77 | 22 | 52 |
| 1979–80 | Mid Wales League | 3rd | 30 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 68 | 40 | 41 |
| 1980–81 | Mid Wales League | 3rd | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 53 | 18 | 37 |
| 1981–82 | Mid Wales League | 1st | 26 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 77 | 24 | 45 |
| 1982–83 | Mid Wales League | 2nd | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 52 | 25 | 31 |
| 1983–84 | Mid Wales League | 6th | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 67 | 38 | 36 |
| 1984–85 | Mid Wales League | 5th | 28 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 70 | 53 | 33 |
| 1985–86 | Mid Wales League | 3rd | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 65 | 30 | 36 |
| 1986–87 | Mid Wales League | 1st | 24 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 67 | 16 | 42 |
| 1987–88 | Mid Wales League | 1st | 24 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 72 | 21 | 42 |
| 1988–89 | NPL First Division | 9th | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 65 | 59 | 57 |
| 1989–90 | NPL First Division | 14th | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 49 | 62 | 54 |
| 1990–91 | NPL First Division | 13th | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 68 | 75 | 51 |
| 1991–92 | NPL First Division | 14th | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 60 | 95 | 51 |
| 1992–93 | League of Wales | 18th | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 55 | 87 | 36 |
| 1993–94 | League of Wales | 6th | 38 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 52 | 48 | 63 |
| 1994–95 | League of Wales | 4th | 38 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 78 | 47 | 68 |
| 1995–96 | League of Wales | 2nd | 40 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 69 | 25 | 80 |
| 1996–97 | League of Wales | 5th | 40 | 22 | 5 | 13 | 74 | 49 | 71 |
| 1997–98 | League of Wales | 2nd | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 101 | 47 | 78 |
| 1998–99 | League of Wales | 6th | 32 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 45 | 35 | 49 |
| 1999–00 | League of Wales | 8th | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 49 | 41 | 48 |
| 2000–01 | League of Wales | 4th | 34 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 68 | 37 | 58 |
| 2001–02 | League of Wales | 13th | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 35 | 44 | 38 |
| 2002–03 | Welsh Premier League | 10th | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 48 | 54 | 42 |
| 2003–04 | Welsh Premier League | 10th | 32 | 12 | 5 | 15 | 43 | 50 | 41 |
| 2004–05 | Welsh Premier League | 10th | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 49 | 55 | 46 |
| 2005–06 | Welsh Premier League | 16th | 34 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 42 | 61 | 31 |
| 2006–07 | Welsh Premier League | 16th | 32 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 30 | 63 | 24 |
| 2007–08 | Welsh Premier League | 13th | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 47 | 66 | 37 |
| 2008–09 | Welsh Premier League | 10th | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 46 | 54 | 40 |
| 2009–10 | Welsh Premier League | 13th | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 54 | 57 | 41 |
| 2010–11 | Welsh Premier League | 9th | 32 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 40 | 55 | 35 |
| 2011–12 | Welsh Premier League | 12th | 32 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 44 | 82 | 23 |
| 2012–13 | Welsh Premier League | 9th | 32 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 44 | 54 | 37 |
| 2013–14 | Welsh Premier League | 5th | 32 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 46 | 58 | 42 |
| 2014–15 | Welsh Premier League | 6th | 32 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 52 | 65 | 38 |
| 2015–16 | Welsh Premier League | 5th | 32 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 46 | 54 | 42 |
| 2016–17 | Welsh Premier League | 7th | 32 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 59 | 41 | 45 |
| 2017–18 | Welsh Premier League | 8th | 32 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 52 | 55 | 40 |
| 2018-19 | Welsh Premier League | 5th | 32 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 53 | 56 | 46 |
| 2019-20 | Cymru Premier | 6th | 25[a] | 10 | 5 | 10 | 25 | 30 | 35 |
| 2020-21 | Cymru Premier | 7th | 32 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 57 | 53 | 42 |
| 2021-22 | Cymru Premier | 3rd | 32 | 15 | 6 | 11 | 50 | 35 | 51 |
| 2022-23 | Cymru Premier | 6th | 32 | 12 | 5 | 15 | 49 | 56 | 41 |
- ^ League was suspended on 13th March due to COVID-19 pandemic
References[edit]
- ^ "Newtown AFC | Latham Park | Football Ground Guide".
- ^ "The Welsh Champion Football Team". The Montgomery County Times and Shropshire and Mid-Wales Advertiser. 1895-04-27. Retrieved 2017-10-17 – via newspapers.library.wales.
- ^ "[No title]". Wrexham Guardian. 1879-09-13. Retrieved 2020-04-03 – via newspapers.library.wales.
- ^ "The Popularity of Football". The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times. 1893-04-18. Retrieved 2020-05-21 – via newspapers.library.wales.
- ^ "Newtown clubs". Wrexham Guardian and Denbighshire and Flintshire Advertiser. 13 September 1879. p. 8.
- ^ "Newtown Football Club". Montgomeryshire Echo. 21 July 1900. p. 5.
- ^ "Football Notes". Montgomery County Times and Shropshire and Mid-Wales Advertiser. 30 March 1901. p. 6. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "Montgomeryshire & District League Tables 1904-05". www.welshsoccerarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ "Newtown". The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times. 1910-03-29. Retrieved 2024-04-11 – via newspapers.library.wales.
- ^ "Football". Llangollen Advertiser Denbighshire Merionethshire and North Wales Journal. 1919-09-19. Retrieved 2024-04-11 – via newspapers.library.wales.
- ^ http://welsh-premier.com/rel_club.php?cid=13. Archived 2016-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "First Team". Newtown AFC. Retrieved 7 August 2023.