History

The Clwyd Football League was formed in 1973, when two local area Leagues, the Dyserth, and the Halkyn Mountain Leagues amalgamated.

The League consisted of Five Divisions, Premier, First, Second, and Third, with the Fourth Division mainly consisting of Youth teams.

The Top Three Divisions boasted an avarage membership of between 16, & 18 teams, but with the formation of the Cymru Alliance League, and then the League of Wales (now the Welsh Premier League) in the early nineties, and a number of clubs scrapping their reserve sides, the league had shrunk to its present three divisions.

The Clwyd League is affiliated, North Wales Coast Football Association, which deals with disciplinary matters, and is responsible for appointing match officials for the League fixtures.

The Clwyd League boundaries stretch eastwards along the North Wales coast as far as the English border at Chester, covering the whole of Flintshire, parts of Denbighshire, and Conwy.

Teams from outside the area have been members of the League, Penmaenmawr joined the Gwynedd League on winning promotion from the Vale of Conwy League, they were then soon promoted to the Welsh Alliance League, but after a couple of seasons were unfortunately relegated to the Clwyd League.

Penmaenmawr eventually regained their Welsh Alliance status, after winning promotion in 1999.

Hawarden Rangers come under the North East Wales F.A. But are allowed to play in the Clwyd Premier League, Hawarden's Reserve, and Youth Teams play in the Wrexham area League.

The Premier Division is still accepted as a senior League in North Wales football, and is on par with the Gwynedd League, which both act as direct feeder leagues to the more senior Welsh Alliance League.

Premier Division Clubs compete in the NWCFA Challenge Cup, and the Barritt Cup, which is an inter League Cup competition run by the Welsh Alliance League.

Clubs in the lower Divisions must compete in the NWCFA Junior Cup.

Promotion and Relegation

All new clubs joining the league normally enter Division 1, or 2, although there have been some exceptions in the past when the Vale of Conwy League was functional, the Champions, or the runners up were admitted to the Premier Division. (Bro Cernyw, Penrhyn United, & Llansannan being recent examples.)

Clubs being promoted from Division 1 (normally the top two), are subject to Ground criteria, dressing rooms must be on site, and the playing area must have a spectator rail, or at least be roped off during matches.

One Team from the top two in the Premier Division can be promoted to the Welsh Alliance League, the conditions of promotion are more stringent, no reserve side can be promoted, and ground criteria must be met.

The last side to be promoted were Llandyrnog United in 2002/03, Llandyrnog finished the season runners up behind Rhyl Thirds, who were crowned Champions, after Flint Town Reserves were deducted points for failing to fulfill a fixture, and dropped to third place.