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.
The club has its origins in two previous clubs, both active from 1875; Newtown and White Stars. The latter won the 1878–79 Welsh Cup and in the aftermath an attempt was made to merge the clubs under the name Excelsior.[2] The Newtown club folded into the Excelsior, but White Stars continued, and absorbed the Excelsior in 1880.[3] After losing the 1880–81 Welsh Cup final, the White Stars disbanded; but a meeting at the Lion Hotel on 23 July 1884 re-established a Newtown association football club, featuring many of the players and officials who had been involved with the White Stars, and, in some cases, with the original Newtown club beforehand.[4][5]
The revived club won the 1894–95 Welsh Cup, beating Wrexham 3–2 at Welshpool, despite Goodwin in goal being ordered off for retaliation before the second half (while Newtown was 2–1 down),[6] but in July 1900 it lost the use of the Cunnings, and, with diminished gates and additional expenses, there were fears for the future of the club.[7] Another article from March 1901 referred to Newtown being defunct, and hoped that Newtown Excelsior would resuscitate the club.[8] Newtown North End and Royal Welsh Warehouse Newtown emerged in the town in their place.[9] In 1910, they were still inactive.[10] No records exist of Newtown Football Club again until the 1919.[11]
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.[12]
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.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Brian Coyne (1992–03)
Roger Preece (2003–06) Darren Ryan (2006–10) Andy Cale (2010–11) Darren Ryan (2011).svg/1280px-Flag_of_Northern_Ireland_(1953%E2%80%931972).svg.png){kind=small}
Bernard McNally (2011–13)
Chris Hughes (2013–2024) Scott Ruscoe (2024–present)Newtown have participated in UEFA competition five times.
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.