NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Football in Wales

Football in Wales is governed by the Welsh FA, which was set up in 1876. The Welsh FA oversees the national side and the league system. Football is considered the second sport of Wales, (but the most popular participation wise), with rugby union being the national sport, see rugby union in Wales. Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056 Area - Total 20,779 kmÂ² (3rd in... The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of football in Wales, being a member of both FIFA and UEFA. Established in 1876, it is the third-oldest association in the world, and is one of the five associations (with the English Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... First international Scotland 4 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 26 March 1876) Largest win Wales 11 - 0 Ireland (Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888) Worst defeat Scotland 9 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878) World Cup Appearances 1 (First in 1958) Best result Quarter-finals, 1958 European Championship Appearances none (First... The Welsh football league system (or pyramid) is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them. ... A rugby union scrum. ... Rugby union is the national sport of Wales and is considered a large part of national culture. ...

Teams and competitions

There are currently a handful of teams based in Wales who play in the English leagues, of which Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham are in the higher leagues in England. Other teams that play in the English leagues are Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil and Colwyn Bay. The English football league system, otherwise known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although for historical reasons a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). ... Cardiff City Football Club are a football team based in Cardiff, currently playing in the Football League Championship. ... Swansea City F.C. are a Welsh football team currently playing in the English Football League, specifically in Football League Two. ... Wrexham Association Football Club (nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally, The Robins) is a football team. ... Newport County AFC are a football club with a chequered history. ... Merthyr Tydfil F.C. is a Welsh football team from Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. ... Colwyn Bay are a Welsh football team playing in the English pyramid system. ...

Prestige

The Welsh league system is ranked by UEFA in 45th place (out of 52 current members), on par with Northern Ireland and close to the likes of Azerbaijan and Malta. Therefore teams who come top of the league must start at the very early stages of European competitions such as the UEFA Cup. UEFA logo The Union of European Football Associations, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... Motto: [citation needed] (French for God and my right)2 Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, NI Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair... The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ...

Popularity

The game is popular in all parts of Wales particularly in the north and in towns or cities where there teams play in the English league or the Welsh premier league. The demand for tickets at competitive Wales internationals are usually high and Wales are one of the best supported nations in the world. The game is most popular with the working class in Wales particularly in inner city areas and council estates.

See also

Category: Football in Wales Football (soccer) is the United Kingdoms most popular sport. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England_(bordered). ... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Largest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Worst defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland_(bordered). ... First international Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Largest win Ireland (IFA) 7 - 0 Wales (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 1 February 1930) Worst defeat Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) World Cup Appearances 3 (First in 1958) Best result Quarterfinals, 1958 European Championship Appearances none... Image File history File links Flag_of_Scotland. ... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Largest win Scotland 11 - 0 Ireland (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 February 1901) Worst defeat Uruguay 7 - 0 Scotland (Basel, Switzerland; 19 June 1954) World Cup Appearances 8 (First in 1954) Best result Round 1, all European Championship Appearances 2 (First... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales_(bordered). ... First international Scotland 4 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 26 March 1876) Largest win Wales 11 - 0 Ireland (Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888) Worst defeat Scotland 9 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878) World Cup Appearances 1 (First in 1958) Best result Quarter-finals, 1958 European Championship Appearances none (First... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship) was an annual football competition contested between the UKs four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (Northern Ireland after 1921-1922), from the 1883-1884 season until the 1983-1984 season. ... The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the late-1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America. ... The Coronation Cup was a one-off football tournament to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 between four English and four Scottish clubs held in Glasgow in May 1953. ... The Texaco Cup was a cup competition that involved clubs from the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland that had not qualified for European competions. ... The Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for eight of the best teams in English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s. ... Football is the unofficial national sport of England, and as such has an important place within English national life. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the organising body for the sport of football (soccer) in Northern Ireland. ...

Contents

Teams and competitions GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Prestige

Popularity

See also

Teams and competitions