INTRODUCTION
This is a continuation of my side project to take pictures or collect photos of all the Welsh football grounds in the top six tiers, and then turn them into a sticker style format. Initially this was something I just did to test out my Photoshop skills, but considering the popularity it achieved on Twitter and Facebook, I decided to expand it and try to encompass the whole of the country – a big task!
Anyway I have decided to group the grounds into their respective Welsh counties, so the seventh county I have done is the large central Welsh county of Powys.
The links to the other counties’ sticker albums can be found below:
Powys
Powys is the largest of the Welsh counties, stretching the length of the country from the borders of Denbighshire and Wrexham Borough County, to the South Welsh valleys. As a result, a large number of teams compete within the county. For this reason, I have decided to split the huge county up between the three sub (or historical) counties – northern Montgomeryshire, central Radnorshire and southern Brecknockshire.
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire is the most populous sub-county of Powys, in terms of population and teams. There are currently 28 teams playing at 26 grounds within Montgomeryshire, with Newtown AFC being the highest placed of these, playing being stalwarts within the Welsh Premier League. Guilsfield and Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochant currently play within the Cymru Alliance, whilst additional Montgomeryshire sides compete within the Mid Wales League (which occupy the third and four tiers in central Wales football). The fifth and sixth tiers of the pyramid are occupied by the local Montgomeryshire League, who acts as a feeder league for the Mid Wales League, and covers northern Powys.
1. Abermule FC
2. Berriew FC – Talbot Field
3. Caersws FC – Recreation Ground
4. Carno FC – Ty Brith
5. Churchstoke FC
6. Dyffryn Banw
7. Forden United
8. Four Crosses
9. Guilsfield FC
10. Kerry FC – Dolforgan Park
11. Llanfair United – Mount Field
12. Llanfechain FC
13. Llanfyllin Town
14. CPD Llangedwyn
15. Llanidloes Town
16. Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant / Llanwddyn – Recreation Field
17. Llansantffraid Village – Treflan
18. Llanymynech FC
19. CPD Machynlleth – Cae Glas
20. Meifod FC
21. Montgomery Town – Clos Tan y Mur
22. Newtown AFC / Maesyrhandir – Latham Park
23. Newtown Wanderers
24. Trewern FC
25. Waterloo Rovers – Maes-y-Dre Extension
26. Welshpool Town – Maes-y-Dre
Radnorshire
This season, there are nine Radnorshire clubs who compete within the Welsh football pyramid. Historically Rhayader Town have been the most successful, having been the only Radnorshire side to have appeared in the top tier, but have struggled in recent times. There are currently no Radnorshire sides within the top two tiers of the Welsh football pyramid, with a number of them competing in the two divisions of the Mid Wales League. Finally the bottom tier of Radnorshire football is the Mid Wales (South) League, which occupies the fifth tier of Welsh football, and covers the teams in the southern half of Powys.
1. Felindre FC
2. Knighton Town – Ludlow Road
3. Llandrindod Wells
4. Newbridge-on-Wye
5. Penybont United
6. Presteigne St. Andrew’s
7. Radnor Valley – School Lane
8. Rhayader Town – Y Weirglodd
9. St. Harmon FC
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire is the sub-county with the fewest teams competing within the Welsh football pyramid this season with only five teams. The highest placed side is Builth Wells who compete in the Mid Wales League Division 1 (third tier), with Hay St. Mary’s in Division Two (fourth tier), and Brecon Northcote and Talgarth Town playing in the fifth-tier Mid Wales (South) League.
There are three exceptions; Brecon Corries, Cwm Wanderers and Ystradgynlais FC, who unlike the other four sides, do not play within the “northern” football system. Because of the close proximity of the South Welsh Valleys, the Corries play within the South Welsh football system. This season, they are playing in the South Wales Alliance Premier Division, a feeder league to the (South) Welsh League system, and positioned at the fifth-tier of the Welsh football pyramid. Whereas Cwm Wanderers and Ystradgynlais currently play in the fifth tier Neath League Premier Division, which is focused around the Swansea-NPT area of South Wales.
1. Brecon Corries [SW Alliance Premier]
2. Brecon Northcote
3. Builth Wells
4. Cwm Wanderers [Neath League Premier]
5. Hay St. Mary’s – Forest Road
6. Talgarth Town – King George V Field
7. Ystradgynlais [Neath League Premier]
English-Based Welsh League Sides
There are currently four sides who are based in England, but play within the Welsh league system due to them being within close proximity to the Welsh-English border. The most famous of these clubs is The New Saints, who are based just outside of Oswestry and are the current Welsh Premier League champions. However there are also Newcastle FC, Bishops Castle Town and Trefonen FC who compete within the Mid-Wales system of the Welsh football pyramid. Because all four sides play (or have played) in the Mid-Welsh leagues, I have added them to the Powys sticker album.
1. Bishops Castle Town
2. Newcastle FC
3. The New Saints – Park Hall
4. Trefonen FC
If you have any pictures for any of the grounds that I haven’t made stickers for, and you don’t mind me using them, please contact me using the links in the CONTACT section of this site.
Diolch!
The 94th Minute 