2017–18_Cymru_Alliance
2017–18 Cymru Alliance
Football league season
The 2017–18 Cymru Alliance (known as the Huws Gray Cymru Alliance for sponsorship reasons) is the 28th season of the top football league in North Wales. Mirroring its South Wales counterpart the Welsh Football League Division One, the 16-team division forms half of the second tier of the Welsh football league system and falls one level below the nationwide Welsh Premier League. The season began 12 August 2017 and is scheduled to conclude on 31 March 2018.
| Season | 2017–18 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 12 August 2017 – 15 May 2018 |
| Champions | Caernarfon Town |
| Promoted | Caernarfon Town |
| Relegated | |
| Matches played | 210 |
| Goals scored | 830 (3.95 per match) |
← 2016–17 2018–19 →
All statistics correct as of 19 May 2018. | |
Prestatyn Town were champions in the previous season and were promoted to the 2017–18 Welsh Premier League; they were replaced by both relegated teams from the 2016–17 Welsh Premier League, Airbus UK Broughton and Rhyl.
The bottom four teams from the previous season, Llanfair United, Mold Alexandra, Conwy Borough and Buckley Town, were all relegated to various third-tier district leagues for 2017–18. Three teams were successful in the 2016–17 Welsh third-tier leagues and were promoted in their place: Llandudno Junction (Welsh Alliance League runners-up, champions Glantraeth declined promotion),[1] Queens Park (Welsh National League champions)[2] and Rhayader Town (Mid Wales Football League champions).[3]
On 27 July 2017, Rhayader Town withdrew from the league, citing that their players were unwilling to commit to the extra travelling involved with promotion.[4] There was no replacement team - the league continued with 15 teams for this season only, playing 28 games each.
Stadia and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus UK Broughton | Broughton | The Airfield |
| Caernarfon Town | Caernarfon | The Oval |
| Caersws | Caersws | Recreation Ground (Caersws) |
| Denbigh Town | Denbigh | Central Park |
| Flint Town United | Flint | Cae-y-Castell |
| Gresford Athletic | Gresford | Clappers Lane |
| Guilsfield | Guilsfield | Guilsfield Community Centre |
| Holyhead Hotspur | Holyhead | The New Oval |
| Holywell Town | Holywell | Halkyn Road |
| Llandudno Junction | Llandudno Junction | Arriva Ground |
| Penrhyncoch | Penrhyn-coch | Cae Baker |
| Porthmadog | Porthmadog | Y Traeth |
| Queens Park | Caia Park, Wrexham | The Dunks |
| Rhyl | Rhyl | Belle Vue |
| Ruthin Town | Ruthin | Memorial Playing Fields |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caernarfon Town (P) | 28 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 98 | 31 | +67 | 65 | Promotion to the Welsh Premier League |
| 2 | Denbigh Town | 28 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 69 | 43 | +26 | 60 | |
| 3 | Airbus UK Broughton | 28 | 17 | 3 | 8 | 67 | 42 | +25 | 54 | |
| 4 | Guilsfield | 28 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 54 | 38 | +16 | 53 | |
| 5 | Holywell Town | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 75 | 37 | +38 | 50 | |
| 6 | Rhyl | 28 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 62 | 45 | +17 | 47 | |
| 7 | Porthmadog | 28 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 70 | 46 | +24 | 44 | |
| 8 | Gresford Athletic[lower-alpha 1] | 28 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 57 | 57 | 0 | 39 | |
| 9 | Penrhyncoch | 28 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 46 | −1 | 39 | |
| 10 | Ruthin Town | 28 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 51 | 49 | +2 | 35 | |
| 11 | Flint Town United[lower-alpha 2] | 28 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 49 | 42 | +7 | 30 | |
| 12 | Holyhead Hotspur | 28 | 9 | 3 | 16 | 40 | 57 | −17 | 30 | |
| 13 | Caersws (R) | 28 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 39 | 72 | −33 | 18 | Relegation to Welsh Level 3 |
| 14 | Queens Park (R) | 28 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 110 | −84 | 9 | |
| 15 | Llandudno Junction (R) | 28 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 28 | 115 | −87 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Matches won; 5) Play-off.[5]
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Gresford Athletic were deducted three points.[citation needed]
- Flint Town United were deducted six points.[citation needed]
| Home \ Away | AIR | CNR | CSW | DEN | FTU | GRE | GUI | HHD | HWL | LLJ | PRC | POR | QUE | RHL | RUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus UK Broughton | — | 3–3 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 4–3 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 6–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Caernarfon Town | 3–0 | — | 5–3 | 7–0 | 2–0 | 6–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 8–1 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 7–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 |
| Caersws | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 2–5 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–0 |
| Denbigh Town | 3–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | — | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| Flint Town United | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | — | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 |
| Gresford Athletic | 4–2 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | — | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 8–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| Guilsfield | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Holyhead Hotspur | 0–5 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–4 | — | 0–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| Holywell Town | 2–5 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | — | 8–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 8–0 | 2–2 | 5–0 |
| Llandudno Junction | 3–3 | 0–5 | 1–3 | 1–6 | 0–5 | 1–7 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 2–3 | — | 1–1 | 1–7 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 |
| Penrhyncoch | 0–3 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | — | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
| Porthmadog | 2–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 7–0 | 3–0 | — | 9–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| Queens Park | 4–0 | 0–8 | 3–2 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 0–6 | — | 1–4 | 1–8 |
| Rhyl | 3–1 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 3–5 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–5 | 6–1 | — | 0–1 |
| Ruthin Town | 2–4 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–4 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 5–0 | 4–1 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
- Jones, Dave (18 May 2017). "Llandudno Junction FC ready for the big step-up". Daily Post. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- Jones, Dave (9 April 2017). "Reports from the North Wales football pyramid". Daily Post. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- Grosvenor, Gavin (4 May 2017). "Rhayader rejoice at return to the Huws Gray Alliance". County Times. Retrieved 2 July 2017.[permanent dead link]
- Owen, Twm (27 July 2017). "Cymru Alliance is a challenge too far for Rhayader Town". The Brecon & Radnor Express. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
- "Cymru Alliance 2017/2018 - Season rules". Scoresway. Retrieved 2 July 2017.