How Wales Lost Its Biggest Clubs to England

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Wales has a long history with football, but their biggest clubs don’t compete in the country’s top domestic league. Why is that?

#explained #sports #wales #football #soccer #cymru #efl

0:00 Intro
0:47 Early Hurdles
4:57 No Looking Back
6:03 Inevitable Consequences
8:43 Modern Divide

Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

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Special thanks to:
• MapTiler
• FAW
• Coppa Italia
• Bundesliga
• beIN Sports
• Eredivisie
• LaLiga
• Chelsea F.C.
• BBC
• Swansea City A.F.C.
• Cardiff City F.C.
• EFL
• Wrexham A.F.C.
• S4C
• Merthyr Town F.C.
• Connah Quay
• Timothy Tan

[Music] this is Wales Wales has a proud footballing history but something about Welsh football just doesn’t quite add up most Nations have a straightforward League structure where clubs from all regions big or small compete in a unified domestic system whales however is an exception despite having one of the world’s oldest football associations the four biggest clubs from Wales have spent over a century playing in England instead of their own League how does this even happen well it comes down to geography Financial opportunity and much more but beyond how it started the debate hasn’t faded in fact it’s a topic of discussion that has sparked legal battles and even challenged whales legitimacy as a footballing nation so why do whales best clubs play in England of course we have to look back quite a bit to understand why after all the Football Association of Wales aka the faw is the third oldest National Association in the World Behind just England and Scot land yet despite this early establishment Wales lacks something crucial a domestic League unlike England and Scotland which established structured football pyramids in the late 19th century Wales never developed a comparable League system founded in 1876 the faww managed the national team and organized Cup competitions but a true domestic League was never part of the equation for context in European football a domestic League provides the foundation for a country’s footballing structure it determines promo promotion and relegation creates Financial incentives and reward and serves as a direct Pathway to International Club competitions like the Champions League it essentially serves as the primary competition for our country’s clubs with most games in the football calendar consisting of those from League Play think of the Premier League in England Syria in Italy and the Bundesliga in Germany in contrast Cup competitions are knockout tournaments that exist alongside a league system but don’t provide the same week toe structure needed to develop clubs consistently think of the FA Cup in England the Copa del Ray in Spain or the Copa Italia in Italy so Without A League of Their Own Welsh teams lacked a stable framework to develop its players and Facilities this absence in Wales wasn’t an oversight it was the result of several key factors first of all the biggest most glaringly obvious obstacle was geography let’s get one thing straight most of Wales is mountains and this terrain created a natural divide between the North and South which is where where most of the country’s population lives this may travel between the two regions both difficult and impractical unlike England where Railways easily linked major footballing hubs whales transport Network evolved differently instead of fostering internal connections it was designed to serve industrial interests linking Welsh coal fields and ports to English Markets rather than connecting Welsh towns and cities with each other as a result the economic and social ties of North and South Wales developed separately North Wales gravitated towards cities like Liverpool and Manchester while South Wales had stronger links to Bristol and London this divide was reflected in the way football developed instead of a unified Welsh League the sport grew in isolated pockets teams in the South played in their own short-lived and fragmented competitions while clubs in the north competed in separate Regional tournaments without the infrastructure necessary to connect the North and South a true National League was never realistic so with no structured competition at Home Welsh clubs had very few options searching for stronger opponents and a more stable future they turned to England where travel was simpler and the footballing landscape was already well established in the South the three biggest cities in Wales Cardiff Swansea and Newport saw their clubs turn to England for stronger competition and greater visibility starting in Regional leagues Cardiff City Swansea City and Newport County eventually secured spots in England’s professional football pyramid by the early 20th century meanwhile in the north rexim followed a similar path but for slightly different reasons found in 186 4 it was one of the oldest clubs in the world and the oldest in Wales and naturally its location near the English border made it easy for the club to play against teams from Northwest England before the sport caught any sort of traction within Wales over time rexen became a fixture in the English football scene securing a place in the professional League system by the 1920s for all four clubs playing in England wasn’t just a step up it was survival without a Welsh League to support their Ambitions they had no reason to compete within the country’s borders Financial incentives also played a major role just like how it is today the English leagues were by and large far more lucrative than others from the British Isles as they offered greater exposure and higher attendances for example Cardiff City quickly became one of the top clubs in English football they reached the FA Cup Final in 1925 before winning the trophy in 1927 and they’re the only non-english team to ever do so these successes only reinforced the appeal of playing in England by the mid 20th century the the idea of Welsh clubs returning to play within their own borders was virtually non-existent they had become entrenched in the English system Cardiff Swansea Newport and rexam had spent decades establishing themselves in English football and leaving that system would have meant sacrificing larger crowds more lucrative sponsorship deals and The Prestige of competing in a much stronger League yet surprisingly despite these clubs benefiting commercially from playing abroad it never occurred to the faw to establish a proper National League during this time there was no govering body pushing to unify the country’s footballing structure likely because the biggest clubs from Wales had already committed to a different system so with zero demand from the country’s most influential organizations and no logistical support to make a national league viable the status quo remained unchanged for most of the century it was a tale of two footballing Landscapes England built a structured pyramid with stability promotion and financial growth while Wales remained fragmented relying on Cup competitions and pretty much nothing else but as as the gap between the two systems grew so did the pressure on the faw for years the lack of a national league was simply in accepted reality Welsh clubs had built their Futures in England and there was very little push to change that but outside of oils questions were beginning to emerge the 1980s saw governing bodies scrutinize A system that by International standards didn’t make much sense FIFA the global governing body of football and UEFA the organization overseeing the sport in Europe had long recognized Wales as an independent footballing nation but without a structured domestic League its status was no longer guaranteed could Wales still justify having its own national team while lacking a national competition the message from these two organizations was clear establish a domestic League or risk losing the autonomy that allowed Wales to compete separately on the international stage if Wales wanted to be eligible to field their own team in tournaments like the World Cup and the Euros action was needed fast faced with mounting pressure the faw finally took action in 1992 they introduced the league of Wales officially forming the country’s first unified domestic competition on paper this was a significant moment Welsh football finally had a homegrown League that could develop the sport within its borders however the reality was far less celebratory Cardiff Swansea and rexam refused to leave their positions in English football their stance was simple the league of Wales couldn’t offer the same Financial opportunities and exposure compared to what these clubs already had in England switching competitions would have been a massive step backwards stripping these clubs of the financial stability player talent and infrastructure they had built in England the loss of resources would have made it nearly impossible to sustain a professional operation and it would have dealt a major blow to not just the teams themselves but also to the communities and cities they represented so the faw allowed them to continue on in their respective leagues but the battle wasn’t over the faw face resistance from another group of clubs later dubbed the rate eight unlike Cardiff Swansea and rexam these clubs played in non-league football which meant they competed outside the top tiers of the English system where financial resources and exposure were already limited regardless however they refused to be forced into the new Welsh League since they saw it as an even greater step down with less stability the faw attempted to strong ear these clubs into compliance by imposing sanctions that initially forced them to play home matches in England but after a series of legal battles some clubs reluctantly joined the Welsh League While others like Newport and merthur tville won the right to continue playing in the English system so the creation of the league of Wales may have secured the country’s footballing Independence but it still came at a cost as many of its strongest clubs wanted nothing to do with it today the league of Wales now called the Cy Premier stands as the country’s top domestic competition but it lags far behind the financial power and popularity of English football as well as other leagues across the British Isles after all the league has a mix of professional and semi-professional clubs which indicates that it operates on a vastly different scale when compared to other top leagues in neighboring Nations to this day Welsh clubs remain split between two separate systems the Rogue 4 continued to compete in the English football league alongside merther toown FC who play in non-league football and the rest They’re all playing domestically in Wales while England’s football Pyramid has evolved into a Global Financial Powerhouse the cry Premier struggles with attracting large CR crows generating meaningful revenue or retaining talented players the disparity is truly staggering television deals sponsorships and prize money in England’s lower divisions far exceed anything available in Wales even clubs in League 2 which is the fourth division of English football operate on budgets that dwarf those of Cy Premier teams without the financial backing or competitive strength to entice the core four Welsh clubs this league will continue to lack any significant competitive poll given the disparity between these two football systems could and its fa have done anything differently to make the Welsh League more competitive today let me know what you think in the comment section below meanwhile the Welsh clubs that remained in England’s system have thrived in ways that would never have been possible domestically Cardiff and Swansea have both reached the Premier League which has brought them Global exposure and the financial windfall that comes with Top Flight football as for rexam who are now under the ownership of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob mhany the club has turned into an international sensation this has been key in attracting invest and attention that will only help put the Welsh Club on the global map and this is in spite of competing quite low in the English league system yet while these clubs thrive in England Welsh domestic football continues to struggle for relevance today for the faw this was never the intended outcome but at this point there’s very little they can do to reverse it the League’s creation may have safeguarded the country’s national team but it hasn’t been enough to alter the trajectory of Welsh Club football even the prospect of European football which might have bolstered the domestic game has done very little to close the gap the winners of the Cy Premier technically earn a spot in the early qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League but they rarely make it past the opening stages meanwhile the debate over giving Welsh efl clubs a route to Europe through Welsh Cup tournaments has only fueled tensions the latest attempt to bridge this divide was Project Wales which sought to Grant Cardiff Swansea rexam and Newport a Europa conference League Place through a revamped Welsh League Cup backed by UEFA and pitched as a financial boost for Welsh football The Proposal promised investment in Grassroots development and increased visibility for the domestic game however the English FA rejected it citing concerns over competition Integrity fixture congestion and conflicts with existing tournaments the decision reinforced the status quo the biggest clubs in Wales remain fully tied to the English system with no root to European football through their home nation this proves that the battle over Welsh football isn’t just history it’s still being fought today and as long as the best clubs from Wales stay across the border the country’s domestic League will always feel incomplete with all of that said though there’s a lot more to add to the story so if you’re curious about why this topic was covered and want to dive deeper into extra details that didn’t quite make it into this video I’ve put together a bonus video it includes fascinating insights that were discovered during research behind the- scenes commentary on how this video came together and much more for example this exclusive video explains some quirks from the post-production process that nearly changed the entire direction of the video you’re currently watching putting it at risk of being scrapped all together and the best part you can watch it right now because I’m officially on nebula that’s where you’ll find this bonus video 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