Ffarwel Y Bala/Farewell to Bala Town – thanks for 17 memorable Cymru Premier seasons

It is always sad to see any team relegated but more so when it’s a community club which has punched above its weight for many seasons.

The story of how Bala Town first became a Welsh Premier League club in 2008-09 was romantic enough.

Just five seasons after campaigning in the Tier 3 Welsh National (Wrexham Area) League, the Maes Tegid outfit rose to the top-tier as Cymru Alliance champions under inspirational manager Colin Caton.

What they were to go on to achieve in the national league was the stuff of fantasy…

• Three runners-up and three third-place finishes
• Qualification for nine European campaigns
• 11 successive top six placings since the league became a ‘Super 12’ in 2010-11

On top of this, the Lakesiders also lifted the Welsh Cup for the first time in their history in 2016-17 and won the Nathaniel MG (Cymru League) Cup in 2022-23.

While the likes of league diehards Bangor City and Rhyl FC fell away and eventually faded from existence, teams like Connah’s Quay, Caernarfon Town and Bala Town put the smile back on the faces of North Wales football.

Bala were fortunate to be spared relegation in 2010-11 after finishing in the bottom two, but Rhyl FC failing to attain a domestic licence, as well as promotion aspirants from the Cymru Alliance and Welsh Football League, Llangefni Town and Afan Lido, suffering the same fate, meant the Maes Tegid men survived.

After that, Bala were never haunted by the prospect of the drop again until the current campaign.

The club’s most golden period was between 2014-15 and 2016-17, when they finished Welsh Premier runners-up twice and third on the other occasion, as well as landing the Welsh Cup and competing in the Europa League.

When in June 2025, the long-serving Caton announced he was stepping down after more than 500 league matches and 875 games in total at the helm, the club lost a massive presence.

While Caton’s long-time assistant Steve Fisher did a workmanlike job when taking over, the 2025-26 season was largely a struggle for the Lakesiders.

They failed to qualify for the top six Championship Conference for the first time in 12 seasons, and although having a chance of The Great Escape on the final day, it was not to be, a 2-1 reverse at home to Briton Ferry Llansawel sealing their fate.

Bala Town can look back with great pride on the 17 seasons they graced the Cymru Premier.

Very rarely were they makeweights, always competitive and extremely consistent with some magnificent players on board.

Chris Venables, Mark Connolly, Will Evans, Lee Hunt, Mark Jones, Kenny Lunt, Dave Edwards, Dave Artell, Ryan Valentine and club record WPL appearance-maker Kieran Smith, who spent 11 top-level seasons at Maes Tegid, to name just a very few.

Hopefully it will not be too long before we see Bala back in Wales’ top league.

BALA TOWN WELSH/CYMRU PREMIER RECORD – 17 SEASONS

2009-10 P 34 W 12 D 9 L 13 GF 39 GA 47 PTS 45 – 11th out of 18
2010-11 P 32 W 10 D 3 L 19 GF 41 GA 57 PTS 33 – 11/12
2011-12 P 32 W 14 D 7 L 11 GF 48 GA 41 PTS 49 – 5/12
2012-13 P 32 W 17 D 5 L 10 GF 62 GA 41 PTS 56 – 7/12
2013-14 P 32 W 13 D 6 L 13 GF 61 GA 45 PTS 45 – 8/12
2014-15 P 32 W 18 D 5 L 9 GF 67 GA 42 PTS 59 – 2/12
2015-16 P 32 W 15 D 12 L 5 GF 48 GA 27 PTS 57 – 2/12
2016-17 P 32 W 16 D 9 L 7 GF 61 GA 46 PTS 57 – 3/12
2017-18 P 32 W 15 D 4 L 13 GF 37 GA 48 PTS 49 – 4/12
2018-19 P 32 W 13 D 5 L 14 GF 55 GA 63 PTS 44 – 6/12
2019-20 P 26 W 15 D 4 L 7 GF 53 GA 23 PTS 49 – 3/12
2020-21 P 32 W 18 D 6 L 8 GF 67 GA 42 PTS 60 – 3/12
2021-22 P 32 W 16 D 11 L 5 GF 67 GA 37 PTS 59 – 2/12
2022-23 P 32 W 12 D 8 L 12 GF 51 GA 37 PTS 44 – 5/12
2023-24 P 32 W 13 D 12 L 7 GF 38 GA 31 PTS 51 – 3/12
2024-25 P 32 W 8 D 13 L 11 GF 38 GA 43 PTS 37 – 6/12
2025-26 P 32 W 8 D 8 L 16 GF 33 GA 45 PTS 32 – 11/12 (relegated)

BALA TOWN – CYMRU PREMIER STATS 2008-09 – 2025-26

PLAYED 540
WON 233
DRAWN 127
LOST 180
GOALS SCORED 866
GOALS CONCEDED 715
MOST LEAGUE APPEARANCES: Kieran Smith 250
MOST LEAGUE GOALS: Chris Venables 90