How have Cymru Premier clubs performed as a whole in Europe? Like a fire-breathing dragon or a leaky boiler?
Barely has the shrill of the final whistle on the 2025-26 season died down than we are already preparing for the start of European club competitions.
Never mind the World Cup, Caernarfon Town and Connah’s Quay Nomads are busy assembling their squads ahead of next month’s UEFA Conference League ties.
The Cofis will meet Estonian side FCI Levadia Tallinn, while Nomads have FC Ballkani of Kosovo to contend with.
This will be the 34th season of Cymru Premier participation in Europe, but the question has to be asked – are we any better now than when Cwmbran Town were our first Uefa Champions League representatives back in 1993-94?
Our national league’s overall record in Europe is pretty mediocre: just 55 wins in 327 matches across all competitions.
Yes there have been highlights, and the days of suffering heavy tonkings against what has to be said were often hardly world-beaters appear to be largely behind us, but how much progress have we really made?
Of course, the unique thing about Wales is our best teams do not compete in Europe – not through the Welsh system anyway.
If Cardiff City, Swansea City, Newport County or Wrexham do make it into Europe, it would be under the English pyramid’s banner. That’s a cross we have to bare.
So, over the past 33 seasons, who have been the Welsh pyramid’s best flag-bearers in Europe?
The obvious answer is probably record 18-times Cymru Premier champions The New Saints.
They have by far played the most European ties of the Welsh contingent – 96 matches – and have recorded the most wins (20).
But with that comes the negative that they have lost a whopping 60 games, sometimes against very powerful teams such as Liverpool and Manchester City in the early days, and in more recent seasons Fiorentina, but have also come a cropper versus the far from immortal Differdange of Luxembourg, Bulgarians Ludogorets Razgrad and Petrocub Hîncești of Moldova to name three.
There have also been good victories over the likes of Ireland’s Bohemians, Feronikeli from Kosovo and Lithuanian outfit FK Panevėžys.
The Saints’ most famous achievement is undoubtedly when they became the first club from the Welsh league system to qualify for the group stage of a major UEFA competition in season 2024-25.
However, it was a third bite of the cherry for the full-timers, who had been knocked out of the Champions League and Europa League before finally landing the prize at the third attempt through a play-off.
Sections of the Welsh media celebrated as if Aaron Ramsey had passed a fitness test, an overly gushing response to a team doing something they should have done anyway.
Nonetheless, it was a first, and with a Saints victory over Kazakhstan’s FC Astana in the group stage, the Hensol gang would have screamed ‘result’ as the coefficient attained a welcome boost.
While TNS may have carved out some history, however, they have yet to achieve a real statement win in Europe, beating a team they had no real right to beat.
There have been plenty of giant-killings carried out by Welsh clubs though – Connah’s Quay Nomads, Llanelli, Barry Town, Bangor City and Rhyl have all upset the odds in Europe.
In their very first Euro test, not only did Nomads win 1-0 in Norway against Stabæk, they held their illustrious opponents at home to progress from their debut tie.
Nomads also caused a major rumble under Andy Morrison when beating the mighty Finns HJK Helsinki 1-0 in the opening leg of their Europa League first qualifying round tie at Bangor City Stadium in 2017-18.
Although the Deesiders lost the return 3-0, they had already recorded one of our best results in Europe against a team which thrashed Bangor City 10-0 in the Champions League just a few seasons before.
Perhaps the greatest feat of all by Nomads, though, came after they lost the first leg 2-1 at home to Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock in the 2019-20 Europa League, only to dramatically turn the tables with a 2-0 success in Scotland to clinch the aggregate.
Nomads have on the whole been magnificent for the league since first qualifying for European football in 2016-17.
Llanelli AFC were another Welsh Premier side to cause a sensation when they won their first-ever Euro tie on aggregate against IK Gefle of Sweden, triumphing 2-1 in the away leg.
The South Wales Reds also won at Scotland’s Motherwell 1-0 in the 2009-10 Europa League, only to lose the other meeting 3-0.
However, one of the greatest-ever results in Europe for Wales came in 2011-12 when Llanelli defeated mighty Dinamo Tbilisi 2-1 in the home first leg of their Europa League encounter at Stebonheath Park, only to slump 5-0 in Georgia. Nonetheless, an amazing result in that first game.
Another cracker in Europe that South Wales fans will forever talk about is Barry Town’s stunning 3-1 win against FC Porto in the 2001/02 Uefa Champions League.
The League of Wales champions had lost the first leg 8-0, but it was still a remarkable home result against such illustrious opposition.
As for North Wales, Bangor City’s 1-0 home victory over Sartid Smederevo of Yugoslavia will always be a popular highlight in the minds of Citizens fans although they lost the tie overall, however that was not the case in the 2010/11 Europa League, when Neville Powell’s side dramatically knocked out Finland’s FC Honka with a late decider at Wrexham.
Rhyl’s 3-1 home victory against Finland’s FC Haka at Belle Vue in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup was a really special performance. Unfortunately for the Lilywhites, they lost 2-0 in Valkeakoski to exit on away goals.
Relative newcomers to European action, Bala Town and Airbus UK Broughton, have also done North Wales and the Cymru Premier proud in recent seasons.
The Lakesiders have won five matches in Europe, defeating Levadia Tallinn of Estonia 1-0 at Rhyl in their first taste of European battle, with wins also registered against Differdange 03 (Luxembourg), Tre Fiori (San Marino), Valletta (Malta) and Sligo Rovers.
Unfortunately, Bala lost over two legs against all those named opponents with the exception of Valletta, which was a one-off game due to the Coronavirus restrictions.
Airbus have certainly been our most solid representatives in continental action, drawing four and losing just two of their six games, scoring six and conceding only nine.
Prestatyn Town won their first European tie back in 2013-14, having earned their inaugural Euro adventure after lifting the Welsh Cup for the one and only occasion in their history.
Town drew 3-3 on aggregate against Lithuania’s Liepajas Metalurgs and prevailed on penalties – a fabulous evening for all concerned.
And we can never forget Caernarfon Town’s European debut two seasons ago, the Cofis beating Northern Ireland’s Crusaders 2-0 at home, losing 3-1 away but getting home in a tremendously tense penalty shootout.
Let’s hope Nomads and Caernarfon can create more happy memories when they represent us in Europe next month.
CYMRU PREMIER CLUBS RECORDS IN EUROPEAN MATCHES (1993-94 TO 2025-26)
Aberystwyth Town: Played 6 Drawn 2 Lost 4
Afan Lido: Played 2 Drawn 1 Lost 1
Airbus UK Broughton: Played 6 Drawn 4 Lost 2
Bala Town: Played 18 Won 5 Drawn 1 Lost 12
Bangor City: Played 32 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 29 (record as Welsh Premier club only)
Barry Town: Played 27 Won 6 Drawn 4 Lost 17
Caernarfon Town: Played 4 Won 1 Lost 3
Caersws: Played 2 Drawn 1 Lost 1
Carmarthen Town: Played 10 Won 1 Drawn 1 Lost 8
Cefn Druids: Played 4 Drawn 2 Lost 2
Connah’s Quay Nomads: Played 22 Won 5 Drawn 2 Lost 15
Conwy Borough: Played 4 Drawn 1 Lost 3
Cwmbran Town: Played 12 Won 1 Lost 11
Ebbw Vale: Played 6 Drawn 1 Lost 5
Haverfordwest County: Played 8 Won 1 Drawn 1 Lost 6
Inter Cardiff/Cardiff Met: Played 8 Won 2 Lost 6
Llandudno: Played 2 Lost 2
Llanelli: Played 14 Won 5 Drawn 2 Lost 7
Neath: Played 2 Lost 2
Newtown: Played 14 Won 3 Drawn 1 Lost 10
Penybont: Played 4 Drawn 2 Lost 2
Port Talbot Town: Played 2 Lost 2
Prestatyn Town: Played 4 Won 1 Lost 3
Rhyl: Played 14 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 11
Ton Pentre: Played 4 Lost 4
The New Saints: Played 96 Won 20 Drawn 16 Lost 60