Just six wins in 23 years of Champions League football speaks volumes about the strides Wales’ national league hasn’t taken since the tournament took shape in 1997-98, six years after the formation of the Cymru Premier as it is now known.
Shamkir, B36, Bohemians, Tre Penne, Europa and Feronikeli hardly stand out amongst the also-rans of European football… but they all have one thing in common, they have been beaten by a top-tier Welsh side in the Champions League.
Barry Town scored Wales’ first victory in the tournament in 2001-02, knocking out Shamkir of Azerbaijan 3-0 in the first qualifying round, before exiting to Portuguese giants Porto in the next round.
Wales’ other five wins have been recorded by The New Saints, who are yet to make it past the qualifying rounds.
B36 from the Faroes, Tre Penne of San Marino, Gibraltan-side Europa and most-recently Feronikeli of Kosovo have all fallen victim to the Saints in the first qualifying round, but only once have they made it to the third qualifying round after beating Bohemians from Northern Ireland in 2010-11, when Belgian giants Anderlecht proved a bridge too far.
Normally entering at the second qualifying stage, the Cymru Premier’s representative has only failed to make it to that stage in 2018-19 when TNS lost 5-4 to Macedonian-side Shkendija over two legs in the first qualifying round.
And the Europa League makes no better reading, with Welsh sides only going one better in recording seven wins since the tournament began in 2009-10.
Lincoln Red Imps, Staebaek, Valetta, Metalurgs and Honka would have most fans struggling to work out what nations they represent, while Cliftonville and Kilmarnock present the only recognisable scalps taken by Welsh sides.
Again The New Saints have been flag-bearers, beating Irish side Cliftonville 2-1 in the first qualifying round in 2011-12 and Gibraltan-side Lincoln Red Imps 3-2 in 2018-19.
Bangor notched up a win against Finland’s Honka in the first qualifying round in 2010-11, while Prestatyn beat Latvian-side Metalurgs in 2013-14 and Newtown saw off Valetta of Malta in 2015-16 at the same stage.
But the best comes last as Connah’s Quay equalled TNS’ two wins in the competition this year with possibly the nation’s best European triumph, an impressive 3-2 victory against Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock, to follow up on their win against Norwegian side Staebaek back in 2016-17.
Despite this impressive win it all seems to paint a pretty dismal picture for Welsh domestic football, except that the Nomads’ triumph represents the 10th time a team from the upper echelons of the Welsh pyramid has beaten a side from the Scottish system in a competitive cup competition since Welsh teams were invited to play in the Scottish Challenge Cup back in 2016-17.
The New Saints were beaten semi-finalists in the first year of Welsh participation, losing 4-1 away to runners-up St Mirren. But along the way they beat Forfar Athletic 3-1 and Livingston 3-0… away from home on both occasions.
In 2017-18 the Saints repeated the feat, missing out in the semi-finals again to runners-up Dumbarton, 2-1.
On their way to the last four they beat Livingston 6-5 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw on home turf, and saw off Elgin City 4-0 before knocking out Queen of the South 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-finals after the tie ended 0-0.
The following year TNS lost to Queen’s Park on penalties in the second round, but Connah’s Quay took over the reins, finishing runners-up to Ross County after a 3-1 defeat at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium in Inverness.
On the way to the final they beat Falkirk 1-0, saw off Irish side Coleraine 2-0 in the third round, won on penalties against Queen’s Park in the quarter-finals and edged out Edinburgh City 5-4 on penalties in the semi-finals, after the tie finished at 1-1.
This year the Saints lost on penalties in the third round to Stenhousemuir, while Connah’s Quay beat Cove Rangers 1-0. Welsh exiles Wrexham, representing the English National League, were also in the draw for the third round, securing a 6-5 penalty victory against Ayr United.
In the fourth round Connah’s Quay lost 2-0 to Partick Thistle, while Wrexham beat St Mirren U21 4-1. In the quarter-finals the Dragons lost 2-0 to beaten semi-finalists Rangers U21 2-0.
None of these wins against Scottish opposition compare with the Nomads’ Europa League victory against Kilmarnock, but they do serve to emphasise that the gap between the Cymru Leagues and the English National League and top Scottish leagues is closing.
At the start of this season Colwyn Bay put an end to their 35-year stay in the English pyramid by returning to the Welsh system in the restructured Cymru Leagues, joining the Cymru North with a five-year plan to bring European football to Llanelian Road.
Cardiff-based STM Sports, who play in the revamped Cymru South, knocked out two Cymru Premier teams as they reached the League Cup final earlier this month. Although they lost 3-0 to Connah’s Quay in the final, their run showed the way for other second-tier sides hoping to gain experience against more illustrious opposition.
The winner of the League Cup also secures one of Wales’ two places in the Scottish Challenge Cup for the following season and can form a platform for Cymru Leagues’ sides to gain experience at a higher level, which can only be a positive for the league’s strength in depth.
Playing outside the English Football League, there have been growing calls for Wrexham and Southern League-side Merthyr Town to follow Colwyn Bay’s example by adopting the Welsh way.
On the evidence of results in Europe and the Scottish Challenge Cup, it wouldn’t seem like a bad move. The Cymru Leagues is clearly a positive step for Welsh domestic football and could present both the Dragons and Martyrs with a golden opportunity to return to the European stage.
And the presence of two clubs with such rich football pedigrees would undoubtedly improve the standing of the Cymru Leagues, providing increased competition for flag-bearers such as The New Saints and Connah’s Quay to go on to achieve greater success on the European stage.
Welsh Champions and Europa League Results
Welsh teams in the Scottish Challenge Cup
2016-17
Fourth round: Bala Town 2 – 4 Alloa Athletic; Forfar Athletic 1 – 3 The New Saints
Quarter-final: Livingston 0 – 3 The New Saints
Semi-final: St Mirren (runners-up to Dundee 2-1) 4 – 1 The New Saints
2017-18
Second round: Dumbarton (E) 2 – 1 Connah’s Quay; The New Saints (6 – 5 P) 1 – 1 Livingston
Third round: The New Saints 4 – 0 Elgin City
Quarter-finals: The New Saints (4 – 3 P) 0 – 0 Queen of the South
Semi-finals: The New Saints 1 – 2 Dumbarton (runners-up to Inverness 1-0
2018-19
Second round: Falkirk 0 – 1 Connah’s Quay; The New Saints 2 – 2 (2 – 4 P) Queen’s Park
Third round: Connah’s Quay 2 – 0 Coleraine
Quarter-final: Queen’s Park 1 – 2 Connah’s Quay
Semi-final: Connah’s Quay (5 – 4 P) 1 – 1 Edinburgh City
Final: Connah’s Quay 1 – 3 Ross County
2019-20
Third round: Stenhousemuir (3 – 1 P) 1 – 1 The New Saints; Wrexham (6 – 5 P) 1 – 1 Ayr United; Connah’s Quay 1 – 0 Cove Rangers
Fourth round: Wrexham 4 – 1 St Mirren U21; Partick Thistle 2 – 0 Connah’s Quay
Quarter-final: Rangers U21 (beaten semi-finalists) 2 – 0 Wrexham)
