2019–20 Cymru Premier

The 2019–20 Cymru Premier (Welsh: Uwch Gynghrair Cymru 2019-20) (known as JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons) was the 28th season of the Cymru Premier (formally known as The Welsh Premier League), the highest football league within Wales since its establishment in 1992. Thirteenth-time champions, The New Saints were the defending champions, having won their eighth consecutive title in 2019. The season commenced on 16 August 2019 and concluded in March 2020, a few weeks earlier than the scheduled end date of 25 April 2020.[1] Teams played each other twice on a home and away basis, before the league split into two groups after phase 1 matches were completed on 17 January 2020 – the top six and the bottom six.

Cymru Premier
Uwch Gynghrair Cymru
Season2019–20
Dates16 August 2019 – 11 March 2020
ChampionsConnah's Quay
RelegatedAirbus UK Broughton
Carmarthen Town
Champions LeagueConnah's Quay
Europa LeagueThe New Saints
Bala Town
Barry Town
Matches played132
Goals scored388 (2.94 per match)
Top goalscorerChris Venables (24 goals)
Biggest home winBarry Town United 7–1 Carmarthen Town
(18 January 2020)
Biggest away winAirbus UK Broughton 0–12 The New Saints
(30 November 2019)
Highest scoringAirbus UK Broughton 0–12 The New Saints
(30 November 2019)
All statistics correct as of 1 May 2020.

Effects of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic

On 13 March 2020, all games were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] On 19 May 2020, the league was cancelled. Connah's Quay Nomads F.C. were declared the champions, for the first time in their history. They were given the league's bid to the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League.[3] The New Saints and Bala Town finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, earning the league's two places in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round.

The 2019–20 Welsh Cup was postponed and could not be completed by the UEFA deadline of entering European qualification. Therefore the 4th placed finished team, Barry Town, earned the preliminary round spot that would have normally gone to the winners of the European play-offs which would now not take place.[4] The bottom two teams at the date of suspension were relegated.

Teams

Twelve teams competed in the league – the top ten teams from the previous season, and one team each promoted from the Cymru North and Cymru South.

The two bottom placed teams from the 2018-2019 season, Llandudno, and Llanelli Town, were relegated to Cymru North and Cymru South, respectively, for the 2019–20 season.[5]

Airbus UK Broughton, champions of the now defunct Cymru Alliance and Pen-y-Bont, champions of the Welsh Football League Division One were promoted to the Cymru Premier. Airbus UK Broughton returned to the Cymru Premier after two years in the now defunct Cymru Alliance, while Bridgend-based Pen-y-Bont were making their first appearance in the Cymru Premier having only been formed in 2013. By replacing Llanelli Town, the South Wales based clubs remained at four.

Stadia and locations
Aberystwyth Town Airbus UK Broughton Bala Town Barry Town United
Park Avenue Hollingsworth Group International Airfield Maes Tegid Jenner Park Stadium
Capacity: 5,000 Capacity: 1,600 Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 3,500
Caernarfon Town
Locations of the 2019–20 Cymru Premier teams
 Cardiff Metropolitan University
The Oval Cyncoed Campus
Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 1,620
Carmarthen Town Cefn Druids
Richmond Park The Rock
Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 3,000
Connah's Quay Nomads Newtown Pen-y-Bont The New Saints
Deeside Stadium Latham Park Kymco Stadium Park Hall
Capacity: 1,500 Capacity: 5,000 Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 2,034

Personnel and kits
Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Front shirt sponsor
Aberystwyth Town Matthew Bishop Marc Williams Acerbis Aberystwyth University
Airbus UK Broughton Steve O'Shaughnessy Paul Harrison[6] Umbro Gardner Aerospace
Bala Town Colin Caton Chris Venables Macron Aykroyd's
Barry Town United Gavin Chesterfield Jordan Cotterill Macron RIM Motors, LDS Motor Factors
Caernarfon Town Huw Griffiths Nathan Craig Errea Gofal Bro Cyf, Parc Gwêl y Fenai
Cardiff Metropolitan University Christian Edwards Bradley Woolridge Errea Cardiff Metropolitan University
Carmarthen Town Kristian O'Leary Lee Surman Kappa Gravells Seat, Castell Howell Foods
Cefn Druids Stuart Gelling Neil Ashton Errea Wrexham Lager
Connah's Quay Nomads Andy Morrison George Horan Nike Gap Personnel
Newtown Chris Hughes Craig T. Williams Errea Control Techniques
Pen-y-Bont Rhys Griffiths Rhys Wilson[7] Macron Nathaniel House of Cars
The New Saints Scott Ruscoe Paul Harrison Legea RUK Group

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts PPG Qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1]
1 Connah's Quay Nomads (C) 26 16 8 2 47 19 +28 56 2.15 Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2 The New Saints 26 16 4 6 69 27 +42 52 2.00 Qualification to the Europa League first qualifying round
3 Bala Town 26 15 4 7 53 23 +30 49 1.88
4 Barry Town United 25 12 6 7 35 29 +6 42 1.68 Qualification to the Europa League preliminary round
5 Caernarfon Town 26 11 5 10 36 38 −2 38 1.46
6 Newtown 25 10 5 10 25 30 −5 35 1.40
7 Cardiff Metropolitan University 25 9 8 8 30 29 +1 35 1.40
8 Cefn Druids 25 10 5 10 37 39 −2 35 1.40
9 Aberystwyth Town 26 7 6 13 36 55 −19 27 1.04
10 Pen-y-Bont 25 5 6 14 29 48 −19 21 0.84
11 Carmarthen Town (R) 25 4 6 15 28 49 −21 18 0.72 Relegation to Cymru North or Cymru South
12 Airbus UK Broughton (R) 26 4 5 17 28 67 −39 17 0.65
Updated to match(es) played on 7 March 2020. Source: Cymru Premier,Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Matches won; 5) Play-off.
(C) Champion; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Teams play each other twice (22 matches), before the league splits into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last 10 matches.

Results

Teams played each other twice on a home and away basis, before the league split into two groups – the top six and the bottom six.

Matches 1–22
Home \ Away ABE AIR BAL BAR CAE CMU CMR CDR CQN NTW PYB TNS
Aberystwyth Town — 1–2 0–5 0–1 2–3 2–2 3–2 1–3 1–1 1–2 1–0 1–10
Airbus UK Broughton 1–5 — 1–2 0–1 2–3 1–1 1–0 1–1 0–4 2–0 1–2 0–12
Bala Town 2–0 1–0 — 1–1 3–0 1–2 2–1 1–2 0–1 4–0 4–0 3–1
Barry Town United 3–1 2–0 2–2 — 0–0 1–1 7–1 1–0 0–4 0–1 3–0 1–4
Caernarfon Town 0–3 5–0 1–2 4–1 — 2–1 2–0 1–1 0–0 1–0 3–2 1–0
Cardiff Metropolitan University 1–2 1–0 1–0 0–1 2–0 — 0–3 2–1 0–1 1–0 1–1 1–1
Carmarthen Town 0–0 2–2 0–3 0–1 0–1 2–2 — 1–2 1–2 1–2 3–2 2–6
Cefn Druids 1–2 3–1 0–3 1–0 3–1 2–1 3–3 — 2–0 1–2 2–3 0–5
Connah's Quay Nomads 4–1 2–1 2–1 2–0 4–2 1–1 1–1 1–0 — 3–1 3–1 1–1
Newtown 0–0 0–0 1–0 2–3 3–1 1–0 1–0 0–0 1–1 — 1–1 0–2
Pen-y-Bont 1–1 3–1 1–6 1–2 0–0 1–3 1–1 2–3 0–0 0–2 — 2–3
The New Saints 2–0 6–2 1–0 0–1 1–0 1–2 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 —
Source: Cymru Premier
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics
As of 22 December 2019

Top scorers
Rank Player Club Goals[8]
1 Chris Venables Bala Town 15
2 Greg Draper The New Saints 13
3 Kayne McLaggon Barry Town United 10
4 Henry Jones Bala Town 9
Eliot Evans Cardiff Metropolitan University 9
Jamie Insall Connah's Quay Nomads 9
Louis Robles Bala Town 9
7 Dean Ebbe The New Saints 8
8 Michael Bakare Connah's Quay Nomads 7
James Davies Cefn Druids 7
Luke Bowen Carmarthen 7
Andy Owens Airbus UK Broughton 7

References
  1. "Key Dates 2019/20". Welsh Premier League. Retrieved 23 June 2019."Five on Friday to kick off 2019/20 Season". Welsh Premier League. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  2. "STATEMENT: COVID-19 :: Cymru Football". Cymru Football. 13 March 2020.
  3. "Coronavirus: Welsh football season ends with Connah's Quay champions". BBC Sport. 19 May 2020.
  4. "FAW Board decide to curtail National Leagues season". Football Association of Wales. 19 May 2020.
  5. "FAW Championship". soccerway.com. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  6. "Programme Preview – The New Saints FC v Airbus UK Broughton". TNSFC. 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  7. Jones, Jordan (2019-05-16). "Penybont recruit four new players for upcoming Welsh Premier League season". YClwb Pêl-Droed. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  8. "Top Scorers - Welsh Premier League - Football". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
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