Club History

Few clubs in the Welsh Premier League have as distinguished a past as Rhyl's. Football in the town dates from the late 1870s and at one time there were several Rhyl clubs in existence. Rhyl FC became founder members of the Welsh League, formed in 1890, but withdrew the following year. They reformed as Rhyl Athletic in 1893 and became founder members of the North Wales Coast League, winning the title in 1894-95. Rhyl Athletic joined forces with Rhyl Town in 1898 and in an ambitious move switched to the Anglo-Welsh competition known as The Combination. Despite financial crises, they remained in membership until the league disbanded at the end of the 1910-11 season. Under the name of Rhyl United, they rejoined the North Wales Coast League but, following the Great War, they moved to the North Wales Alliance, before becoming founder members of the Welsh National League (North) in 1921. Rhyl won the title in 1925-26 and became a limited company in 1928 as Rhyl Athletic. With North Wales football in turmoil in the early 1930s, Rhyl sought to realise their ambitions in the Birmingham and District League. Seeking relief from the onerous travelling to the Birmingham area, Rhyl successfully applied to join the Cheshire County League in 1936 and began one of the most successful chapters in the club's history.

In a post-War purple patch, Rhyl won the league title twice - in 1947-48 and 1950-51 - and the Welsh Cup twice in succession. In 1952, they beat Merthyr Tydfil 4-3 and became the first non-league side in the modern era to retain the trophy, by defeating Chester 2-1 the following season. Rhyl had been losing finalists to Cardiff City in 1930 and Crewe Alexandra in 1937, but did not feature in the final again until 1993, when they lost 5-0 to Cardiff City. In the Cheshire County League, success eluded them for several years before they won the title in 1972. On the dissolution of the Cheshire County League in 1982, Rhyl became members of the North West Counties League, winning promotion to the Northern Premier League in their first season. In 1992, they returned reluctantly to Wales but, because their application to join the League of Wales was received too late, they were placed instead in the Cymru Alliance, the second level of the pyramid system. In 1993-94, they won the title by six points and gained promotion to the League of Wales.

Over the years, the club have produced players of the highest calibre more than once, including Graham Williams (West Bromwich Albion), Barry Horne (Everton), Andy Jones (Charlton Athletic), Andy Holden (Oldham Athletic) and most recently Lee Trundle, who currently plays for Bristol City after seeing his career revitalised in his short spell with Rhyl in 2000-01. For many years the club struggled in the top flight of Welsh football but, since being taken over by a consortium under former player Peter Parry, they have seen improved results and are now one of its leading clubs.

In season 2003-04, the club won the Welsh Premier League, qualifying for the Champions' League qualification rounds (though they lost 7-1 on aggregate, to Skonto Riga of Latvia in the first qualifying round), and were winners of the League Cup and Welsh Cup, although they lost the final of the FAW Premier Cup 4-1 to Wrexham. Rhyl completed a famous quadruple by rounding off the season with a 6-0 win against Halkyn United in the Final of the North Wales Challenge Cup.

Rhyl couldn't reproduce their quadruple heroics in 2004-05. The club finished runners-up in the Welsh Premier League to TNS and also fell to the same team in both the Welsh Cup semi-final and Welsh Premier Cup quarter-final. A defeat to Carmarthen Town in the Final of the Welsh League Cup compounded a trophyless season for The Whites, although European qualification was gained by their runner-up finish in the Welsh Premier League.

In 2005-06, Rhyl recorded their first-ever win in European competition when they defeated Lithuanian side FK Atlantas 2-1 in the home leg of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. Rhyl lost the away leg 3-2, but progressed on the away-goals rule, the first Welsh team to make the second qualifying round since Barry Town in 1996-7. They lost in the second round against Norwegian club Viking F.K., 3-1 on aggregate.

The Lilywhites claimed more silverware in the 2005-6 domestic season when they lifted the Welsh Cup, beating Bangor City 2-0 at the Racecourse Ground, and the North Wales Challenge Cup after a 2-1 win over Denbigh Town. Welsh Premier League meant Rhyl would compete for a third year in a row in European Club competitions. in the Final. A third-placed finish in the

Rhyl's 2006-07 European adventure in the UEFA Cup was ended at the first hurdle with a 2-1 aggregate defeat by Lithuanian side FK Sūduva of Marijampole.

The club participated in the 2008 Intertoto Cup but were defeated in the first round 9-3 on aggregate by Bohemians of Ireland.

In the summer of 2008 Rhyl signed several players that would take the club to the next level. These were proven football league players some of which include full internationals such as Neil Roberts and Josh Johnson. Despite the signings of these key players, Rhyl FC insist they have no plans to become a fully professional football club.

Rhyl finished season 2008/09 as Welsh Premier Champions ahead of full-time professional clubs Llanelli AFC and The New Saints (Oswestry). And they now proudly go on to represent Wales in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the 2009/10 Uefa Champions League. Rhyl set some new club records during their impressive campaign including finishing the season with an unbeaten run of 18 games, which included 17 wins and only 1 draw. The club also completed their season unbeaten away from Belle Vue. Rhyl fans also came out in force during the season to record an average attendance of 742, which was the highest in the league's history.

Welsh Premier League Record to date.

Season P W D L F A Pts Pos

1994/5 38 16 5 17 74 69 53 11

1995/6 40 11 9 20 47 83 42 18

1996/7 40 10 8 22 51 71 38 19

1997/8 38 17 10 11 61 49 61 8

1998/9 32 7 2 23 41 81 23 16

1999/0 34 13 5 16 40 60 44 11

2000/1 34 16 6 12 74 52 54 7

2001/2 34 17 5 12 53 45 56 6

2002/3 34 17 7 10 52 33 58 6

2003/4 32 23 8 1 76 26 77 1

2004/5 34 23 5 6 70 31 74 2

2005/6 34 18 10 6 65 30 64 3

2006/7 32 20 9 3 67 35 69 2

2007/8 34 21 6 7 60 24 69 3

2008/9 34 29 3 2 95 29 90 1

TOTAL 424 258 118 168 926 718 872

LOW MANAGERS

Mark Ferguson (1992 - Dec 1995)

Barry Roberts/James Smith (Jan 1996 - July 1996)

Barry Roberts (July 1996 - Aug 1996)

Mark Ferguson (Aug 1996 - 1997 cs)

Andy Cale (cs 1997 - Feb 1998)

Dean Martin (Feb 1998 – Oct 1998)

Adie Jones (Oct 1998 – Mar 2000)

Steve Jones (Mar 2000 – May 2000)

Brian Kettle (June 2000 – Oct 2000)

Lee Williams (Oct 2000 – May 2002)

John Hulse (June 2002 – May 2008)

Alan Bickerstaff (June 2008 - Now)

 1. Neath Athletic

 2.

 3. The New Saints

 4. Prestatyn Town

 5. Llanelli AFC

 6. Aberystwyth Town

 7. Airbus UK Broughton

 8. Port Talbot Town

 9. Bala Town

10. Carmarthen Town

11. Newtown AFC

12. Bangor City

13. Haverfordwest County

14. Gap Connah's Quay

15. Technogrp Welshpool

16. Elements Cefn Druids

17. Caersws FC

18. CPD Porthmadog

 Rhyl FC

CPD Porthmadog

CPD Llanfairpwll'

Prestatyn Town

Bala Town

Neath Athletic

Cefn Druids FC

CPD Porthmadog

Bridgend Town

Llanelli AFC

Connolly

Williams

Hunt

Strong

Williams

Kirk

Smith

Doran

Owen

Smith

Horan

Naylor

Leah

Stones

Heenan

Dowling

W

W

W

W

L

D

W

W

 -

4-0

1-3

0-3

0-4

2-0

1-1

1-4

4-2

  -

 15

 10

  8

  3

  3

  2

  2

  2

  1

  1

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0