# Ardal Leagues

The Ardal Leagues are a football league in Wales. The word "ardal" translates as "district" in English, with Wales split into four regions at this level. They have clubs with amateur/semi-professional status and sit at the third level of the Welsh football league system. The first year of their operation would have been 2020–21 but the 2020–21 Ardal North East season, 2020–21 Ardal North West season, 2020–21 Ardal South East season and 2020–21 Ardal South West season were all cancelled. The inaugural season was moved to 2021–22. The creation of the leagues mark the first time the Football Association of Wales owns and is administering tier 3 of the Welsh league system. These changes follow from a review of the Welsh football pyramid. To be eligible clubs need to meet the criteria for FAW tier 3 certification.
The league is split into two leagues, covering North and South Wales. Both Northern and Southern leagues have two regionally-based sections of sixteen clubs each:
* Ardal Northern
** Ardal North East (2024–25 Ardal NE season)
** Ardal North West (2024–25 Ardal NW season)
* Ardal Southern
** Ardal South East (2024–25 Ardal SE season)
** Ardal South West (2024–25 Ardal SW season)
The winners of each league are promoted to either the Cymru North or the Cymru South as long as they meet the FAW's tier 2 certification criteria. Subject to also meeting these criteria, the four runners-up clubs enter play-off matches with two of the clubs also gaining promotion (one from the north and one from the south).
The Ardal Leagues structure replaced the former tier 3 leagues: Welsh Football League Division One, Mid Wales Football League Division One, Welsh Alliance League Division One and the Welsh National League Premier Division, leagues based in South Wales, Mid Wales, North West Wales and North East Wales respectively.
Relegation from the Ardal Leagues is to six local tier 4 leagues, with three clubs relegated from each of the tier 3 leagues at the end of the season. The tier 4 leagues are run by each of the Area Associations of Welsh football, the West Wales Football Association, the South Wales Football Association, the Gwent County Football Association, the Central Wales Football Association, the North East Wales Football Association and the North Wales Coast Football Association.

## Ardal League teams

On 10 July 2020 the FAW confirmed the 64 teams in the new tier 3 leagues. In an attempt to avoid dividing the current Mid-Wales teams across all four leagues, the North-East league contains a large contingent of the Mid-Wales teams. The North-West league contains the sides near the North Wales coast. After confirmation of their inclusion STM Sports announced on 27 July that they had folded, leaving only 15 sides in the South West league. On 3 August it was confirmed that Cardiff Draconians had been promoted from the South Wales Alliance League to fill the remaining place in the league.
Since COVID-19-originated restrictions were put in place by the FAW, as from 10 August, clubs could have trained in groups of 15 and contact training would have been allowed at all-levels of football. However, competitive and exhibition matches were still not allowed to take place. Consequently, the FAW decided to cancel what was to be the Ardal Leagues' inaugural 2020–21 season on 4 February 2021, and on 26 March, Montgomery Town withdrew from the North East league for pandemic-related reasons. They were replaced by Cardiff Draconians, as the highest placed team from the Alliance League who had been awarded a licence.

### 2024–25 season

The following clubs are league members for the 2024–25 season.

#### Map
## League champions, runner-ups, relegated teams, and Fair Play winners
### Ardal NE

| Season | Champions | Runner-up | Relegated teams | Relegated teams | Relegated teams | Fair Play winners |
| 2021–22 | Chirk AAA | Caersws | Carno, Kerry, Four Crosses | Carno, Kerry, Four Crosses | Carno, Kerry, Four Crosses | Berriew |
| 2022–23 | Caersws | Cefn Albion | Corwen, Rhayader Town | Corwen, Rhayader Town | Corwen, Rhayader Town | Caersws |
| 2023–24 | Penrhyncoch | Bow Street | Llanrhaeadr, Welshpool Town | Llanrhaeadr, Welshpool Town | Llanrhaeadr, Welshpool Town | Penrhyncoch |

### Ardal NW

| Season | Champions | Runner-up | Relegated teams | Relegated teams | Relegated teams | Fair Play winners |
| 2021–22 | Mold Alexandra | Porthmadog | St Asaph City, Brymbo, Blaenau Amateurs | St Asaph City, Brymbo, Blaenau Amateurs | St Asaph City, Brymbo, Blaenau Amateurs | Porthmadog |
| 2022–23 | Denbigh Town | Bangor 1876 | Rhostyllen | Rhostyllen | Rhostyllen | Denbigh Town |
| 2023–24 | Flint Mountain | Llay Welfare | Bethesda Athletic, Hawarden Rangers, Saltney Town | Bethesda Athletic, Hawarden Rangers, Saltney Town | Bethesda Athletic, Hawarden Rangers, Saltney Town | Y Felinheli |

### Ardal SE

| Season | Champions | Runner-up | Relegated teams | Relegated teams | Relegated teams | Fair Play winners |
| 2021–22 | Abergavenny Town | Abertillery Bluebirds | Panteg, Abertillery Excelsiors, Aberbargoed Buds | Panteg, Abertillery Excelsiors, Aberbargoed Buds | Panteg, Abertillery Excelsiors, Aberbargoed Buds | Chepstow Town |
| 2022–23 | Abertillery Bluebirds | Risca United | Croesyceiliog, Monmouth Town, RTB Ebbw Vale | Croesyceiliog, Monmouth Town, RTB Ebbw Vale | Croesyceiliog, Monmouth Town, RTB Ebbw Vale | Newport City |
| 2023–24 | Trethomas Bluebirds | Newport City | Aberbargoed Buds, Hay St Marys, Lliswerry | Aberbargoed Buds, Hay St Marys, Lliswerry | Aberbargoed Buds, Hay St Marys, Lliswerry | Abercarn United |

### Ardal SW

| Season | Champions | Runner-up | Relegated teams | Relegated teams | Relegated teams | Fair Play winners |
| 2021–22 | Pontardawe Town | Ynyshir Albions | Ton Pentre, West End, AFC Porth | Ton Pentre, West End, AFC Porth | Ton Pentre, West End, AFC Porth | Penrhiwceiber Rangers |
| 2022–23 | Caerau (Ely) | Baglan Dragons | Garden Village, Cwmamman United, Dinas Powys | Garden Village, Cwmamman United, Dinas Powys | Garden Village, Cwmamman United, Dinas Powys | Caerau (Ely) |
| 2023–24 | Penrhiwceiber Rangers | Cefn Cribwr | Mumbles Rangers, Penydarren BGC, Port Talbot Town | Mumbles Rangers, Penydarren BGC, Port Talbot Town | Mumbles Rangers, Penydarren BGC, Port Talbot Town | Swansea University |

### Promotion play-offs
#### Ardal Northern

| Season | Ardal NE play-off finalist | Score | Ardal NW play-off finalist |
| 2021–22 | Caersws | 0–5 | Porthmadog |
| 2022–23 | Cefn Albion | 2–4 (a.e.t.) | Bangor 1876 |
| 2023–24 | Llanuwchllyn | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–6 p) | Llay Welfare |

#### Ardal Southern

| Season | Ardal SE play-off finalist | Score | Ardal SW play-off finalist |
| 2021–22 | Abertillery Bluebirds | 0–3 | Ynyshir Albions |
| 2022–23 | Risca United | 0–2 | Baglan Dragons |
| 2023–24 | Newport City | 2–1 | Cefn Cribwr |