The Aberdare Valley Association Football League is a football league affiliated to the South Wales FA and provides football at the seventh level of the Welsh football league system. The league's boundaries stretch from Rhigos in the north to Carnetown, Abercynon in the south of the Cynon Valley.
| Founded | 1904, 1924 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Wales |
| Number of clubs | 15 |
| Level on pyramid | 7 |
| Promotion to | South Wales Premier League |
| Current champions | AFC Llwydcoed reserves (2025–26) |
| Website | Aberdare Valley League |
History
editThe Aberdare & District Junior League was founded in 1904. The founder member clubs were: Aberaman Stars, Aberaman Windsors, Aberdare Crescents, Aberdare Excelsiors, Cefnpennar, Cwmbach Lilywhites, Gadlys Rovers, Greenhill Rovers, GWR Rovers and Mardy Albions, and the first champions were Aberdare Crescents.[1]
Also in 1904, the Aberdare Leader Junior Medals competition was founded by the local newspaper, and was won by Aberaman Windsors.[2]
The league renamed to the Aberdare & District (Belle Vue) League in 1907, but folded in 1908. The league briefly returned for the 1909–10 season, but then would not return until 1924, being reformed as the Aberdare Valley Football League.[1]
Since 2015, the league has not had junior divisions (under-12 to under-16), with it now being the responsibility of the newly formed Cynon Rhondda Merthyr Junior Football League.
The league is currently at the seventh tier of the Welsh football league system, and a feeder league to the South Wales Premier League.
Premier Division
editAs of the 2025–26 season, the league consists of 15 teams:[3]
Member clubs for 2025–26 season
edit- AFC Abercynon
- AFC Abercynon (reserves) (withdrew April 2026)
- AFC Llwydcoed (reserves)
- AFC Penrhiwceiber (reserves)
- AFC Oak
- Abernant
- Carnetown
- Cwmbach Royal Stars (reserves)
- FC Abercwmboi
- FC Cwmaman (reserves)
- Gadlys Rovers
- Hirwaun
- Penrhiwceiber Social
- Penywaun
- Y Clwb Pel Droed Aberdar
Champions (Top Division)
edit- 1904–05: – Aberdare Crescents[1]
- 1905–06: – Aberdare Crescents
- 1906–07: – Aberdare Crescents[4]
- 1907–08: –
- 1908–09: – No competition
- 1909–10: –
- 1930–31: – Hirwaun K.B.R.[5]
- 1933–34: – Hirwaun K.B.R.[5]
- 1934–35: – Hirwaun K.B.R.[5]
- 1936–37: – Hirwaun Welfare[5]
- 1946–47: – Hirwaun Welfare[5]
- 1953–54: – Llwydcoed Welfare[6]
- 1954–55: – Llwydcoed Welfare
- 1968–69: – Ivy Bush[7]
- 1978–79: – FC Cwmaman[8]
- 1979–80: – FC Cwmaman
- 1980–81: – FC Cwmaman
- 1989–90: – Cwmbach Royal Stars 'A'[9]
- 1991–92: – Baileys Arms[10]
- 1993–94: – FC Abercwmboi[11]
- 1994–95: – Baileys Arms
- 1997–98: – Cwmbach Royal Stars 'A'
- 1998–99: – Penywaun
- 1999–2000: – Osborne Athletic[12]
- 2000–01: – Mountain Ash Town[13]
- 2001–02: – Hirwaun Welfare[14][5]
- 2002–03: – Mountain Ash Town[14]
- 2003–04: – Park Rovers[14]
- 2004–05: – Abercynon Athletic[14][15]
- 2005–06: – AFC Abercynon[16]
- 2006–07: – Abernant Rovers '97[17]
- 2007–08: – Aberaman[18]
- 2008–09: – Aberaman[19]
- 2009–10: – Perthcelyn United[20]
- 2010–11: – Perthcelyn United[21]
- 2011–12: – AFC Abercynon 'A'[22]
- 2012–13: – Tynte Rovers[23]
- 2013–14: – FC Abercwmboi 'A'[24]
- 2014–15: – FC Abercwmboi[25][26]
- 2015–16: – Carnetown 'A'[24]
- 2016–17: – FC Abercwmboi 'A'[24]
- 2017–18: – Hirwaun Sports[24]
- 2018–19: – FC Abercwmboi 'A'[24]
- 2019–20: – AFC Abercynon 'A'[27]
- 2020–21: – cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021–22: – Cwmbach Royal Stars reserves[28]
- 2022–23: – Cwmbach Royal Stars reserves
- 2023–24: – Penywaun
- 2024–25: – AFC Abercynon
- 2025–26: – AFC Llwydcoed reserves
References
edit- 1 2 3 "Welsh Football Data Archive: Preserving our football heritage". 3 April 2016. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ↑ "Welsh Newspapers". newspapers.library.wales. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- ↑ FAW Cymru Football app
- ↑ Jewels, Gathering The (29 July 2009). "Aberdare Crescents AFC, 1906-07 | People's Collection Wales". www.peoplescollection.wales.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Football – Hirwaun Historical Society". Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ↑ "AFC Llwydcoed – Ardal Southern".
- ↑ "History". FC Cwmaman. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ↑ "F.C.Cwmaman". 1999. Archived from the original on 18 January 2000.
- ↑ "Cwmbach Royal Stars SC - History". www.cwmbachroyalstars.com.
- ↑ "Redds on the march again" - South Wales Echo, Thursday 21 May 1992 (page 41)
- ↑ Aberdare Leader, Thursday 04 August 1994 (page 15)
- ↑ "Penrhiwceiber Con Ath FC". 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009.
- ↑ "Divisional Champions". aberdarevalleyfootballleague.yourwebsitespace.com.
- 1 2 3 4 "Divisional Champions from 2001". Aberdare Valley Football League. 2006. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009.
- ↑ "Recent History". Abercynon Athletic AFC. 2005. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008.
- ↑ "Abercynon thrilled by double hit". Wales Online. 9 June 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ↑ Aberdare Valley Football League Tables 2006–07
- ↑ Aberdare Valley Football League Tables 2007–08
- ↑ Aberdare Valley Football League Tables 2008–09
- ↑ Aberdare Valley Football League Tables 2009–10
- ↑ Aberdare Valley Football League Tables 2010–11
- ↑ "2011-12 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ↑ "2012-13 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed". blog.pitchero.com.
- ↑ https://x.com/CarnetownFC/status/588598844675395585
- ↑ https://www.welshsoccerarchive.co.uk/leagues_aberdare.php?season_id=9
- ↑ AFC Abercynon [@@afcabercynon97] (21 May 2020). "AFC Abercynon Premier League Champions 2019 / 2020" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Tweet". Twitter. Cwmbach Royal Stars. Retrieved 5 September 2022.