The Cymru League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Football Association of Wales.
The competition was established in 1992 and is considered to be the second-most important domestic cup competition for Welsh football clubs, after the older and more prestigious Welsh Cup. Unlike the Welsh Cup, where 135 teams entered in 2008–09, the competition is only open to the members of the Cymru Premier, the Cymru North, Cymru South and a very select few other clubs. It should not be confused with the Welsh Football League Cup, which was for the clubs in the Welsh Football League, which despite its name only covered the south and centre of Wales up until it was disbanded at the end of the 2018-19 season. For the 2023-24 season Cardiff City and Swansea City U21 sides are 'wildcard' entries into the competition.
Format
Since the inaugural season in 1992/93 the format of the competition has changed many times. The 2006/07 season saw the introduction of a new format for the competition.[1] Beginning in August, the eighteen premier league teams are split into six regionalised groups of three teams. The six group winners and two runners-up enter a quarter-final knock-out phase, followed by a two legged semi-final match before ending with the final in April.
The current format, introduced in 2014/15, saw a radical shake up for the competition. The 12 Cymru Premier teams are joined by six teams each from the two feeder leagues, and also four wildcard entrants. 24 teams enter Round 1, with the previous season's four semi-finalists receiving a bye through to Round 2. The draw for each round is regionalized as per competition rules, with teams being divided between northern and southern sections. The format changed slightly for the 2018/19 season, with each round up to the semi-finals being regionalized, and the semis an open draw. The semi-finals will also take place over a weekend for the first time.
From 2019-20 the format was expanded significantly with all 44 teams from the top two tiers of the Welsh football league system taking part as well as two wildcard entries. Twenty-eight clubs will enter in Round 1, which will be made up of any club without floodlights; the two wildcard entries; and the remaining teams ranked lowest in their respective Tier 2 league from the previous season. Round 1 will be regionalised, as will all rounds up to the Semi-Final stage. The fourteen winners will join the eighteen remaining sides in Round 2. This will be seeded so that Premier League sides are not drawn against one another. The winner of the tournament gained entry to the Scottish Challenge Cup.[2]
History
The first Welsh League Cup was won by Afan Lido in 1992/93, who beat Caersws FC 4–3 on penalties, after drawing in the final 1–1.[3]The New Saints hold the record for the most League Cup titles; they have won the competition six times. Bangor City hold the distinction of making the most number of appearances in the final and losing on every occasion (6).
The New Saints dominated the competition between 2015 and 2018, winning all four finals during that period. Saints have won nine of the ten finals they have appeared in. They have however not made the final since beating Cardiff Met in 2018.
The 2018–19 final between Cardiff Met and Cambrian & Clydach Vale holds the record attendance in the competition, with 1,503 fans witnessing Met's first major trophy win.
Sponsorship
Since 2003, the League Cup has been named after its sponsor, giving it the following name:
Loosemores League Cup (2003 to 2012), sponsored by Loosemores Solicitors (Cardiff)[1]
The Word Cup (2012 to 2016), sponsored by theWord, a Cardiff-based telecommunications provider.
Nathaniel MG Cup (2016 to present), sponsored by Nathaniel MG Cars, a car sales company based in Bridgend and Cardiff.
EFL clubs
In 2024, a proposal was put forward to allow the (at that time) four Welsh clubs playing in the English Football League – Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County – entry into the Welsh League Cup, with a view to them being permitted to represent Wales in European football. Until 1995, Welsh clubs playing in the English football league system took part in the Welsh Cup, which granted the winner a place in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. However, they were excluded from 1996, with UEFA stating in 2012 that any such club playing outside the Welsh football league system would no longer be permitted to represent Wales in European football, with the only routes to qualification were via English competitions. It was through this route that Swansea City played in the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, having won the previous season's Football League Cup. The proposal submitted by the four clubs would see the Welsh League Cup be granted a place in the UEFA Conference League, with the four EFL clubs entering their first teams in the competition. While this would not impact their places in the English leagues, it would mean that they were no longer able to qualify for Europe via any English competition.[4]
Prize money
The total prize fund for the competition is £15,000. The league awards £1,000 to each losing semi-finalist, £3,000 to the runner-up and £10,000 to the competition winners.[1]
