The New Saints
The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club, commonly known as The New Saints or TNS FC, is a Welsh/English professional football club founded in 1959 and based in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. The club plays in the Cymru Premier as part of the Welsh football system and calls Park Hall Stadium their home. They are the most successful club in the Welsh league structure with 17 league titles and became the first side from the Welsh league system to qualify for the group stage of a major European competition when they reached the UEFA Conference League in the 2024-25 season.
History
Overview
General information about the club
The New Saints represents a unique position in football, being an English-based club that competes in the Welsh football system. The club emerged from a merger between Llansantffraid F.C. and Oswestry Town in 2003, creating one of the most dominant forces in Welsh football. Their success has been remarkable, with the club finishing as champions or runners-up in every Cymru Premier season since 2001-02, except for 2008-09 when they finished third.
Most recent season and achievements
In the 2024-25 season, The New Saints achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first club from the Welsh league system to qualify for the group stage of a major UEFA competition, reaching the UEFA Conference League. They secured their place with a 3-0 aggregate victory over Panevėžys in the playoffs and made history again by becoming the first domestic Welsh club to win in the group stage of a major European competition with a 2-0 victory over FC Astana.
History
Early years
The club's origins trace back to 1959 when it was formed as Llansantffraid F.C. to represent the border village of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, with a population of just 1,000 people. Initially playing at the Recreation Ground, they began their competitive journey in the Montgomeryshire Amateur Football League, the fourth level of the Welsh football system at the time, where they achieved remarkable success by winning the championship seven times.
The club's rapid ascent through the Welsh football pyramid was meteoric. At the end of the 1989-90 season, they were elected to the Central Wales League but their stay was brief, winning promotion to the Cymru Alliance as runners-up on their first attempt. Their remarkable rise continued in 1992-93 when they gained promotion to the League of Wales as champions and won the Welsh Intermediate Cup.
Successful period
The breakthrough moment came in 1996 when Llansantffraid won the Welsh Cup and qualified for their first European competition, the Cup Winners' Cup. This achievement coincided with a transformative sponsorship deal worth £250,000 from local computer company Total Network Solutions of Oswestry, which led to the incorporation of the company name into the club name, becoming Total Network Solutions Llansantffraid.
Their European debut saw them face Polish Cup winners Ruch Chorzów, earning a creditable 1-1 draw at home before losing 5-0 in Poland. In 1997, the club made history by becoming the first in the United Kingdom to rename itself entirely after its sponsor, becoming Total Network Solutions F.C.
The period from 2003 onwards marked unprecedented dominance. Following the merger with Oswestry Town in 2003, which was ratified by both the Football Association of Wales and UEFA despite initial objections about merging clubs under different governing bodies, TNS became the only Cymru Premier club with a full-time playing staff after Barry Town's financial collapse.
Crisis and recovery
While TNS experienced consistent success, they faced challenges including the need to find suitable venues for European matches due to their Recreation Ground not meeting UEFA standards. Notable matches were played at various venues including Newtown's stadium, Wrexham's ground, and memorably, their 2003 meeting with Manchester City was held at the 72,000-seat Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
A significant transition occurred in 2006 when their sponsor Total Network Solutions was taken over by British Telecom, ending the sponsorship arrangement. After exploring various options, including attempting to sell naming rights on eBay, the club settled on "The New Saints" as appropriate to both merged clubs' histories - Llansantffraid was known as "The Saints" and Oswestry had connections with Saint Oswald.
Current period
The current era has been marked by unprecedented success and European achievements. In 2010-11, TNS achieved their first European victory, defeating Bohemians 4-1 on aggregate in the Champions League qualifying rounds before falling to Anderlecht. The club set a European record in 2016 with 27 consecutive victories, surpassing Ajax's previous record of 26 from the 1970s.
The pinnacle came in 2024-25 when they qualified for the UEFA Conference League group stage, marking a historic achievement for Welsh football and establishing themselves as pioneers for clubs from smaller leagues across Europe.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
The New Saints holds the record for most Cymru Premier titles with 17 championships, won in: 1999-2000, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25. They have also been runners-up seven times.
In cup competitions, they have won the Welsh Cup ten times (1995-96, 2004-05, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2024-25) and hold the record for Welsh League Cup victories with 11 titles. Additional domestic honors include the FAW Premier Cup (2006-07), Welsh Intermediate Cup (1992-93), Cymru Alliance League (1992-93), and Shropshire Senior Cup (2011-12).
Continental and global competitions
While The New Saints has not won any major continental trophies, their European achievements are significant for a club from the Welsh league system. They reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final in 2023-24 as runners-up and made history by becoming the first Welsh league club to reach a major European competition group stage in 2024-25, where they achieved their first group stage victory against FC Astana.
Symbols and Colors
Current logo and logo history
The current club badge was developed in 2006 when the club transitioned from Total Network Solutions to The New Saints. The badge features symbolic elements representing both merged clubs: a dragon representing Llansantffraid and a lion representing Oswestry, reflecting the dual heritage of the organization.
Traditional home and away kits colors
The source material does not provide specific information about the club's traditional kit colors or design details.
Traditional club anthem
The source material does not contain information about the club's traditional anthem.
Traditional Rivals
The source material does not provide specific information about traditional rivals or derby matches.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Sponsors
The club's most notable sponsorship arrangement was with Total Network Solutions, a local computer company from Oswestry, which provided a £250,000 deal in 1996. This sponsorship was so significant that it led to the club incorporating the company name, first as Total Network Solutions Llansantffraid, then as Total Network Solutions F.C. The arrangement ended in 2006 when the sponsor was acquired by British Telecom.
Nicknames
The New Saints are commonly known as TNS FC, and historically Llansantffraid was always known as "The Saints," which influenced the current name choice.
Ownership and finances
Following Barry Town's financial meltdown in 2003, TNS became the only Cymru Premier club with a full-time playing staff, demonstrating their strong financial position relative to other Welsh clubs. The merger with Oswestry Town in 2003 was partly motivated by the financial weakness of the latter club.
Traditions and culture
The club represents a unique cross-border identity, being based entirely in England but competing in the Welsh football system. This unusual situation stems from the merger of two clubs with different governing bodies - Llansantffraid under Welsh jurisdiction and Oswestry Town under English jurisdiction.
Stadium
The New Saints play their home matches at Park Hall Stadium. However, for European competitions, they have been required to use alternative venues due to UEFA regulations. For their 2024-25 UEFA Conference League matches, they were forced to play at Shrewsbury Town's New Meadow stadium as Park Hall did not meet UEFA's standards for non-qualification matches. Previously, European home games were played at various venues including Newtown's stadium, Wrexham's ground, and notably the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for their 2003 match against Manchester City.