NEWI Cefn Druids
From Ffaith
Cefn Druids was formed in 1992 from the merger of Druids United and Cefn Albion, but the real history of the club lies in the parent clubs and in particular the Druids.
Unquestionably the oldest surviving football club in Wales, two local clubs, Ruabon clubs Rovers and Volunteers were amalgamated to form a new club called Ruabon Druids under the guidance of Llewelyn Kendrick of Wynn Hall Ruabon. The team's first matches were played on the Cefn Mawr district on Plas Madoc park (known locally as Whalley's Park). After a move to Wynnstay Park, a ground leased to them by Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, the Druids began to make its name known in and beyond Wales.
During the last decade of the 19th century up to the outbreak of the first World War the Druids provided more than 40 international players for Wales most notably Llewelyn Kenrick who not only captained Druids and Wales, but was also the first secretary of the Football Association of Wales.
They were runners up to Wrexham in the inaugral Welsh Cup Final in 1877-78, and were finalists in eight of the first ten years of the competition, winning it on five occasions. They went on to appear in another five finals taking the trophy home three times more. In all Druids won the Welsh Cup eight times.
Druids entered the English FA Cup for the first time in 1876 with little success until 1882-83 when they shocked the football world by defeating the famous Bolton Wanderers in the fourth round, only to lose to eventual winners Blackburn Olympic in the quarter finals.
With the rise of professionalism in football, the Druids found themselves losing many players to bigger teams such as West Bromwich Albion and Newton Heath which compounded the demise of the club. It was not until the 1930's that they began to restore the reputation of the club but only in North Wales amateur football circles without the success of their glorious past.