Headline: Welsh Clubs Cardiff, Swansea, and Wrexham to Compete Together in Championship After 45 Years
The year was 1981. A pint cost 50p, Prince Charles married Lady Diana, and Only Fools and Horses debuted on television. At that time, Cardiff City, Swansea City, and Wrexham were rivals in Division Two of the Football League. Remarkably, they have not competed against each other in the second tier since then—a statistic set to change.
In the 2024-25 season, Wrexham made its way into what is now called the Championship, coinciding with Cardiff’s relegation to League One. However, following Cardiff’s quick return from the third tier and Wrexham’s near miss in the play-offs alongside Swansea’s stable mid-table finish, the upcoming 2026-27 Championship campaign will see all three clubs competing in the league, where promotion to the Premier League is the ultimate goal.
Reuniting in the Second Tier After Four Decades
The three Welsh clubs have played in the same division only six times previously. Their last joint presence in the second tier occurred during the 1994-95 season, when Swansea and Wrexham finished in mid-table, but Cardiff faced relegation. They have previously shared the division twice in 1979-80 and 1980-81.
During those years, Cardiff consistently played in Division Two, apart from one season after they dropped out of the top flight in 1962. Wrexham was in the middle of a four-year spell in the division, having achieved their first promotion to the second tier in 1977-78. Swansea, on the other hand, thrived under the management of John Toshack, having ascended from the fourth tier in 1977-78 and then winning promotion from Division Three the next season.
Swansea topped the Welsh table in the 1979-80 season and finished 12th in their first campaign back in the second tier since 1965, while Cardiff and Wrexham came in at 15th and 16th, respectively. The following year marked history for Swansea as they secured promotion to the top flight for the first time.
Richie Morgan’s Cardiff managed to finish clear of relegation in 1980-81, landing 19th in a 22-team league. They experienced a fierce rivalry that season, winning both matches against Wrexham and drawing with Swansea. Wrexham played well against Swansea too, managing a draw but ultimately losing to Toshack’s side as they moved closer to First Division status.
The Quest to be the Preeminent Welsh Club
Cardiff, Swansea, and Wrexham spent two seasons together at the lowest level before reuniting in the third tier for a couple of seasons in the mid-1990s. However, it has been over three decades since they last shared the same division, making their upcoming Championship battles significant.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson commented, “Three Welsh teams in the Championship… it’s enormous for the country,” acknowledging the intensified competition in Welsh football. Last season, Wrexham outperformed Swansea by finishing four places higher, and bookmakers predict the Red Dragons are favorites to lead Welsh clubs this season.
Cardiff’s head coach, Brian Barry-Murphy, looks forward to the season despite glossing over the rivalry aspect, stating, “We just want to do really well this season.” He is reminded of his previous assertion that Cardiff is the biggest club in Wales, to which he confidently replied, “Cardiff feels like the biggest club in the world to me.”
Swansea’s head coach, Vitor Matos, also reflects on the significance of the upcoming matches, emphasizing their importance to the towns, fans, and families involved.
As the Championship season approaches, clubs are hopeful for promotion, and with play-off spots extending to the eighth position for the first time, each team will strive for consistency over the long season. Notably, for these three Welsh clubs, the clashes against one another will carry extra weight as they aim for recognition within Welsh football.
The year was 1981. A pint was 50p, Prince Charles married Lady Diana and Only Fools and Horses graced TV screens for the very first time.
In the Football League, meanwhile, Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham were rivals – until May, at least – in what was then called Division Two.
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At no point since have Wales’ three heavyweight clubs competed with one another in the second tier of English football, but that statistic is about to be wiped out.
Wrexham climbed into what is now known as the Championship in 2024-25, the same year in which Cardiff were relegated to League One.
But after Cardiff’s immediate return from the third tier – plus Wrexham’s play-off near-miss and Swansea’s latest mid-table finish – the 2026-27 Championship campaign begins with three Welsh teams ready to compete in the division where the Premier League is the ultimate prize.
Back together in the second tier after 45 years
Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham have been in the same division on only six previous occasions.
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It was most recently the case in 1994-95, when Swansea and Wrexham finished in mid-table in what is now League One, but Cardiff were relegated.
The Welsh trio have been together in the second tier just twice before, in 1979-80 and 1980-81.
Cardiff were Division Two regulars in that period, having played at the level in every season bar one after dropping out of the top flight in 1962.
Wrexham were in the midst of a four-season spell in the division having climbed to the second tier for the first time in their history in 1977-78.
Swansea, meanwhile, were on the crest of a wave following the inspired appointment of John Toshack as player-manager in the spring of 1978.
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Having won promotion from the fourth tier in 1977-78 and again from Division Three the following season, Swansea finished top of the Welsh pile in 1979-80.
Toshack’s team ended up 12th in their first second-tier campaign since 1965, with Cardiff 15th and Wrexham 16th.
The following year was historic for Swansea, as a final-day win at Preston saw them clinch promotion to the top flight for the first time.
Swansea celebrate winning promotion to the First Division in 1980-81, the season when they most recently competed alongside Cardiff and Wrexham in the second tier [Getty Images]
Richie Morgan’s Cardiff team, by contrast, scraped clear of relegation on goal difference, finishing 19th in a 22-team league.
In what was the final year of two points rather than three being awarded for a win in the Football League, Arfon Griffiths’ Wrexham ended up only two points above Cardiff in 16th.
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Despite their struggle to avoid relegation, the Bluebirds had the best of the Welsh derbies in 1980-81, with two wins against Wrexham and two draws with Swansea.
Wrexham managed one draw with Swansea, but lost 3-1 at Vetch Field in March as Toshack’s team edged closer to the First Division.
Swansea’s remarkable progress continued the following year, when they looked like genuine contenders for the title until a late-season dip in form meant they ended up sixth, which remains the club’s best finish.
A spectacular decline then began in 1982-83, as Swansea suffered the first of three relegations in four seasons.
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Their Welsh counterparts were also on the way down, with Cardiff and Wrexham relegated together from the second tier in 1981-82.
While Wrexham dropped another division 12 months later, Cardiff bounced back with promotion, only to suffer successive relegations of their own in 1985 and 1986.
That all meant that by 1986-87, the three Welsh clubs were reunited in the basement division.
The battle to be Wales’ top club
Cardiff and Wrexham met in the EFL Cup last season, but have not faced each other in the league since 2001-02 [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
After two seasons together at the bottom level, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham were reunited – this time in the third tier – for a couple of seasons in the mid-1990s.
And now, after more than three decades, they are together again.
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“Three Welsh teams in the Championship… it’s enormous for the country,” said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.
“There’s a mini-league going on [in Wales].”
Wrexham came out on top last season, finishing four places above Swansea in 11th.
Bookmakers make Parkinson’s men favourites to finish as Wales’ top club once more, with the Red Dragons tipped to push for a play-off place, Swansea in the middle of the pack and Cardiff among those with the longest promotion odds in the division.
Brian Barry-Murphy reckons his team are capable of surprising the doubters – though the Cardiff head coach brushed off questions about the fight to be Welsh football’s leading club before Monday’s mouthwatering curtain-raiser against Wrexham.
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“We just want to do really well this season and try to get off to a good start on Monday,” he said.
Barry-Murphy was then reminded that when he took charge last summer, he described Cardiff as the biggest club in Wales.
“Cardiff feels like the biggest club in the world to me,” he said in response.
“When I’m here the energy from the supporters is incredible.
“Hopefully on Monday you’ll see an atmosphere that befits the stadium and the club and we’ll try to do our part by producing a performance that gives us a chance to win.”
Wrexham will make the journey down from north Wales once more in three weeks’ time for a meeting with Swansea.
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Vitor Matos experienced two meetings with Wrexham last term, which ended in one win apiece, but this season will bring his first encounter with Cardiff.
The Swansea head coach describes the prospect of facing the Bluebirds as “really special” – but acknowledges that each of the all-Welsh encounters will come with added significance.
“They are games that mean a lot for the town, mean a lot for the fans, mean a lot for the families,” Matos said.
“That’s something that we need to respect as a club and as a team… so it will be a quite exciting season.”
In the Championship, most clubs start out with some sort of promotion hope – and the field looks even larger this year given that the play-off places will stretch down to eighth for the first time.
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Finding some consistency across 46 games is key to every team’s prospects – but for three clubs in Wales, there are four fixtures which will matter more than the rest.
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