Cefn Druids Association Football Club () is an inactive association football team based in the village of Cefn Mawr, Wrexham. The club played in the Cymru North after being relegated from the Cymru Premier in 2021–22 but withdrew ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The club was founded in 1872 by Llewelyn Kenrick who would later go on to found the Football Association of Wales. Following several mergers through the club's history, in 1992 it became Cefn Druids AFC with the amalgamation of Cefn Albion F.C. and Druids United. The club is one of the oldest and most successful in Wales, winning the Welsh Cup 8 times and competing in 14 finals, most recently in 2012. The club has seen a resurgence in recent times with a successful run in the top flight, securing their best ever league finish and winning the European Play-Off, taking them into the Europa League for the second time.
The team's first choice strip is black and white striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. The second choice strip is red shirts, red shorts and red socks for the 2019–20 season. The club's official kit is produced by Italian kit giant Errea with sponsorship by Wrexham Lager and Johnstown Tyre Service.
Stadium
Planning permission for a 3,500 capacity stadium at the Rock, Rhosymedre, was given in March 2009, subject to approval from the Welsh Assembly and Health and Safety Executive. Delays to the beginning of construction put the project back by 12 months and the club moved into the new stadium in August 2010. The club has previously played at Plas Kynaston Lane in Cefn Mawr.
History
For a full history see; List of football seasons involving Cefn Druids and its predecessor clubs
The team take their prolific history from the famous old Welsh team Druids FC who were founded in the early 1870s. They had won the Welsh Cup on no less than 8 occasions and have finished runners-up five times but fell on hard times with the advent of professional football. Druids were ancient mystic men throughout Celtic civilisation and were closely associated with Wales.
Club Formation
It is claimed by the later club that Druids FC formed in 1872 when Plasmadoc FC merged with Ruabon Rovers and Ruabon Volunteers under the guidance of Llewelyn Kenrick. Contemporary sources refute this version of events.
It was reported that on 6 October 1872, the opening game of a Football Club for the district was played at Plasmadoc Park. Mr George Hampden Whalley was selected as the captain of the club. On 23 October 1872 a meeting was held by Ruabon Rovers at the Wynnstay Arms where the Club committee was selected. It included people like David Thomson and Dr Daniel Grey. George Hampden Whalley was elected as president. Whalley would later also hold this position when the club became Druids and at rival club Ruabon FC.
In February 1873 Ruabon Rovers played a fixture against Ruabon Volunteers, which shows these clubs were both still Active after the merger date proposed by the modern day club. Ruabon Volunteers were also known as the 2nd Denbighshire Volunteers so were actually a Military team.
In September 1873 the club was still known as Ruabon Rovers as evidenced in the annual meeting of the club, where a number of influential people, later associated with Druids were present and held key roles, such as David and George Thomson. The issue of the club's foundation is further muddied when Llewelyn Kenrick was present at the founding of a football club in Ruabon in September 1873.
The name of the club appears interchangeable between Ruabon Rovers and Plasmadoc in 1873, and the club was often referred to as the Plasmadoc Club from 1874 up until 1876. When speaking in 1882, Llewelyn Kenrick stated that the club had been started by David Thomson in 1874 as the Plasmadoc Club.
Druids FC
The name Druids does not appear in the local press until January 1876. By 1877 the club were commonly referred to as Druids Football Club.
The club were allowed to play at Plasmadoc Park by George Hammond Whalley MP. However following his death in 1878 Druids lost the use of the Plasmadoc Ground. Because of this, Druids were forced to withdraw form the 1878–79 edition of the Welsh Cup. This resulted in the Club folding and many players, including Kenrick, leaving the club. The club did not play any further games for over a year until it was revived in November 1879.
Salvation was found in the form of the Williams-Wynn family as they allowed the club to use an area of the Wynnstay Estate, which became Wynnstay Park and home to the Druids for the next forty years.