Newport County A.F.C. PROFILE

Newport County are one of Wales’ most historic football clubs, famed for their resilience, knockout competition exploits, and passionate fanbase.

Until recently, the club was owned by the Newport County AFC Supporters' Trust, which took control in 2015, making them one of the few fan-owned and community-driven clubs.

But in January 2024, the Trust sold a controlling interest to Huw Jenkins, the former chairman of Swansea City, who now owns 52 per cent.

Newport currently compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football.

The Exiles, as they are known, have enjoyed several notable achievements, including a famous European run in the 1980s and multiple memorable FA and League Cup giant-killings in recent years.

Newport play their home matches at Rodney Parade, a multi-use stadium they have shared with rugby teams since 2012, having previously played at Somerton Park until its closure in 1993.

The club’s greatest historical achievement came in 1980 when they won the Welsh Cup, earning them a place in the 1981 European Cup Winners' Cup. 

They reached the quarter-finals of the competition, a remarkable feat for a third-tier side, before narrowly losing to Carl Zeiss Jena from East Germany.

Newport  were originally founded in 1912 and became members of the Football League in 1920. 

They spent much of their early history fluctuating between the lower divisions, achieving their best-ever league finish in 1947-48 when they ended the season in third place in the old Division Three South.

Financial difficulties led to the club's collapse in 1989, forcing them to reform as Newport AFC and restart in the lower levels of non-league football. 

This earned them the nickname “The Exiles,” as they initially had to play home games in Gloucestershire due to a ban on Welsh clubs competing in English non-league competitions.

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Newport’s long road back to the Football League culminated in 2013 when they won the Conference National play-off final at Wembley, defeating Wrexham 2-0 under the management of Justin Edinburgh.

Since regaining their league status, Newport have been involved in several thrilling relegation battles and Cup runs. 

In 2017, under Graham Westley, they seemed destined for relegation before Michael Flynn was appointed in March and orchestrated the ‘Great Escape,’ keeping them up on the final day of the season with a dramatic late winner against Notts County.

Newport gained national attention during that period with their FA Cup heroics, knocking out Leeds United in 2018 and forcing a replay against Tottenham Hotspur. 

A year later, they went even further, reaching the fifth round by defeating Leicester City before being eliminated by Manchester City.

Under  Flynn, the club also made two League Two play-off finals, in 2019 and 2021, but suffered heartbreak on both occasions, losing to Tranmere Rovers and Morecambe, respectively.

The club has been a home to several notable players over the years, including Ken Morgans, Kevin Moore, John Aldridge, Tommy Tynan, and more recently, modern club legends like Scot Bennett and Mickey Demetriou, who played key roles in their resurgence.

While they continue to face financial challenges, Newport remain a fiercely competitive side in League Two, known for their fighting spirit and ability to produce cup shocks against higher-ranked opposition.

The Exiles maintain rivalries with Cardiff City, Swansea City, and Bristol Rovers, but their most regular clashes have been with fellow Welsh side Wrexham in recent years, before the North Wales club were promoted to League One.