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TOTAL NETWORK SOLUTIONS FC
/ TNS FC
(WALES) |
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Total
Network Solutions FC (TNS) is a British football club representing
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, Powys, Wales and Oswestry, Shropshire, England (the
two places are only eight miles apart). They play in the League of Wales.
Overview
TNS currently plays at the Recreation Ground (also known as Treflan) in
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, whhich accommodates 2,000 spectators (1,000
seated). They club are currently building a new stadium in Oswestry, due to
open in 2005.
The Club's first choice strip is green and white hooped shirts, white shorts
and socks. The second choice strip is blue shirts, shorts, and socks.
History
The club was formed as Llansantffraid FC to represent the tiny border
village of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain (population: 1,000) in 1959.
They first tasted competitive football in the Montgomeryshire Amateur
Football League (then the fourth level of the Welsh football league system),
winning the championship seven times. At the end of the 1989/90 season they
were elected to the Central Wales League (now the Mid-Wales League) but
their stay was brief, winning promotion to the Cymru Alliance as runners-up
on their first attempt. Llansantffraid’s meteoric rise continued and in
1992/93 they gained promotion to the League of Wales as champions and won
the Welsh Intermediate Cup (formerly the Welsh Amateur Cup).
In 1996 Llansantffraid won the Welsh Cup and qualified for the first time
for the European Cup Winners' Cup. At this time a local computer company
Total Network Solutions of Oswestry arranged a £250,000 sponsorship deal
which involved incorporating the company name into the club name. As Total
Network Solutions Llansantffraid FC (no doubt to the consternation of
commentators) they met the Polish cup winners Ruch Chorzow and did well to
earn a 1-1 draw at home before losing 0-5 in Poland. Since then they have
qualified for European competition several times (though they are yet to win
a tie). The club's European home games are generally played either at
Newtown's or Wrexham's stadia as their own ground is far below UEFA's
standards (though for their 2003 meeting with Manchester City, they played
their home game at the 72,000-seater Millennium Stadium in Cardiff).
In 1997 the club's name was changed to Total Network Solutions FC, being the
first instance in the United Kingdom of a football club renaming itself
after its sponsor's name only. Following the financial meltdown of Barry
Town in the summer of 2003, TNS is now the only League of Wales club which
has a full-time playing staff.
In the summer of 2003 a merger with their financially-weak neighbours,
Oswestry Town FC (who, despite being from England, also played in Wales),
was approved by Oswestry's shareholders, the Football Association of Wales
and was eventually ratified on 14 August 2003 by UEFA (who initially
objected to two clubs from different countries (in football terms) merging).
While retaining the TNS name, the merged team plays its home matches in
TNS's green and white strip and its away matches in Oswestry's all-dark
blue.
The 2003-2004 season was trophyless for TNS, as they were runners-up in the
League of Wales to Rhyl and were losing finalists in the Welsh Cup, also to
Rhyl.
Honours
Promoted to League of Wales: 1993.
Champions: 1999/2000.
Runners-up: 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04.
Welsh Cup winners: 1995/96
Runners-up: 2000/01, 2003/04.
League of Wales Cup Winners: 1994/95
Welsh Intermediate Cup Winners: 1992/93
Cymru Alliance League Winners: 1992/93
Biggest victories and losses
Biggest League of Wales win: 8-1 v. Briton Ferry Athletic in 1997.
Biggest League of Wales defeat: 0-10 v. Barry Town in 1997. |
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