Cardiff Metropolitan University

The football club was created in 1984 as a result of the merger of the football teams of Lake United and Rumney Rangers. The new team was named AFK Cardiff .

In 1990, AFC Cardiff merged with the Sally United club, as a result of which it received the name Inter Cardiff , under which he performed in the newly-formed Welsh Premier League , created in 1992 .

In August 1992, the club received an invitation from the Wales Football Federation to take part in the new league, which included all the best Wales football clubs. Thus, in the 1992/93 season, the club took part in the first rally of the Welsh Premier League, the top division of the country.

Initially, the club represented the University of Cardiff and was staffed by students of the university. Until 1990, the team played at the amateur level, and only with the entry into the new league gained professional status.

The debut season in the new league was very successful for the club: in its very first season in the league, the team took second place, losing only to the league champion club “ Cumbran Town ”. However, the club was not admitted to the UEFA Cup 1993/94 season , as UEFA had not been granted the corresponding quota of the Football Federation of Wales by that time.

After a successful first season in the Premier League, the club entered into a partnership agreement with the Cardiff City team, which was performing at the time in the Second Division of England. Thanks to the partnership with Cardiff City, the club was allowed to conduct home games at the Ninian Park stadium, which at that time was the home of Cardiff.

In the 1993/94 season, the club repeated its success of the previous year and again took second place, only two points behind the champion of the league club Bangor City . This time the team was allowed to join the European Cups, and the club made its debut in the UEFA Cup season 1994/95 . The team went to the rivals of the Polish club GKS Katowice , at that time a permanent member of the European Cup from the Polish Championship. The team could not oppose anything to the more eminent Polish team and lost with a crushing 0: 8 score in the sum of two meetings. The first home game in European competitions was played on August 9, 1994 at the Nianan Park Stadium in Cardiff. The club lost with a score of 0: 2. The return meeting in Katowice ended with a crushing score of 0: 6. However, the European Cup debut took place, and the team was able to gain invaluable European Cup experience.

Seasons 1994/95 and 1995/96 were not as successful for the club as the previous ones. The team did not shine with the results, settling in the middle of the standings.

Following the unsuccessful results of the team followed the findings within the club. Before the beginning of the 1996/97 season, the club entered into a three-year sponsorship agreement with the telecommunications company CabelTel . After the agreement with the new sponsor, the Inter Cardiff football club received the prefix "CabelTel" to the previous name and became known as the "Inter CabelTel". Under the new name, the team continued their performance in the Welsh Premier League .

With the support of local authorities, the club was allocated to Cardiff Athletics Stadium , where the team held home games.

Having obtained a new sponsor and a new home stadium, the team fully justified its investment in the club. Season 1996/97 club performed very well, returning to the top of the standings. The team again became the vice-champion of the league. Despite the 20-point gap from the leader of the tournament club " Barry Town ", however, the season for the team was more than successful.

The second time in its history, the club took part in European competition . As part of the first qualifying round of the 1997/98 UEFA Cup , the team met with the Scottish Celtic club from Glasgow . Having received such a formidable opponent at such an early stage of qualification, Inter was not able to provide decent resistance to the unconditional favorite of the pair. July 23, 1997, the club lost in the native walls with a score of 0: 3. In the return meeting at Celtic Park in the presence of more than 40,000 spectators, Inter lost to the Celts 0: 5. The total score of 0: 8 clearly showed the difference in class between the teams.

In the 1997/98 season, the team rolled back to the fourth line in the standings, and did not get into the European Cup zone by the end of the season.

The club spent the 1998/99 season like in its best years, returning to the second line again. But again, the championship was left behind. And, like two years earlier, the championship went to the club " Barry Town ". For the fourth time in the last seven seasons in the Premier League, occupying second place, the club received the playful nickname "forever second."

The third ever European team performance in the UEFA Cup 1999/00 season was the most successful for the club. Despite the final defeat in the sum of two matches, nevertheless, the team was able to achieve historical success for themselves, for the first time in its history having achieved victory in European competition. As part of the first qualifying round , Inter met with the Gorica club from Slovenia . Having conceded in the first meeting with a score of 0: 2, on August 26, 1999, the team achieved historical success in a return game at the Athletic Stadium , beating an opponent with a score of 1: 0. One ball was not enough for the hosts to even the score by the sum of two matches and translate the game into overtime . Nevertheless, this European Cup season was the most successful for the club compared to the previous two, when the team was inferior to the rivals for a clear advantage.

In total, “Inter Cardiff” represented Wales three times in the UEFA Cup , losing five times and once winning.

By the end of the season in the Premier League, the club’s sponsorship contract with CabelTel had come to an end, and the company refused to prolong the contract. As a result, the club regained its former name Inter Cardiff.

Having lost the main sponsor, the club lost serious financial support and lost most of the main structure.

The club season 1999/00 failed, having rolled into the basement of the standings. Only a weaker performance rivals saved the club from relegation to the First League .

In 2000, the football club was merged with the local UWIC Cardiff team, representing Cardiff University . The new unified team was named “UWIC Inter Cardiff”, under which she performed until 2012 .

The future of the club was questionable throughout the off-season, but a merger with the new team saved the club from bankruptcy. Thus, the team was able to continue playing in the Premier League .

Since the team was staffed only by university students, the 2000/01 season was the worst in the history of the club. Amateur students who spoke for the club, much inferior to the other participants of the league in terms of playing skills. The team finished the season in last place with catastrophic statistics: only three wins in 34 games per season with a dismal goal difference of 26-104. The fact that one of the three Inter wins of the season included an incredible victory at home with a 2: 1 score over the future league champion Barry Town , a longtime opponent of the team in the championship, could sweeten the bitterness of the unfair departure.

Since the 2001/02 season, the team has played in the First League of the Wales Championship. The next two seasons in the First League in the club underwent significant changes. The team moved to the town of Merthyr Tydfil , which is 23 miles north of Cardiff . Former captain of the team and goalkeeper of the national team of Scotland, George Wood, was appointed general manager of the club.

In 2003, the club had serious financial problems, which is why the club suffered a deep crisis, from which the team will not be selected soon. Gradually, the club began to be overlooked in the lower football leagues of Wales .

Seven years, from the 2001/02 season to the 2007/08 season, the team played in the First League of Wales, the second largest division of the country.

In the 2003/04 season, the club submitted an application to join the Premier League , but by the end of the season, it was not able to take first place in the division to earn a return to the elite.

At the end of the 2007/08 season, the team left the First League. Season 2008/09 "Inter" began in the Second Division .

Having played a total of two years in the Second Division, the club continued its rapid decline. In the 2009/10 season, the club left the league following the results of the championship and sank into the Third Division , the fourth league of the Wales football hierarchy.

Three years, from the season 2010/11 to the season 2012/13, the team spent in the Third Welsh Division.

In the summer of 2012, the club once again changed its name. From now on, the team was named Cardiff Metropolitan University. Under the new name, the team began a gradual return to the elite of Welsh football.

The 2012/13 season won the team for a clear advantage and returned to the Second Division .

In its very first season after returning to the Second Division, the team won the 2013/14 season and immediately went into the First League , which has been absent since 2008 . In just two years, the team has risen from the Third Division to the First League.

But in the First League the club did not think to stay too long. The team finished the 2014/15 season in third place, yielding to the club " Haverfordwest County " only for additional indicators, which resulted in an increase in the class.

Having played one more year in the First League, nevertheless the team won the First League tournament already next season .

In 2016, the football club returned to the Welsh Premier League after 15 years of absence .

• 1984–1990 - AFK Cardiff
• 1990–1996 - Inter Cardiff
• 1996–1999 - Inter CabelTel
• 1999–2000 - Inter Cardiff
• 2000–2012 - “UWIC Inter Cardiff”
• 2012 — n. at. - Cardiff Metropolitan University

• Premier League
  •   Vice Champion (4): 1992/93 , 1993/94 , 1996/97 , 1998/99
• First league
  •   Champion (1): 2015/16
• Division Two
  •   Champion (1): 2013/14
• Third division
  •   Champion (1): 2012/13
• Wales Cup
  •   Winner (1): 1998/99
• Welsh Football League Cup
  •   Winner (1): 1996/97
• Welsh League Cup
  •   Winner (1): 2018/19

As of October 2016

• Official site
• Club Information
• Club history
• Line-up