At the beginning of the 1934-35 season senior football in the North Wales coast area was covered by two senior Leagues – the North Wales Coast League and the Welsh League, largely along geographic lines. Both competitions had been formed following the collapse of the Welsh National League set-up in 1930, the former under the title of North Wales Football Combination.

By 1934 stagnation had once more crept in to the game in the north and at a meeting held at the Royal Hotel, Colwyn Bay in October of that year a proposal formulated by Col. J Llewelyn Williams of Holywell – then FAW Treasurer - was put to a meeting of both the aforementioned leagues, convened by the FAW.

Originally put together in July 1933, the plan had been discussed on September the 5th by a special sub-committee made up of four prominent members of the North Wales Coast League, namely D A Rodger (Rhyl), Percy Weekes (Holyhead), E W Hughes (Bangor) and Hugh R Williams (Bangor).

Following the meeting they submitted a report which the North Wales Weekly News quoted as concluding:
“ The committee from the outset felt that senior football on the North Wales Coast is drifting to its doom. Senior clubs are going into junior football and if this is allowed to go unchecked it will mean an end to Junior football too. 
“ It is the unanimous decision of this committee that we adopt, in principle, the ‘Zone Scheme’ so aptly propounded by Col. J Llewelyn Williams.
“ We sincerely believe that every town that has had a senior club should again carry a senior club before it is allowed to run merely a junior club.”

They then listed a number of clubs that “should be compelled to enter the ‘Zone Scheme’ which should be divided into two sections”.

It was a revolutionary but complex system which was originally put forward. Clubs in Section A would have the option of playing in Section B and vice-versa but ten clubs would be compelled to play in both (!). 

Three clubs not in the ten, namely Pwllheli, Portmadoc and Blaenau Ffestiniog would also be allowed to play in the Cambrian League (sic). 

FAW Secretary Ted Robbins set a timetable for the next two meetings within tight schedules. The first, held at Rhyl was of the Management Committee. The officials in place were: Joint Secretaries - W F Morris and H R Williams……

A meeting of the North Wales Coast Football League formally adopted the proposals the same week
Further meetings were held to resolve differences but it was not until June 1935 that matters came to a head when two of the Junior leagues – the Vale of Conwy and Flintshire – expressed reservations on the effect on junior football of the rules being imposed within the new system. They were joined in their concerns by the Bangor & District League and the Anglesey League. These leagues were criticised by Col. Williams as lacking in vision and the Bangor & District League, who had decided to run independently was told in no uncertain terms to toe the line or not to be allowed to function at all. 

The Flintshire Amateur Football League wrote to the new Welsh League and the FAW stating their intention to manage their own affairs for the coming term.

The Welsh League, which covered Denbighshire and Flintshire, was quite a successful league and three of its clubs, namely Flint Town, Denbigh Mental Hospital and Ruthin, were the chief objectors, having been virtually forced to join the top division. So far a rough ride for the new system.

As it stood at this point – the end of July 1935 – the three zones of the top division remained in the frame with the Flintshire League First Division forming Division II and the area leagues, Bangor, Anglesey, Conway, Mold, Dyserth plus the Second Division of the Flintshire League would form Division III. And it would appear that the Welsh League was to be, as described by Mr J Lloyd Kearns (Denbigh) at the League’s AGM in Rhyl on July 13th, “washed away”.

The arguing continued but eventually the Division II and III set-up was adopted at a meeting in Llandudno Junction in September 1935. The Welsh League disbanded. Denbigh MH and Flint Town opted to join the senior League which eventually kicked off at the end of the month. 

Llanddulas and Abergele went into the Dyserth League whilst the fate of Prestatyn Town, Llysfaen and Ruthin are not known although Llysfaen reappeared in the Vale of Conwy League in 1938.

A senior division eventually took shape and comprised of eleven clubs: Bangor City, Blaenau Ffestiniog FC, Colwyn Bay FC, CPD Porthmadog, Denbigh Mental Hospital, Flint Town, Holyhead Town, Llandudno FC, Llanfairfechan Town, Penrhyn Quarry FC and Rhyl FC.

The first season was something of a failure with original dissenters Flint Town and Denbigh MH failing to complete their fixtures – the season closing with fourteen fixtures unplayed and Llandudno FC taking the title.

Llanfairfechan and Denbigh MH dropped out at the end of the first term and Pwllheli British Legion entered the fray and together with the remaining nine clubs continued into the second season.

The League continued to flourish with regional second divisions being formed in 1948 which continued until a single 18-club division format returned in 1960.

It was to be the most successful league in the history of North Wales football, running uninterrupted bar the war for forty-nine years until its transition into the Welsh Alliance League in 1985.