Llanidloes is located at the heart of mid Wales and its football club, known affectionately as 'The Daffs', has been at the heart of the region's football community for over 140 years.

Like many towns in this area, Llanidloes Town can trace its history back to the 19th century and has experienced many golden eras, as well as some dips in fortunes during more recent times.

Llanidloes is reputed as being the venue for the first recorded football match in mid Wales in December 1870 and the club was formed five years later.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in the 1890s.

Llanidloes Town in the 1890s.

Records of their early history are sketchy but it is known that Llanidloes United, as the club was known, reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup in 1880/81 before bowing out to Newtown White Star.

The Daffs took their first steps into league football in 1906/07 when they joined the Montgomeryshire and District League.

Despite finishing in the lower-half of the table, fortunes improved over the next couple of years and Llanidloes Town were crowned champions in 1908/09 after finishing two points clear of Tywyn Rovers.

The Daffs retained their title, pipping Llanfyllin Town by a six-point margin, and claimed their first Montgomeryshire Cup but were unable to complete a hat-trick of championships after finishing mid-table in 1910/11.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 1907-08.

Llanidloes Town in 1907-08.

The league trophy returned to the Daffs' possession 12 months later after finishing four points clear of the 7th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers before retaining the title the following term by an eight point margin from UCW Aberystwyth.

The Victoria Avenue club completed a double that season, as they lifted the Montgomeryshire Cup, which they would go on to win a further 20 times.

Llanidloes Town completed a hat-trick of titles when they were crowned champions in 1913/14. When competitive action resumed after the First World War, the club enjoyed one of their most successful periods, finishing Mid Wales League runners-up to Newtown in 1919/20 before joining the new Welsh National League structure.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 1919.

Llanidloes Town in 1919.

The Victoria Avenue men defeated UCW Aberystwyth 3-1 in the Welsh Amateur Cup final in 1921/22 after reaching the last-eight of the senior domestic competition during the previous two campaigns.

The Daffs secured their first Mid Wales League championship in 1924/25 and reached another Welsh Amateur Cup final before going down to Liverpool-based Northern Nomads following a replay.

Town were runners-up to league champions Aberystwyth Town 12 months later before withdrawing during the following term.

The Daffs returned for the 1927/28 campaign, a season which saw the club defeated 1-0 by Lovells Athletic in the Welsh Amateur Cup final, but had the consolation of winning the first of eight successive Montgomeryshire Cups.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 1927.

Llanidloes Town in 1927.

Llanidloes Town were league runners-up to Aberystwyth Town in 1929/30 but roles were reversed 12 months later. The Montgomeryshire men finished one point ahead of the Seasiders in the North Division (the league was split into two sections that season) and retained their title, when the competition returned to a single division, after finishing three points clear of Machynlleth and defeated Dolgellau 4-0 to claim the Cambrian Coast Challenge Cup.

The Victoria Avenue outfit was unable to secure a third successive title as old rivals Aberystwyth Town pipped them by six points but they regained the Cambrian Coast Challenge Cup after beating Tanygrisiau 4-3.

The Black and Greens also triumphed over the Daffs in the Welsh Amateur Cup final at Machynlleth.

The championship trophy returned 12 months later after finishing four points clear of the Park Avenue club but they lost to Cardiff Corries by the only goal of that season's Welsh Amateur Cup final.

Llanidloes Town missed out on the championship to Shrewsbury Town Reserves by a two-point margin in 1934/35 but gained some semblance of revenge by finishing a point clear of the Shrews 12 months later.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 1932.

Llanidloes Town in 1932.

Following a couple of quieter campaigns, Llanidloes Town finished top of the league's northern section in 1938/39, in what turned out to the last season of action before the Second World War.

When the league resumed in 1946/47, the Daffs secured the first championship after finishing three points clear of UCW Aberystwyth, after overcoming Pwllheli British Legion 1-0 in the previous term's Cambrian Coast Challenge Cup final, and retained that trophy with a 2-1 victory over Aberystwyth Town.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 1947.

Llanidloes Town in 1947.

The Victoria Avenue club found themselves ensconced in the top-half of the table over the next three seasons before pipping Aberystwyth Town to the title by a single point and lifting the Montgomeryshire Cup in 1950/51.

They were unable to build on that triumph but completed a League Cup and Montgomeryshire Cup double in 1953/54 before finishing runners-up to champions Kington Town 12 months later.

After seeing their league form dip, the Daffs regained the League Cup in 1958/58 before finishing league runners-up to Caersws in the following term and defeating Barmouth and Dyffryn United to lift the Cambrian Coast Challenge Cup a further two years later.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 1952.

Llanidloes Town in 1952.

Llanidloes Town secured another League Cup and Montgomeryshire Cup double in 1961/62 before negotiating their way to the Welsh Amateur Cup final three years later, beating Gwynfi Welfare 3-2 to lift the trophy.

Despite lifting that trophy, Llanidloes Town's league form did not measurably improve and it was not until the 1970s that fortunes began to rise.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in the 1960s.

Llanidloes Town in the 1960s.

The Daffs were Mid Wales League runners-up in 1969/70 and 12 months later, behind Barmouth and Dyffryn United and Welshpool Town, respectively, whilst bowing out to Swansea City in the last-eight of the Welsh Cup in 1970/71.

The championship returned after 21 years when the Victoria Avenue men finished the 1971/72 campaign seven points clear of their Maesydre rivals.

Despite not retaining their crown, Llanidloes Town only had to wait 12 months for another title, finishing three points clear of the Lilywhites.

The club spent the remainder of the decade in the league's upper echelons but without claiming the championship. The Daffs reached their last Welsh Amateur Cup final in 1977/78 - a season that saw Llanidloes Town become the first club in Wales to agree to a shirt sponsorship - although were defeated 1-0 by Caernarfon Town.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in the 1970s.

Llanidloes Town in the 1970s.

The championship returned to the trophy cabinet in 1980/81 when Llanidloes Town finished four points ahead of Aberystwyth Town and lifted the League Cup for good measure.

The Daffs were unable to retain their crown, ending as runners-up to Newtown 12 months later, before claiming the Central Wales Cup in 1983/84.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 1988.

Llanidloes Town in 1988.

Despite not experiencing the same level of success as their former glories, Llanidloes Town was accepted as one of the Cymru Alliance's founder members in 1990/91, finishing tenth and twelfth in its first two seasons.

With the facilities on offer at Victoria Avenue, which had hosted Welsh Amateur/Intermediate Cup semi-finals and finals, the Daffs were accepted into the League of Wales in 1992/93.

The club was unable to match the playing standards and relegated after the inaugural campaign with 30 points from 38 matches.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in the 1990s.

Llanidloes Town in the 1990s.

Llanidloes Town found life no easier back in the Alliance, fighting to avoid relegation over the next four seasons but succumbed to the drop in 1997/98, although continued to struggle in the Spar Mid Wales League - finishing bottom in 2006/07 but fortunately escaped the drop.

The Victoria Avenue men were not so lucky 12 months later and faced the ignominy of relegation to the Montgomeryshire League.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 2003.

Llanidloes Town in 2003.

The county league was highly competitive, as Llanidloes Town completed their first season behind Llansantffraid Village and Montgomery Town and were defeated by Hay St Mary's in the Emrys Morgan Cup final.

The Daffs pipped the Canaries to the title 12 months later but Montgomery Town gained revenge by beating their rivals in the League Cup final.

The Daffs were now enjoying a renaissance, with the 'feel good' factor back at Victoria Avenue, finishing third on their return to the Spar Mid Wales League before a fourth placed finish in 2011/12.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 2012.

Llanidloes Town in 2012.

The club reached the League Cup and Central Wales Cup finals that season but were beaten by Waterloo Rovers and Penrhyncoch, respectively. Llanidloes Town were crowned champions for the first time in 22 years when they completed the 2012/13 season 10 points clear of Montgomery Town and defeated Waterloo Rovers 4-0 to lift the League Cup.

The Daffs flirted were relegation upon their return to the Alliance but were not so blessed the following term when the bottom four clubs were condemned to the feeder leagues.

Llanidloes Town, with a much-changed squad back in the third tier, consolidated with a mid-table finish in 2015/16.

County Times: Llanidloes Town in 2020.

Llanidloes Town in 2020.

Llanidloes were guided back to the second tier by Hugh Clarke but the pandemic meant he stepped aside before the start of the season with Chris Davies taking the helm after switching from Caersws

Whilst Llanidloes will be associated with a certain uprising in the 19th century, further success on the pitch may lead to an uprising of increased support across the town, if the Daffs bloom once again in Welsh football.