Newport County are a professional football club based in Newport, Wales. Their home ground is Rodney Parade and their nickname – the Ironsides – originated from the steel works that was located in the town.
📜 Newport County History
County were first founded in 1912 and – after football was suspended during the First World War – they reformed in 1919. After a similar break during the Second World War, Newport reformed again in 1946; shortly after they suffered the ignominy of a 13-0 defeat to Newcastle United, which remains a join Football League record.
The 1980s began brightly for Newport, who lifted the Welsh Cup for the first time in 1980, earning them a spot in the European Cup Winners' Cup the following season. However, the decade ended in despair for the club, who went out of business in 1988 amid financial difficulties.
They were reformed as Newport AFC by a group of 400 supporters the following year and had to restart 4 divisions below the EFL. Because Newport Council considered the new club to be a continuation of the old club, Newport were denied permission to use their home at Somerton Park because of unpaid rent. As such, the club had to play their home games 80 miles away in Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire, earning them a new nickname, the Exiles.
In 2013, they ended a 25-year absence from the Football League with promotion to League Two.
