The game of Association Football was introduced to the town’s people of Llanelly when workers from the Staffordshire area of England migrated to the town to work in the ‘newest’ of the town industries – the Pottery works from 1892 to 1920. The club initially played in the Swansea & District League playing their first matches at Cae Blake, Furnace, then the Peoples Park before moving to Tunnel Road and then at Penyfan Fields.

In 1912-13 the club decided to become fully professional and applied for membership of both the Southern and Welsh League. They also moved to a new ground, Halfway Park, a former Cycle Stadium, which was situated two miles from the town centre. Their first season 1912-13 was an immediate success finishing in sixth position in the Southern League and third in the Welsh League. The following season they entered into the Welsh Cup and reached the final at their first attempt before losing to Wrexham in a replay at Oswestry after the team had initially drawn 0-0 at Swansea Town Vetch Field.

After the First World War the club continued to participate in the Southern League and in the Welsh League with moderate success. They had ambitions of reaching the Football League and as a first step they moved to a new ground in Stebonheath in 1922 Tottenham Hotspur were the FA Cup winners of the previous season were invited to make the occasion of opening the new ground by playing the local team and the Londoners were given a rude awakening when they lost 2-1 on the day. For the next three years Llanelli built up a reputation of being one of the leading non-league clubs in the country, and in 1925 become the only club to contest every round in the FA Cup from Preliminary to Qualifying rounds and on to the equivalent Third Round of today when they met Fulham at Craven Cottage before losing by the odd goal in a highly emotional game.

At the end of World War II with league football returning back to normality, Llanelly AFC in common with other Welsh clubs returned to the Welsh League fold and again gained a place in the Southern League succeeding Colchester United who had gained a place in the Football League. This was another venture into a league blessed with exFootball League players coming to the end of their careers. The manager of the time long servant Jack Goldsborough who had been a fixture in Stebo circles since 1923 as a player, trainer, coach, groundsman and secretary/manager assembled a team blessed in the main by ex Scottish League players including one John (Jock) Stein who was to find fame with Glasgow Celtic and Scotland in a managerial capacity after his playing days were over, but had made history in the FA Cup with the Reds in 50-51, before the club lost to Bristol Rovers after a 2nd replay at Ninian Park.

Even he and a succession of worthy managers could not prevent the indifferent seasons the club suffered which meant a lack of people through the turnstiles and by 1958 they had to seek re-election to both Southern and Welsh Leagues. They were granted a stay in the Southern League whilst had to be relegated in the Welsh League Division II (West). But worse was to follow when the Welsh FA refused to sanction their stay in the Southern League. Llanelli were left in limbo with an all time low for their future for the 1958-59 season.