LLANWERN Football Club will be known as Newport City from the 2016-2017 Welsh League season with officials hoping it will mark a sea-change in its 53-year-old history.

League officials and those from the Football Association of Wales recently rubber-stamped the request for the name change - as they did for several other teams over recent years.

Aberaman Athletic became Aberdare Town, Penybont was born from the merging of Bryntirion Athletic and Bridgend Town while Cardiff Metropolitan University has had several different names.

It's not the first change of name for the club which was founded as Spencer Works in 1963 and later became known as Llanwern AFC, the area of the city where previous main sponsor Corus was based, in 1988.

As Spencer Works, the team joined the Newport & Newport League and five seasons later lifted Premier B championship title.

After the opening of a clubhouse and playing fields in 1969-1970 in the shadows of the near-by steelworks.

It won the Gwent Premier League title in 1970-1971 and again the following campaign before being elected to the Welsh League for 1972-1973 - where it has remained ever since, winning the Welsh League Cup in 2002.

Long-serving club chairman Dave Jones, a former Newport County striker, remarked he is optimistic the name change will carry the club forward and lead to a successful future.

“After we were formed over 50 years ago as a works side, we changed our name in to represent not just the works, but the area round about.

“Now, as possibly next season the only Newport team left in the Welsh League and having played for the last 12 years at Newport Stadium, we can truly say we represent the city of Newport as its top Welsh League club.

“We have had our ups and downs over the years as all clubs, including a difficult season maintaining our place in the Division Two. We have every confidence, however, that next year will be a good one and that it will set us on the road to the top levels of Welsh League football.”

Newport City (as Llanwern) completed their 2015-2016 fixture programme last weekend and although they may slip down from the current 11th place they occupy, they are safe from relegation.