The Football Association of Wales (FAW), in collaboration with the Cymru Football Foundation (CFF), released the Facility and Investment Vision to improve the national football experience.
In a report published on its website, FAW and the CFF provide a detailed, statistical overview of Wales’ current football facilities, demonstrating the need for more investment, and the positive impact this could have on Welsh communities.
Football is the largest participation team sport in Wales, reporting over 87,000 active players across 811 registered clubs.
Moreover, football participation is a huge driver within the Welsh economy. FAW reports that the current overall return from football participation is over £550 million ($1.07 billion AUD), split across social, economic, and health sectors.
The association believes that further investment into the sport will generate an additional £1 million ($1.9 million AUD).
At the elite level, the Welsh men’s national team has progressed significantly in the last 10 years, performing well in the past two European Championships, and qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1958.
These achievements place a microscope on how the association maintains this success, but more importantly, how it can elevate pathways for juniors and women’s football.
The current situation
The statistics regarding current facilities in the FAW’s report illustrate a dire situation for Welsh football.
Pitch demand continually exceeds supply in Wales with a reported average number of five teams sharing one pitch, despite 60% of clubs advising a need for at least two pitches to operate effectively.
Pitch overuse explains why just 21% of Welsh football pitches are reported to be in “good” condition, whilst 1 in 5 games are cancelled due to wet weather and localised flooding. FAW believes these figures will increase if action is not taken now.
The delivery of artificial surfaces in the United Kingdom is the primary solution to combatting natural elements, yet, 54% of participants in a Welsh national survey state that access to those pitches is difficult.
Off the pitch, changerooms facilities are subject to similar negative feedback, with only 23% of participants saying their changerooms are in “good” condition.
This feedback takes on greater significance given the increased popularity of women’s football, and the subsequent need for more female-friendly changerooms.
A combination of poor pitch quality and changeroom facilities reduces an individual’s enjoyment in football, and this threatens participation and sustainability at all levels of the game.
Addressing the current situation
The purpose of the Facility and Investment Vision report is to show investors exactly what is required for football in Wales to move forward.
In particular, FAW has created a club model that uses the size of football clubs to determine the quantity of facilities required for them to run effectively.
To use an Australian comparison, an NPL club like Sydney Olympic would be considered large because it has over 20 teams at senior and junior level. Whereas a community club, that competes at amateur level (e.g Melbourne State Leagues), would be considered small.
The club model plan represents a smart and effective way to show potential investors what they can do for Welsh football.
Regarding current investment, the CFF has contributed over £9 million ($17.4 million AUD) as part of its mission to strengthen Welsh communities through football.
It is succeeding in its mission, with 98% of people reporting an improved experience when using facilities supported by the CFF.
FAW wants to improve its relationships with county councils and schools so that action plans can be drawn. This will help secure investment for better football facilities and smoother community access.
Objectives for the facilities vision
The overarching objective for FAW and CFF is to deliver a wider range of high-quality football facilities that stakeholders can access year-round.
The economic impact of future investment has been mentioned here already, but environmental sustainability is also at the forefront of the organisation’s plans.
FAW recognises the importance of future-proofing facilities to avoid early re-construction, thereby reducing its carbon footprint.
From an elite pathway perspective, FAW wants to build world-leading facilities to better support future generations of international players and coaches.
This goes beyond the provision of high-quality pitches and changerooms, with FAW insisting that technology, media, and commercial sectors must be improved.
FAW Chief Executive Noel Mooney explained the honest appraisal of football facilities in Wales is motivation for delivering a high-quality football experience.
“We know that facilities in Wales are not where they need to be, and this vision gives us a clear plan to bring facilities across Wales at all levels into the present day,” he told the FAW website.
Mooney elaborated further on the yearly target figure for investment, set by FAW and the CFF.
“We want to be able to invest at least £10 million a year into improving facilities in communities across Wales to bring them up to standard. This investment will continue to support the work that the Cymru Football Foundation is already doing and allow us to grow football in Wales on and off the pitch.
The Facility and Investment Vision demonstrates a commitment to Welsh football stakeholders by FAW and the CFF, and signifies an important moment in the future development of football in the country.
