Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:36 pm on 8 June 2021.
As we enter a summer of football, I'd ask for a statement on the importance of the game at a grass-roots level. And I would add my voice in asking for the Government's stance on the recent restructuring of women's football in Wales. Two teams in my region—Abergavenny WFC and Cascade Ladies—have been relegated from the Welsh premier women's league. The knock-on effect of the restructuring will also see Coed Duon Women drop to the third tier. Now, these are proud and successful teams—they're part of the community—and the decision has been heartbreaking for players, coaches and supporters. I realise that the reason for the restructuring is meant to be about strengthening the domestic game in Wales, but I've had constituents contact me to question the process, to ask why sporting merit, as has been raised, played such a small part in the scoring system, because surely how teams perform on the pitch should be crucial to a decision like this. And questions have also been raised about whether clubs' finances and whether they happen to have access to good infrastructure counted for more than what they've achieved. Moreover, each club's scores haven't been published, which raises questions about transparency. Now, Trefnydd, I realise that these are questions for the FAW, but this decision will have a significant impact on women's participation in football in these areas. This is something that the Government has to have a stance on. So, could we please have a statement recognising the important role of women's football and grass-roots sports? And can the Government also say whether they would support an independent review of the restructuring process?