11. Short Debate: Our Cymru: Creating a leading football nation

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:58 pm on 29 June 2022.

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Photo of Jack Sargeant Jack Sargeant Labour 5:58, 29 June 2022

The Football Association of Wales have an ambitious plan, an ambitious vision for Cymru to become a leading football nation at a local, a national and an international level. Now, for someone who is really passionate about football and the benefits it can bring to all those involved, this is a pretty exciting ambition. It recognises that Welsh football is far more than just the national teams. I say that, Deputy Presiding Officer, as a proud club ambassador, for the record, of the Welsh league's finest team, Connah's Quay Nomads Football Club. Now, like many of you, you will be familiar, I'm sure, with the grass-roots game in Wales, and young people, our future generations, our future footballers play football in Wales every single weekend, throughout the year, in huge numbers. I have fond memories myself of growing up playing for Connah's Quay Tigers; I also have some unfond memories of my best friend missing penalties in Welsh cup finals for Connah's Quay Tigers. But back then, facilities weren't great, and it's important to recognise that facilities are improving, but this journey does need to continue if the FAW, and if all of us as football fans, are to meet their ambition.

Significant investment in facilities has come from the Welsh Government and the Welsh Government's twenty-first century schools programme, and through the FAW and through Sport Wales. However, we must do more to support our clubs to improve their facilities directly. And an example of this is in my own constituency—Buckley Town Football Club. Now, that's a club that struggles with drainage, and we do need an all-weather pitch. There has to be some direct support to clubs to achieve their ambitions themselves, not just support to schools and investment into schools. Now, as I said, each week in Wales, thousands of young people miss out on games, and they miss out on games because the pitch is called off, the game is called off—the pitch is off because of the weather. It's often waterlogged. It rains a lot in Wales—we know that, don't we? And I would like from the Minister, in her response today, a commitment and a comment about how we can achieve this direct support for clubs.