Written - Written Response of the Welsh Assembly Government to the Culture, Welsh Language and Sport Committee`s Report on Football in Wales: A Review

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone involved in the production of this important report and to those individuals and organisations who have given evidence.

Football is an immensely popular game in Wales, played by many different ages and groups and there is no doubt that it plays a very significant role in assisting the Welsh Assembly Government to meet the key aims and objectives within the Sport and Physical Activity strategy, Climbing Higher. This will bring many gains including improving health tackling social inclusion and building stronger and safer communities.  

The Welsh Assembly Government supports football in Wales with a significant investment of public money.  At present we provide about £1 million each year all of  which is invested at grassroots level.

I was disappointed that the Football Association of Wales (FAW) chose not to give evidence as they would have brought some very important views to the review. It would have also been a golden opportunity of informing the Culture Committee of the work they are carrying out in a wide range of areas.  

There are many issues and recommendations in this report but most of these are not matters for the Welsh Assembly Government and fall under the responsibility of the FAW.    

The report contains 4 key recommendations.

Key Recommendations

• A long term strategy and vision is needed for Welsh football.  This should be developed by the governing body and include:
  
  - operational and financial plans
  - development plans for young people, women and girls, disability football, referees and
    facilities
  - roles and responsibilities of the supporting agencies
  
• The Football Association of Wales needs to modernise its governance structure and responsibilities particularly for football development.

Accept in Principle

These are matters for the FAW. The Welsh Assembly Government accepts that these recommendations will help to further develop the game of football in Wales.  

Other Key Recommendations 

• In the absence of any immediate commitment by the governing body to taking the recommendations in this report forward, serious consideration should be given by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Sports Council for Wales to future public investment in football in Wales.
  
• Progress on the implementation of this report’s recommendations should be reviewed within 12 months of its publication by a relevant Committee of the National Assembly for Wales.

Accept

The Welsh Assembly Government is reluctant to withdraw funding from grassroots development of the game as is the Committee.  

The progress made in 12 months will be  reviewed and it would be wise  to consider progress at this stage.  In the meantime I have asked my officials to work with and assist the FAW in the preparation of the Strategy.          

Strategy and Review/ Recommendations:

• The Football Association of Wales should develop a long term strategy and vision for the development of the game at all levels, and give an immediate commitment to undertaking this.
  
• The strategy should be developed in conjunction with and agreed by all the key organisations which can contribute to the development of football in Wales. 
  
• The roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders in football in
  Wales need to be clearly identified, understood and agreed as part of
  the vision and strategy for football.  We suggest the stakeholders are:  the Football Association of Wales; the Sports Council for Wales; the Welsh Premier League and other Welsh clubs; the Football Association of Wales Trust; local authorities; the Welsh Schools Football Association, the Federation of Disability Sport Wales; and the Welsh
  Assembly Government
  
• In the absence of any immediate commitment by the governing body to taking the recommendations in this report forward, serious consideration should be given by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Sports Council for Wales
• Progress on the implementation of this report’s recommendations should be reviewed within 12 months of its publication by a relevantCommittee of the National Assembly for Wales.
  

Accept in Principle

These are not matters for the Welsh Assembly Government.  The FAW have agreed the need to prepare a strategy and I will report on this in plenary on 13 March.    

Financial Implications – None.

Development /Recommendations:

• The organisation of, and support for, development for young players needs to be clarified and co-ordinated within an overall plan which should comprise all the key areas of support.  These should include support in schools and the community, the academies run by clubs and by the Football Association of Wales Trust as well as the proposals for centres of excellence from the Welsh Schools Football Association.  The plan itself should form part of an overall strategy for football in Wales.
  
• A plan for the development of football for young people should take account of relevant child protection measures as well as the appropriate standards for clubs set down by UEFA. 
  
• The future roles and responsibilities of the Football Development Officers based within the 22 local authorities in Wales need to be clarified and agreed between local authorities and the Football Association of Wales and the Football Association of Wales trust and set out in a wider development plan to ensure no conflicts of interest.
  
• There needs to be a more structured and supportive approach to attracting and retaining a volunteer workforce.  This should be included in a wider plan for development.
  
• The strategies developed by the Football Association of Wales Trust for women and girls need to be supported and incorporated within an overall plan for football in Wales.
  
• Similarly, the strategies being developed by the Football Association of Wales Trust for disability football need to be supported and incorporated within an overall plan for football in Wales.  The plan should include proposals for the co-ordination of the work of the disability sports officers of the Federation of Disability Sport Wales with that of the local authority based Football Development Officers.

Accept in Principle

I have instructed our Sports Council for Wales in their remit letter this year that they should work in partnership with the FAW in developing a strategy in order to further develop and improve the game in Wales which will include clarifying development paths and roles and responsibilities.

The Welsh Assembly Government acknowledges that the FAW has made progress in terms of child protection and introduced a Welfare Policy which is a clear sign that they are determined that everyone involved in football, including children and young people and vulnerable adults can participate at all levels in a safe and supportive environment. The FAW is recognised as a leading authority in this very important element of sport
and are reported to have carried out 5,000 CRB checks in taking forward their policy.  

Financial Implications - None

Organisation and Governance/ Recommendations

• The Football Association of Wales needs to give an immediate commitment to accepting the recommendations of this report; to modernising its governance structure and to implementing the changes within a reasonable timescale.
  
• The development of football should be one of the principal objectives of the governing body and needs to be clearly identified as the responsibility of the Football Association of Wales. Whilst it can delegate implementation to the Football Association of Wales Trust it cannot delegate responsibility.
  
• There needs to be a specific plan for the recruitment, training and retention of referees.  The roles and responsibilities of the Referees Association, the Football Association of Wales and the Football Association of Wales Trust need to be defined, although the ultimate responsibility must remain with the governing body which should co-ordinate the development of the plan.

Accept in Principle

These matters will need to be addressed by the FAW in its Strategy. The FAW have a referee convention programme which is intended to promote the role of football referees, fourth officials, referee instructors, referee observers as well as referee administrators. In addition the programme also aims to improve the quality of match officials at all levels of the game in Wales by incorporating general regulations for the standardisation of referee education. Responsibility of referees falls under the remit of the Welsh Football Trust.  

Financial Implications - None

Funding and Resources/ Recommendations:

• There needs to be a national plan for the development of facilities for football, including pitches and their availability for the different levels and aspects of the game throughout Wales. The plan needs to involve local authorities and the football and sporting agencies; the governing body should co-ordinate its development.
  
• We need to ensure that the provision of future facilities takes account of equality of opportunity and access for all.
  
• There needs to be a plan for football funding in Wales which should address how existing resources from all available sources can best be used; it should also identify gaps in provision.  In addition there should be a rolling operational and financial plan in which the roles and responsibilities of the supporting agencies should be clearly identified.
  
• The funding relationship of the Sports Council for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government for football, should be through the governing body itself and not an agency. 
  
• The Football Association of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government should consider whether arrangements in England for the support of grass roots football, such as the Football Barclays sponsorship, might be developed in Wales.

Accept in Principle

The plan for development of facilities is a matter for the FAW which will need to be considered within their strategy along with plans for football funding.

The Assembly Government is content in principle to switch its funding route to support grassroots football but in advance of the publication of the FAW’s strategy it would be premature to make these changes.  
   
Supporters’ needs have been ignored in a number of high profile cases in Wales.  The potential benefits of working with Supporters Direct will be explored with a view to concluding a service level agreement.          

Financial Implications – None.