Dai (@colemans_dream) takes a wide-angle look at the issues around Welsh club football, following another disappointing summer for the qualified teams.
Since the heartbreaking defeat for Haverfordwest last week, I’ve really been thinking about what needs to happen for Welsh teams to be successful and win games in Europe. With our coefficient now dropping, following this seasons performances and the relative success of other nations, there is now a real chance the Cymru could lose their 4th European place next season.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs an overview of what’s happened so far, TNS lost their Champions League qualifier to the Swedish Champions, before losing to the Luxembourg side Swift Hesper to end their Europa league hopes. Connah’s Quay lost 2-0 in both legs to KA Akureyri of Iceland whilst Penybont got off to a positive start in their Conference league tie, drawing 1-1 to Santa Colma of Andorra. They did however succumb 2-0 in the second leg, knocking them out.
Haverfordwest were the relative success story of the European adventures, as they beat North Macedonia’s KF Shkëndija on penalties at the Cardiff City stadium. Their heartbreaking defeat to the Faroe’s B36 side following a dubious penalty decision put them out of Europe at the second hurdle. The wait for a Welsh side to enter the group stage of any European competition goes on.
It begs the question, what are the main barriers to success? I have some of my own views here, but let’s start with some basics. Does the amount of spectators really impact success on the pitch? No, unless clubs had attendances in the 1000’s then perhaps the boost in finance would help, but we are talking there about trebling and quadrupling attendance figures for the money to be impactful. It simply isn’t going to happen.
It’s also worth pointing out the sizes of some towns, and their relative football attendances, are not being far from the average for an area. For example, the very well supported Bangor 1876 in the Cymru North had an attendance of 840 for a match last season. That amounts to around 5.1% of Bangor’s population. Cardiff City by way of comparison, had an average of just under 20,000 spectators last season. That accounts for 5.5% of the population of the city. Point being, the size of Wales is as much an issue as the numbers themselves.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe difference really is around overall visibility of the league. The Dutch second division plays on Friday and Monday nights. I know it’s not perfect, but it gives clubs a slot of their own, avoids the possibility of summer football and doesn’t impact fans who maintain an interest in two clubs in the same region – Haverfordwest and Swansea let’s say. Fans can do both, or at least have a choice to make. There’s no other real televised football on then either so the competition is limited. Perhaps more games can then be televised as a consequence.
Sticking with my Dutch theme, they have a “switch” show every Friday during the season. One camera in the ground, at every second tier game, and the channel follows goals, big chances or great saves as they happen. Televise one game “properly” as S4C do and have this “switch” coverage at the other games so “part timers” like me can watch and keep up easily. Is this something the FAW can run and manage and support financially through their new Red Wall + ?
For me, as a Welsh football enthusiast, I have very limited knowledge of the Welsh club game. I follow a load of the clubs on twitter, including the Cymru League itself, but why do I know so little? I’d say the competition level is a key part of it. I can’t maintain a real interest in it. Since 2004, TNS have won the league 14 times. Whilst I recognise The Nomads have won 2 of the last 4, the reality is that is an anomaly. So how does it become a more competitive league?
The answer for me is a simple one, but a hard one to put into practice. TNS are the only professional outfit in the division. The FAW, who has won £17 million from the national teams performances alone in Euro 2020 and in qualifying for the World Cup, needs to redress that balance. What financials can the FAW support, to make other clubs professional?
For example, can the FAW support the costs of ground/stadium maintenance throughout a season for clubs who struggle to generate a certain threshold of money? Can the FAW buy training facilities or stadiums so clubs don’t have to worry about these costs? Can the FAW pay for stewarding or policing costs of clubs in the top division? Could the FAW pay for travel and accommodation costs? I get there needs to be structures in place to make this viable and I know this is not a magic wand but it’s a start – that’s my point here.
Can the FAW do more to make the clubs full time professional, and do it in a way which does not directly benefit performance but boost the finances of the clubs in the top division in different ways. Once clubs start earning over a certain threshold, their financial support from the FAW changes, meaning a club like TNS get’s less or nothing from the FAW. Perhaps the team who wins the league, get’s no support the next season to address a competitive balance too.
I also recognise that is very pie in the sky and begs the question, are these ideas viable in the long term, if the national team become less successful, it all becomes harder to fund? Possibly not. You can make the argument that if this move was successful and clubs performed better in Europe, they could earn more finances through their European performances and then things begin to become more self funding, but I appreciate I am being very idealistic.
The last one, would be very controversial but possibly worth considering, or taking into account. What does grassroots football contribute to Welsh football? Or more pertinently, what do we WANT it to contribute?
Embed from Getty ImagesThe numbers of players who have gone on to represent Wales or even play at higher levels, who started in the Welsh league are few and far between. Welsh international football relies on players developing elsewhere week to week and that for me is the fundamental problem. Does the FAW do enough around the clubs in Wales to support coaching our players or building coaching networks? The FAW Football Leaders Badge, which I had as a young coach used to involve 2 face to face, on pitch sessions aimed at coaching kids at a basic level. It’s now £100 and is online only. To move up you need to do an FAW C course before accessing the UEFA coaching course. The FAW course is between £375 and £550 before having to pay another £200 to £400 to access the actual UEFA course.
There is a realistic chance that someone starting out in coaching, to get to the skills to actively develop children and young adults could cost £1050. At present, that cost falls on a club or realistically an individual. In Iceland, around 70% of coaches have the UEFA B Licence, one step above the C. The Icelandic FA hold open courses every year, at their own expense, to support their coaches. In fact, to coach at level from age 10 or above you need to have the UEFA B badge. Under 8 to under 10 coaches need to have completed half their B course before they can coach. All of this despite the fact they already have a C license! Coaches at every level get paid by the Icelandic FA for their efforts, to avoid the “shouting dad” experience many endure on Saturday mornings.
Yes it’s a smaller country, but we aren’t huge in relative terms either. More people in Iceland want to be involved in football too, because as a consequence of these developments football is less trying to put 10 past the worst team every week, but places a focus on player development. Those involved see themselves having an impact on the bigger picture in Iceland. For too long, Welsh football has relied on the patience and goodwill of volunteers, doing a lot for their clubs and communities. Things need to change.
Embed from Getty ImagesLastly, what is our long term aim for the Welsh football teams? Every year, we seem to have this same discussion on Welsh teams in Europe, but is not getting knocked out and retaining our coefficient placing the sole aim here? It needs to be more.
Like the Icelandic, we are a small country. We should utilise some of the positives that allows, and one thing which Welsh football needs to progress is a real plan at that level. Can we encourage teams to develop their own players more by giving more coaches opportunities? Can we invoke an age cap for the senior teams to encourage clubs to keep developing young players and giving them playing opportunities at a young age?
One thing the Belgian FA did was to decide on a “way” of playing for their men’s senior team. The formation, the pressing style and so on. One thing they did was got the youth teams of the big clubs to commit to that formation and style. That way, the players were used to playing a certain way when they progressed up the age groups. Whilst I recognise the FAW do that within its own structure, can we look at encouraging or committing the youth teams of the Welsh clubs to play this certain way or style too?
Embed from Getty ImagesAll of these latest ideas, are based on raising standards, which in turn would hopefully produce better players. Whilst that is obviously important to the clubs themselves, I’d say fans of Welsh football are much more inclined to go and watch Welsh football clubs if they think they are going to witness the future of Welsh football first hand. I have also mentioned in a previous blog, the idea that the Welsh clubs in the English pyramid could/should utilise the links with their local Welsh league teams.
Can promising U21 players go and gain first team experience in Welsh league teams? I imagine the “bigger clubs” feel uncertain about the level of footballing development these players may have elsewhere. Perhaps if we looked more into the Iceland model, Cardiff Swansea Newport and Wrexham would know their youngsters are getting a high quality coaching experience away from their club. Beneficial for all?
Embed from Getty ImagesI want to finish by saying one thing, and that is I know the FAW have done a very good job at a national team level. We have experienced so much joy and success and it has been amazing to see the levels of inclusivity and the numbers in the women’s game improving too. I am not here to bash the FAW for what they do. Regular listeners to our podcast will know just how supportive we have been of the FAW on many occasions and beaten their proverbial drum more than once.
I am not claiming to be an expert on Welsh club football, far from it. I’m not saying I have all the answers or may be half of my suggestions aren’t even feasible. What I am saying however, is that some changes and new ideas are needed for the success of Welsh club teams, and Welsh football in general and these are some of them. Football never stands still and innovation is constantly needed. I sense it is needed now for the club game, perhaps more than ever.