The Football Association of Wales has launched a new initiative to take the bilingual spirit of The Red Wall into the heart of Welsh communities.
Over the next six months, 12 events will be held in Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, bringing the joy of the Red Wall to local areas.
The family events will range from live music to football workshops, with appearances from some Welsh legends. The aim is to use the passion of the men’s and women’s national football teams to unite people, businesses and the arts in communities in the four counties. It will demonstrate there’s so much more to being part of Y Wal Goch than supporting the Cymru teams during 90 minutes of football. It’s about Welsh culture, music, fan fashion, history, geography, language. It’s about what makes us Welsh; what makes Y Wal Goch so unique.
This is a project run by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) with funding from the ARFOR Challenge Fund.
In arranging the events, the FAW will collaborate with local football clubs, including those in Llangefni, Dolgellau, Bow Street and Carmarthen.
Many of the events will take place over festival weekends such as Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau, Gŵyl Cefni, Gŵyl Fach Aberporth and Gŵyl Canol Dre in Carmarthen. Some will coincide with the Cymru men’s National League fixtures, as Cymru take on Turkey, Montenegro and Iceland over the autumn months, and others will celebrate the Cymru women’s team as they aim to reach their first ever major championship finals.
There will be collaboration with local businesses, who will be invited to the events to sell and showcase products. The FAW will also create digital Welsh-language content to share on its streaming service, RedWall+.
The first event will be held at Llangefni Football Club on June 6, when Cymru take on Gibraltar in a friendly fixture. Families will have the opportunity to enjoy workshops and food before watching the game on the big screen.
Ieuan Davies, Chair of Llangefni Football Club said: “We’re thrilled to be teaming up with FAW and Gŵyl Cefni to bring a fun family event to our club. This is a fantastic opportunity to welcome new faces whilst celebrating Welsh culture, offering football workshops, and partnering with a local business. We hope this event will encourage new audiences to return for our men’s and women’s club matches and cheer on the Wales national teams.”
Ian Gwyn Hughes, Head of Public Relations at FAW, said: “We’re looking forward to working with the ARFOR Fund over the coming months, bringing together football, local businesses, the arts and the Welsh language. The aim is to recreate the feel of international games in local communities.”
ARFOR is a joint venture between the local authorities of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, set up as a result of the co-operation agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru. It seeks to use £2 million of funding to trial new and innovative solutions to challenges in these areas.
A representative on behalf of the ARFOR board said: “The ARFOR Board is excited to collaborate with FAW on this initiative. Our goal is to generate excitement within our communities and build a new network that connects businesses and communities, allowing them to participate in international football, arts, and Welsh language events. This innovative scheme presents a fantastic opportunity to cultivate natural Welsh-speaking spaces throughout the region. We’re very much looking forward to being a part of these events.”
Join the FAW for the first event at Llangefni Town FC on Thursday 6th June for a family evening of pêl-droed.
