FAW sets ambitious 10-year plan but seeks more money

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has called for greater funding for Welsh football after setting out ambitious targets for the next decade.

The game's governing body in Wales says it wants more players, more pitches and more qualifications for major tournaments over the next ten years.

The aims have been outlined in a new strategic plan that includes seeing the men's national side return to the top 20 of Fifa's world rankings.

The plan – Llunio Cymru – sets out a number of measures of success between now and 2036, all based on growing participation and helping the national sides "perform on the world stage".

A key goal includes ensuring "quality" facilities are in place "within 15 minutes of every community" with a target of 100 new or upgraded pitches by 2030.

But chief executive Noel Mooney admits the association will be looking to the Welsh Government for greater help.

"We need a lot more support," Mooney told BBC Sport Wales, who says facilities are needed with plans to increase the number of registered players in Wales by 30%.

"We're very clear on the growth of the female game that we need facilities for that. We've spent more than £30million over the last four years building pitches all across the country but we've a long, long way to go.

"Thankfully, our resources are increasing - which is good - but we really need more support from Welsh Government and from the 22 local authorities to deliver this."

The FAW last set out targets in 2021, qualification for the 2022 men's World Cup and the 2025 women's Euros two key goals ticked.

They also hit goals for increasing numbers playing the sport, with the amount of registered players going from 80,0000 to 120,0000.

The FAW now want that number to grow to 160,000, including doubling the numbers of women and girls to 40,0000.

They believe increasing the numbers playing will help the top level but also boost the nation's health – with the need for more facilities key.

Projects in the 100 most deprived and diverse communities will be a priority, as well as a 50% increase of priority pitch access for women and girls.

A specific strategy for the women and girls' game will be launched next month, but it will include doubling the money invested.

A recent review suggested it would cost £150m to deliver the facilities local authority areas needed.

Mooney says increased revenues from Fifa following the 2026 World Cup and the planned windfall from staging Euro 2028 has helped the FAW nudge towards revenues of £50m.

But he is eager that the forthcoming Welsh Government budget – the first since Plaid Cymru's election success earlier this year – will see an increase in money invested into capital projects.

The FAW has been boosted by money from the UK Government for some of its plans to date, but Mooney said Welsh Government should now do more, saying the current £13m for capital expenditure was "a scratch on the surface of what we need to get to".

Mooney added: "We've got confidence. We've had a lot of discussions with the new government and they've given us all of the signals that we're going into the right direction."

Mooney says football's place in preventative health was key, saying allocating greater resources was "a no-brainer".

Other key aims include every game over under-12 level having a qualified, neutral referee, reducing the number of teenagers dropping out of football by half, growing the number of qualified coaches by a third, and taking Cymru Premier average attendances past 1,000.