Welsh football: Players in limbo as FAW withdraws academy licences

Hundreds of young footballers have been left in limbo after the FAW withdrew licences for five academies and downgraded others.

Taff's Well, Risca, Cwmbran Celtic, Llandudno and Cefn Druids all lost out.

They will no longer be able to provide academy football for players aged 12 to 16. Other clubs will have fewer teams after being downgraded.

The FAW said a review had been ongoing since December 2021 and clubs had been consulted at each stage.

The clubs have a right of appeal.

After children chose between grassroots and academy football last year, parents fear they will struggle to find a new academy and may not have a grassroots team to return to.

The clubs have accused the FAW (Football Association of Wales) of being heavy handed.

Taff's Well FC chairman, Lee Bridgeman, said it felt like "a real kick in the teeth" and the club should be judged on its record of producing players.

"Parents and children are devastated by this decision," he said.

"Thirty of our players have gone to Cardiff City, Swansea City or Newport in the last three years."

Mr Bridgeman said the news was a shock.

"Every problem we were made aware of by the FAW we put right," he said.

"This seems like a draconian measure not to even give us an action plan or support to improve the academy.

"To just withdraw the licence just doesn't make sense."

Cwmbran Celtic academy had 134 registered players. One of them, Evan, was disappointed.

The 15-year-old said: "There's going to be really good players who can't get a team.

"It's just going to be a waste of a good player."

The FAW said it was widening access and opportunity for talent.

Risca United are appealing the decision and the club's under-15s head coach, Mark Hayward, believes the FAW could have been more supportive.

"We're all volunteers, none of us gets paid, not at Risca anyway.

"It's going to be extremely difficult to take, for me as a coach and for the boys, with the amount of hard work that's gone in, just to shut the gates."

The FAW said it reviewed the academy structure to ensure high-quality provision throughout the country.

Last May clubs were told what was expected for them to be successful in their applications, it said.

In June, clubs were invited to apply for one of three academy categories based on the criteria they could meet and in October, funding was provided to help them.

The FAW said it undertook visits to clubs and gave feedback, but in March more than half of clubs were told they could lose their licences completely.

It said clubs that did not get a licence failed because of problems with safeguarding, coaching, competitiveness and facilities.

The association also claimed Wales' population was too small to support 25 academies while England had only 50.