FAW slammed over its treatment of academies system in North Wales and beyond

The FAW is failing football in Wales through its lack of support for the Academies system, believes a well-known campaigner for the sport.

North Wales Coast FA councillor Christopher O’Neal says he is “livid” over the recent loss of FAW licensed academy status for a number of clubs in the country and feels there are far too few of them to satisfy needs and demand.

One of the biggest blows in the north happened this month to Llandudno FC, traditionally a hotbed for producing young talent.

They previously had a Category B academy, but lost this designation after a review by the FAW, which deemed the club had “failed in one or two areas”,

Tudno worked tirelessly to put things right, but an appeal against the original decision was rejected by the national governing body.

This means the club will be forced to release all its youth players before the start of the new season, putting future careers in jeopardy.

Cefn Druids have also lost academy status, while Colwyn Bay have retained Category C provision for the next two years, but were unsuccessful in their bid to enter Category B.

Hundreds of young footballers were left in limbo last month after the FAW withdrew licences for five academies and downgraded others. Alongside Druids and Llandudno, Taff’s Well, Risca and Cwmbran Celtic also lost their licence.

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.

Mr O’Neal said: “The FAW is failing football in Wales with its treatment of academies and I’m livid about this.

“There should be an academy in every county in Wales and a development centre in every county.

“Noel Mooney (FAW CEO) needs to get a hold of this urgently.”

He added: “As a person heavily involved in North Wales football I find it absolutely shocking with this issue.

“Caernarfon Town has an absolute top class academy that is well managed and very well organised.

“This academy caters for young players of all ages including the very young under 7’s upwards.

“The next academy available other than Caernarfon Town for any player under 11 Is in Flintshire – a distance of 65 miles between the two academies.

“How can we be seen to be developing our own talent when we have such a gap?

“Why not have an academy in every county in Wales, then have a development centre in another part of that county that feeds into the academy.”

Following a review into the National Academy structure, a categorisation model has been implemented across the FAW Licensed Academies for the 2023/24 season.

All clubs have had to deliver against quality-assured criteria in both business and sporting facets, and uphold competitive integrity throughout in order to be reclassified into one of three

Categories:

Category A – deemed to offer the outstanding level of quality provision
Category B – deemed to offer high-quality developmental environment and full Academy pathway
Category C – deemed to offer a high-quality developmental environment but limited to a narrower number of Academy age groups

The Football Association of Wales say they remain committed to improvements in the National Academy structure and will be allocating funding to support the Licensed Academies according to their Category status.

FAW Licensed Academies – 2023/24

Category A offers:

Connah’s Quay Nomads
The New Saints
Newtown
Penybont

Category B offers:

Airbus UK
Flint Town United
Caernarfon Town
Cardiff Met
Cambrian & Clydach Vale
Barry Town United
Pontypridd United
Briton Ferry Llansawel AFC
Llanelli AFC
Haverfordwest County

Category C offers:

Colwyn Bay
Bala Town
Aberystwyth Town
Carmarthen Town
Pontardawe Town
Merthyr Town

Licenses Rejected:
Cwmbran Celtic
Risca United
Taffs Well
Llandudno
Cefn Druids

Expanding on his earlier points, Mr O’Neal said: “Little Tim plays for his grassroots club. He gets spotted as a potential talent; he then gets invited to the development centre, whilst at the centre he is recognised as having outstanding ability. He then gets invited to his county academy.

“Not being disrespectful to either of the two wonderful academies previously mentioned, but they do not have the capacity between them to deal with the number of children here in North Wales who are of academy level and should be progressed. This in my opinion is where football authorities here in Wales are failing.

“I now ask all FAW councillors and officials who read this to stand up and be counted. The academy structure is not up to standard and you guys are the people who can make a change.

“If we want to see our national team progress for years then this is where that needs to happen. Not just be going talent-spotting in Merseyside or elsewhere and hoping that the player’s grandparents have Welsh blood.

“Let’s use some of the money in the coffers to build these academies right, let’s give them the training they need to develop first class coaching, let’s build the development centres, and give them coaches the training they need to progress.

“Let’s look to support grassroots football and show them how they do such a wonderful job being the first point of contact in sending these potential players up the ladder because of them. “Let’s make everyone special.

“We can only do this if there is change and that change needs to happen now.”

And Mr O’Neal closed: “FAW NOTE – Dangling a carrot (money) to an academy in hope they make a certain level/status isn’t the way – get your officers out there to the academies, work with them and make sure them academies are not failing in any way shape or form.

“Money cannot buy success in all instances and this is one of them.

“Two academies for children under the age of 11 – 1 in Gwynedd, 1 in Flintshire

“Why cant you have an academy in Anglesey ? Conwy ? Denbighshire ?

“Time for change.”