logo
Joe Ledley opens new 3G pitch at Ysgol Greenhill, Tenby

Joe Ledley opens new 3G pitch at Ysgol Greenhill, Tenby

The full-size artificial pitch at Ysgol Greenhill in Tenby was unveiled by the Cymru Football Foundation (CFF) as its latest 'Fit-For-Future' facility, following a major investment of nearly £400,000.
The funding was part of the UK Government's Multi-Sport Grassroots Facility Programme, supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The project involved resurfacing and extending the existing 2G pitch, with additional support from Sport Wales and Pembrokeshire County Council.
Councillor Rhys Sinnett, cabinet member for resident services at Pembrokeshire County Council, said: "I'm absolutely delighted to see the completion of this fantastic new 3G facility at Greenhill.
"Thanks to joint funding from the Cymru Football Foundation and Sport Wales, through Welsh Government grant support, we've been able to deliver a top-quality surface that will benefit both the school and the wider community.
"This £700,000 investment is not just about new turf – it's about creating opportunities for young people and residents of all ages to get involved in football and rugby, whether that's through competitive fixtures or recreational play.
"The improved surface, extended playing area, new fencing and energy-efficient lighting mean this facility is fit for the future."
The pitch will be managed by Pembrokeshire Leisure, with Councillor Sinnett calling the project a 'brilliant example of what can be achieved through strong partnership working and a shared vision for education and grassroots sport.'
The pitch will be used by pupils during school hours and made available for community use in the evenings, supporting grassroots football and other sports.
Former Cymru international Joe Ledley attended the opening, marking the 16th full-size 3G pitch in Wales backed by the CFF.
Aled Lewis, director at the Cymru Football Foundation, said: "The Cymru Football Foundation is committed to investing in facilities that inspire communities.
"A new facility in the heart of Tenby will enable more players to play, improve the experiences of current players and act as a hub for sport in the local community.
"A huge thank you to our partners, UK Government and both Pembrokeshire County Council and Sport Wales in supporting the development of such a high-quality facility."
Since February 2022, the CFF has invested more than £17 million in football facilities across Wales.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Crystal Palace mess sums up football's multi-club ownership problem
Crystal Palace mess sums up football's multi-club ownership problem

Telegraph

time3 days ago

  • Telegraph

Crystal Palace mess sums up football's multi-club ownership problem

After six historic wins, culminating in victory over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, it appears that the biggest obstacle to Crystal Palace's first European campaign can actually be found at the Uefa offices in Nyon. Palace 's multifaceted ownership structure, which includes the American John Textor's 43 per cent stake, is under intense scrutiny due to Uefa rules which forbid clubs with shared owners competing in the same competition. Textor also holds an 88 per cent stake in the French club Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League. The situation is potentially further complicated by another Palace shareholder – David Blitzer – also holding a stake in Brondby. The Danish club have qualified for the Uefa Conference League and it had been suggested that Palace could yet find themselves 'demoted' to that competition. Talks continue as they search for a solution, with Textor suggesting on Monday night that his stake in Palace is now up for sale. But one thing is at least clear within this mess. The explosion over the past five years in the number of multi-club ownership (MCO) structures means that such situations will arise with increasing frequency. It is barely a month, after all, since it emerged that Evangelos Marinakis had placed his Nottingham Forest shares into a 'blind trust' to satisfy Uefa rules which would preclude him from having 'influence' should Forest have qualified alongside another of his clubs, Olympiacos, for the Champions League. The same move was made last year by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos at Nice and City Football Group at Girona, after Manchester United and Manchester City joined their sister clubs in respectively the Europa League and Champions League. Chelsea, who are owned by the Todd Boehly-fronted BlueTech investment vehicle, had faced the same looming issue in respect of Strasbourg and were in talks with Uefa in case the French club also qualified for the same European competition. Fifa has also just expelled Leon from the Club World Cup after ruling that they could not participate alongside fellow Mexican club Pachuca because of the potential conflict of interest from shared owners. Prior to the pandemic in 2020 there were less than 60 clubs worldwide operating within such an arrangement. That number now stands at more than 400. And research by Jason Stephens, an MCO adviser and lecturer at the University Campus of Football Business in London, has found that there are now 147 MCO operations in the world. Familiar examples include the City Football Group, in which Manchester City stand at the top of a 13-country, five-continent structure and Red Bull, one of the innovators of a concept that has brought shared playing styles and brand identity across countries. The prospect of heading up one of these multi-faceted operations was apparently sufficient to lure Edu from his job as Arsenal sporting director to a widely expected global director of football role across the Marinakis's empire. The Greek businessman, who is worth an estimated £3 billion, has since been in talks to add a controlling stake in Brazilian side Vasco da Gama to his network in England, Greece and Portugal. It is also notable that Marinakis's Forest are currently working on a deal that links them again with Textor's clubs. Forest are hoping to tie up a remarkable triple de al with Brazilian side Botafogo for striker Igor Jesus, centre-back Jair Cunha and left-back Cuiabano. The completion of those transfers would likely open the way for Danilo to leave Forest and join Lyon. Botafogo are owned by Textor, the owner and president of Lyon, as well as co-owner of Palace. If the deal progresses, Danilo would be the third player Forest have sold to Lyon in the past year. Last summer the French club paid £27 million for defender Moussa Niakhaté and about £15 million for midfielder Orel Mangala. Liverpool's Fenway Sports Group has also been actively exploring options that include buying a stake in Málaga in Spain, after pulling out of a deal last year for French club Bordeaux. Brighton owner Tony Bloom bought a 19 per cent stake in Melbourne Victory last month and has just submitted a bid for almost a third of the Scottish club Hearts. Brentford's controlling group, Best Intentions Analytics (BIA), bought the Spanish club Asociación Deportiva Mérida last month and Stephens believes that major recent investments at Aston Villa and Chelsea, respectively by the companies Atairos and Ares Management, will be used to widen existing MCO portfolios. It is a booming alternative transfer market with huge implications and yet it has gone largely unnoticed by the majority of football supporters. 'Cheaper to buy a club in Europe than pay £30m for a young player' So what explains this trend, and should fans be worried? Simon Leaf, who is a partner at legal firm Mishcon de Reya, which has advised clubs on their MCO structures, says that it is 'almost a development on' from the situation in South America two decades ago, when agents began owning the economic rights to players, most famously Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tévez. 'Rather than having agents owning players or clubs you now have clubs owning clubs, and there are multiple benefits that can bring,' Leaf says. These include reducing costs by centralising resources and expertise in key staffing areas, notably scouting and data analytics to optimise player recruitment and development, with MCOs potentially able to develop global academies across entire regions through a handful of clubs. 'It is actually cheaper to buy a club in Europe than to pay £30 million for a young player,' says Stephens, who says that you can then 'house multiple talented young players, control playing style and development minutes, ensuring they are prepared to play at the appropriate level.' This pooling and internal movement of players clearly has huge potential upsides in minimising what are often astronomical agents' fees, as well as dealing with local immigration rules, such as the UK's post-Brexit ban on bringing in players under the age of 18. At a commercial level, shared sponsorship deals and unified merchandise platforms across diverse regions are also estimated to enhance income by up to 30 per cent. Multiple concerns have been raised, however. Fans (more commonly outside of England's dominant Premier League) fear their club potentially becoming a lower-order concern within a structure that might ultimately be about maximising the 'mother' club. There is also the fear of lost identity – would Leeds United fans want their club rebranded if Red Bull ramps up its investment? – and the potential loss of proximity to an owner. Fan protests While certain collaborations may make sense on a practical level, is that compatible with the emotional one-club mindset of so many football followers? Fans at Nice, Troyes and Strasbourg, respectively linked via their owners to Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea, have all protested in recent years. 'Fans [from clubs] at the top of the model are not so bothered, but lower down they are,' says Niamh O'Mahony, chief operating officer at Football Supporters Europe. Strasbourg supporters wrote a stinging letter in 2023, outlining their fears over the 'senseless' recruitment and 'over exposition' of very young players. 'Fans don't relate to their team at the moment,' they said, warning that the MCOs risked reducing most clubs 'to a simple objective of developing young players and helping the few clubs at the top of the pyramid.' For regulators such as Uefa, the major concern relates to potential conflicts of interest. The Uefa rule book says that no one may be simultaneously involved 'in any capacity' in the management, administration or sporting performance of another club in the same competition. Owners have so far satisfied Uefa by placing shares of one club in a blind trust to be operated by independent directors or, in the case of Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise in 2023, a reduction in Bloom's stake in the Belgian club. Few experts, however, believe that governing bodies can easily enforce rules around control or influence. Blind trusts are 'token gesture' 'It doesn't matter what measures you put in place – reducing stakes or creating temporary blind trusts – you are never going to control influence,' says Stephens. 'This blind trust rule is a token gesture. The owner is still funding the club, and do the football regulators really believe that conversations are not taking place in the shadows on the strategic direction?' Research last year by Nicholas Lord and Peter Duncan of the University of Manchester laid bare the complexities of Premier League ownership structures. Of the 20 clubs in 2023-24, more than half had five or more different entities within their ownership structure, including six clubs with 10 or more entities, of which many are based outside the UK in jurisdictions with higher financial secrecy. Lord says that it would not be difficult theoretically for an investor who wanted to 'mask' any conflicts of interest. 'I think currently it's very straightforward to do that by using these various legal entities and arrangements,' he says. Duncan says that he is not particularly concerned from the point of view of sporting integrity, but questions whether it is desirable for clubs to be concentrated among a more select group. 'It seems indicative of this pattern of concentration of wealth among an ever smaller proportion of the population,' he says. Potential for hidden MCOs Arguably of greatest concern is the fact that ownership rules in England require only someone above a 25 per cent shareholding to take the Owners' and Directors' Test and more than 10 per cent to have their identity declared. It would suggest that the real worry might not be those MCOs which are out in the open but the possibility of investors accumulating multiple interests that are not publicly declared and having almost a hidden MCO. According to Lord and Duncan, who work in the department of criminology at Manchester, that is perfectly possible. 'You don't have to declare who is a shareholder unless they have more than a 10 per cent stake in a club and, even if they do have greater than 10 per cent, it is possible to hide that,' Duncan says. Lord adds: 'You might have a situation where you have lots of investors, investing in lots of different clubs, and no one would be aware. How much sway and influence they can have over these different clubs and activities, their transactions, is very difficult to determine. It is still straightforward to circumnavigate [the 25 per cent 'control' and 10 per cent 'significant interest' thresholds]… in that you can simply split your investment across different vehicles.' Player trading in MCOs has been another area of concern, particularly in the context of meeting various financial rules on spending and the subjective nature of valuing players. Allan Saint-Maximin's move from Newcastle to Al-Ahli (also owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund) for an undisclosed fee in 2023 is one deal that came under scrutiny. City Football Group, says Stephens, has come to be seen as a benchmark, not just for its on-field success at Manchester City, but also its work within communities surrounding its clubs. He also cites Core Sports Capital, with its growing structure in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and the Black Knight Football Group, which includes Bournemouth in its portfolio, as other currently successful examples. It certainly feels like we are witnessing a permanent shift rather than a passing fashion. Asked if he sees this trend continuing, Stephens has a simple answer: 'Yes, 1,000 per cent.'

MS Jack Sargeant celebrates volunteers during special week
MS Jack Sargeant celebrates volunteers during special week

Leader Live

time3 days ago

  • Leader Live

MS Jack Sargeant celebrates volunteers during special week

Mr Sergeant has visited two Deeside-based, volunteer-run sports clubs, the North Wales Crusaders Rugby League & Disability Sports Club and the Deeside Ice Skating Club. Both clubs have received funding from the Sport Wales' Be Active Wales Fund, which awarded a total of £151,266 in Welsh Government funding to Alyn and Deeside for the 2023/24 financial year. READ MORE: Shotton: Iceland set to shut up shop later this month Planning application submitted for 900 new homes in Wrexham Mr Sergeant said: "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank volunteers across Alyn and Deeside for all they do for our local community. "Whether it's running sports clubs like those I visited, supporting those in need, or raising money for charity, volunteers make a huge contribution to our society." Volunteers' Week began in 1984. To find out more, visit

Sam Thompson suffers injury during gruelling Soccer Aid challenge which leaves his sister Louise 'petrified' and on the 'cusp of having a breakdown'
Sam Thompson suffers injury during gruelling Soccer Aid challenge which leaves his sister Louise 'petrified' and on the 'cusp of having a breakdown'

Daily Mail​

time5 days ago

  • Daily Mail​

Sam Thompson suffers injury during gruelling Soccer Aid challenge which leaves his sister Louise 'petrified' and on the 'cusp of having a breakdown'

Sam Thompson has suffered a huge injury during a gruelling multi-marathon challenge which has left his sister Louise 'petrified' and on the 'cusp of having a breakdown'. The I'm A Celeb star, 32, has been given the task to travel a mammoth 260-mile journey on both bike and foot to deliver the match ball to its new home in Old Trafford, with the hope of raising much-needed funds for Unicef. To complete the challenge, Sam is expected to run a marathon for five days and cycle in between, ensuring the ball arrives on June 6, just in time for kickoff on Sunday, June 15. But after running the first marathon Sam has revealed that he has 'popped his calf' and has now been strapped into a medical table with the hope to recover in time for his session on the bike. In his usual happy mood, Sam appeared unphased and ready to carry on despite his family posting distressed-looking videos to social media. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. And his injury has left his sister Louise 'petrified' and on the 'cusp of having a breakdown' as she took to her Instagram Stories to give her followers an update Hits Radio shared a clip of the former reality TV star on the phone where he said: 'I'm just sat on the table. I've got Game Ready on, which is like a bucket ice machine. 'We've completed a marathon. It was going great until my calf popped. Don't really know what that means but something has happened. So I can barely walk on it. 'But we completed the marathon and we are going to do the bike in a bit. Let's see how that goes.' And while Sam appeared in happy spirits, his sister Louise took to her Instagram Stories looking in distress to give her fans an update. She said in the video: 'I cannot believe I am in my dressing gown but desperate times call for desperate measures.' 'I have been following so closely to the Soccer Aid channel, the Instagram, the Instagram Stories, Hits Radio this morning all covering my brother doing his run from here to Manchester. 'And I am literally on the cusp of having a breakdown every time I see stuff. I saw a video of him limping really badly after the first marathon and he has now got to get on a bike and do a really really really long cycle and I am so worried his legs are just going to give in'. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline earlier in the day, Sam opened up about what he believes will be the biggest challenge he'll face over the next five days. But after running the first marathon Sam has revealed that he has 'popped his calf' and has now been strapped into a medical table with the hope to recover in time for his session on the bike He said: 'The hard part of this challenge is gonna be the fear of not completing it. 'That that will, is and will always be the hardest thing in my head is the fear of injury and not being able to play it. 'I just, I have to be able to get of course I finish line. 'And like, you've seen how many people are here. Just letting people down is my biggest weakness, so that is terrifying to me.' Elsewhere, Sam gave an update on his relationship with Samie Elishi as he kicked off the first day of his intense Soccer Aid challenge. While his sister Louise and her partner Ryan Libbey were present at the starting line to show their support, Samie was notably absent. Speaking just moments ahead of the challenge, Sam revealed that several close friends, including best mate Jamie Laing, have remained tight-lipped about whether they'll join him along the way. However, he did confirm whether or not Samie, who he has been dating since April, will be making an appearance. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Sam said: 'Throughout the experience, I hope there'll be a few people.' When asked directly if Samie would be making an appearance, he responded: 'I feel like... this is so much more than who I'm dating or hooking up with. 'And I feel like it would take away from what it is going on. You know what I mean? 'You know, If I had a wife or something like, like a girlfriend of years it might be a different. 'I just think that I don't want to do anything that will take away from this challenge and Unicef - the spotlight needs to be on them. 'Like, I'm literally a vehicle. That's how I'm seeing it. I'm just a thing that is running to try and make money, so I want to keep it that way.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store