Wales to Benefit From £900m Investment for Major Sporting Events and Grassroots Sport
The funding will support a pipeline of major international events and deliver new grassroots facilities. The funding commitment, which was outlined in the Spending Review last week, has now been set out by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
It will see more than £500 million committed to supporting the delivery of a host of world class sporting events being held in Wales and around the UK over the coming years, including the first stages of the Tour de France in 2027, the European Athletics Championships 2026 and the men's UEFA EURO 2028 – alongside Ireland – for which Cardiff's National Stadium of Wales (Principality Stadium) is a host venue.
These events are expected to deliver significant economic benefits, with EURO 2028 alone projected to generate up to £2.4 billion in socio-economic value across the UK.
Work is also continuing with the Home Nation football associations, including the Welsh FA, and devolved administrations to develop the bid for the UK to host the Women's FIFA World Cup in 2035.
In tandem at least £400 million will be invested in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities that promote health, wellbeing and community cohesion. Work to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities will continue.
Already, government funding has helped clubs to build new pitches and changing rooms, install floodlights, solar panels and goalposts; supporting a range of sports including football, rugby and others. Government funding has already seen £400,000 invested in a new artificial pitch at Abersychan Comprehensive School and a £220,000 upgrade of the grass pitch at Ruthin Town FC.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, said:
'Sport tells our national story in a way few other things can – uniting communities, inspiring millions, and showcasing our nation on the global stage.
'This major backing for world-class events will drive economic growth across the country, delivering on our Plan for Change. Coupled with strong investment into grassroots sport, we're creating a complete pathway to allow the next generation of sporting heroes to train and take part in sport in communities across the UK. '
Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, said:
'The investment in sport is fantastic news and means that grassroots facilities all around Wales will be upgraded, expanded, and improved, helping more people get active and improve their wellbeing.
'The £500 million for sporting events will strengthen Wales and the UK's global reputation for excellence in staging major sporting events, hosting EURO 2028 in our National Stadium in Cardiff and a stage of the Tour de France in 2027.'
Debbie Hewitt MBE, Chair of the UK and Ireland 2028 Board, said:
'We welcome today's announcement of significant investment in sport from the UK Government, which marks a major boost to the successful delivery of UEFA EURO 2028. This commitment will not only help us stage a world-class tournament but also ensure that communities across the UK feel long-lasting benefits – from enhanced grassroots facilities to stronger local economies.
'UEFA EURO 2028 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and with this investment, we are better placed than ever to deliver an event with pride, purpose and impact.'
Nick Webborn, Chair of UK Sport, said:
'We welcome the Government's ongoing commitment to hosting the Tour De France, Tour De France Femmes and Euro 2028. These events have huge potential to drive economic growth, bring people together and inspire the next generation in communities across the UK.
'We believe that live sport is a fundamental part of this country's social fabric. We are really excited to be working with the Government and support their commitment to secure the pipeline of big events beyond 2028 to ensure we can continue to reach, inspire and unite people in every corner of the country.'
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Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
Dave Brailsford was seen as a messiah. Then came the fall from grace
His methods were lauded as being the gold standard of sports' coaching and management. The term 'marginal gains' seeped into the day-to-day lexicon across the sporting world. Sports teams not just the length-and-breadth of the UK but globally, began trying to mimic the Englishman's approach. Behemoths in the sporting world were knocking down Brailsford's door in an attempt to capture just a little bit of his magic for themselves. Brailsford became Sir Dave. Team Sky, at which Brailsford was at the helm, kick-started a revolution in cycling in this country due, in no small part, by the fact it produced, in Bradley Wiggins, Britain's first-ever winner of the Tour de France. And Team Sky, led by Brailsford, was seen as a major player in changing the face of cycling internationally. No longer was it a drug-fuelled battle of the pharmacists; instead, this was a clean, doping-free era of the sport. Brailsford could, it seemed, do no wrong. It's little wonder he was seen like this - six Tour de France titles in seven years for Team Sky riders (Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas followed Wiggins into the yellow jersey and onto the top step of the podium on the Champs Élysées) and 16 Olympic gold medals over only two Games made British cycling the toast of the sporting world. What a difference, then, a decade can make. Brailsford (l) had great success with Chris Froome (r) at the Tour de France (Image: Bryn Lennon/ Getty Images) When one flies as high as Brailsford did, there's always the risk of falling back to earth with an almighty bang. And this is exactly what's happened. Brailsford, and Team Sky, are no longer seen as 'perfect'. Indeed, the list of negative stories associated with Team Sky as a whole, and specifically surrounding Brailsford, is growing with every passing moment, and it's a list that's becoming impossible to ignore. First there's the 'jiffy bag' story, which dates all the way back to 2011. Apparently, a jiffy bag of substances was delivered from the UK to France, with the contents to be passed to Team Sky's golden boy at the time, Bradley Wiggins. All at Team Sky, including Brailsford himself, claimed the substance inside the jiffy bag was entirely legal but a decade-and-a-half on, we still don't definitively know what was in there. Then came the stories of the use of Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) forms for Team Sky's top riders, which gave them a medical exemption to take substances that would otherwise be prohibited. It seemed, rather than genuine medical issues, Team Sky's medical team was cynically exploiting TUEs for their own gains. It was around this time that a parliamentary select committee accused Team Sky of 'crossing an ethical line'. There's the dishing out of the pain medication Tramadol, which was subsequently banned, and there's the four-year suspension of former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor, Richard Freeman, for violating anti-doping rules. The latest revelation about Team Sky, which was rebranded Team Ineos in 2019 and is now Ineos Grenadiers, is equally unflattering. During this year's Tour de France, at which Ineos Grenadiers finished sixth in the team standings and their best rider, Thymen Arensman, was 12th overall, yet another hugely damaging story about Team Sky emerged. David Rozman, a long-time member of the team in his role as team 'carer' (which means he gives massages and carries out other support duties) was forced to leave France mid-race after allegations were made by German TV station ARD that, in 2012, he exchanged messages with the notorious German doping doctor, Mark Schmidt, who has since been convicted of leading a sophisticated doping ring involving multiple cyclists and skiers. One of the messages Rozman sent to Schmidt just weeks before the 2012 Tour said: 'Do you still have any of the stuff that Milram [Schmidt's disgraced former team] used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?' Of course, this in itself isn't proof that anything nefarious was going on. But still, it's not a great look. And it's just the latest nail in the reputational coffin of Brailsford and Team Sky. Brailsford had, in recent years, gradually moved away from cycling. After Jim Ratcliffe (the founder of Ineos) invested in Manchester United, he brought Brailsford in as director of sport but the Englishman was less than convincing in that role and after an underwhelming season this year, quietly left that position just weeks ago. Which was, incidentally, just prior to it emerging that the now-disgraced Rozman worked, for a short time, at Manchester United. Brailsford alongside Jim Ratcliffe (l) It's not the departure Brailsford would have envisaged. So how has Brailsford gone from being seen as a cycling messiah to what he is now, a hugely tainted and far from universally admired figure? It seems that although Team Sky achieved many admirable things, they just might not have been quite as squeaky-clean as Brailsford would have had us all believe. We all fell hook, line and sinker for the marginal gains theory when, in fact, taking a step back, it becomes clear that bringing your own pillows to a race isn't going to make quite the difference we were led to believe it would. Brailsford isn't an instantly likeable individual, either. I never quite took to him, although he certainly had an aura. I remember seeing him walking around the Athletes' Village at the London 2012 Olympics - which came just as Brailsford was beginning to achieve superstar status - and the arrogance was almost palpable. Certainly, Brailsford's apparent cockiness was not unfounded. He was widely hailed as one of sport's great thinkers and was being treated as a celebrity in exactly the same manner the athletes were. But he also obviously revelled in being treated as a sporting superstar when it's now widely acknowledged that he is far from a cycling expert. Brailsford is 61 now. Following his departure from Manchester United - he's remains a director but has stepped back from day-to-day duties - he has reportedly returned to his first love, cycling, where he will return to a hands-on role at Ineos Grenadiers. He may well have further success now he's back in cycling, although it's hugely unlikely he ever scales the same heights either results-wise, or reputation-wise, that he managed a decade-or-so ago. Whatever happens, Brailsford's reputation is tarnished, and pretty seriously in many people's eyes. It's always the danger, isn't it, of building yourself up to being perfect. Sooner or later, you'll be found out not to be.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Dave Brailsford was seen as a messiah. Then came the fall from grace
His methods were lauded as being the gold standard of sports' coaching and management. The term 'marginal gains' seeped into the day-to-day lexicon across the sporting world. Sports teams not just the length-and-breadth of the UK but globally, began trying to mimic the Englishman's approach. Behemoths in the sporting world were knocking down Brailsford's door in an attempt to capture just a little bit of his magic for themselves. Brailsford became Sir Dave. Team Sky, at which Brailsford was at the helm, kick-started a revolution in cycling in this country due, in no small part, by the fact it produced, in Bradley Wiggins, Britain's first-ever winner of the Tour de France. And Team Sky, led by Brailsford, was seen as a major player in changing the face of cycling internationally. No longer was it a drug-fuelled battle of the pharmacists; instead, this was a clean, doping-free era of the sport. Brailsford could, it seemed, do no wrong. It's little wonder he was seen like this - six Tour de France titles in seven years for Team Sky riders (Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas followed Wiggins into the yellow jersey and onto the top step of the podium on the Champs Élysées) and 16 Olympic gold medals over only two Games made British cycling the toast of the sporting world. What a difference, then, a decade can make. Brailsford (l) had great success with Chris Froome (r) at the Tour de France (Image: Bryn Lennon/ Getty Images) When one flies as high as Brailsford did, there's always the risk of falling back to earth with an almighty bang. And this is exactly what's happened. Brailsford, and Team Sky, are no longer seen as 'perfect'. Indeed, the list of negative stories associated with Team Sky as a whole, and specifically surrounding Brailsford, is growing with every passing moment, and it's a list that's becoming impossible to ignore. First there's the 'jiffy bag' story, which dates all the way back to 2011. Apparently, a jiffy bag of substances was delivered from the UK to France, with the contents to be passed to Team Sky's golden boy at the time, Bradley Wiggins. All at Team Sky, including Brailsford himself, claimed the substance inside the jiffy bag was entirely legal but a decade-and-a-half on, we still don't definitively know what was in there. Then came the stories of the use of Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) forms for Team Sky's top riders, which gave them a medical exemption to take substances that would otherwise be prohibited. It seemed, rather than genuine medical issues, Team Sky's medical team was cynically exploiting TUEs for their own gains. It was around this time that a parliamentary select committee accused Team Sky of 'crossing an ethical line'. There's the dishing out of the pain medication Tramadol, which was subsequently banned, and there's the four-year suspension of former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor, Richard Freeman, for violating anti-doping rules. The latest revelation about Team Sky, which was rebranded Team Ineos in 2019 and is now Ineos Grenadiers, is equally unflattering. During this year's Tour de France, at which Ineos Grenadiers finished sixth in the team standings and their best rider, Thymen Arensman, was 12th overall, yet another hugely damaging story about Team Sky emerged. David Rozman, a long-time member of the team in his role as team 'carer' (which means he gives massages and carries out other support duties) was forced to leave France mid-race after allegations were made by German TV station ARD that, in 2012, he exchanged messages with the notorious German doping doctor, Mark Schmidt, who has since been convicted of leading a sophisticated doping ring involving multiple cyclists and skiers. One of the messages Rozman sent to Schmidt just weeks before the 2012 Tour said: 'Do you still have any of the stuff that Milram [Schmidt's disgraced former team] used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?' Of course, this in itself isn't proof that anything nefarious was going on. But still, it's not a great look. And it's just the latest nail in the reputational coffin of Brailsford and Team Sky. Brailsford had, in recent years, gradually moved away from cycling. After Jim Ratcliffe (the founder of Ineos) invested in Manchester United, he brought Brailsford in as director of sport but the Englishman was less than convincing in that role and after an underwhelming season this year, quietly left that position just weeks ago. Which was, incidentally, just prior to it emerging that the now-disgraced Rozman worked, for a short time, at Manchester United. Brailsford alongside Jim Ratcliffe (l) It's not the departure Brailsford would have envisaged. So how has Brailsford gone from being seen as a cycling messiah to what he is now, a hugely tainted and far from universally admired figure? It seems that although Team Sky achieved many admirable things, they just might not have been quite as squeaky-clean as Brailsford would have had us all believe. We all fell hook, line and sinker for the marginal gains theory when, in fact, taking a step back, it becomes clear that bringing your own pillows to a race isn't going to make quite the difference we were led to believe it would. Brailsford isn't an instantly likeable individual, either. I never quite took to him, although he certainly had an aura. I remember seeing him walking around the Athletes' Village at the London 2012 Olympics - which came just as Brailsford was beginning to achieve superstar status - and the arrogance was almost palpable. Certainly, Brailsford's apparent cockiness was not unfounded. He was widely hailed as one of sport's great thinkers and was being treated as a celebrity in exactly the same manner the athletes were. But he also obviously revelled in being treated as a sporting superstar when it's now widely acknowledged that he is far from a cycling expert. Brailsford is 61 now. Following his departure from Manchester United - he's remains a director but has stepped back from day-to-day duties - he has reportedly returned to his first love, cycling, where he will return to a hands-on role at Ineos Grenadiers. He may well have further success now he's back in cycling, although it's hugely unlikely he ever scales the same heights either results-wise, or reputation-wise, that he managed a decade-or-so ago. Whatever happens, Brailsford's reputation is tarnished, and pretty seriously in many people's eyes. It's always the danger, isn't it, of building yourself up to being perfect. Sooner or later, you'll be found out not to be.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Dave Brailsford was seen as a messiah. Then came the fall from grace
The term 'marginal gains' seeped into the day-to-day lexicon across the sporting world. Sports teams not just the length-and-breadth of the UK but globally, began trying to mimic the Englishman's approach. Behemoths in the sporting world were knocking down Brailsford's door in an attempt to capture just a little bit of his magic for themselves. Brailsford became Sir Dave. Team Sky, at which Brailsford was at the helm, kick-started a revolution in cycling in this country due, in no small part, by the fact it produced, in Bradley Wiggins, Britain's first-ever winner of the Tour de France. And Team Sky, led by Brailsford, was seen as a major player in changing the face of cycling internationally. No longer was it a drug-fuelled battle of the pharmacists; instead, this was a clean, doping-free era of the sport. Brailsford could, it seemed, do no wrong. It's little wonder he was seen like this - six Tour de France titles in seven years for Team Sky riders (Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas followed Wiggins into the yellow jersey and onto the top step of the podium on the Champs Élysées) and 16 Olympic gold medals over only two Games made British cycling the toast of the sporting world. What a difference, then, a decade can make. Brailsford (l) had great success with Chris Froome (r) at the Tour de France (Image: Bryn Lennon/ Getty Images) When one flies as high as Brailsford did, there's always the risk of falling back to earth with an almighty bang. And this is exactly what's happened. Brailsford, and Team Sky, are no longer seen as 'perfect'. Indeed, the list of negative stories associated with Team Sky as a whole, and specifically surrounding Brailsford, is growing with every passing moment, and it's a list that's becoming impossible to ignore. First there's the 'jiffy bag' story, which dates all the way back to 2011. Apparently, a jiffy bag of substances was delivered from the UK to France, with the contents to be passed to Team Sky's golden boy at the time, Bradley Wiggins. All at Team Sky, including Brailsford himself, claimed the substance inside the jiffy bag was entirely legal but a decade-and-a-half on, we still don't definitively know what was in there. Then came the stories of the use of Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) forms for Team Sky's top riders, which gave them a medical exemption to take substances that would otherwise be prohibited. It seemed, rather than genuine medical issues, Team Sky's medical team was cynically exploiting TUEs for their own gains. It was around this time that a parliamentary select committee accused Team Sky of 'crossing an ethical line'. There's the dishing out of the pain medication Tramadol, which was subsequently banned, and there's the four-year suspension of former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor, Richard Freeman, for violating anti-doping rules. The latest revelation about Team Sky, which was rebranded Team Ineos in 2019 and is now Ineos Grenadiers, is equally unflattering. During this year's Tour de France, at which Ineos Grenadiers finished sixth in the team standings and their best rider, Thymen Arensman, was 12th overall, yet another hugely damaging story about Team Sky emerged. David Rozman, a long-time member of the team in his role as team 'carer' (which means he gives massages and carries out other support duties) was forced to leave France mid-race after allegations were made by German TV station ARD that, in 2012, he exchanged messages with the notorious German doping doctor, Mark Schmidt, who has since been convicted of leading a sophisticated doping ring involving multiple cyclists and skiers. One of the messages Rozman sent to Schmidt just weeks before the 2012 Tour said: 'Do you still have any of the stuff that Milram [Schmidt's disgraced former team] used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?' Of course, this in itself isn't proof that anything nefarious was going on. But still, it's not a great look. And it's just the latest nail in the reputational coffin of Brailsford and Team Sky. Brailsford had, in recent years, gradually moved away from cycling. After Jim Ratcliffe (the founder of Ineos) invested in Manchester United, he brought Brailsford in as director of sport but the Englishman was less than convincing in that role and after an underwhelming season this year, quietly left that position just weeks ago. Which was, incidentally, just prior to it emerging that the now-disgraced Rozman worked, for a short time, at Manchester United. Brailsford alongside Jim Ratcliffe (l) It's not the departure Brailsford would have envisaged. So how has Brailsford gone from being seen as a cycling messiah to what he is now, a hugely tainted and far from universally admired figure? It seems that although Team Sky achieved many admirable things, they just might not have been quite as squeaky-clean as Brailsford would have had us all believe. We all fell hook, line and sinker for the marginal gains theory when, in fact, taking a step back, it becomes clear that bringing your own pillows to a race isn't going to make quite the difference we were led to believe it would. Brailsford isn't an instantly likeable individual, either. I never quite took to him, although he certainly had an aura. I remember seeing him walking around the Athletes' Village at the London 2012 Olympics - which came just as Brailsford was beginning to achieve superstar status - and the arrogance was almost palpable. Certainly, Brailsford's apparent cockiness was not unfounded. He was widely hailed as one of sport's great thinkers and was being treated as a celebrity in exactly the same manner the athletes were. But he also obviously revelled in being treated as a sporting superstar when it's now widely acknowledged that he is far from a cycling expert. Brailsford is 61 now. Following his departure from Manchester United - he's remains a director but has stepped back from day-to-day duties - he has reportedly returned to his first love, cycling, where he will return to a hands-on role at Ineos Grenadiers. He may well have further success now he's back in cycling, although it's hugely unlikely he ever scales the same heights either results-wise, or reputation-wise, that he managed a decade-or-so ago. Whatever happens, Brailsford's reputation is tarnished, and pretty seriously in many people's eyes. It's always the danger, isn't it, of building yourself up to being perfect. Sooner or later, you'll be found out not to be.
