GUEST COLUMN:
Noel Mooney
CEO
Football Association of Wales
Over the next couple of years, North Wales will play host to one of the most exciting youth football tournaments in Europe, the UEFA Under-19 European Championship.
The Football Association of Wales has committed £3 million to ensure this tournament is a success, and crucially, that the benefits are felt far beyond the pitch.
For us, it was very important to bring this tournament to North Wales. Too often in the football community, North Wales has been underserved when it comes to investment in facilities. We wanted to change that. In addition to the £3 million for the U19 Championship, the FAW has already invested more than £4 million into facilities across the region. This is about more than football, it’s about jobs, supply chains, and creating lasting infrastructure that strengthens communities.
Right now, when I visit stadiums in North Wales, I see people in hard hats and yellow vests, working on construction sites that will soon become the platforms for future footballing memories. That’s employment being created directly in the region. Every new pitch, every renovated stand, every improved training ground requires builders, suppliers, tradespeople, and services from across the local economy. This is football powering supply chains in real time.
And it doesn’t stop there. Over the last three years, the FAW has spent more than £20 million on grassroots facilities across Wales. That investment translates into contracts for local firms, work for local people, and opportunities for young players to thrive in their own communities.
By hosting the UEFA Under-19 Championship in North Wales, we are making a deliberate statement: football’s economic and social impact should be felt in every corner of the country. It’s about more than a tournament. It’s about leaving a legacy, modern facilities, stronger supply chains, and a boost to the regional economy that will last long after the final whistle is blown.
North Wales deserves this investment. And through football, we are proud to help deliver it.
Noel talks about this and more in the Business News Wales Sport Business episode Sport Business: Exploring the Economic Power of Sport in Wales. Listen to the podcast here.
