The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is calling for football to be recognised as a powerful driver of local and regional economic development, pointing to Wrexham as a model that could be replicated in towns and cities across the country.
Speaking on the Sport Business podcast from media firm Business News Wales, FAW Chief Executive Noel Mooney said the global attention and investment generated by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham AFC has transformed not only the club, but the wider economy.
“What Ryan and Rob have achieved in Wrexham is spectacular, it’s regenerated a whole community and created international visibility for the city,” said Mooney.
“We’d like to see many more examples of that across Wales, where investment in clubs can create sustainable growth, jobs, and pride in local areas.”
Mooney highlighted that Wales’ clubs are uniquely positioned to attract interest from global investors, particularly given their access to European football through the Cymru Premier and Adran Premier leagues.
“If someone buys a Gillingham or a Preston, the chance of European football is minimal. But in Wales, our league structure means clubs can reach Europe, and that’s an attractive proposition,” he explained.
“Add to that the fact that we are right next door to the Premier League, the biggest league in the world, and Wales becomes a prime location for investment.”
According to Mooney, there is growing appetite from the American market to buy into football and wider sports models. The FAW believes this presents an opportunity for Welsh clubs to secure new sources of equity, not just to improve football quality, but to strengthen communities and regional economies.
“Our job is to show what’s possible, to sell Wales to this new wave of investors,” Mooney added.
“Football, in partnership with business and government, can play a central role in developing communities and driving economic growth across the nation.”
Noel talks about this and more in the Business News Wales Sport Business episode Exploring the Economic Power of Sport in Wales. Listen to the podcast here.
