Welsh football bosses reveal cost to improve facilities

Welsh football bosses reveal cost to improve facilitiesImage source, Rex FeaturesImage caption, Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney has previously called for greater financial supportByChris WathanBBC Sport WalesPublished2 minutes agoCommentsFootball officials say it will cost £150m to deliver the facilities the game needs across Wales.The Football Association of Wales (FAW) claim the investment is required by the end of the decade if they are to keep pace with the surge in participation figures across the country.It comes as FAW chief executive Noel Mooney claimed the change of government in Wales was an "opportunity to reset how sport is funded in Wales".The FAW's charitable arm – the Cymru Football Foundation (CFF) – has overseen £27m of spending to develop facilities across all levels of the sport over the past four years.Now a new consultation suggests funding of five times that amount is needed – outweighing the CFF's current funding - highlighting a shortfall in pitches and other facilities alongside a 21% increase in numbers playing the sport.In particular, that includes a 47% increase in the number of women and girls while the number of young players has gone up by a third.Unveiling new Local Football Facility Plans, existing and new sites have been identified across 22 local authority areas to "meet the fast-growing needs of the women and girls' game" and "address current gaps in facility provision to meet demand."Mooney said: "Investing in facilities is essential for the future of the game across Cymru – demand is at an all-time high and these local football facility plans are our strategy to provide essential positive, safe environments for our grassroots players to thrive."Welsh Government – who Mooney has previously called on for more support – say they will commission their own audit of regional sporting facilities, but that football facilities were "an important conside...