Growth in women’s football could be 'completely torn up' by pandemic, according to FAW's CEO

The growth in women’s football could be “completely torn up” by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Chief Executive of the Football Association in Wales.

Jonathan Ford told members of the Senedd’s Culture committee that the sport is facing challenges at all levels.

He said that the economics of top tier football including TV rights meant that its return behind closed doors will probably "work."

But he said domestic football was much more reliant on match-day income such as tickets and spending in club bars and so that there’ll be a "definite economic impact" for smaller clubs.

And he said the biggest worry was at a grassroots level where he warned of "massive financial difficulties ahead" with people less willing to take part in team sports and contact sports, adding "there’ll be fewer clubs at the end of it," he said.

Jonathan Ford has been CEO of the FAW since 2009. Credit: PA

Ford's biggest warning though was for the female game.

"The growth we’ve seen in the women’s game could be completely torn up by this pandemic."

The Women's Super League and Championship was declared finished on 25 May because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Swansea Ladies finished Welsh champions when the Football Association of Wales suspended all football.

Internationally, Wales are aiming to qualify for a first major finals - are currently four points behind leaders Norway with four games remaining.

The Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee meeting virtually. Credit: Senedd.tv

The Welsh Rugby Union’s chair, Gareth Davies told the committee the pandemic had been "catastrophic" for Welsh rugby.

He said that the WRU "took a £10m hit" in calling off the Wales-Scotland game at the beginning of the outbreak and said that members could "do the maths" if the next six scheduled test matches were cancelled.

Wales are due to host New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Fiji in the Autumn and complete the postponed match against Scotland.

He told Senedd members that he feared for the survival of Wales’ 300 community clubs.

In many places, he said, they’re more than "just sporting hubs, they’re often the only societal hubs."

The WRU’s chair, Gareth Davies said the pandemic had been Credit: PA

In a separate hearing in parliament, MPs heard Welsh elite sport could become less competitive and fewer people could take part in community sport as a result of coronavirus.

The chair of the Welsh Sports Association, Lynn Pamment, told MPs on the Welsh Affairs Committee that the UK and Welsh Governments should regard sport as a frontline public health service.

She called for more flexibility and sharing of facilities in order to keep those facilities open post-crisis.