Football clubs' dismay over Welsh language costs

Talysarn FC were told they might have to pay for a translator for a disciplinary hearing to be in the Welsh language

Football clubs in some of the most Welsh-speaking parts of north Wales have voiced frustration with what they claim is a lack of bilingualism in how the game is run at grassroots level.

One club chairman said he felt positive attitudes towards the language from the top of the Football Association of Wales (FAW) had not filtered down enough to regional associations.

It comes after Talysarn FC from Gwynedd were told they might have to pay for a translator if they wanted a disciplinary hearing to be in Welsh.

The North Wales Coast Football Association (NWCFA) said that they may impose "costs" on clubs who are disciplined at a panel, but that they would not discriminate based on language.

When Talysarn FC were called to a recent disciplinary meeting, they were told that on this occasion the Welsh-speaking officers were unavailable.

NWCFA offered them a hearing with a translator, but also told the club that it may be liable for those costs, depending on the outcome.

"It's frustrating on many levels," said club chairman Alun Fôn Williams.

"There is plenty of good practice and leadership from the FAW [on using Welsh] but it doesn't seem to me to have filtered down to the organisations who run football here in north Wales."

He wants to see Welsh language services offered more widely so that he and others don't have to feel "awkward for asking".

"I feel like we should have the right to a hearing like this in Welsh," says Talysarn chairman Alun Fôn Williams

And with a greater focus than ever at government level on making it easier to use and practice Welsh in social settings outside schools or the workplace, he felt sports teams are at the forefront of those efforts.

"When you think of football and any other sports it's a completely informal way of bringing together people who share the same interests," he explained.

"It offers a lot for the community from a health and wellbeing perspective.

"But there's also that unseen benefit in terms of using the language, especially in this part of north Wales."

Local Member of the Senedd Sian Gwenllian said the club should have the right to speak Welsh "in all settings".

"We need a solution which means that the club don't have to bear the cost," she said.

"Ideally they should have the hearing in Welsh, but if that isn't possible, why should they have to pay?"

"Ideally they should have the hearing in Welsh, but if that isn't possible, why should they have to pay?" says Sian Gwenllian MS

The club has also been in touch with the Welsh language commissioner, who indicated that although organisations such as NWCFA was not obliged to provide services in Welsh, it should be encouraged to do so.

"By now, offering a good service in Wales means being able to offer services in Welsh," a spokesperson said.

Other clubs in Gwynedd and Anglesey backed Talysarn FC.

"That Welsh-speaking ethos is important to us and many other clubs in the area," said Iwan Williams, secretary of Llanerchymedd FC.

"There are a lot of clubs like us around here but I'm guilty of it myself sometimes, just dealing with things in English because it's made easier.

"But I'd like to think we could do it in Welsh more often. We don't want to have to turn to English for everything."

NWCFA would not comment on an "ongoing disciplinary case" but said Talysarn FC had been "made aware" of the reason why a Welsh-language hearing was unable to be offered "on this occasion".

"Should any disciplinary charge be found proven against a party the disciplinary panel may consider imposing a penalty... which may, or may not, include costs on the relevant party," it said.

It added that it would consider the comments of the Welsh language commissioner, but it does not "discriminate... on account of ethnic origin, gender, language, religion, politics, age or any other reason".

"The association is not aware of any concerns expressed by several clubs in the Gwynedd and Môn (Anglesey) area regarding the lanck of Welsh language provision by the association," it said.