View source for Football Association of Wales

{{Short description|Governing body of association football in Wales}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}

{{National football association
| Logo               = Football Association of Wales logo (2019).svg
| Badge_size         = 175
| Founded            = {{Start date and years ago|1876|02|2|df=y}}
| Headquarters       = [[Cardiff]]
| FIFA affiliation   = {{plainlist|
* 1910–1920
* 1924–1928
* 1946–present }}
| Region             = [[UEFA]]
| Region affiliation = 1954
| Subregion             = [[International Football Association Board|IFAB]]
| Subregion affiliation = 1886
| President = Mike Jones 
| Website = {{URL|https://www.faw.cymru/en/}}
}}

The '''Football Association of Wales''' (FAW; {{langx|cy|Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru}}) is the [[Governing bodies of sports in Wales|governing body]] of [[association football]] and [[futsal]] in Wales, and controls the [[Wales national football team]], its [[Wales women's national football team|corresponding women's team]], as well as the [[Wales national futsal team]]. It is a member of [[FIFA]], [[UEFA]] and the [[IFAB]].<ref name="FAW 1"/>

Established in 1876, it is the third-oldest national association in the world,<ref name="WO run by business">{{cite news |last=Llewellyn-Jones|first=Robert|title=Football must be run by business people, claims FAW chief executive|work=Wales Online |date=15 March 2012
|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2012/03/15/football-must-be-run-by-business-people-claims-faw-chief-executive-91466-30539099/ |access-date=3 April 2012}}</ref> and one of the four associations, along with the English [[the Football Association|Football Association]], [[Scottish Football Association]], and [[Irish Football Association]] that make up the [[International Football Association Board]], responsible for the [[Laws of the Game (association football)|Laws of the Game]].<ref name="FAW 1">{{cite web |url=http://www.faw.org.uk/AboutFaw.ink |title=About FAW – Football Association of Wales |publisher=Football Association of Wales |year=2007 |access-date=4 April 2012 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924010724/http://www.faw.org.uk/AboutFaw.ink |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

== History ==

=== 19th century ===
[[File:Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Wrexham - DSC09411.PNG|right|thumb|The [[Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Wrexham]], where the FAW was founded]]
[[File:rhiwabon wynnstay arms.jpg|thumb|The [[Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Ruabon]], where the constitution of the FAW was agreed upon]]
The FAW was founded at a meeting held on 2 February 1876 at the [[Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Wrexham|Wynnstay Arms Hotel]] in [[Wrexham]], initially to formalise the arrangements for the [[1876 Scotland v Wales football match|forthcoming match]] against [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]].<ref name= "Challenge">{{cite web |url=http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/heritage/welsh_football/index.htm#y1876|title=1876 Kenrick's Challenge|work=The Story of Welsh Football |publisher=Wrexham County Borough Council|access-date=23 March 2010}}</ref>

In May 1876, a further meeting was called, this time in the ballroom of the [[Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Ruabon|Wynnstay Arms Hotel]] in [[Ruabon]], where the name "Football Association of Wales" was agreed and the constitution drawn up.<ref name= "wizards">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/leisure_tourism/welsh_wizards/kickoff.htm|title=Who was the inspiration behind Wales' first football team?|work=The Story of Welsh Football|publisher=Wrexham County Borough Council|access-date=23 March 2010}}</ref> The arguments and discussions continued so long that the local policeman came in to call time.<blockquote>"Sadly we have no record of the words actually used by the police constable as he stood sternly surveying the scene in the Wynnstay Arms, Ruabon, on that May night in 1876; but what they amounted to was that even if the gentlemen were busy forming the Football Association of Wales it was past closing time so would they mind forming it somewhere else… "<ref>100 Years of Welsh Soccer – The Official History of The Football Association of Wales. Peter Corrigan, 1976.</ref></blockquote>

[[Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet|Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn]] was in attendance; as the local [[Justice of the Peace|JP]] (and also the incumbent [[Member of Parliament]]), he went next door, opened the [[Petty session|court]], extended the hotel's licensing hours and thus enabled the meeting to continue.<ref name="wizards"/> The meeting ended with [[Llewelyn Kenrick]] appointed as the first chairman and honorary secretary,<ref name="Whos who">{{cite book |title=Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players |last1=Davies |first1=Gareth |last2=Garland |first2=Ian |year=1991 |publisher=Bridge Books |isbn=1-872424-11-2|pages=119–120}}</ref> with [[John Hawley Edwards]] as first treasurer.<ref>{{cite book |title=Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players |page=53}}</ref>

Kenrick continued to serve the FAW until 1884, when he left, probably because of the trend towards professionalism. In 1897, when the FAW secretary was charged with fraud, Kenrick returned to guide the association through the crisis. He made the final break a few months later over the minor issue of the allocation of gate money to Welsh Cup semi-finalists and finalists.<ref name="Whos who"/>

Inspired by the success of the [[FA Cup]], in 1877 the FAW ran the inaugural [[Welsh Cup]] competition. The trophy was intended to raise the standard of play and organisation of football in Wales. As such, English border clubs were invited to participate. However the prominent north–south divide within Wales meant that the association did not set up a national league.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.academia.edu/199114 |title='The New Craze': Football and Society in North-East Wales, c.1870–90 |first1=Martin |last1=Johnes |first2=Ian |last2=Garland |pages=278–304 |date=December 2004 |journal=The Welsh History Review |volume=22 |issue=2 |doi=10.16922/whr.22.2.5 }}</ref>

=== 20th century ===

By the 20th century, Wales's senior clubs were competing in English league competitions, thus reducing the importance of the lower standard and less glamorous Welsh Cup.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Soccer and Society: South Wales, 1900–39 |last=Johnes |first=Martin |publisher=University of Wales Press |year=2002 |location=Cardiff }}</ref> The allocation of a place in the [[European Cup Winners Cup]] from 1960 did boost interest in the competition, but it has remained secondary in the priorities of Wales' leading clubs.

The FAW is financially reliant on the proceeds of international matches. A lack of success on the pitch, Wales' unstable economy{{clarify|date=February 2024}} and a recurring inability to pick its star players have all meant that the association has struggled to achieve financial security. In the second half of the 20th century this was compounded by a failure to take full advantage of the new commercial and television opportunities that the wider game has enjoyed. On occasions financial problems have led the FAW to stage Wales' home matches in English stadia, whose capacities were larger than at domestic grounds.

The FAW's inability to always pick the best players for the national side was rooted in the Welsh game's subservience to English football. The FAW had no powers to demand players employed outside Wales be released for its international games. With Wales' best players mostly employed by English clubs, her national team was reliant on clubs' willingness to release players. This caused recurring tensions as the Football League and its clubs tried to impose their authority over the national associations.

Many of the FAW's members have also always been affiliated to the FA, thus creating an uncertainty over the association's responsibilities and powers. Its unwillingness and inability to assert its independence was illustrated by it following the FA out of FIFA in 1919 and 1928, only to rejoin when its English counterpart did so in 1946. Before World War II, like Wales as a whole, the FAW's ambitions for recognition were firmly within a British context. Wales' first international against opponents from beyond Britain was not until a match against France in 1933.<ref name=":0" />

In 1951, which was the association's 75th anniversary, they commissioned a new logo for the team. It was designed by [[H. Ellis Tomlinson]], an English educationist and heraldist. By November of the same year, the design was granted by the [[College of Arms]].<ref>Gloucester Citizen - Friday 30 November 1951 - https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000325/19511130/010/0010</ref>

The FAW's internal relationships were no easier, due to a history of tension between members from north and south Wales. Before World War II it did not even have complete control over football in the whole nation. The South Wales and Monmouthshire FA (founded in 1893) essentially acted as an independent association for all purposes except the national team. Although the south was represented on the FAW, the north effectively retained control of its decision-making council until the 1970s. The location of home internationals was the most common source of tension until 1989 when it was decided to hold all home games in the National Stadium at rugby's Cardiff Arms Park. When in 1985 the FAW moved its headquarters from Wrexham in the north to the capital Cardiff, the balance of power shifted firmly to the south.

By the 1980s there was concern within the FAW that its very existence was under threat. There were four independent associations within the UK. This state of affairs was unique, and the result of football's British origins. As pressure grew from non-European associations for a greater say in the running of football, Britain's special position became vulnerable. The case for Wales as a football nation was particularly weak in foreign eyes given the absence of any national league. Thus the FAW founded the [[Welsh Premier League|League of Wales]] in 1992 to try and ensure its very future. Over 100 years after the formation of its national association, Wales finally became a football nation with its own national league.

Yet despite the entry to European competitions that the league offered, Welsh clubs playing in England were less than enthusiastic about its prospects, and a prolonged battle with the association began. This [[Newport Association Football Club Ltd and others v Football Association of Wales Ltd|ended up in the High Court and defeat for the FAW]] in its attempt to coerce clubs to join the League of Wales. The league and the FAW emerged with their credibility and finances damaged, while Wales' best teams and players continue to play outside the immediate jurisdiction of their national association.

The 1990s also saw the FAW struggle to establish its credibility with Welsh fans. Its choice of national manager, the weaknesses of its national league and its unmeritocratic committee structure left the association vulnerable to public criticism.

=== 21st century ===

[[File:Football Association of Wales logo (2011).svg|thumb|upright|Previous logo used from 2011 to 2019]]

In the 21st century, the FAW modernised, developed innovative{{buzzword inline|date=August 2025}} marketing strategies and concentrated on improving its relationships with fans and on being seen as an important Welsh cultural institution. This centred on its Together Stronger campaign and culminated in qualification for Euro 2016.{{Citation needed|reason=Personal opinion|date=August 2019}}

The FAW is also responsible for all disciplinary actions against players in teams associated with the FAW. This includes Welsh teams playing in the [[English football pyramid]], superseding the English FA disciplinary system with the exception of [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]] and [[Swansea City A.F.C.]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/may/06/fa-faw-cardiff-swansea|title=Football Association breaks Welsh jurisdiction over Cardiff and Swansea|first=Matt|last=Scott|newspaper=The Guardian |date=5 May 2011|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>

In 2020 the FAW announced a major restructure of the Welsh female domestic leagues after a period of consultation with stakeholders. The statement confirmed that the goal was to "provide competitive women's football appropriate to playing standards, economic means, geographical location, facilities and club structure."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Diamond|first=Drew|date=2020-05-22|title=FAW Announce Major Restructure|url=https://herfootballhub.com/faw-restructure/|access-date=2020-11-07|website=Her Football Hub}}</ref>

In 2021, chief executive Jonathan Ford lost a FAW board [[vote of no confidence]] after facing criticism for hiring [[Angela van Den Bogerd]], due to her role in the [[British Post Office scandal|Post Office scandal]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Flinders |first1=Karl |title=Welsh FA boss linked to recruitment of controversial former Post Office executive to step down |date=10 March 2021 |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252497583/Welsh-FA-boss-linked-to-recruitment-of-controversial-former-Post-Office-executive-to-step-down |website=Computer Weekly |access-date=14 January 2024 }}</ref> He stepped down in March of that year, and she resigned shortly afterwards.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Flinders |first1=Karl |title=Post Office IT scandal executive forced out of job at Football Association of Wales |date=19 March 2021 |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252498141/Post-Office-IT-scandal-executive-forced-out-of-job-at-Football-Association-of-Wales |website=Computer Weekly |access-date=14 January 2024 }}</ref>

In October 2022, the FAW announced it was considering rebranding the [[Wales national football team]] as "[[Etymology of Wales|Cymru]]", the [[Welsh language]] name for Wales, in international events. The association already uses the term in its internal and external communications, including its staff at its base in the [[Vale of Glamorgan]]. The association said it was in discussions with UEFA over how to change the name, and were inspired by [[Turkey]]'s rebrand to {{lang|tr|Türkiye}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Wales consider changing name of national teams after World Cup |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/wales-cymru-world-cup-2022-b2214163.html |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The Independent }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Wales considering name change to Cymru |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/wales-wal/story/4786988/wales-considering-name-change-to-cymru-following-2022-world-cup |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=ESPN.com }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wales looks to change football team name to Cymru amid 'Welsh language renaissance' |url=https://www.thenational.scot/sport/23090235.wales-football-team-looks-change-name-cymru-world-cup/ |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The National |date=31 October 2022 }}</ref>

== Structure ==
The FAW is based at [[Hensol]] in the Vale of Glamorgan.<ref name="FAW 1"/> It is governed by a council, including nineteen councillors who are either elected, or appointed every four years.<ref name="FAW 1" />

In 2012 chief executive Jonathan Ford claimed the FAW had an income of £14&nbsp;million, funded from FIFA, UEFA, grants, sponsorship and television revenue. All expenditure was on the further development of the game.<ref name="WO run by business" />

In 2013 [[Dragon Park]], the Wales National Football Development Centre, opened in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Wales open new development centre|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22234272|access-date=2021-05-21}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Association football|Wales}}
* [[Wales national football team]]
* [[List of football clubs in Wales]]
* [[Ted Robbins (football administrator)|Ted Robbins]], Secretary of the FAW from 1909 to his death in 1946, the longest serving secretary in the organisation's history
* [[Noel Mooney]], CEO of the FAW

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* {{official|https://www.faw.cymru/en/}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190715120827/https://www.fifa.com/associations/association/WAL/ FIFA profile] (archived 15 July 2019)
* [https://www.uefa.com/nationalassociations/wal/ UEFA profile]

{{Football in Wales}}
{{Sports governing bodies in Wales}}
{{Sports governing bodies in the United Kingdom}}
{{UEFA associations}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1876]]
[[Category:National members of UEFA|Wales]]
[[Category:Sports governing bodies in Wales]]
[[Category:Football governing bodies in Wales| ]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Cardiff]]
[[Category:1876 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Football in Cardiff]]
[[Category:Professional associations based in Wales]]
[[Category:Football Association of Wales]]