0:00:02 > 0:00:03Remember this?
0:00:03 > 0:00:06- COMMENTARY:- Flicked in towards Robson-Kanu. Taylor's available.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08What a turn! What a goal!
0:00:10 > 0:00:11And this?
0:00:11 > 0:00:13THEY CHEER
0:00:13 > 0:00:16This summer, the Welsh football team put a smile on all our faces.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Yes!
0:00:17 > 0:00:20- COMMENTARY:- Ramsey scores for Wales!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22No-one enjoyed it more than me.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24SCREAMING
0:00:25 > 0:00:27And now Wales are on a World Cup campaign...
0:00:27 > 0:00:31- COMMENTARY:- The feel-good factor just grows,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33with a 4-0 victory!
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Come on, Wales! Come on!
0:00:36 > 0:00:39They're inspiring a new generation to fill their boots.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42He has got the haircut, so he's halfway there.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43Go!
0:00:43 > 0:00:45But there seems to be some hurdles in the way.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Is this unreal or what?
0:00:48 > 0:00:50These cost me a fortune.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52So, what can we do?
0:00:52 > 0:00:54It's difficult to invest in kids at such a young age,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56but I think it's really important that they do get that chance.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59We've got to remove those obstacles that deter children from
0:00:59 > 0:01:01getting involved in our game.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Can we build on our success?
0:01:03 > 0:01:06I'm checking out the grassroots game just to see if we're on target.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21That's it, well done. Look for a pass.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23This is where it starts.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26A bunch of kids not much taller than the grass they're playing on,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28all turning out to practise.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33All of these'll be dreaming of pulling a Welsh shirt on one day.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Sometimes it can come true.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- COMMENTARY:- A chance perhaps for Saunders!
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Dean Saunders scores for Wales!
0:01:44 > 0:01:47I was lucky enough to play for Wales 75 times.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51I scored 22 goals and I also helped manage the team.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55I've got some great memories, but it was the same old story.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57We never qualified.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59That all changed this summer.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02- COMMENTARY:- In towards Vokes. Vokes!
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Go and wake your kids up!
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Something special is happening here tonight!
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Unbelievable!
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Wales are going into the semifinals of the European Championship!
0:02:17 > 0:02:18It's been great,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and the team have started the World Cup campaign on fire as well.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24But I want us to keep it going.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32So, what I want to know is are we doing everything we can to develop
0:02:32 > 0:02:33the next stars of the future?
0:02:34 > 0:02:35That's it, well done. Look for a pass.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40There's a bit of talent there. He's got a bit of skill, hasn't he?
0:02:40 > 0:02:43There seems to be no shortage of kids who have been inspired
0:02:43 > 0:02:45by our successful senior team.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47- COMMENTARY:- Steps up, hits it left-footed!
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Oh, he's scored!
0:02:50 > 0:02:53The talisman has delivered!
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Oh!
0:02:57 > 0:03:00No prizes for guessing this young lad's hero.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02Gareth Bale.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Cos I've got the same hair as him.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Gareth Bale poster.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12And I've got this one.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14And he's playing for the Welsh team.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17And I've got a little figure as well.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Gareth Bale's been his idol since, you know,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22since he started watching it.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24But I think definitely over the Euros,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Bale and Ramsey were his two favourites, I think.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Every second of every day, he's thinking about football.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37If he's not playing football, he's looking at magazines.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40If he's not looking at magazines, he's on FIFA.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42If he's not on FIFA, he's talking about football.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Thousands of children like this want the chance to be heroes,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50but are we giving every child who has that ambition the opportunity?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53- COMMENTARY:- Bale for Wales, in!
0:03:55 > 0:03:57He's done it again!
0:04:00 > 0:04:02The good news is we must be doing something right,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05because we're producing some top players.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07And I'm going to go and see one now
0:04:07 > 0:04:09who I signed when I was Wrexham manager.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11See if you can guess who it is.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Joe Allen's skill and control put him at the heart of
0:04:17 > 0:04:20everything good this current Welsh team are doing.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23It's almost the best experience of his life.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Next to being signed by me, of course.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- Joe.- How's it going?- Nice to see you.- And you.- Are you all right?
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- It's been a while, yes.- Are you fit? - I am. Fit, raring to go.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- A long way from Wrexham, isn't it?- Yeah, it is.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40I think you were my first signing.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- Do you remember when I picked you up on the...?- Yeah, I remember.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Do you remember your pre-match meal?
0:04:44 > 0:04:45I can't remember.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50- Was it cold potato salad I got you from the services?- Was it? It was...
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- I remember your goal. Top corner. - York City, yeah.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Playing for Wales in the Euros and you've been at Liverpool,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and you're at Stoke, you're playing in the Premier League.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Can you remember back where you started?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05In school, it was a bit of a...
0:05:05 > 0:05:08There was a rule where Year One, Two and Three had half the playground.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Year Four, Five and Six had the other half, but...
0:05:11 > 0:05:14I used to always creep over and the dinner ladies used to turn
0:05:14 > 0:05:16a bit of a blind eye to it,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19because they knew I just want to play football with the older boys,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21so, yeah, those younger, younger days when you're playing
0:05:21 > 0:05:25with older kids, you know, you're going to come on leaps and bounds.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29Well played!
0:05:29 > 0:05:33It's at places like this that the stars of the future start out.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34Here at Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38a kickaround for the under-sevens has been organised by Lee Saunders,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40who runs the county's mini league.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Up you go with Ken, up you go with Ken! There you are.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45This is grassroots football,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and Lee and all the other club coaches here are just some of
0:05:48 > 0:05:51the army of volunteers, mums and dads who keep the whole thing going.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55For participation levels, we've definitely got the numbers.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56Our numbers are right up there.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59A prime example, our under-nines this year.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03I think, when I last looked, we've got 32 teams of under-nines,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05which at mini level is tremendous.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10It's not just for fun. Scouts from Cardiff City have come along.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Harold Ross has been doing this for years.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16They are very young, but this is the way it goes.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18You'd be surprised the skill levels
0:06:18 > 0:06:21that some of these boys have got already.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24If somebody's got terrific pace, it'll catch your eye.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26And you'd look for balance, skill,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29a little lad that will get his head up and look for a pass,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32the basic things that most scouts look for in a player.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Yeah, a couple of good players up here this morning.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42There's one lad in particular that's caught my eye.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46He's got a particularly strong shot on him,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and he's ghosting past one or two players,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52so we'll have a look at him pre-season and see how he works out.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55APPLAUSE
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Pass it off, Neil!
0:06:58 > 0:06:59He has got the haircut, yeah.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02I'm not sure he'll get the money that Bale'd get,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05but he's certainly got the haircut, so he's halfway there.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Well done, guys. - Well played, yellows.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09Good balls, there.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13A scout from a top club spotting a young lad playing
0:07:13 > 0:07:15for his grassroots club, or his school -
0:07:15 > 0:07:19it's how every international player's journey begins.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It was playing for my school team, actually,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23think it was in the Pembrokeshire Cup.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25I remember my dad getting off the phone
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and asking me if I wanted to go on trial at Swansea.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Yeah, got up there, trained with the Swansea team
0:07:31 > 0:07:34and they wanted to sign me up,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36and I haven't really looked back since.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Joe's played for Premier League sides
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Swansea, Liverpool and now Stoke,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45where his boss is my old strike partner, Mark Hughes.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46Saunders.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Mark Hughes.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49He has to go it alone...
0:07:50 > 0:07:51Hughes shoots!
0:07:53 > 0:07:54And that is surely that.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59I think, as a Welshman, every one of us was really proud
0:07:59 > 0:08:02of the level of performance we were able to produce,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06I think he's got memories people will remember for a long, long time,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and hopefully they're going to be built on,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11and we can get to a World Cup, as well -
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I think that's the challenge, obviously, for the lads now.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17..to Neil Taylor in the penalty area.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18He's hit Akinfeev...
0:08:18 > 0:08:20But he's driven it home!
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Neil Taylor!
0:08:23 > 0:08:27He's just scored the greatest goal of his life!
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The senior side doing really well -
0:08:30 > 0:08:33that's the best thing for grassroots football.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35If you've got a senior side that's progressing,
0:08:35 > 0:08:36and people are talking about,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39then that does wonders for the grassroots, coming through.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- COMMENTATOR:- ..Courtois... It's there! It's there!
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It's Swansea 2, Chelsea 1.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51My home town of Swansea's changed a bit since my days here -
0:08:51 > 0:08:53they've even moved the stadium -
0:08:53 > 0:08:56but there are still some familiar faces...
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and just up the road, there's a state of the art academy
0:08:59 > 0:09:02where young hopefuls try their luck.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05We send a huge chunk of players from here
0:09:05 > 0:09:07to the Welsh development squads now, as they come through the system,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10so, you know, and, to be fair,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13the more we can do that, the more we can support the Welsh team.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19The coaching's come on slightly since I played.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23I remember, one of our sessions was, from the Vetch,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- touch the apple...in Mumbles... - Mumbles, yeah!
0:09:25 > 0:09:28..and you could swim across the bay if you wanted to.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29- It was a short cut.- Seriously?!
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- It was a short cut - but if you drown, it was your own fault!- Yeah!
0:09:31 > 0:09:33- That was the session! - Can I assure everybody,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35we don't do that any more at the academy, OK?
0:09:35 > 0:09:36We don't do that at all.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I still think if we can access grassroots,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45there's as much talent out there that we don't see as does come in.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48But it's having that opportunity to actually work with them.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Gareth Bale - he's onside!
0:09:51 > 0:09:54It's 3-0!
0:09:54 > 0:09:55ALL CHEER
0:09:58 > 0:10:00This summer, Wales tuned in to football.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05I think there's something about occasions like this
0:10:05 > 0:10:07that stays with you, long-term.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Can't believe what's happening.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11The atmosphere has been really, really good,
0:10:11 > 0:10:12and I'm really enjoying it.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Come on! Wales!
0:10:15 > 0:10:18It's already Wales' biggest team sport,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21yet a recent survey showed there are tens of thousands more
0:10:21 > 0:10:23who'd like to play, but don't -
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and that's before we went football crazy.
0:10:26 > 0:10:27His first word was "Bale".
0:10:29 > 0:10:32So, why isn't everyone who wants to play playing?
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Well, I can think of one reason.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Oh, Bennett.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42HE LAUGHS
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Is this unreal, or what?!
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It's the first game of the season for junior football
0:10:47 > 0:10:49in the Vale of Glamorgan -
0:10:49 > 0:10:50and it's raining.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Kyle, Zach, over we come again.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53Keep coming.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Lee Saunders is out again -
0:10:55 > 0:10:58this time coaching his Dinas Powys under 14 team.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01You can see, with the weather, the conditions -
0:11:01 > 0:11:04the problem is it's a flat pitch, so it's just going to retain the water.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Fingers crossed, we don't have this for the next couple of days,
0:11:07 > 0:11:08and we can get our game Wednesday.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10But if this continues...
0:11:10 > 0:11:11You know, it's the start of the season,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13we're having games called off already,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15which is what we don't want.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Lovely weather for ducks!
0:11:17 > 0:11:22Mums and dads try and keep dry - today it's Emma Mallam's turn
0:11:22 > 0:11:24to try and raise some money for the club.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- There you go, madam. - Thank you very much!
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Nice doing business with you!
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Good nick, Robson. And again!
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Emma's son Robson lives and breathes football.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Well, this is basically what it was like all last season.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39We missed quite a few games.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41We've just moved pitches, which is much better now, here,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44because where we were based last season,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47any bit of rain and it was like... a bog.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Grassroots football in Wales had a very wet season last year.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55For some clubs, it makes the struggle to keep afloat
0:11:55 > 0:11:56that little bit harder.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01In Cardiff, another grassroots club, FC Dragons,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04are back in training for the new season - but only just.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10From October to - I think it was the beginning of February, we...
0:12:10 > 0:12:13we didn't have no football at all.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Every time there was a little bit of rain, anything,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18the league would call it off.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21And like I said, you lose a lot of boys through it,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24a lot of parents have got other things to do on Saturdays.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27So, it ends up, like I said, with a bare 11 on a Saturday -
0:12:27 > 0:12:28even 9 players.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33And then you'd have motorcycles over here sooner or later,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and where the rain has been on the grass,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38you're going to have a lot of motorcycle tracks.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Whoever referees the game can see the pitch is unplayable
0:12:41 > 0:12:43and call the game off.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46It's not going to stop raining in Wales any time soon.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51So, how do we keep our kids playing football, even in the winter?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53We've spent a million and a half on both of them.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- A million and a half?!- Yeah. That's what you have to do.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58It's unbelievable, isn't it?
0:12:58 > 0:12:59A million and a half?
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The top clubs make sure they've got the best grass pitches
0:13:02 > 0:13:04money can buy.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07They also have all-weather artificial pitches, as well.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11We've got one here, it's always constantly used,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14there's never a day when there isn't football played on it,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18so, moving forward, that's probably the best option given our climate.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25These new 3G or third generation pitches have come a long way
0:13:25 > 0:13:28from the early types that me and Mark used to play on.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- I didn't like training on them. - No, cos they were new to us.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Yeah, but now, I'm beginning to think...
0:13:33 > 0:13:35It's slightly different to, like, playing on concrete
0:13:35 > 0:13:37- with a bit of carpet on it.- Yeah. The one that Luton had,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39probably they had the first one, it was like...
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- Yeah.- Like a car park. - QPR, as well, yeah.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43QPR. Ball used to bounce over your head.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48So, what were the pitches like you played on?
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Er, nothing special.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52I remember on the school pitches I played on,
0:13:52 > 0:13:53there was pack of wild horses.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57- Yeah?!- The school I was in was that rough.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59You know, I could definitely see, if there were better pitches
0:13:59 > 0:14:01at younger age, for more kids,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04then you'd probably get more kids coming through into the system
0:14:04 > 0:14:05further down the line.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09I think these all-weather pitches could help -
0:14:09 > 0:14:11and not just for the top professional clubs.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13We need them everywhere.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So, remember these guys?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21They nearly done as well as us.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23One of the key reasons for Iceland's success
0:14:23 > 0:14:26is they have 28 full-size 3G pitches.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Iceland have the same population as Cardiff,
0:14:31 > 0:14:36yet Cardiff only have four full-size 3G pitches available to the public.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37Well done, good.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Perhaps we don't need as many 3G pitches
0:14:39 > 0:14:42as a country that doesn't have a lot of grass...
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Wales doesn't have the worst record in Europe,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47but it doesn't have the best, either.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49We're not as big as some of these countries,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52but we have to be able to match them facility-wise,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55because my fear is, the success we've had in the summer,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57it'll just stop.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58Robson-Kanu shoots!
0:14:58 > 0:15:00He's scuffed it -
0:15:00 > 0:15:04but it's the best scuff you will ever see!
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Hal Robson-Kanu!
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Welsh football didn't just win on the pitch,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14it also came home with a £3 million profit to invest in the game.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I'm off to meet the Football Association of Wales Trust
0:15:17 > 0:15:19which looks after the grassroots game.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22Hi, Neil. Nice to see you.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24'Here, chief executive Neil Ward
0:15:24 > 0:15:29'is halfway through a ten year plan to build the pitches that we need.'
0:15:29 > 0:15:31I said four or five years ago we were going to look to build
0:15:31 > 0:15:36100 3G pitches across Wales and I was told that, you know, I was mad.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39We now have 44 and I'm confident that we'll reach
0:15:39 > 0:15:42that 100 pitches within the ten year timeframe.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46After that, I think it's about being clear, is 3G the whole answer and
0:15:46 > 0:15:50do we need the blended model of 3G pitches and grass at the same time?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Getting the right pitches is just one joint project
0:15:54 > 0:15:56the FAW Trust is backing.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00They also help fund projects where clubs like Newport County
0:16:00 > 0:16:02link with the local primary schools and introduce
0:16:02 > 0:16:05children into football to teach them the basic skills.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12The right coaching early on can make a big difference.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Apart from me, who's probably the best coach you've had,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18can you remember little things your coach said to you when you
0:16:18 > 0:16:22were at Tenby that stuck with you forever?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24It was Angela Nicholls at Tenby who was my first coach,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27so I think I would've been eight years old when I first joined.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Pass and move was the big thing.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Things like that have stuck with me and carried through.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35In particular, when I first joined up with Swansea,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39you know, I have those basics with me so I had a bit of a head start.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Coaching at grassroots level varies a lot.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Lee Saunders thinks he could do with some help.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Grassroots coaches are predominantly parents. They're predominantly dads.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50What badges, what qualifications have they got?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53What we do find, we get a drop-off where the kids who've had
0:16:53 > 0:16:56all the extra coaching, their teams are winning,
0:16:56 > 0:17:01but then I'd like the FAW to provide coaches
0:17:01 > 0:17:03for the kids who only get coached one night a week by their club.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08It bridges the gap between talented boys up here and the boys who
0:17:08 > 0:17:10were only getting coached one hour a week.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14We get the gap closer, participation levels will rise.
0:17:14 > 0:17:20'Their dream, their summer continues. Wales are through.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:23It's no secret that part of Wales' success this summer
0:17:23 > 0:17:25was its coaching team.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Assistant manager Osian Roberts was at the heart of it,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29but he's also driving a scheme
0:17:29 > 0:17:32to improve coaching at grassroots level, too.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Ultimately, our role is to develop and improve the game in Wales.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39You know, we've got to focus, obviously,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41on the grassroots of the game. That's the most important thing.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44That's why we have more full-time staff,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48coach educators working in the grassroots than at the elite level.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- Three times more. - Let it cushion on your chest.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51If you can pop it up on your chest,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55- onto your thigh and volley back. Good techniques.- Let's go.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Now, we have 12,000 coaches that are being qualified at grassroots
0:17:59 > 0:18:01of the game.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Ideally in the next three or four years,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06we'd like every grassroots coach to be a B-licensed coach,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08which means that they're further educated,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11which can only enhance and help the players coming through.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Nice touch, well done.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Better coaches and more pitches are what we need.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Where they come together, they make a real difference.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Like here in Jenner Park, Barry, where a 3G pitch
0:18:24 > 0:18:26has been put in by the council.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Tonight, it's being hired by Cardiff City to coach and take
0:18:29 > 0:18:32a look at the best talent in the county.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Amongst all the Ramseys and the Bales,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38it's Theo's first chance to see if he can make the grade.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42I was really impressed at the standard of the other children,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44but it was a very...
0:18:44 > 0:18:48It was very serious and quite a kind of...
0:18:48 > 0:18:53I was so nervous for him. Both Rob and myself, we were so, so nervous.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54It was quite stressful.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59Put my eye on him and he seems to be settling well,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03so we'll see what goes on for him in the future.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I know that he's very young. He's only six.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11The chances of him going on to be a professional are absolutely minute.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Just enjoy it. This is about being a child, isn't it?
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Being happy and being able to kick a ball about with your friends.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22It's not just at local clubs where kids can begin their football careers.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24They can be also spotted at schools.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27One has been foolish enough to let me visit.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29I just can't help getting involved.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31I'll play up front, then.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Anybody kicks me, I'll score. Man marking me.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40Ysgol Bae Baglan has state of the art sporting facilities
0:19:40 > 0:19:42including a 3G pitch.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45What we saw in the Euros was aspiration.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49You know, you've got boys and girls wanting to be in those teams
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and you might see some future players here
0:19:51 > 0:19:54because we're providing the facilities for them
0:19:54 > 0:19:55to play at that level.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58You know, you might look around and see the next Gareth Bale out there.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03Never mind Gareth Bale, what about Saunders? Still got it.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08That's it. That'll do! Got the winner.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- You got my goal, didn't you? - Yeah.- That's the main thing.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19It's not every school that has this type of facility.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21It's estimated that only half of high schools in Wales
0:20:21 > 0:20:24have access to any type of all-weather pitch.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28But there is one drawback to 3G pitches.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32At around £500,000 per pitch, they're very expensive
0:20:32 > 0:20:34and it doesn't stop there.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39There are maintenance costs of up to £50,000 every year.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41That's passed on to those who hire them
0:20:41 > 0:20:43and that includes grassroots clubs.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Right, so you've got everything, yeah?
0:20:47 > 0:20:51For parents doing their best to help kids play, football isn't cheap.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Over the last year, he's cost me a fortune.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01Shin pads and they've got to be the right ones.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Here's football boots. Here's football boots.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Because his feet grow so fast, I can't keep up with him.
0:21:10 > 0:21:16I tried doing the cheap AliExpress, the cheap version. Didn't work.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18He saw straight through it.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21He wanted the real deal, so I've had to fork out
0:21:21 > 0:21:25for over £100 per trainer, per boot.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27I'm glad that he's passionate about sport.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30It is hard, though, because the money
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and getting him to different games and training
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and stuff alongside my own job.
0:21:36 > 0:21:37Have a good day.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Bye.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43I won't go out, I won't have a life
0:21:43 > 0:21:46so my son can actually have his sport.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Behind every success story,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54there's normally a parent who goes that extra mile.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Without their support, there's no way, absolutely no way
0:21:56 > 0:22:02I would've been able to stick around and, you know, become a footballer.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Yeah, there were kids in my team at Swansea
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and local clubs in Pembrokeshire that had talent,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10but it was difficult for the families
0:22:10 > 0:22:12to provide that support for them, so...
0:22:12 > 0:22:15that's what I'm hoping that money will go towards.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18It's difficult to invest in kids at such a young age,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20but I think it's really important that they do get that chance.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24It's volunteers, mums and dads like Emma,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27who keep grassroots football turning over.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29It's my turn to wash the kit.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33We try to help each other as a team.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38We take it in turns to spread the cost between everyone.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42In Cardiff, FC Dragons are back in action.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Today, they're playing Tiger Bay Youth.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49We've relied on raising funds and donations and that kind of thing.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Ryan ran a marathon.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53All just to kind of, like, just to get the kit
0:22:53 > 0:22:55and to get the equipment.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58I phoned a thousand different companies
0:22:58 > 0:23:00and got told no time and time again.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Worries about the cost of keeping the club going
0:23:03 > 0:23:05is always on the agenda.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Perhaps teams like Llanrumney, Ely, Tiger Bay...
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Perhaps...
0:23:11 > 0:23:12We don't have as much money.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16I mean, I think football is just becoming more and more elitist.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18There are players on these teams
0:23:18 > 0:23:22that have the potential to go quite far
0:23:22 > 0:23:26and what I would hate is for them to fade into the background
0:23:26 > 0:23:28or to be overlooked because of...
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Because of money.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Say the ball went out there and somebody heads it in there.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35You're going to run that way and then that way
0:23:35 > 0:23:37quicker than the bloke that was marking you.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39That's why you do this, don't you?
0:23:39 > 0:23:41The last thing I want
0:23:41 > 0:23:44is for clubs like FC Dragons to struggle for lack of funds.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47You do this flat out in training.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49You get quicker and quicker and quicker.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50And then you realise on Saturday,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52"I was just running past everybody today."
0:23:54 > 0:23:56- COMMENTATOR:- Williams!
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Yeah!
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Come on!
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Wales have just come back from the Euros
0:24:04 > 0:24:05with a tidy £3 million profit.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Could that be used to help grassroots?
0:24:09 > 0:24:11The gross profit is £3 million,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14which is healthy in the context of the overall turnover of FAW,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18but when we talk about facilities, particularly,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20you know, it's only a small sum of money
0:24:20 > 0:24:23in comparison to what really needs to be used
0:24:23 > 0:24:25to deliver better facilities,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and to help grow the game and standards for the future.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31But I think, you know, if we work together with local government,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33with national government,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36with other bodies like Sport Wales,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I think there is money in the system.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41It's about how we connect that money together
0:24:41 > 0:24:42to ensure it goes further.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I don't think you realise who you're gambling with.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Watch. Watch and learn.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49There. That corner there.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Oh!
0:24:52 > 0:24:53I owe you a fiver.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Sport Wales gives grants to clubs to help with their kit,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00but not for the hire of pitches long term.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06So a 3G pitch for those winter games could still be out of reach.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08They cost too much. We can't afford to hire it
0:25:08 > 0:25:11With 3G pitches, it's like £89.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14That's like about four, five weeks' subs for us.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16And that's if we get subs in a month.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Cos it's voluntary. A lot of them says,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20"Oh, I'll give it to you next week."
0:25:20 > 0:25:23And it mounts up, £9... And in the end, we just don't have any money.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24Go!
0:25:26 > 0:25:27Oh, dear... Yes!
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Yay!
0:25:29 > 0:25:30My knee...
0:25:30 > 0:25:32All right, go!
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Put a brave face, a brave face.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37It never hurt. It don't hurt. It's not hurting.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38Come on, then.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Come on, come on!
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Football has always been a sport anyone can play.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45I want that to still be true for any kid,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47whichever side of town they come from,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49and so do the FAW.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52I mean, I worked and coached in the States for eight years
0:25:52 > 0:25:56and there's a danger that we'll mirror that type of football,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59where it becomes middle class and almost upper class.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01And it's important that all our children
0:26:01 > 0:26:03get the opportunity to play football.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Everybody has to get together and, somehow,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07try and get football for free.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Yeah. I was speaking recently to our colleagues in Iceland,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14where they give a £150 voucher
0:26:14 > 0:26:17to each child to spend on any sport
0:26:17 > 0:26:20that they want to get involved in, you know, every year.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23You know, "You decide how you want to exercise
0:26:23 > 0:26:25"and be involved in sport, but we'll remove the obstacle."
0:26:25 > 0:26:27And that's what we've got to do.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30We've got to remove those obstacles that deter children
0:26:30 > 0:26:32from getting involved in our game.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33CHEERING
0:26:33 > 0:26:37- COMMENTATOR:- Wales' epic journey has come to an end.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39But what an adventure it was!
0:26:39 > 0:26:42They'll return home heroes.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I'm hoping, I don't know about you,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46I'm hoping the government look at what the national team
0:26:46 > 0:26:47have just done for Wales.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Round the world, there's people talking about our country
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and what it's done for the country that they can help.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57I think there's a cost to allowing your kids to be fit and healthy.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01And I know there's a real problem with obesity in young children now,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03which needs to be addressed.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07And football is an obvious solution to that problem.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12So, hopefully, that will figure highly on people's minds
0:27:12 > 0:27:17when they come to dishing out budgets and allocating funds.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20So is there anything the Welsh government can do
0:27:20 > 0:27:21to support grassroots football
0:27:21 > 0:27:25to build the pitches we need and make them affordable to use?
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Well, we've got some really good news, in terms of the 3G pitches.
0:27:29 > 0:27:3263 of those will be ready by the end of this year.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35And we've already identified places for another ten next year, as well.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38So we understand that there's a real need for them,
0:27:38 > 0:27:39a desire for them in Wales.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42But what about the cost of hiring them?
0:27:42 > 0:27:45There is no long-term help available for sports clubs in Wales,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49in terms of supporting or subsidising the hiring of pitches.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Is there any money the government can give
0:27:51 > 0:27:53directly from the health budget?
0:27:53 > 0:27:55You could ask your boss for more money
0:27:55 > 0:27:58to try and help in that aspect.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00The Welsh government funds Sport Wales
0:28:00 > 0:28:02by more than £20 million every year
0:28:02 > 0:28:07and they then pass on funding to organisations such as the FAW Trust,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10and others, in order to try and encourage people into sport
0:28:10 > 0:28:13and support their sporting ambitions and so on,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15all the way up to the elite level.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Our senior team have put Wales on the map.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Hopefully, this is just the start.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29People who hadn't even watched football, didn't even like football,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31fell in love with the game for the first time
0:28:31 > 0:28:34because of what they saw from their national team.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36"Together stronger."
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Everybody loved that.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40And, you know, the singing,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42everything they were about
0:28:42 > 0:28:43we could be proud of again.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46And that's something I think we can take through,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48I think, to grassroots.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52It makes the boys that are playing feel better and play better.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00With a fantastic start to the World Cup campaign
0:29:00 > 0:29:02and two more matches this week,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Wales are rewriting history.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Unfortunately for us,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09we never got the opportunity to play in a tournament.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12But I just sense that the unity they display,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15you think, as a group, that will sustain them.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17From what I've seen,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20there's plenty for us to be hopeful about.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24The more kids we get playing football, the bigger we become,
0:29:24 > 0:29:26the more chances we've got to find our next Gareth Bale.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30It's a bit early to say whether we have found the next Bale,
0:29:30 > 0:29:31haircut or not.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33But with Wales waking the world up,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35anything is possible.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Dreams can come true.