CELG(4) WPL 02
Communities,
Equality and Local Government Committee
Inquiry
into the Welsh Premier League
Response from Liam
Griffiths
- the extent to which the
standards of football in the WPL have developed during the past 20
years;
While the
standards in the WPL have improved over the past 20 years, They
haven’t improved massively compared to other
leagues!
- the competition format,
looking at possible alternative models such as a move to a summer
season;
The League needs to be bigger, The new format just hasn’t
worked, Attendances haven’t really improved, some clubs are
reporting even lower attendances, Clubs are playing each other far
too many times and fans are getting bored, The winter break has
also not really helped
- the development and
progression of players, coaches and managers from the WPL to other
levels of the game;
Whilst there
have been a few managers and players who have left the WPL to the
english league, this number is still quite low, I think this is
more to do with the perception of standards in the WPL, This
reflects on the national team as well, When was the last time a
player from the WPL got called up to the full national
team?
- how the WPL contributes
towards player development and participation at lower levels,
including issues of equality of opportunity;
Can’t recall answer this one as my knowledge of lower levels
isn’t good enough
- the WPL’s standing
within the Welsh sporting landscape and its visibility in Welsh
media outlets;
Quite Poor,
The Welsh media could do alot more to focus on the league, Whilst
Sgorio have now started showing live games the league still does
not get enough coverage, Can the welsh BBC do more? welsh
newspapers in south wales and so on?
- the member clubs, their
infrastructure and resources;
Whilst clubs
are doing all they can to meet regulations set by the league and so
on, Without the clubs doing alot of the hard work, this league
would fail, The Welsh FA really needs to start helping clubs out,
it’s difficult for clubs to try and be successful but also
having to meet ground requirements and so on, look at the standard
of pitches in the league, some are terrible, How is that supposed
to benefit the league? it wont, better pitches = better football,
The welsh FA have the resources to help this league, they just
don’t want to!
- how the FAW’s recent
Strategic Plan 2012 will contribute towards strengthening the WPL,
and how the WPL will contribute towards the Strategic Plan’s
aims.
I don’t
think the FAW's strategic plan will help the WPL at all, the plan
is only there to strengthen the national team, the FAW don’t
care about this league, where does all the sponsorship money go? It
certainly isn’t invested in the league, if they did, the
league would get better, better league will mean more players
behind developed at grassroots equalling in a better national team
in the future!