Football in Wales 2020/21 – A Comprehensive Review

Football in general has endured a turbulent year. The world, even.

It’s needless to mention the pandemic and the chaos it has caused to pure normality. In this review, we will be focusing purely on the niche of football in Wales.

Wales is a unique country for football. A domestic league, yes. National team, yes. But as many know, the most elite clubs play across the border, in the EFL.

The Build-Up

The tale of two cities, Cardiff and Swansea. Once Premier League outfits, the two began the season as Championship climbers. Both playoff semi-finalists last season, both defeated by West London clubs and both left bitterly disappointed.

Newport County, after their season of near-elation in 2018/19, were brought very much down to earth in a 14th placed finish in the cut-short 2019/20. Wrexham were beginning their 13th season in the National League.

The Cymru Premier, a much maligned league for it’s genuine quality, was won previously by Connah’s Quay Nomads – breaking the eight year streak set by The New Saints.

Haverfordwest County and Flint Town were both promoted as runners up of the second tiers, due to the inability of Prestatyn Town and Swansea University to live up to Tier One license standards.

Due to the aforementioned pandemic, the two second tier leagues (Cymru North and Cymru South) were cancelled. However, despite a two week break, the top tier managed to play out the season in it’s entirety.

Grassroots football in Wales has taken a different turn over the last 18 months. First Minister Mark Drakeford, who has taken some criticism on his handling of sport, didn’t progress on field at all in comparison to English neighbours.

The limit of 30 people per match, including both sets of players, coaches and physios, made the logistical side of football difficult.

We discussed it in it’s entirety with the ‘Save Pel-Droed’ account, who are committed to working for the best interests of the lower levels of football in Wales – this comes at the foot of the review.

Here is the comprehensive review, provided by several contributors.

A tough year off the field, but Wales under Page are a force to be reckoned with.

All in all, the last few years have been very successful for the Welsh national side.

After securing qualification for Euro 2020 back in 2019, a then Ryan Giggs’ side set out to impress in the Nations League ahead of their second major tournament of the decade.

Impress is exactly what they did as well, winning five out of their six game in the competition, starting with a game against Finland.

Wales were comfortable in the game, coming out as 1-0 victors with Cardiff City talisman Kieffer Moore scoring the only goal in the game.

They went on to follow up their win with another victory against Bulgaria, however this one was not as straight forward as the first.

It looked as if the game was set for a goalless draw, with Bulgaria failing to register a shot on target in the game.

The game looked settled at 0-0 until Neco Williams came flying in at the back post to head his country into the lead after a stunning ball in from Jonny Williams.

The second international break saw Giggs stick to mostly the same squad of players, however he was without star Gareth Bale.

Even in the Champions League winners’ absence, Wales picked up four points.

First off they drew with fellow home nation Ireland, in a dull 0-0 game that saw James McClean receive a red card.

They then followed that up with another victory over Bulgaria, this time with Jonny Williams grabbing the only goal of the game, once again waiting till late in the game to make his mark.

The third international break saw something drastic happen for Wales as Giggs was forced to take a leave of absence, leaving Rob Page in charge.

This did not dampen spirits though, as they claimed a victory over Ireland in the first game out, with David Brooks grabbing the only goal of the game.

They then ended the six-game league in style, finishing off Finland 3-1 in their final game.

The tournament was about more than just results for Wales however, the mini-league saw them bring in what could be the next generation of talent for the side.

Neco Williams was one of those players, with the Liverpool youngster making his debut in Wales’ 1-0 victory over Finland in the Nations League, coming off the bench for Connor Roberts.

Giggs was clearly impressed with the full-back giving him another chance to shine against Bulgaria in the next game, once again off the bench.

Williams fully repaid the faith in him, marking his second appearance with a 90^th minute goal to secure a victory for Wales as they continued their assault on the League.

Another player who made his debut is Swansea City star Ben Cabango.

The former Newport County youth player made his debut in the same game as Williams and impressed just as much, now having three caps for the national side.

Rhys Norrington-Davies was another player who got a chance in the senior side.

The Stoke City loanee made his debut in October 2020 against Bulgaria, giving Wales a now obvious heir to current left-back Ben Davies.

The first few games of the Nations League really saw the defence transition, with the “old guard” stepping aside for the next generation.

It is likely players like Ashley Williams, James Chester and Chris Gunter will play small roles from now on, with Cabango, Williams and the already established Ethan Ampadu taking over.

The defence isn’t the only area on the pitch seeing new life coming through, with Manchester United youngster Dylan Levitt also making his debut during the Nations League.

He made his first appearance as part of a double pivot with Joe Morrell during the first game of the competition and has never looked back.

The 20-year-old has since made seven appearances for Wales, proving he is ready to make a difference on the international stage.

Despite a success on the field, it was overshadowed a bit by things happening off the pitch.

The head coach role

Assistant coach Rob Page took control of the side back in November after allegations that head coach Ryan Giggs had assaulted his ex-girlfriend and her sister.

Because of this, Giggs took a leave of absence, meaning that Page would take over an interim boss.

Page took to the dugout like a fish to water, guiding Wales to wins over Ireland, Finland, Mexico and the Czech Republic.

He also lost two games in this time, however it is important to take into account they were against Belgium and France who are ranked one and two in the FIFA world rankings.

Prior to Wales, Page’s only managerial experience came at Port Vale and Northampton Town, before being brought into the FAW.

He initially joined as the Wales U21 head coach but had been with the first team ever since Giggs’ appointment as head coach, following Chris Coleman’s departure.

Since his arrival though, you can see the passion flowing through him.

Page himself played for Wales 41 times between 1996 and 2005, including a game where he captained Wales to a 2-0 victory over Hungary, something he described as the “proudest moment” of his career.

Still technically the interim boss, should Giggs be convicted Wales shouldn’t look to the outside for a new manager when they’ve got a huge talent like Page already within their ranks.

Wales’ path on the international stage is set up nicely for them.

They have got a large group of very promising youngsters from across the divisions in the UK and a coach who clearly knows how to get the most out of them.

Heading into the Euros this summer, Wales will hope to make it into the knockout stages, despite finding themselves in what is undoubtedly a difficult group that they have been drawn into.

With their mixture of world class talent in Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey and up and coming talent in Neco Williams and David Brooks, the squad is strong and with Page at the helm there is no reason they couldn’t go far into the tournament.

They’ve set themselves up nicely for the present as well as the future, leaving the nation in a position of real power for the future.

Mick’s magic provides encouragement for Cardiff City

In the capital, it’s been something of a mixed bag this season.

Following their appearance in the playoffs the preceding year, many Cardiff City fans were hoping that manager Neil Harris could take the Bluebirds on a sustained push for promotion this season. On paper at least, the squad looked strong enough. A narrow defeat by Fulham in those playoffs had given rise to optimism.

A stuttering run of mid-season form saw Harris lose his position though, to be replaced by former Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy. Terry Connor joined McCarthy in the Cardiff dugout.

Many City fans were unmoved by the appointments however, fearing more of the “direct” style of play which had characterised Neil Warnock’s reign at the Cardiff City Stadium. They were not proven wrong in the final analysis.

An impressive run of form under McCarthy though saw the Bluebirds rise into the playoff mix, before losing energy in the final furlongs.

Individually, it was a memorable season for Kieffer Moore. The Wales striker notched 20 league goals during the campaign to seal a memorable term. New signing Perry Ng caught the eye while it was also heartening to see youth finally given its chance as Ciaron Brown, Mark Harris and others enjoyed regular inclusion in the first team squad.

The old guard continued to be well represented by skipper Sean Morrison, Marlon Pack and Joe Ralls while there was an emotional final cameo appearance against Rotherham United from Sol Bamba following his battle against cancer. For men like Josh Murphy though, an inconsistent season summed up the fortunes of the club as a whole.

The club made little impact in either cup competition as league matters remained the top priority.

Many Cardiff fans were encouraged by the inclusion of a growing number of players with Welsh connections in the first team. The aforementioned Moore was aided by some sparkling contributions from Harry Wilson, on loan from Liverpool. Both feature in Robert Page’s squad for the Euros, while McCarthy’s signing of Jonny Williams also saw the Welsh playmaker earn just enough minutes of first team action to find himself selected by Page. Promising City youngster Mark Harris failed to make the squad but his chance will surely come again.

Neath product Rubin Colwill was arguably the biggest surprise, earning himself a place on the plane for the Euros despite only having 191 minutes of senior football for the Bluebirds to his name. Many commentators though, this writer included, continue to scratch their heads at Page’s decision not to select Cardiff’s Will Vaulks, following some consistent performances and impressive goals.

As we look ahead to next season, McCarthy has already snapped up James Collins from Luton to add weight to the strike force as the Bluebirds once again hope of reaching the Premier League. Fans are awaiting further signings and will also wonder about continuing investment and the intentions of owner Vincent Tan for the future.

Just one step too far – Swansea have another year in the Championship

A campaign of mixed emotions for the Swans as they were once again denied promotion to the Premier League at the hands of Brentford, who went one step further this season to clinch their top-flight dream.

A season of two halves saw varied performances for the Welsh side, who looked to have run out of steam during an excruciating spell of 11 games in 31 days during the months of February and March.

Despite a poor second half of the season, which saw many fans wanting to see Steve Cooper sacked, the Swans managed to obtain another play-off spot and secure their joint-highest points tally in the Championship.

Key moments

For any member of the Jack Army, the first fixtures that are highlighted on the calendar are both home and away games against Cardiff. The first encounter between the two came in December at the Cardiff City Stadium where the away side came away with all three points after a stylish brace from Jamal Lowe. The 26-year-old went on a great run with Lowe netting seven goals in seven games with the Swans only losing once in ten games in all competitions.

In the new year, Swansea were looking good for an automatic promotion hunt, however, a 3-0 loss against Bournemouth in March resulted in four losses in a row with no goals scored, subsequently ending their hopes for finishing in the top two and securing their place in the play-offs.

The Swans ended fourth in the table, luckily and surprisingly facing fifth-placed Barnsley in the semi-final after the Tykes had leapfrogged the Cherries on the final day. With the Yorkshire club being the weakest team in the play-offs, the Swans were very hopeful of a spot in the final and after goals from André Ayew, Matt Grimes and goalkeeping heroics from Freddie Woodman the Swans were on their way to Wembley, exactly 10 years after their last promotion.

Unfortunately, an excited and hopeful Jack Army mentality wasn’t matched by those on the field with a shocking performance to end the season on such a low after Ivan Toney and Emiliano Marcondes goals were more than enough to sink a sorry Swansea.

Impact of transfers

At the beginning of the season, Cooper was able to re-capture Freddie Woodman and Marc Guehi’s services for another season after impressing in the previous campaign.

While securing their defence, Swansea brought in winger Jamal Lowe to bolster their attacking options. Despite being a winger by trade, Cooper opted to form a strike partnership which included the Jamaican international and the experienced André Ayew. The two scored a combined total of 30 league goals which came to 54% of the team’s goals for the season.

The biggest transfer of the season for the Swans came in the shape of a deadline day deal as Joe Rodon signed for Tottenham Hotspur for £11m. The Swans had only conceded one goal in four games when he featured, however, they filled his shoes with experienced defender Ryan Bennett on a free transfer.

Key players

Connor Roberts

The Welsh international has had an incredible season for his club having contributed to 12 goals in the league and had the fourth most chances created across the top five leagues in Europe and the Championship, topping the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne. On top of that, Roberts also won Swansea’s Away Player of the Year and Supporters Player of the Year in what has been an impressive season.

The chances of the right-back playing for Swansea again next season are high, although there would be interest from bigger clubs. The 25-year-old has shown everyone that he possesses an unbelievable engine and most certainly has an eye for goal after scoring some crackers this season.

Marc Guehi

Swansea have had the luck and pleasure of obtaining Guehi’s services for two seasons, with this most definitely being his last after their unsuccessful hunt for promotion. The English under 21 international has been an absolute rock in the Swans’ defence, whether it’s been in a back four or five, he’s definitely been Mr Consistent this season.

Despite having a shaky start in life in SA1, with some heavy criticism coming from the Jack Army, the 20-year-old has gelled well with whoever’s playing at the back and has shown great maturity in such a young defence for the Welsh side.

André Ayew

After a season and a half with Swansea in the Premier League, the former West Ham and Marseille attacker was familiar with finding the back of the net at the highest level. Being the top scorer for the Welsh side with 17 league goals meant that it was possible for the Swans to dream of returning to the top flight, however, it wasn’t to be this season.

With 20 goal contributions in the league this campaign, everyone has been looking at Ayew to produce some magic and create something special. Nonetheless, there’s only so much an individual can do to carry a team but his crucial miss in the opening minutes in the second half of the play-off final is the last moment that the Swans fans will have of the Ghanaian in their jersey.

Overall, the Swans have most definitely overachieved this season, with some spells of very poor football, it’s hard to believe that they managed to reach the play-off final. However, as we all know, football isn’t just about pretty football, Cooper and his team have proved this season that results can appear, but it’s all about digging deep and not giving up.

Even though the side from South Wales had an impressive first-half of the season, the fixture congestion most definitely caught up with them with such a thin squad and a demanding season. Although there weren’t many injury concerns, fatigue was clearly on show with the Swans manager opting for a similar starting 11 every week.

With the departure of André Ayew, Swansea will now look for an experienced centre-forward to fill the Ghanian’s shoes as the 31-year-old has proven to be a very useful player under Cooper. Ayew will be seen as a big loss for the Swans, having played every league game in the last two seasons, including the play-offs, and scoring 35 goals in all competitions, making him the Welsh side’s top scorer since their relegation to the Championship.

It’s been nothing short of a miracle that the Swans have reached the play-offs in consecutive seasons and unless they strengthen their side over the summer, they will definitely struggle to reach those heights again. With Ayew off the wage bill, it’s time to utilise the funds wisely and not get carried away as they’ll need players with versatility and quality to have any chance of success next season.

Playoff heartbreak but progress for Newport County

When the heartbreak subsides, Newport County fans will look back at this season as the most eventful in their stay in League Two. From losing key backroom staff, to the emergence of two stars ( which they also lost) and the tragedy of the loss in the playoff final.

In June 2020, Lennie Lawrence left the club to take up a position at Stevenage. Lawrence had served as a First Team Management Consultant and a general mentor to County gaffer Michael Flynn from 2017. The reaction from fans was negative. Many thought that Flynn would fold and that the season was over before it had started.

The summer came fast with a feast of transfer dealings, seeing the shock of Scot Bennett returning after being released at the end of the previous season. Other transfers included Liam Shephard signing on a free from local rivals Forest Green Rovers and County’s arch enemy Kevin Ellison pulling on the Amber shirt after a torrid end to his Morecambe tenure. The two transfers that will stick in the minds of fans were both loans: Attacking midfielder Scott Twine from Swindon Town, and defender Brandon Cooper from fellow Welsh side Swansea. Both were relatively unheard of names at the time, but that would quickly change.

September was a successful month in the cup competitions. A 2-0 win against Swansea, a 1-0 win against Cambridge and a 3-1 win against Watford saw the Exiles welcome Premier League Newcastle United to Rodney Parade. A tight 1-1 draw in regular time led to a heart-breaking loss on penalties 5-4. Other results in September saw them pick up a big 2-0 win over a Bolton Wanderers side tipped to bounce back up to League One.

A solid run of wins and the occasional draw saw County top the table by the time December rolled around, but a loss against Leyton Orient on 12th December was the beginning of a nine game winless streak in all competitions.

January saw the inevitable departures of the in-form Twine and Cooper. The Winter loans of Luke Gambin from Colchester United, Nicky Maynard from Mansfield Town and a permanent return of full back Aaron Lewis gave fans hope that automatic promotion was still on the cards.

The fans would have to wait until 6th February for the next win, coming at Rodney Parade against relegation candidates Grimsby Town. The hope of form getting back on track was short lived as three days later, County lost to Southend United, sitting in 24th place. Turbulent form was the theme for March too. Three wins against Colchester, Bradford City and Morecambe were followed by losses to Port Vale, Leyton Orient and Barrow.

Four wins and three draws from County’s last eight were enough to see them to a fifth place finish, sitting above Tranmere Rovers and Forest Green Rovers on goal difference.

The playoffs are an all too familiar affair for Newport, having been through them in 2019/20. Two legs against local rivals Forest Green Rovers were the only things stopping Newport booking another trip to Wembley.

The home leg was also the first time fans were allowed back into the ground, as 900 Exiles travelled to Rodney Parade to see Newport County pick up a 2-0 win, goals courtesy of Matty Dolan and youngster Lewis Collins.

The away leg was a much more dramatic tie. After eight minutes, Forest Green had put two past Tom King to level the aggregate score. Nicky Cadden got the third for the Greens, Goals from Joss Labadie and Kevin Ellison meant Forest Green Rovers needed a goal to take the tie to extra time, a goal that was scored by former County Striker Jamille Matt. Extra time seemed to fly past until a loose ball slipped past stopper Luke McGee and into the path of loanee striker Nicky Maynard who coolly slotted the ball into the net in the 119th minute. Newport County were going back to Wembley after the 2019 heartbreak.

County’s opponents for the final would be Morecambe, having dispatched 7th placed Tranmere Rovers after two games after picking up a shock 2-1 win away from home coupled with a 1-1 draw at the Globe Arena. Kevin Ellison was the main topic after his viral celebration in front of former boss Derek Adams at Newport’s 3-1 win over the Shrimps. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be for Newport County, as missed chances and some slightly contentious refereeing decisions from Bobby Madley saw Mendes Gomes convert a penalty after 107 minutes. The Exiles had to settle for yet another season in England’s fourth flight of football.

Newport’s summer looks to be filled with uncertainty as manager Michael Flynn suggested his time at Rodney Parade would come to a close, as well as talented midfielder Josh Sheehan departing for Bolton Wanderers. To add to the worries only a handful of players are contracted for the 21/22 season, but most are expected to extend their stay. However, with a sporting director set to be appointed , a crop of promising young talent and the opportunity to gain valuable matchday revenue with the return of fans, the future could be bright for Newport County.

Nomads swoop for consecutive titles in tight Cymru Premier race

Swans steal the show in Welsh Premier Women’s League

After being granted elite status after the pandemic, the Welsh Premier Women’s League began in September.

“It was very similar to the Cymru Premier in that sense,” said Welsh domestic football expert Dafydd Jones. “The Welsh Government gave them elite status which was great for them.”

Heading into the campaign, reigning champions Swansea City were strong favourites to retain the title, with their only possible challengers in the form of Cardiff Metropolitan University.

The two began their season incredibly, with wins for Swansea (3-0 over Cardiff City) and Met (0-4 at Cyncoed) giving them the perfect platform to challenge.

It was at Cardiff City that the emerging star of the season was found. Having just turned 17, Pheobie Poole has been an absolute revelation in the capital.

The Wales U19 international joined from Barry Town at the start of this campaign, scoring 22 goals in all competitions.

“The thing I’m really impressed with about her is that she always wants the ball. In a young team, with the experience of Catherine Walsh, Siobhan Walsh and Hannah Daly, she really takes responsibility and be that player to carry Cardiff. And she has been, on so many occasions this campaign.”

Even the teams lower in the division had their better days – Aberystwyth, who finished bottom of the league, claimed their only scalp over the high flying Abergavenny.

Throughout the season, the top two of Met and Swansea battled it out until the final day. Swansea needed a point against Abergavenny Women to win the title, and did so – just. A goalless draw provided the tension deserved for such a close title race.

After this season, the FAW announced that there would be a restructuring of the WPWL.

“It’s quite a controversial one. There’s been a lot of debate around it. Abergavenny (who finished fourth), Britton Ferry Llansawel and Cascade are being demoted for the WPWL to make an eight team league, including The New Saints.

“That’s the controversial thing – as they’re a newly formed club with no squad as of yet. Barry Town are also being promoted to the top flight.

“Abergavenny have been stalwarts of the WPWL for the last 8-9 years, and to demote them is a really harsh decision. It’s the same for the other two sides, who have played their part in the league. I certainly understand their frustrations.

“The goal for the FAW is for the WPWL to give players a platform to one day represent Wales. They feel this restructuring is the best way to do so.”

Going into the new season, it is likely to be the battle of the top two once again. But as Cardiff Met develop (their previous starting XI average age was 22) they will provide more threat to the more experienced Swans.

“The gang buys Wrexham” 

In probably the biggest story in Welsh football this season, Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney decided to invest in Wrexham AFC.

Wrexham are a side who have perennially underachieved in recent history. Relegation to non-league in 2008 has seen the North Walian outfit spend 13 years in the National League.

Reynolds and McElhenney, known mostly for their roles in ‘Deadpool’ and ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, originally had sceptics but have since provided essential support to Wrexham citizens during the pandemic, as well as pledging their commitment to the future.

After the story erupted in the autumn last year, they finally completed their takeover in February with 100% control.

Executive director Humphrey Ker recently said the investment is ‘incredibly serious’ and is focused on the growth of Wrexham as a club and a town.

“We won’t make fun of the club, we love it,” Ker told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

“Rob, Ryan and I, we come from a comedy background. But in the same way we take our work, which is to make people laugh, very seriously. That’s our day job and we take the club incredibly seriously.

“There will be an irreverent quality to the documentary because inevitably we are three people who mess around a lot and that’s our stock-in-trade.”

Both lead investors are currently learning Welsh, and according to Ker, are extremely taken with the national anthem already.

It already seems like a promising future for the Red Dragons under the American ownership – and with restrictions likely easing, Reynolds and McElhenney could be fixtures in the Racecourse ground soon.

Save Pel-Droed

The sovereignty of nations has been a contentious issue throughout the pandemic, for each individual. Politics and Sport have intertwined further as social discontent rises, and it is no different in Wales.

The Save Welsh Football Alliance, also known as @savepeldroed on Twitter, sat down with Prost International to discuss their movement, and what the FAW and Welsh Government can do to save grassroots football.

“The account is run by a number of men and women in grassroots football from the local leagues. Since the season was first curtailed in March 2020, we’ve been extremely disappointed by the output from the FAW.

“Last summer, the R-rate was so low, the weather was stunning, and we were doing nothing. But a look across the border with the Football Association, and they were clear and concise with their football clubs. They played football. We did nothing.”

The alliance has been constantly on Twitter, tagging the FAW and other Welsh football organisations for clear communication. However, they are still yet to receive any recognition from them.

As mentioned in the introduction, this season has seen the unveiling of ‘The 30 Rule’ when training and in matches. This caused logistical issues for grassroots clubs when they finally were able to play earlier this year.

“In terms of grassroots, I have yet to meet a more incompetent association.” – one trustee said.

“We 0nly have a small level of communication, whereas we know from our colleagues across the border that the FA is regularly in contact with them.

“All we ask for is transparency, honesty and fairness.”

In balance, it is a difficult situation for both sides of the spectrum during the pandemic. But it is difficult not to feel aggrieved for the lower side of the Welsh grassroots pyramid. Hopefully this can improve as we navigate out of the COVID era.

END

Editor and Co-ordinator – Chris Stonadge

Contributors – Chris Stonadge, Dafydd Jenkins, David Collins, Sam Jones, Ollie Allen

Interviewees – The Save Welsh Football Alliance, Dafydd Jones

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt