Fflint Wrecsam MS welcomes ‘real opportunity’ as UEFA U19 championship comes to north Wales
Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground will host matches in the UEFA European Under-19 Championship this summer, with training sessions also taking place at Colliers Park in the city.
Sam Rowlands, the Conservative Member for Fflint Wrecsam, used a 90-second statement in the Senedd on Wednesday to highlight the tournament, which runs from 28 June to 11 July across multiple venues in north Wales.
Mr Rowlands told the chamber: “The tournament will bring together some of the most talented young players from across Europe, showcasing the next generation of elite international footballers on our doorstep.
“It’s particularly significant that matches will be hosted across multiple venues in north Wales, including at the Racecourse in my own constituency of Fflint Wrecsam, bringing international football directly back into the heart of the city and building on Wrexham’s growing profile within the game.”
He added: “Training will also take place across a range of community facilities, including in Fflint Wrecsam at Colliers Park, highlighting the importance of our grass-roots infrastructure in delivering international events of this scale.
“This championship presents a real opportunity for people of all ages to experience international football in their own communities, inspiring the next generation. I would encourage all Members to support efforts to raise awareness of the tournament and get to a game in north Wales if you can.”
‘Domino effect’ at Maelor
Mr Rowlands also spoke during a separate debate on hospital closures and the downgrading of services, warning that Wrexham Maelor Hospital was “already operating at and often beyond its intended capacity.”
He said: “If services are downgraded or removed from surrounding areas, those patients, as the Minister understands, will not just disappear, they’re simply displaced, and the vast majority will end up at the Maelor’s emergency department and clinics. You cannot reduce capacity in one part of my constituency without creating an unmanageable domino effect at the main acute site at Maelor.”
Mr Rowlands highlighted the case of residents in Saltney Ferry who are unable to register with a GP, with many now having to access primary care in England. He also raised concerns about the loss of community hospital beds and minor injury provision in Flintshire over the years.
“Geography and infrastructure must support healthcare policy, not just administrative convenience,” he said.
He also called for better support for hospice and palliative care, telling the chamber he had spent time the previous week at Nightingale House Hospice in his constituency and warning that “vital services in hospice and palliative care” in north Wales were “being cut back due to funding not being enough.”
Mr Rowlands called on the Welsh Government to provide “a definitive commitment that rules out any further hospital closures or the downgrading of services” to restore confidence in healthcare in north Wales, where Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been in special measures for nearly 11 years.
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