New youth football tournament honours Gary Speed
The inaugural Gary Speed Cup begins in north Wales this week, with Cymru MU16 hosting Japan, Gibraltar and Northern Ireland in a round-robin tournament.
Taking place from 23 to 31 August, fixtures will be staged across Ruthin Town, Buckley Town and Colwyn Bay.
The Football Association of Wales has created the new competition to celebrate the legacy of former national team captain and manager Gary Speed.
It replaces Cymru’s place in the Victory Shield, which has long been a major feature of youth football.
Many players, including Ethan Ampadu, Ben Cabango and Rabbi Matondo, have previously progressed from this level into the senior national team.
Deeside-born Gary Speed earned 85 caps for Wales, captaining the side 44 times. After a distinguished club career at Leeds United, Newcastle United and Everton, he became Wales manager in 2011, lifting the team from its lowest FIFA ranking of 117th and laying the foundations for future international success.
FAW’s Chief Football Officer Dr David Adams said: “We’re very proud to be launching the Cwpan Gary Speed tournament this year, honouring Gary’s enduring legacy and his profound impact on Welsh football. We hope the tournament will be a good platform for our future talent to compete and develop on the international stage, serving as a powerful reminder of how Gary’s passion and commitment to high performance can shape the future of the game.”
National Age Group Coach Adrian Harvie is leading the Cymru MU16 side in the new competition.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity for the players,” Harvie said. “With it being the first camp of the season, it is always exciting to see the players and staff again as a group in person. It’s even more exciting that we will be hosting the tournament in Wales and that the tournament is being named after the great man that was Gary Speed.
“Honouring Gary has been in the planning by the FAW for some time now and we feel it was a perfect opportunity to honour this legacy with a tournament. We wanted to create a tournament that can be hosted in Wales, can attract teams from across the world and has player development at the heart of it. This is something Gary was passionate about – helping others become better players and better people.”
He added: “I couldn’t be more proud to be leading a group of staff and players in the first ever Gary Speed Cup. North Wales has always made us feel welcome and have come out to support the youth national age groups so we are really looking forward to what will no doubt be a well supported tournament.”
The tournament will also support Mind Cymru, raising funds for the mental health charity.
Tickets will be available on match day at the venues, priced £3 for adults and £1 for children.
- Fixtures:
- Northern Ireland v Gibraltar, 11am, Tuesday 26 August, Ruthin Town
- Cymru v Japan, 6pm, Tuesday 26 August, Colwyn Bay
- Japan v Northern Ireland, 11am, Thursday 28 August, Ruthin Town
- Cymru v Gibraltar, 6pm, Thursday 28 August, Buckley Town
- Gibraltar v Japan, 10.30am, Sunday 31 August, Ruthin Town
- Cymru v Northern Ireland, 10.30am, Sunday 31 August, Colwyn Bay
[Photo: FAW]
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