In many ways, grassroots football is booming for all in Powys like never before. 

Alongside the continuing healthy Saturday senior men’s football scene, we now have three good quality women’s teams playing weekly, with Welshpool Town and Berriew joining Llanfair United in the Welsh structure this season. 

The Mid and North Powys Junior league has 35 teams playing in four leagues for ages 12-16. 

At ages 11 and below, non-competitive football is enjoyed through a ‘festival’ structure which provides hundreds of children with regular football for their local teams. 

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On top of this, Powys Girls Football continues to run regular events (the two latest saw over 230 girls attend in total) and has now established competitive Under 13 and Under 15 leagues with 9 teams. 

Behind these successes though, are a chronic shortage of good quality pitches, and this is made so much worse in times of wet weather such as we’ve had lately. 

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One of the ways of overcoming this, and keeping kids playing, are the 3G pitches, and teams benefit hugely from those ‘all weather’ pitches in Llanidloes, and increasingly in Llanfyllin. 

Yet in the towns of Welshpool, Llanfair, Newtown and Llanfair (despite promises by Powys County Council), and the areas around, here are no 3G pitches available for regular use by our children. 

This is something that has to be, and hopefully will be, addressed for our communities in the very near future.

Gareth Hopkins, Llansantffraid-Ym-Mechain