A WOMEN'S football festival in Berriew has been controversially cancelled.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) refused to sanction the festival, due to take place on Sunday, October 13, as the match clashed with the European Championship qualifier match between Wales and Croatia in Cardiff.

Organiser Paul Inns failed to hide his disappointment.

"It is frustrating to say the least," said Inns. "The Central Wales Football Association were strongly in favour of allowing it but the FAW has decided no senior football, ladies or men, can take place that day."

A new date has been provisionally agreed for Sunday, November 17 in Berriew.

However the FAW ban on football across Wales on the same day as the national team has a fixture drew the ire of Donna Morris.

Morris is among the movement to re-establish a women's team in Welshpool and help the game spread in Central Wales.

"We are trying to grow the women's game in Mid Wales and the FAW is making stupid decisions like this and forcing the cancellation of events," said Morris. "You can only get 33,000 into Cardiff City's stadium so I cannot see the point of cancelling all football in Wales that day."

Meanwhile Morris pledged to continue the battle to revive Welshpool Town Women's Football Club despite the challenges.

"We are playing on a field behind the town's new school which is far from ideal," said Morris. "It's shocking a town the size of Welshpool has such a lack of facilities.

"I would like to see the women allowed to play on Maesydre, either on Welshpool or Waterloo Rovers pitches."

An FAW statement confirmed the cancellation of the festival following discussions with David Hinton-Jones of the Central Wales FA and organiser Paul Inns.

The statement read: "No adult fixtures shall be scheduled for FIFA International Match Calendar dates when the Wales senior squad are playing a home fixture."