SFW to face Wales’ National Fans Team!

The match will be held at Penydarren Park in Merthyr Town to celebrate Wales' qualification for the Qatar World Cup.

We really appreciate the role of the Wales Supporters' Team and are looking forward to the event."

Entry to the match is free and donations will be accepted on the day to support our mission to fight homelessness through football.

Plan chief Scott Janes said: "We are really looking forward to seeing the Wales Supporters Team. It will be our first football rivalry in 11 games and it will be a great event. We are looking forward to it and we are counting on a big crowd."

Wales manager Neil Dymock said: "The Wales Supporters Team is very excited to play the Wales Street Football Team in a World Cup warm-up match before playing against international fans in Qatar.

"It will be the 20th anniversary of our first match in September 2002 and our first match since our 118th.

"This is going to be a great event, eight days before Wales finally plays in the World Cup after a 64-year wait. We look forward to seeing for ourselves that Street Football Wales is doing a better job for our country than anyone else.

Jamie Grundy 30-8-22 Jamie Grundy 30-8-22

Anne-Marie | MY STORY

Anne-Marie has been a valuable addition to Street Football Wales since joining the team in 2021.

While football has undoubtedly helped her improve, she has also grown and has been sober for two years.

Looking back on her time at SFW, Anne-Marie recalls her first lesson:

"Welsh street football was recommended to me at a recovery meeting and they explained what it could do for me, so I thought I'd give it a try." "Every time I thought back to my first lesson, I felt like a kid again and it felt relevant to me. When I was playing football and meeting other players, I didn't think about my current dilemma at all." "It brought back fun memories from my youth and it was really refreshing. I'd never played street football before, so I remember it being quite difficult and I struggled." Since her first lesson, Anna-Marie has fully integrated into the SFW family and become a valued part of the class. She explained that she was treated very well from the moment she joined.

"Everyone spread both hands and accepted me, and I immediately felt that I was a member of the team. In the first lesson, I did not know enough what I actually do, but staff and other players. Holded me.

Here, in this way, in a casual atmosphere, for example, even if you make a mistake or play perfectly, everyone will support you in the same way.

"This was my week, for example, an important event for the past year. I was more trained on this day, training in front of her, and when I entered the venue. I'm looking forward to the experience. "

One of the goals of Street Football Wales is not only supporting the players in the shade, but also supporting them.

In fact, Ann Marie says that his role in SFW has definitely helped life other than soccer.

"This is definitely to help me get the points and polite difficulties of others. When I become a member of the team, how important other people are and to live on their own. You will know how impossible.

"Since I joined the team, not only in soccer but also in communication has deepened my conviction, which is definitely thanks to staff and other players.

"I think that the attitude of life has changed as a result of increased ambitions and motivation."

Jamie Grandy 8/23/22 Jamie Grandy 8/23/22

Mark Williams was impressed by the injured steps of Vlexam career, and seemed to have the universe spreading at his feet.

However, a series of injuries caused game poisoning, runaway and had a serious impact on mental aspects.

Rander strikers are now prosperous and are grateful for the fact that he has actually arranged for him in the main recommendation.

Williams has underdeveloped in his own situation on how he grew up surrounded by gambling and reached a minimum.

Marc Williams | MY STORY

"I grew up surrounded by gambling. I went to the slot machine every day to protect the sea. I had such a habit. For example, every time I carry a Grand National, Christmas, and Trump , Play twice in the playground, play without doing anything.

"I left high school to become a professional soccer player, and I was immediately involved in a sports gambling culture. Velexham" The men in the top team were in the race, and I had a total jage every time. I got it.

"After the salary increased, it became like this. I started talking about gambling with a lot of money. I started playing not only on weekends, but also a couple of times a week, and roulette and black jack. I met.

"At the age of 20, my career has begun to be concrete. Until the age of 21, I played with Wales and players such as Joe Allen and Aaron Ramji, and that year's" U r-Hem "is the best in my career. I experienced the moment of sweating. I lived by hiding this Adrenaline Rush and the goal of victory.

In January, the championship and the League 1 club heard, but I was detained by In Russia.

At the beginning of the 2008/09 season, Williams showed a considerable success as a member of Vereksham and signed a new contract with the club.

However, it explains that the striker basically has to gamble later due to an increase in payment and injury.

"Four weeks later, I broke my fifth positive bone. This resembled it to return to reality. I was longing, I wasn't near the children, and from the match I didn't have any adrenaline, and I didn't know how to overcome the victory. "

"Since then, I started more transactions, and the funds began to attract attention thanks to new contracts. I bet 100 pounds, not £ 20, and at that time, it was blank. It was filled, but then it became impossible to control.

"When I returned to the form, I had a bond when I wanted to trade every day, not as gambling. In the gambling world, I actually have anything. I was able to discover myself comfortably from being criticized for not being.

"Basically, I wanted to make gambling, but it was pathology. I didn't want to be with anyone, was isolated from my family and friends, and my little girl was born. did.

Earlier, when Williams went to support in his prior stage of his game addiction, he clearly recalls how low it has reached.

"I finally bet on November 7, 2018. At this time, my debt accumulated and became quite dark. I was reincarnated in monsters, very angry, a terrible treatment for the guardian, and my daughter was interested. I didn't have it.

"That week, I didn't have the opportunity to repay my debt, credit card, or loan, so I spent a lot of money. I took a personal last loan of £ 10. 000 and feded out in 40 minutes ...

"I remember screaming, throwing my iPad, falling to the floor, and bursting into tears. My daughter came crawling over and started wiping my cheeks. During this time, I think I was able to understand that it was really beautiful, and that as a result of me being fixated on the game, I didn't pay attention to it.

"Not only had I ruined my life, but I needed support to be the best founder and person I could be. For three days, I was in a group help."

"4 Over the years, my life has completely changed. I never thought I would be here, here now, feeling how I am now. This is all thanks to the support and good society for recovery.

The aim of Street Football Wales is to give people who are isolated and excluded from society in public the opportunity to create a place that is open, inclusive, and not a privileged class where it is possible to come to football.

The huge number of flattering results of our players has been introduced to the business afterwards, and Williams believes that football can change lives.

"I can explain from my own experience, I was actually isolated because of my addiction and spent a lot of time alone. An active life is very effective psychologically. You can get closer to people, develop friendships, laugh.

There is no greater feeling than being part of something and experiencing that you have value in yourself. The aspect of something like this with the ability to give sport makes you feel like you are really giving something to yourself, because when you fight, whatever you spend, you are lonely with these factors, but when you are accepted and you get pleasure from this, you can't imagine the best feeling.

Ryle, Swanxi, Mertir At the end-sessions in Tidfile, Haverfords and Cardiff Street Football Wales, Allen invites people who are checking for problems in society.

Williams, who got out of prison and got his life back after a difficult gambling and psychological well being, recognised what it meant to ask for help.

"The hardest thing is to accept that I'm not in the best position. It was very hard to accept that I was changing how I treated people and basically changing who I was. Nothing is harder than accepting that I was all wrong.

"But once you get support, you can improve your mental well-being. Being intense, having people around you, talking more - all of this makes a big difference.

"It's important that people say and you get support, but secondly, it's important to know what you should do, actually, that you're worth something, for the fact that it's actually going to be great in the long run to be happy in life and experience".

Click here to register for the Street Football Wales programme.