Wales Veterans’ Football Association becomes Full Member of the WSA 

Wales Veterans’ Football Association becomes Full Member of the WSA 

The Welsh Sports Association (WSA) is delighted to welcome the Wales Veterans’ Football Association (WVFA) to the membership base as a Full Member.  

Now an Affiliate Member of fellow WSA member the Football Association of Wales (FAW) with regular members and teams, a Wales veterans football league was first established back in 2007.  

Nine years later in 2016, a democratically elected management committee formalised the organisation as Wales Veterans’ Football and gave a mandate to take the organisation forward under the advocacy of the regional governing body, the South Wales Football Association. 

Another seven years on, 2023 saw the organisation accept an invitation to affiliate directly to the FAW as an Associate Member, before rebranding as the Wales Veterans’ Football Association (WVFA), as they are now known. Last year, the WVFA became an Affiliate Member of the FAW. 

The WVFA’s key objective is to increase participation in association football, with an awareness of its wider responsibilities of improving mental health and fitness levels and, more specifically, addressing obesity, coronary heart disease and the effects of solitude and isolation among its participant age group. 

As part of its work, the organisation also supports charities and fundraising activities through exhibition matches, fundraising events, donations and promotion. 

The WVFA has grown over the years to currently consist of over 1700 registered players aged between 40 and 80, with 60 teams participating regularly in league and cup competitions across south Wales in O40, O45, O50, O55, O60 and O65 age groups.  

The organisation also manages ‘Representative’ teams from O40s to O75s who compete against local and international opposition at home and abroad. The O70s are the current World Champions and later this year will accompany the O75s to Japan, for the 2025 World Cup. 

WVFA Chairman, Alun Huish, commented: 

“Interest in the Wales Veterans’ Football Association (WVFA) and veterans football generally over the last 10 years has been quite staggering and although our prime objective is to provide competitive football for the over 40s, we also understand the huge benefits to both physical and mental well-being.  

“Our aim is to continue to grow and prosper throughout Wales and we strongly believe that joining forces with WSA and becoming part of an active network of like-minded organisations will enable us to achieve this.” 

Find out how you and your organisation can benefit from WSA membership here.

And if you aren’t a WSA member already, learn more and sign up here.