A little while ago I was asked to join a Great Britain Writers Football Team but I’m wondering if there is any appetite and interest out there for a Wales Writers Football Team? 

There’s an English and Scottish equivalent and teams throughout the world but it would be great if there was a Wales side to fly the flag.

As I say, I was asked to be part of a GB football team to play in a Euro tournament – that didn’t come off but because of it I had made email contact with a few of the Scottish writers. To cut a long story short they invited me to be a guest player for them in a match against England in London (they knew there was no Welsh team and had obviously heard my uncle is Scottish!) England won 5-0, being much the better side on a very wet Chelsea Pensioners’ pitch – an apt venue. I kept in touch with the Scottish lads and have been invited to play in their next tour match against Austria in Vienna.

Can we get enough players together to form a Welsh team?

This, of course, isn’t just about football; all games between writers’ teams are usually accompanied by literary events, readings etc, and form part of a cultural exchange – what better way of meeting writers from a different country than kicking a ball around a park and then going to the pub for drinks and a literary event?

The games are played in a competitive but sporting manner. The only qualification is that you are a writer of some sort – the Scotland and England team being made up of novelists, playwrights, non-fiction writers and poets. Above all the football and the cultural event are what’s important (I played for Scotland, there was another Welshman – Joe Dunthorne – playing for England as well as two Scots who started playing for England a few years ago and have stuck with them even though Scotland have now formed their own team!).

There is, of course, a lot of organising – around the game and cultural event itself and also things like trying to get sponsorship for shirts etc. Players tend to pay their own expenses.

Here’s a bit of info about the English and Scottish teams:

http://writersteam.co.uk/

http://scotlandwritersfc.wordpress.com/

So, I just wondered if there are any other writers out there who fancy pulling on the Welsh shirt and giving it a go?

Also, are there any other forums people can think of that would reach Welsh writers?

You can get in touch with me here or via email:

arharris123@yahoo.co.uk

Very best, Alan