Meet the club promoting the Welsh language through football

Based in the capital city of Wales, in which only 15.4% of the City can speak Welsh, lies a team called Clwb Cymric. 

Chairman Rhodri Charles gave an insight on the history of the club and the ethos it gives to the community.

The whole squad can currently speak Welsh but it isn’t part of the way the club recruits players, as long as players are positive about the Welsh language they can play for the club. Cymric have previously had non speaking Welsh managers before, so it doesn’t afect the recruitment of players.

With a majority of the squad speaking Welsh, it in some cases, keeps players at the club as they use the club as an outlet to promote the Welsh language. More and more players from the Canton area are speaking Welsh which means the club can recruit in that way.

The club are hoping to do more with Menter Iaith Caerdydd (Welsh Language Initiative Cardiff) next year as well as re-start the 5 a side tournament they run as part of the Tafwyl festival week.

Draped in Green and White with a badge similar to the Welsh Dragon, Cymric really do give a Welsh identity to domestic Welsh football but previously they had played in Yellow, Blue and White stripes with the original kit being all white

Out of everyone who is signed on to play, the current secretary Rhodri Charles who joined in 2002 has been here the longest. Looking at the squad who won the Cardiff & District League and Cup double in 2006, Iwan Williams is still playing for the club after a few years in between playing in Belgium, but nobody else from that squad is still playing. Cymric had an influx of younger players in the late 2000’s and a lot of those players are still with us, including current first team captain Osian Pritchard and assistant manager Rhys Davies.

Sitting second in the division, Cymric look good for promotion. Rhodri Charles paid credit to the teams performances this season

“It’s been a real team effort this year, without any individual stand-out performer. I guess the most notable feature of the season so far is that we’ve played over half our games without a recognised keeper, and Rhys Davies, our assistant manager and midfielder has done an amazing job as stand-in keeper when called upon!”