A student from Blackwood is making waves after his petition to introduce public fanzones ahead of Wales’ UEFA Euro 2016 campaign gained national coverage.
Mark Jones, 24, started the online petition after discovering there were no existing plans to set up public fanzones to allow people to watch Wales compete at the European Championships this summer.
Wales have qualified for their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, and have been drawn against Slovakia, England and Russia in their group at the competition, which begins in Paris on Friday June 10.
Having been unsuccessful in his application for match tickets in France, Mark decided to take the initiative on home turf.
He said: “Around two weeks ago I was looking into making plans with my mates as to where we were going to watch the Wales matches, and I couldn’t believe that there were no public screenings around Cardiff.
“I started the petition to attempt to sort something out. I thought, ‘Well if nothing comes of it, at least I can say I tried.'”
Buoyed by support on social media, Mark set up the petition on charge.org, and sent it to Assembly Members and Cardiff councillors. He’s also recently appeared on BBC Radio Wales and ITV Wales.
“The response was pretty positive,” he said. “I said that I hoped they shared my joy at Wales qualifying for the first time in nearly 60 years. The infuriating thing for me is that the response has been great, but there’s been very little actually done about it.”
Wales secured qualification to the tournament in October 2015, and Mark believes plans should have been put in place once the team’s spot at Euro 2016 was confirmed.
He said: “To be honest, I think it’s embarrassing that it’s taken a 24-year-old student to get the ball rolling with this. There’s been a bit of a blasé attitude from the FAW (Football Association of Wales) and nothing’s been done.
“When you compare that to the fact that for the Rugby World Cup last year, 158,000 people watched matches at Cardiff Arms Park over 12 days, it maybe shows a bit of bias from Cardiff council towards rugby over football.”
The history student added: “I understand the difficulty surrounding costs. My mother works in the charity sector so I’m all too familiar with council budget cuts, but I’m sure the council would have been able to find a sponsor. It’s a huge occasion for Wales as a nation, not just the team.”
Since the petition, which has gathered almost a thousand signatures, was set up, Swansea Council has announced public screenings for Wales’ matches against Slovakia, England and Russia, while similar events are being discussed in Merthyr Tydfil and Newport.
Islwyn MP Chris Evans said: “I was shocked when Mark got in touch and told me that there are no fanzones planned in Wales for Euro 2016. This is an historic event for Welsh sport and fans should have the opportunity to get together and share the moment.
“I think there is real demand for organised events for those fans who can’t get the time off to go to France to watch Wales play.
“Everyone who loves Welsh football should sign Mark’s petition.”
With Wales’ first match against Slovakia in Bordeaux just eight days away, every second counts for Mark’s fanzone plans.
He said: “I’m still optimistic we can get something organised. I’m just counting down the hours. Time is against us now, but wherever I end up watching, I’ll be cheering the team on.”