A POPULAR football festival is set to return to Wrexham later this year. 

Gŵyl Wal Goch will  be back in Wrexham, the spiritual home of football in Wales, for a fourth time next month. 

The weekend long event is taking place between May 31 and June 2. 

There’s a stellar list of guests at this year’s festival, including Chelsea, Everton and Scotland hero Pat Nevin, The Guardian writer David Conn, Carrie Dunn, Rebecca Watson and poet Evrah Rose.

There will be music, screenings, exhibitions and some football of course.

David Conn joins an international panel on football writing with journalist Kit Holden from Berlin and Thomas Morris from Wales. David will also be interviewing the former Cheslea, Everton and Scotland player and 5 Live pundit Pat Nevin.

Leon Barton talks to the ‘Little Wonder’ Brian Flynn as he celebrates his 50th anniversary in football. 

There will also be plenty of local Wrexham talent on show, including Evrah Rose, Mark Coverdale and Lisa O’Hare. With live music at Ty Pawb over the course of the weekend. 

Dave Evans from the Festival team said, “We have another amazing lineup this year. Gŵyl Wal Goch has got something for everyone – films, talks and exhibitions. If you care about our national game, the arts and the power of football then you really need to be there.”

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“No-one who listened at last year’s festival to former Wales international George Berry could fail to have been moved by his stories of the racism he faced in the 1970s and 1980s. Likewise, former Golden Boot winner and Croatia, Real Madrid and Arsenal player Davor Suker talking about how important football was to his small Balkan nation after the Yugoslav Civil War.”

New patron, Neville Southall said: “I was a guest for the World Cup edition of the festival in 2022 and was bowled over by the atmosphere at the event and the way the team brought together an outstanding programme of events and international guests for three days in Wrexham.

“We all need to hear more about the positive impact football can have in effecting social change in areas such as men’s mental health and female empowerment and I’m very happy to do all in my power to support the festival in doing so.”

More information can be found at www.footballfansfestival.com.