Here am I on holiday in sunny Spain, loving life, yet the water is borderline inedible. Even the bottled mineral "water" tastes like the sewage Thames water used to serve me back in Oxford.

Guess it's sangria for the week.

I’m in favour of the budget since it means Plaid can get a move on manifesto commitments. As for reserves that are meant for emergencies being used, I would argue this is an emergency since we’re going through Wales’ worst ever heatwave that is killing a lot of people like a flood would.

I worry if this budget can be passed however since Labour, tories and reform all said no.

Hello everyone. I wanted to share this lovely text by Serbian sports news MozzartSport about a football club with the longest name that they have visited. Enjoy, translation right here:

Llanfairpwllgwyng... yllgogerychwyrndrob... wllllantysilio... gogogoch?!

No, it's not a mistake. That's the name of a fifth-tier Welsh football club with the longest name in the world (58 letters), which Mozzart Sport recently visited.

By Mozzart Sport's correspondent from Wales

From Caernarfon to Bangor in northern Wales is about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles), but the bus ride takes more than half an hour. By car, it's much faster because you take a different route, while the buses stop at more than 30 stops along those 9.3 miles. If you're traveling farther, for example, from the western to the eastern side of this part of the UK, the difference in travel time depending on your mode of transport becomes even more dramatic. They even say it's quicker to get from Bangor to London than to Swansea or Cardiff, even though those cities are closer.

Public transport in Wales is organized so thoroughly that virtually every corner is covered (which is probably why it isn't cheap), and that's certainly commendable. But when you're on a work trip and don't have much time to linger or sightsee in every single town and village along the way, it can become rather frustrating.

Still, it was worth changing two bus lines, walking a bit, and then taking the train for one stop to reach Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. We won't even attempt to write it phonetically in Serbian—there's a video later on where you can hear how to pronounce the world's longest place name correctly. It has 58 letters!

And that's precisely what has made this village famous around the world. According to some accounts, that was the very reason its original 19th-century name, Pwllgwyngyll, was changed. It doesn't boast the most beautiful of North Wales' many magnificent castles, nor does it offer the fairy-tale scenery found elsewhere in the region. Instead, it attracts attention solely because of its extraordinarily long name.

Many visitors take the one-stop train ride from Bangor or arrive as part of organized tours from nearby cruise ships docked in the area just to take a photo with the village sign, which is so packed with letters that there's not even room for the word "Welcome." As Carwyn Perry (whom we'll introduce a bit later) puts it:

"They practically break their necks trying to get a selfie, maybe buy something from the souvenir shop, some stop by the nearest restaurant, and then it's straight back to the ship or the train to Bangor."

But Mozzart Sport is a sports website. We're not particularly interested in taking selfies, converting pounds into euros and then into Serbian dinars doesn't exactly put you in the mood for souvenir shopping, and thankfully, we weren't hungry either. So why this story, and why did we become two of the roughly 200,000 people who visit, let's give it a try, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch every year?

The name roughly translates to: "The Church of St. Mary in the Hollow of the White Hazel near the Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio by the Red Cave." Or, much more simply: Llanfairpwll.

At the suggestion of our colleague Nick, an Englishman from Manchester, that we should visit the island of Anglesey while in Wales covering the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, we did a bit of research on the famous village of around 3,000 residents.

We discovered that Llanfairpwllgwy... Just kidding, we're not going to keep writing it. We found out that Llanfairpwll has a football club bearing the same name. It plays in the fifth tier of Welsh football but, unsurprisingly, holds the world record for the longest club name. The club proudly emphasizes this by displaying its full name on its crest.

We managed to get in touch with the club and learned that, conveniently, between two matches involving Serbia's Under-19 national team, Llanfairpwll was scheduled to play a friendly against a nearby fourth-division side whose name, with all due respect, we simply couldn't remember because it was just as much of a tongue twister as most words in the Welsh language. In any case, Llanfairpwll came from behind to win 5-2 after trailing 1-0.

Maes Aethan (the club's ground) is located just a few streets away from the railway station mentioned earlier. We arrived about two hours before kickoff for one of the club's final pre-season friendlies. Expectations are high in Llanfairpwll ahead of the new season, and one of the main reasons for optimism is a three-year sponsorship agreement with Mastercard.

The deal provides the club with playing kits, tracksuits, and travel bags during the first year, while the following two years will bring direct financial support.

They didn't reveal the exact amount, but it's enough to begin renovating the changing rooms and stands, as well as installing a small drinks bar. It will mainly serve coffee and tea, while beer and the traditional "third half" after the match is enjoyed at the nearby Penrhos pub. Unfortunately, we missed that part because it was a weekday, and since it was only a friendly, the victory wasn't celebrated too enthusiastically.

Before Mastercard came on board, the club's sponsor was La Liga. We asked how it was possible that the organization running Spain's top football division and later a global financial giant became interested in a club playing in the fifth tier of Welsh football, one that in its 127-year history has never climbed higher than the third division. The answer came from the club's wonderfully welcoming and hospitable volunteers.

Around ten people are involved in the day-to-day running of CPD Llanfairpwllgwyngyll FC. They all work on a voluntary basis, just like the players, who actually pay £50 per month in membership fees so the club can afford referees, league registration, and travel expenses for away matches.

"When we received the email from La Liga, we thought someone was playing a prank on us. I didn't even open it for a few days, and only then did I realize it was actually genuine,"

recalls Samantha Jones Smith, the club's former chairwoman, with a smile. Her bright red hair and numerous tattoos make her one of the club's most memorable figures.

Sam served in the club's top leadership role for eight years, before being succeeded by Steven Edwards.

Steve is a cameraman and documentary producer by profession. He was also the first person to greet us when we arrived at Gors Field, where, in the late 1980s, David Moyes scored for Shrewsbury Town in the Welsh Cup. The ground is now the club's old pitch, used by the youth teams, while the senior side now plays a few minutes away at Maes Aethan.

"I came here at seven this morning to get everything ready for the match, but it was raining, so I had to take a break. We're lucky the sun is out now—the pitch won't be slippery. Our younger teams play here. We have age groups from six to sixteen, with more than 200 children in the club. Once they reach sixteen or seventeen, they move into the development squad and the first team. We mix the two. The development team helps young players adapt to senior football and also gives injured players a chance to regain match fitness. We also have a few girls in the club, but once they turn sixteen they either stop playing or move to a bigger club,"

Steven told us. He also serves as assistant coach of the development team. Every side in the club has its own head coach (manager) and an assistant, while the first team has two assistant coaches.

Unlike La Liga, whose one-year partnership was largely a branding exercise designing the double "LL" in the club's extraordinarily long name to resemble the Spanish league's logo Mastercard has taken a much more substantial approach.

As mentioned earlier, the company not only provides playing kit but also financial support. In return, it uses the club's and the village's famously long name in a marketing campaign promoting faster and easier online shopping, with the basic idea being: "Imagine having to type your town's name every time you shop online."

"For them it's probably nothing, but for us the equipment we've received means a great deal. At first, it was only supposed to be a one-year agreement, but it ended up becoming a three-year deal. During the next two seasons they'll provide financial support, and I hope it'll be enough for us to do everything we've planned renovate the changing rooms, build the drinks bar, refurbish the stand, and so on."

Our time with these warm and cheerful football enthusiasts was made possible by Hannah Roberts, the club secretary and the wife of starting midfielder Carwyn, a local lad who plays for the team.

She arrived at the ground straight from her office job, while the players were already warming up to the melodic beats of electronic music playing from a wireless speaker left beside the touchline, surrounded by backpacks, trainers, work clothes, and other belongings.

The match kicked off on a Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., so all twenty-odd players came directly from work or school. As is typical at clubs of this level, many work as electricians, painters, laborers, or in other trades, while the younger ones are still in school or attending university.

"We have 24 players, but three of them are leaving for university in September and won't be with us for six months, so I hope we'll be able to bring in a few more. This was a good test—we scored five goals, and three of them were scored by two lads who are only 17 years old. It's wonderful to see local boys scoring goals and winning matches. Our objective is to win the league title and earn promotion. I believe we have the quality to do it,"

said the optimistic head coach—or rather, manager—Rhys Roberts, who also works as a plumber.

It would be hard to single out any one player for outstanding quality, but there were some well-worked attacking moves. We saw seven goals, including one scored through the visiting goalkeeper's legs, and there was nearly a fight near the end of the match.

The home side's striker, Tomos Williams, who recently returned to the club, lost his temper after the opposing centre-back stepped hard on his ankle. He shoved his opponent several times in the chest and back, the two exchanged a few head-to-head confrontations, and eventually manager Roberts substituted his striker with instructions to cool off—though not before congratulating him on the excellent goal he had scored in the first half.

"They're good lads. They don't swear much. You hear the occasional bad word here and there, but there are no real insults or fights,"

the stocky referee told us during halftime. He used to play cricket and now works as a house music DJ in Bangor.

By the way, the referee was paid £20 for this friendly match, while league matches earn him £50. Considering that Llanfairpwll charges only £3 for admission to its home games, it's easy to see why the players have to contribute £50 per month to play for the club. They are also fined for every yellow or red card they receive.

"That money goes straight into the club's budget to cover the costs of organizing matches. A referee costs around £50, depending on where they're coming from and whether they need travel expenses. We also have to pay for player registrations and the league licence. Players are fined for every yellow or red card they receive. Tickets cost £3, so you need around 20 spectators—which is about our average attendance—just to cover the referee's fee,"

explains Steve Edwards, laying out the club's simple financial reality.

One of the most dedicated people we met during our visit was Carwyn Perry, a member of the club's board. He drove us between the two grounds, explained the club's plans, and shared the history of this unique 126-year-old club from northern Wales.

As a player, Carwyn spent 25 years wearing the club's shirt—from the age of 15 until 40. Today, he devotes his time to helping local children who love football.

"Everything we do is for them. We do it out of love for football and for our local community. There's no greater joy than seeing a sight like this,"

Carwyn says, pointing to two young boys who have parked their bicycles beside the pitch and are taking penalty kicks before the first-team players come out to warm up.

At several points during the match, the goalkeepers had to climb over the fence next to the pitch just to retrieve the ball. That was nothing compared to the situations when the ball ended up in a neighbour’s garden. To avoid complaints, it is usually the children who go and fetch it in those cases.

“We have a much better relationship with the primary school next door, behind those trees. This area is, in fact, a legally protected green zone, so no construction is allowed here. That’s why we had to move to the new pitch a few years ago—it has the necessary licence for competitive matches up to the second division, and our aim is to keep progressing through the leagues,”

explains club secretary Ian Roberts, clarifying why a club from the lowest tier actually has two pitches. He was surprised when he heard that in Serbia even some top-flight clubs have to share stadiums and act as tenants in other cities.

Although they have gone a quarter of a century without a senior trophy, the people at the club with the longest name in the world believe that the day will come again when Llanfairpwll reaches the third division, which is currently its highest-ever level.

“This is a name that is well known in Europe, so this is a club you want to work for if you’re from the area. I have a good foundation to start a coaching career and I hope to progress. I played in the third division, and realistically that’s about the level our players can reach. It would be a real surprise—but also a nice one—if someone went beyond that,”

says the honest coach Roberts, who also works as a plumber.

Hannah also explained a bit about the competition system in the fifth tier of Welsh football:

“We play in Division One of the North Wales West Coast, which had 12 clubs last season, and this year there will be 13 of us. The maximum is 16 clubs. We finished last season in seventh place, and our goal is to push for the top of the table. We have a good team—our captain Dylan Williams was named the biggest star of last season. Our striker Tomos has also returned; two years ago he shared the league top scorer award with us. Players are allowed to play for two clubs in a season, but when they transfer, there is no compensation fee. You pay £20 for a player registration, and if they move to another club, the new club has to pay again—the registration isn’t transferable. Our closest rivals are Gwyrfai, but there is no real local derby or bad blood with them or anyone else. Here, football is played for love,”

Hannah concluded.

Wales has given world football some fantastic players such as Ryan Giggs, Gareth Bale, Ian Rush, Craig Bellamy, Aaron Ramsey, Juventus legend John Charles, and John Toshack. The most notable figures associated with Llanfairpwll include Mark Lloyd Williams, the all-time top scorer in the Welsh Premier League, and Oshian Roberts, who was part of the national team staff during Wales’ first of two European Championship appearances.

With Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds investing in Wrexham, the club suddenly gained global attention—and even created a bit of nearby competition for Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in terms of worldwide fame.

“What’s happening at Wrexham has brought more attention to football in this part of Wales. In the north, football is more popular than rugby, although we’ve produced some good rugby players in recent years, so the gap isn’t as big anymore. La Liga and Mastercard helped us become more known, and that’s led to our shirts being ordered online and sent to Japan, the USA, Germany—and maybe now even Serbia,”

said Carwyn Perry, half joking but also hopeful.

To finish, he shared an amusing anecdote: during a period of poor results for Chelsea, someone recently stuck a large sign at the entrance to the village reading:

“Chelsea have more Ls (losses) than this place has letters in its name.”

Another round of council by-elections were held across Wales today (2nd July 2026), this time in Powys and Torfaen. The results were:

Powys County Council

Glantwymyn - Plaid Cymru HOLD

- Plaid Cymru - 513

- Reform UK - 63

- Conservatives - 28

- Liberal Democrats - 23

Turnout: 35.11%

Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew - Liberal Democrat WIN (previously Reform UK but elected as Conservative)

- Liberal Democrats - 297

- Reform UK - 259

- Plaid Cymru - 96

- Conservatives - 68

- Greens - 15

- Labour - 14

Turnout: 51.08%

Llanyre with Nantmel - Reform UK HOLD (previously Reform UK but elected as Independent)

- Reform UK - 359

- Liberal Democrats - 226

- Conservatives - 210

- Independent - 51

- Greens - 18

Turnout: 49.57%

Torfaen County Borough Council

Llantarnam - Reform UK HOLD (previously Reform UK but elected as Independent)

- Reform UK - 505

- Labour - 362

- Plaid Cymru - 190

- Conservatives - 58

- Greens - 49

- Liberal Democrats - 18

Turnout: 22%