IT is hoped the success of a major football tournament could “springboard” Anglesey’s bid to host the 2025 Island Games.

A week of matches has seen thousands turn out at grounds from Holyhead and Bodedern to Aberffraw and Amlwch to watch competing islands from St Helena to Hitra and the Shetlands.

Anglesey was chosen to host the football portion of this summer’s games due to the hosts, Gibraltar, being unable to summon enough pitches to hold matches in both the men’s and women’s tournament.

But Gibraltar’s loss has been Anglesey’s gain, with crowds of over 1,000 turning out to watch the men and over 700 to watch the women as both home sides reached Friday’s respective finals.

Cllr Carwyn Jones, who attended several matches during the week, described this week’s Inter Island Games as “tremendous”.

“As a council we are 100 per cent behind the games,” said Cllr Jones, who now represents the authority on the games bid committee.

“All the clubs, be they the ground staff and other volunteers, have been tremendous. There’s been a real community feel and the island has well and truly come together during the week.

“The public have also come out in their hundreds to watch all the matches, no matter who was playing, and it goes to show the hunger that’s out there for more major events to come to this part of the world.

“I haven’t seen such a feel-good factor since Euro 2016 and I feel we’ve shown that we are capable of hosting such sporting events by pulling in the same direction.”

In May, plans to bring the 2025 Island Games to Ynys Môn were given a significant boost after councillors agreed to underwrite the estimated £1.4m cost of hosting the “mini Olympics.”

The Gotland Island Games of 2017 attracted more than 2,500 athletes from 23 different islands, with Anglesey participating since the event’s inception in 1985.

It has been estimated that the biennial event could boost Anglesey’s economy by around £5 million, with visitors both staying and spending on the island.

But while several sponsors and public bodies have already pledged to back any successful bid, organisers had sought the support of the local authority in clearing a major legal hurdle by underwriting any financial risk.

The 2025 bid committee has already secured a significant amount funding from sources including the Anglesey Charitable Trust, Welsh Government and the International Island Games executive.

According to the group, they are “confident” there will be no need for any additional support from Anglesey Council, but its backing was crucial in order to clear the technical hurdle.

“This week will do nothing but strengthen our case,” added Cllr Jones.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with visitors loving the hospitality and arrangements, not to mention the friendship.

“We have come through the preliminaries, now its time to bring the whole event to Anglesey.”

Cllr Richard Owain Jones, another sports enthusiast, added: “I was talking to someone after Friday’s opening ceremony, and they told me that they hadn’t realised previously what a big event this really was.

“There are 300 taking part this week but 2025 could mean as many as 3,000, so the financial and other benefits to the communities of Anglesey could be massive.”

This not the first time Ynys Môn has attempted to host the games, however, losing out on the 2009 event to the Finnish island of Åland – with a lack of a six-lane competition swimming pool thought to have substantially hurt Anglesey’s chances.

A further bid to host the 2015 version was also withdrawn, again, with the lack of suitable pool and not enough money cited as the main reasons.

Despite being given dispensation to use an athletics track just over the Menai Strait at Treborth, an estimate found that demolishing a leisure centre and replacing it with a competition pool and four-court hall would cost almost £8 million.

But organisers remain confident of Anglesey’s chances, being given a “clear run” to prove their ability to host the games for the first time ever – with the ability to host swimming events not considered as crucial as was once the case.

A decision will be made by the Island Games Association (IGA) next year, after an official inspection in October 2019.