 Club secretary Michael Beech displays Flint's current strip |
A Welsh football club which answered an advert by an English businessman offering free shirts was turned down because Wales "is a foreign country". Flint Town United secretary Michael Beech was shocked by e-mails sent from Sussex-based Victor Gladwish saying he did not sponsor "foreign" teams.
The company, Gladwish Land Sales, had advertised sponsorship of non-league teams in a football paper.
Mr Gladwish said he did not do business in Wales.
Michael Beech, who took over as secretary of Cymru Alliance team Flint Town this season, had spotted the advert in the Welsh edition of the Non-League Paper offering home and away strips for one team from a league.
He emailed Mr Gladwish for more information but received the following reply:
 | UK ended when the Labour government made Wales independent  |
"Sorry, we do not sell land in foreign countries so do not do footy teams in foreign countries."
Mr Beech replied: "Why, what country are you doing this offer in? We are in the UK."
He was stunned by Mr Gladwish's reply, which read: "UK ended when the Labour government made Wales independent.
"Thousands of soldiers died unifying the countries. We do not sell land in Wales. You have Welsh on your Land Registry documents and as an ex-soldier I object."
When Mr Beech pointed out Wales was British and followed British laws, he responded: "I am English and you are Welsh".
 | We're not foreigners in Wales  |
Mr Beech told BBC Wales: "I'm not annoyed by the fact he said no. If he had e-mailed me back and said you are not within our catchment area, that would have been fine.
"It's the way he was (attacking) the Welsh.
"We're not foreigners in Wales. We're as much a part of the UK as Horsham in Sussex [Gladwish Land Sales' base] is.
"I think other people would be annoyed about it and rightly so. It is an insult really.
"I have lived in Mold for 14 years. I was born in Chester but my house is not a little outpost of Chester. As far as I'm concerned, I live in Wales and I act like the Welsh."
Mr Gladwish, who has put about �1m into non-league football sponsorship, including the Conference League Cup, told the BBC it was "up to me who I give away things to, and I do not sell land in Wales."
He has sponsorships involving around 25 non-league clubs in England.
He added: "Wales is in Europe and the [football] World Cup as a nation so either you are part of England or not, you cannot have it both ways.
"For the state of the union ask the Labour government - they created your assembly three years ago [the assembly was actually set up in 1999].
"Any further discussions and I will support Uefa and Fifa in expelling Wales from their competitions. Make your minds up."