Freedom of Barry granted to former Wales international footballer

Glamorgan Star news 28/02/2024

1 minute read

| Cllr Millie Collins, Cllr Ian Johnson and Ayshea Martyn.

A former Wales International, Arsenal, Bristol and Barry Town United Football Club player, Ayshea Martyn, received the Freedom of the Town award from Barry Town Council during a special ceremony held on Monday.

The Freedom of the Town is a special award that recognises exceptional contributions to sport, arts, science or the community of Barry.

Previous winners include Boxing World Champion, Lee Selby; Olympic and Commonwealth medal winning swimmer, David Davies, and Professor Emeritus of Women’s History, Deirdre Beddoe. Wales football captain, Sophie Ingle, also received the Freedom of Barry in 2018.

Ayshea Martyn was nominated for the award for achieving 26 caps for Wales, scoring five international goals, as part of a playing career in which her goals secured promotion for Barry Town Ladies to reach the English National Division (now the Women’s Super League), and also playing for Arsenal and Bristol.

Speaking after the ceremony, Mayor of Barry, Cllr Ian Johnson, said: “It is a great honour to nominate Ayshea for this award, marking a career as a Welsh international, playing as a striker at the top of women’s football for many years and securing Barry Town’s promotion to the Women’s National Division, alongside Arsenal, Liverpool and others.

“Ayshea played 26 times for Wales, scoring match winning goals against Northern Ireland and Portugal, as well as against Poland, Belarus and the Republic of Ireland.

“At Barry, she helped secure two promotions, and won the Welsh Cup four times in a row.

“She fully deserves to have her achievements remembered through the Freedom of Barry award.”

The nomination was seconded by Council Leader, Cllr Bronwen Brooks, and passed unanimously by the Council.