Welsh football team hit by lost luggage disaster after arriving for European qualifier without kit

A Welsh football club had preparations for a Uefa Conference League match disrupted when their kit and boots were not loaded onto their flight out of London.

Welsh team Penybont qualified for Europe after finishing second in last season’s Cymru Premier, so they booked flights to Vilnius to play Lithuania’s Kauno Žalgiris on Thursday July for the first qualifying round first leg.

The Bridgend-based club flew out of London City airport with LOT Polish Airlines on Tuesday 8, but once they touched down in Vilnius, they found that most of their bags were missing.

The club told The Independent that among their lost luggage was the team’s playing kit and boots.

"Upon arrival at Vilnius Airport in the early hours of Wednesday morning, we were informed that only six bags had arrived on our flight,” a Penybont spokesperson said.

“Two of those were ours, leaving us with just a training kit and one bag belonging to a member of our travelling party.

“As a result, we were without playing kit, players’ boots and all 38 members of our group were left without spare clothes, toiletries, or any medication.”

In the absence of their luggage, the team had to quickly go shopping for replacement kit and boots ahead of training and the match.

The club shared a photo of the squad training at Central Stadium of Jonava, over an hour outside of Vilnius, on Wednesday.

“Arrived in Lithuania. Our luggage hasn't. MD-1 training done. New boots broken in. Ready to go tomorrow,” Penybont FC posted on X.

The missing belongings arrived in the early hours of Thursday ahead of the match in the evening.

“Thanks to the efforts of our travel agent, our bags were delivered on two separate flights that arrived in Vilnius last night,” the club spokesperson added. “We now have the full complement of kit, boots and personal belongings ahead of tonight’s game.”

“Our travel agent is also pursuing compensation on our behalf. As yet, we have not received an explanation from the airline regarding the mishandling of our luggage. Despite the disruption, the team and staff have remained in good spirits and are thoroughly looking forward to the game."

This is Ponybont’s second time in the Conference League after making their debut in the competition in 2023.

The second leg will be played at Cardiff International Sports Stadium on 17 July, after which he winners will face Iceland’s Valur club or Estonian team Flora Tallinn in the second qualifying round.

Last year, Lioness football player Georgia Stanway lost her football boots when flying from Germany to Marbella as her luggage went missing.

She said she had to borrow a pair of boots from a U23 player for the first two days of training.

“The biggest lesson I learned was put your boots in your hand luggage,” she said at a press conference amid the preparation for the Euro qualifying round last year.

The Independent has contacted LOT for comment.

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