Dafydd Iwan has been singing ‘Yma o Hyd’ to Welsh language audiences for almost 40 years. Tonight he heard it sung back to him by 30,000 people from all parts of Wales. No wonder he cried.
The most significant moment in our sporting history. A multicultural, bilingual, diverse group of players singing ‘Yma o Hyd’ with Dafydd Iwan. A progressive, inclusive self-confident Wales. A new Wales…Cymru.
With Wales and England both in USA’s group, there will be at least 329 million more people who understand that Wales is not the same country as England.
How can anyone complain about the investment of a couple of actors, good genuine people who have grown to love Wrexham, when some clubs are funded by oil states and hedge funds? This is a good story.
#wrexham
This week, we've had Bale prioritising Wales over Real Madrid, and now Aaron Ramsey giving Welsh language interviews. Incredible, positive effect this team is having on their country. Absolute heroes.
Here is all you need to know about our draw for Euro 2020. The average price of a pint of beer. Croatia £1.80 ; Slovakia £1.51; Hungary £1.34; Azerbaijan 69p.
I’m just not having any criticism of Aaron Ramsey from now on. He was sublime again tonight and is one of the greatest midfielders we’ve ever seen in a Welsh shirt.
Cymru Leagues = £50-£100 season tickets, kids free, £3 beer in pitch-side clubhouse, £1 coffee in china mugs, each £1 benefits local economy. No VAR, and your local club will welcome you with open arms.
20 years ago tonight, at the Manics Millennium gig, I made a resolution to start speaking Welsh with my wife. Ac erbyn hyn, dwi’n hollol rhugl ac yn byw fy mywyd trwy’r gyfrwng Cymraeg. Dos amdani! Go for it!
For years, a large number of pundits and fans called for a big European name to manage Wales. They felt we could never improve under a Welsh manager. And who were the three people that got us qualified? Gary Speed, Chris Coleman and Robert Page. 🏴
Pity the Welsh fan who saw a football on the floor in Ozijek Old Town and decided to wallop it. The ball was concrete and he has apparently broken his foot.
I love Aaron Ramsey more than I can explain. I love his fragility, his humility, his wizardry, his enigmatic talent and his inexplicable genius. He comes from Caerphilly. Yes, Caerffili.
Dwi'n gwbod, mewn 20 mlynedd, fyddai'n dal i wylio ciips o Nic a Malcs yn colli' penna' yn ystod Ewro 2016. 🏴🏴
I know full well that in 20 years time, I will still be watching clips of Nic Parry and Malcolm Allen going crazy on commentary during Euro 2016. 🏴🏴
If we invade the pitch, we don’t get to share this. We don’t get Yma o Hyd again, or any of the post-match interaction. It was much better without a pitch invasion.
Some of the disrespect I’m reading towards Aaron Ramsey from his own people is a disgrace. This is an athlete whose leg was broken in 2 places at the age of 19. Despite this, he took us to the Euros and World Cup Finals. He’s not a ‘sicknote’ he’s a national hero.
I think Italy will be tougher opponents in the final than Spain would have been. The combination of energy, discipline and shithousery will make it difficult for the Danes.
The inclusion of Tom Lawrence sends out a very bad message. Get pissed, crash the car, severely injure a colleague, but still get to represent your country. Wrong call.
If you’re dual-qualified, do you choose England where Gomez is booed and young players like Hudson-Odoi & Rice are hammered? Or do you choose Wales where every player is a hero?
There is something very wrong about seeing thousands of England and Scotland fans travelling freely to their game, plus other stadia packed across Europe. Meantime Wales fans, with our low covid stats are denied even a tested bubble trip to Amsterdam.
I think we had a bleak glimpse of the future tonight. An empty vacuous cup final in an oil rich state played in front of blaring music instead of fan noise. You disregard fans & this is what is left. Elevator football.
Shout out to the all north Walians leaving work at lunchtime today and returning about 3am after a 10 hour round trip to watch a Thursday night friendly in Cardiff. Too much for me.
Of all the crazy ideas I've heard to get into Amsterdam, my favourite is cycling discreetly along a canal tow-path across the German-Dutch border. Imagine the scenes.
Caernarfon fans had their big Euro away trip spoilt due to Legia’s total ban on fans. Yet this lot get to watch the away leg in Wales by booking a caravan lodge which overlooks Nantporth.
In 2016 we qualified as a nation desperate to lose the curse of failure. Tonight we qualified as expected. A confident,independent nation that has confirmed its place among the best in Europe.
Wales 2-1 Italy. 18 years ago today. My wife went into labour during the game. I stayed till the end of course. Ifan Jones Delaney Melville Gabbidon Speed Savage Davies Pembridge Giggs Bellamy Hartson Stead was born the next morning.
Dyma stori anhygoel Klaus o'r Almaen 🇩🇪
Mae wedi dysgu siarad Cymraeg er mwyn gallu cyfathrebu gyda'i ffrindiau ac aelodau o'r Wal Goch wrth deithio rownd Ewrop yn cefnogi Cymru ⚽️
Mae'n cefnogi Cymru ers 1995 ac wedi mynychu 53 o gemau'r cochion hyd yma 👏
The point about England is that the World Cup is about experiencing global football culture and now one of our precious games will be taken up against that lot.
10 years ago today, I took our junior football club to watch
@BarnsleyFC
v
@CardiffCityFC
Craig Bellamy was warming down post-match, heard them speaking Welsh, came across & spent 30 mins with the kids. Absolute gent.
The 1st train from Bangor to our capital city tomorrow, arrives in Cardiff at 15:28. The last train back leaves Cardiff at 19:45, takes 6 hours and it costs £98. What a shit transport system we’ve got.
Just to be clear. Your 2nd home & your bootfull of olives from Chester Tesco doesn’t boost our economy, it evicts a local family who would contribute all year round.
Excellent night for Wales. 3 debuts, clean sheet and a win for a weakened side. Morrell, James, Ampadu good and Kieffer Moore superb. We’d never have won this type of game in years gone by.
Yesterday Cardiff City were ready to sell control of the game to the Big 6 for a desperately needed bailout. Today they've paid £1m for Harry Wilson with £60K a week wages. Not a good look for the EFL.
They’ve moved 11 league places in a decade. Some rollercoaster that is. In the past 7 years, Barry Town have gone from parks football to the Europa League.
Someone asked me yesterday why the Welsh are so tetchy. Well, our culture, language and identity is being pushed towards a cliff. We’re just trying to push back a bit.
My son's school is running a 45-seat bus from Bangor to Wrexham - a 3 hour round trip - just to watch
@FAWales
train. That's how much hunger there is for international football up here.
Train full of Millwall belting it out…”NO ONE LIKES US! WE DON’T CARE!”. A single lone voice responds with a strong Valleys accent. “I like yew boys, an’ I’m from Treherbert.”
In 1927, the Radio Times published this diagram to help radio commentators describe the Cardiff City v Arsenal FA Cup Final. It gave us the phrase “back to square one”.
The nominees have been announced and now it’s over to you.
What will you pick as the Greatest Sporting Moment of 2018 at
@bbcspoty
?
Vote here:
Voting closes at 20:00 GMT on Friday, 14 December 2018
#SPOTY
I took this pic of a 19-year old left back called Gareth Bale winning a pen v Lichtenstein in 2008. This was before he changed our history. Diolch Gareth.
Cardiff City’s official club app now offers 2 languages; English & Chinese. Not Welsh, but Mandarin Chinese. And they wonder why fans still feel disengaged.
Wow! fascinating that Ramsey is now giving Welsh language interviews - since speaking publically in Italian. Demonstrates a new confidence. Diolch Aaron.
13 years ago today, I took this photo of Aaron Ramsey playing for Wales U21 v England U21 at Ninian Park. He was incredible in that campaign, like a Welsh Platini.