Wales v Italy 2002 on BBC now

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Watched the game again last night. Duw, we played well that night and with eleven Welsh born players out of the twelve used I believe.

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Who was the player not born in Wales Bob?

Sure every Welsh player on the pitch was born in Wales?

Jones - Wrexham
Delaney - Haverfordwest
Melville - Swansea
Gabbidon - Cwmbran
Pembridge - Merthyr
Speed - Deeside
Davies - Haverfordwest
Giggs - Cardiff
Savage - Wrexham
Hartson - Swansea
Bellamy - Cardiff
Blake - Cardiff

Was good fun watching this back. Had we won this 3-1 or 4-1 I don’t think the Italians could’ve had many complaints.

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Originally Posted by Kind of Blue

Sure every Welsh player on the pitch was born in Wales?

Jones - Wrexham
Delaney - Haverfordwest
Melville - Swansea
Gabbidon - Cwmbran
Pembridge - Merthyr
Speed - Deeside
Davies - Haverfordwest
Giggs - Cardiff
Savage - Wrexham
Hartson - Swansea
Bellamy - Cardiff
Blake - Cardiff

Was good fun watching this back. Had we won this 3-1 or 4-1 I don’t think the Italians could’ve had many complaints.

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Mind you Paul Jones was excellent that night, the one from the free kick deflected off Giggs was jaw dropping.

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Originally Posted by Kind of Blue

Sure every Welsh player on the pitch was born in Wales?

Jones - Wrexham
Delaney - Haverfordwest
Melville - Swansea
Gabbidon - Cwmbran
Pembridge - Merthyr
Speed - Deeside
Davies - Haverfordwest
Giggs - Cardiff
Savage - Wrexham
Hartson - Swansea
Bellamy - Cardiff
Blake - Cardiff

Was good fun watching this back. Had we won this 3-1 or 4-1 I don’t think the Italians could’ve had many complaints.

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Apologies, I was convinced that Paul Jones was born in the Midlands and it said Wolverhampton when I Googled Paul Jones Wolves, but it turned out there were two players with that name who played for the club and you're right, the goalkeeper was born in Wrexham.

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Originally Posted by cyril evans awaydays

Not sure that the Russian defeat was inevitable as you say. As one who did the away leg and thought we were the better team, with Koumas playing his best game for Wales I agree we were bested in the home game but the Russians looked a lot fresher than our lot:sherlock:

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I seem to recall a big shout at the time about the defensive set of for the game against Russia in Cardiff. Earnie was benched wasn't he? and then there was the tihng about them playing an inelligible player. ntohing came of that either as I recall.

sorry TUBW i hadn't read your post when I posted this.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kind of Blue

Sure every Welsh player on the pitch was born in Wales?

Jones - Wrexham
Delaney - Haverfordwest
Melville - Swansea
Gabbidon - Cwmbran
Pembridge - Merthyr
Speed - Deeside
Davies - Haverfordwest
Giggs - Cardiff
Savage - Wrexham
Hartson - Swansea
Bellamy - Cardiff
Blake - Cardiff

Was good fun watching this back. Had we won this 3-1 or 4-1 I don’t think the Italians could’ve had many complaints.

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Had the referee not been so biased I completely agree.
He gave Hartson nothing and God only knows what was wrong with Bellamy's "goal" right at the end.
I didn't realise til I watched it the other day just how biased he was but in a way, it makes the win an even better result.

After that win, Hughes started to over think things and tinkered too much but his overall negativity proved to be his downfall, culminating in the playoff against Russia which he got all wrong.

As has been mentioned, that revenge night over Russia in Toulouse was absolutely off the scale.

Weren't the Russians like men possessed in the 2nd leg and didn't half of them tested fail the drug test, wasn't it for some kind of special forces drug or summit ?