"How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

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20-06-21, 04:35
the other bob wilson

"How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Very good article this;-

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...found-20837885
20-06-21, 06:34
Taunton Blue Genie

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Are those who do not speak Welsh (and who therefore have limited appreciation or no appreciation of what is possibly the most important conduit of culture) merely 'Welsh Lite'?
20-06-21, 07:47
splott parker

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

She nails it emphasising the fans role, she mentions her after match experience with a England fan after the Lens game. We also engaged with England fans after the game in a bar in Amiens. Decent lads, proper football fans. The talk centred on some fans different attitudes when away, they’d heard of the growing numbers of Welsh fans now following the national team, seen the footage of Welsh fans antics and behaviour in the week they’d been in France (YouTube seems to be a decent tool for sussing out your next opponent’s fans) and seemed envious of the fun we seemed to be having while they were dodging Russian heavies. The one actually said that on times he wished he was Irish or Welsh as we didn’t seem to be on our guard so much. The ‘guilty by association’ thing was dreadful, a few idiots start performing and the police pile in regardless to the lot of them. While he was talking, we could see some of their fans outside the bar chucking a few chairs around (is that an English national sport, launching white, plastic patio type chairs?). As it was there were a lot more sensible fans about and the idiots moved on but it confirmed his point. One thing though, I don’t think we can blow our trumpets too loud, there’s still an underlying edge at some away games with the City that’s not there with Wales I find.
20-06-21, 07:51
surge

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Are those who do not speak Welsh (and who therefore have limited appreciation or no appreciation of what is possibly the most important conduit of culture) merely 'Welsh Lite'?

I'm a non-Welsh speaker and while I've started to say diolch, potentially influenced by natural bilingualism being demonstrated by FAW, over the past couple of weeks I've consumed an awful lot of English language articles, tv shows, youtube videos on Welsh football including those presented by the referenced Elis James.

Think everyone in Welsh football is aware of how much better things have been since "Together Stronger" was first used and that remains the key message. This article recognises that but also recognises normalising Welsh identity and representing it in a positive and confident way including a warning that if we're not good ambassadors that can easily be lost. I feel the role of being good ambassadors been done well recently by our sports teams whether that's the FAW or by the WRU at the Japan World Cup, which included a visit by Prince Charles.
20-06-21, 09:47
jon1959

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

https://www.theguardian.com/football...of-nationalism
20-06-21, 10:16
Jordi Culé

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

All valid points made by McAllister but it does help that the fickle Welsh public got a successful team to support with what can be deemed some sustained success.

Can’t remember the national identity and zeitgeist being expressed too much when we floundering against Georgia, getting mullered against Netherlands or the multitude of dead rubber matches that were played very early on in qualification group games.

I’m a proper misery guts:biggrin:
20-06-21, 10:29
Hilts

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordi Culé

All valid points made by McAllister but it does help that the fickle Welsh public got a successful team to support with what can be deemed some sustained success.

Can’t remember the national identity and zeitgeist being expressed too much when we floundering against Georgia, getting mullered against Netherlands or the multitude of dead rubber matches that were played very early on in qualification group games.

I’m a proper misery guts:biggrin:

Your spot on.

At the moment we have a good and for us a successful side.

It just shows how fickle our support is.
20-06-21, 10:30
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordi Culé

All valid points made by McAllister but it does help that the fickle Welsh public got a successful team to support with what can be deemed some sustained success.

Can’t remember the national identity and zeitgeist being expressed too much when we floundering against Georgia, getting mullered against Netherlands or the multitude of dead rubber matches that were played very early on in qualification group games.

I’m a proper misery guts:biggrin:

You are right , apart from the hard core the hangers on and the press will soon feck off to the rugby if it all goes tits up
21-06-21, 08:18
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

might I add that the author is a very intelligent writer on sport and social issues in general

I have read many of her articles and the fact she often drops in oh by the way I am a cardiff city fan is an added bonus
21-06-21, 10:43
Rjk

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

You are right , apart from the hard core the hangers on and the press will soon feck off to the rugby if it all goes tits up

There are always a few who only start to follow during events like this and whilst many will not stick around when the shit times come back, some will remain.

I grew up in a mostly non sport household - in that my parents and a lot of my family have very little interest in sport at all. Big events like this reach out to some people who otherwise have very little access to the sport.

Prior to 2016 there were probably people in Wales who had never considered supporting the football team - or felt their welshness was defined by their support for the rugby side. If you previously saw the Wales team as a pale imitation of the England side then I can understand how you might not be attracted to that. However now we have had more exposure I think people can see that supporting Wales has a very different vibe to supporting England.
21-06-21, 11:40
the other bob wilson

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rjk

There are always a few who only start to follow during events like this and whilst many will not stick around when the shit times come back, some will remain.

I grew up in a mostly non sport household - in that my parents and a lot of my family have very little interest in sport at all. Big events like this reach out to some people who otherwise have very little access to the sport.

Prior to 2016 there were probably people in Wales who had never considered supporting the football team - or felt their welshness was defined by their support for the rugby side. If you previously saw the Wales team as a pale imitation of the England side then I can understand how you might not be attracted to that. However now we have had more exposure I think people can see that supporting Wales has a very different vibe to supporting England.

:thumbup:
21-06-21, 12:12
Croesy Blue

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordi Culé

All valid points made by McAllister but it does help that the fickle Welsh public got a successful team to support with what can be deemed some sustained success.

Can’t remember the national identity and zeitgeist being expressed too much when we floundering against Georgia, getting mullered against Netherlands or the multitude of dead rubber matches that were played very early on in qualification group games.

I’m a proper misery guts:biggrin:

Let’s be honest supporting a team playing well and doing well is 1000 times more enjoyable than a team who are absolute shite to watch losing every game. I don’t blame people for being more engaged when the team is doing well.

Wales games were often a chore, it’s entertainment at the end of the day for the majority of people and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Even the hardcore are only into it because it’s a good experience with their mates. We are football fans not martyrs.
21-06-21, 13:04
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: "How modern Welsh identity has found its salvation through our national football team".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rjk

There are always a few who only start to follow during events like this and whilst many will not stick around when the shit times come back, some will remain.

I grew up in a mostly non sport household - in that my parents and a lot of my family have very little interest in sport at all. Big events like this reach out to some people who otherwise have very little access to the sport.

Prior to 2016 there were probably people in Wales who had never considered supporting the football team - or felt their welshness was defined by their support for the rugby side. If you previously saw the Wales team as a pale imitation of the England side then I can understand how you might not be attracted to that. However now we have had more exposure I think people can see that supporting Wales has a very different vibe to supporting England.

I would love to see people wearing Welsh football tops and in our case cardiff city tops but I am afraid the Welsh public is and always has been very very fickle