Joe Calzaghe, Cardiff City, Six Nations champs - Wales are red-hot on every front!
Boxing, football, rugby - it really is the year of the Dragon as the Principality makes the world of sport sit up and take notice. (PS. Swansea City got promoted too!)
by Philip Smith on 21 April 2008
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I make no excuses for nicking a line out of the Monty Python film, The Life of Brian, and converting it for my own purposes to: “What did the Welsh ever do for us?”Not a lot, you might say. They did build a wall (not quite high enough) to prevent prying eyes; as a kind of “Welcome to Wales” sign they burned a few holiday homes belonging to well-intentioned English people, and they continually rant on (in Welsh) about wanting autonomy when they’ve hardly got the resources to run a sheep farm.Yet here we are, in only the fourth month of 2008, and the old dragon is breathing fire in every sense of the sporting word.In February, the Welsh Rugby Union team completed the most astonishing metamorphosis (almost overnight) from dismal World Cup flops (and I’m being gentle on them here) to become Six Nations Champions, brushing aside the feeble challenges of England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy with almost Gaelic contempt.They had to bring a coach all the way from New Zealand to knock them into shape, of course, but let’s at least acknowledge that they got the right mix of Jones’s, Williams’s and Evans’s to put the rest to rout.In football we have that very old chestnut about Welsh teams being allowed to play under the English FA banner, which is particularly pertinent this year as Swansea City have just secured promotion to the Championship, the second tier of the English game, and Cardiff City are preparing to do battle with Portsmouth at Wembley in the FA Cup Final, after 81 years of trying since their last success.Both Swansea and Cardiff would probably still be playing in the Welsh League if it hadn’t been for some poor unsuspecting FA official, at the back end of the 19th century, accepting and assuming that Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham were in England as there was no sign of a Llanffercwumbragogog on their application forms. Some things never change!But best of all we now we have Joe Calzaghe ruling the world as light-heavyweight champion, a truly remarkable sportsman who (and not many can say this) has gone through his entire chosen professional boxing life unbeaten.In the early hours of Sunday morning in the UK, Calzaghe posted a remarkable conquest in Las Vegas when he recovered from a first round knock-down (having seen the TV replay it seemed more of a slip to me) to beat hot favourite Bernard Hopkins on a split decision – a verdict almost unheard of for a British fighter in an American ring.At 36 years of age, Calzaghe is, pound for pound, one of the top 10 boxers in the world, and he has engraved his name alongside a remarkable collection of Welsh greats like Tommy Farr, Jimmy Wilde, Eddie Thomas, Joe Erskine, Johnny Owen and Howard Winstone.It is perhaps a little churlish to point out that Joe was born in London of a Welsh mother and Sardinian father – hence his nickname The Italian Dragon – but Calzaghe has lived his life in Wales and is respected worldwide as a great ambassador for his country, master of his craft, always approachable, no airs and graces, a model sportsman in today’s world of spoilt, celebrity-seeking wannabes.So there we have it! The valleys are alive with the sound of rejoicing, but I can’t see them doing much during the summer on the cricket and tennis front.The Beijing Olympics? Well, if they could persuade the committee to recognize singing as an Olympic sport it’s perhaps not too late to get Tom Jones, Mary Hopkin and a couple of male voice choirs qualified in time.
Comments (11)
on April 21, 2008 on April 21, 2008
Disgraceful racist article
by Frank on April 21, 2008
Can you please explain to me how exactly this is racist?
by John Specs on April 21, 2008
What a generalisation, verging on racism....like saying a certain minority is more prone to theft than another. Although I agree that Welsh sport is hitting the headlines I care not what other nations think, especially invading neighbours! :p (well maybe a little) And to answer what have Wales ever done? I'd point to the Tudors, Lloyd George, the barbarians team of the 70's, scared the romans and kept a native brithish language alive! laters "Not a lot, you might say. They did build a wall (not quite high enough) to prevent prying eyes; as a kind of “Welcome to Wales” sign they burned a few holiday homes belonging to well-intentioned English people, and they continually rant on (in Welsh) about wanting autonomy when they’ve hardly got the resources to run a sheep farm."
by Twp Mawr on April 21, 2008
I can't say I'm impressed by the writer's so-called 'praise' of the Welsh successes this year. A typical Englishman's view of the Welsh - full of snidey comments and putdowns. Do I detect a touch of jealousy that we Taffs are a superior race!!!
Oh and offas dyke was not built by us...invaders were always welcome to 'come and av a go' it Offas Dyke was built bi King Offa (hence the name) this was an earthwork built by Mercia as a defence against attacks or raids from Powys. So it seems the Red Dragon has always been roaring! *yawn
by Johnathan Neilsen on April 21, 2008
Wales is not a principality man!!!!!! typical to call any country not one of the worlds biggest or well known a pricipality out of ignorance.......CYMRU ABÚ
by LeChuck on April 21, 2008
Is it too much to ask that a sports journalist has the ability to judge others' sporting achievements without resorting to snide generalisations about their nation and culture, such as the above diatribe? This is a pointless article that contains nothing whatsoever about Welsh sport, and only succeeds in being unneccessarily spiteful about subjects that are none of his business. He's perfectly entitled to his opinions about the Welsh nation. However they're his thoughts and his alone. This is supposed to be an editorial piece about Welsh sport, but it severely lacks any sporting comments whatsoever. Instead concentrating on making derogatory remarks about varying aspects of Welsh life...spectacularly ill-informed ones at that. I respectfuly suggest that Mr Smith leave such sensitive subjects as 'summer homes' and the language alone. To make such flippant comments when he blatantly knows nothing about the subject matter only causes unneccessary ill-feeling. For someone who's been in sports journalism for so many years, I'm stunned he actually thought this is acceptable.
by Jonathan Tasker on April 23, 2008
Quote: "they continually rant on (in Welsh) about wanting autonomy when they’ve hardly got the resources to run a sheep farm" We had 200 years of coal, 0ver 100 years of steel, all of which the profits fed the fat cats in England. And I havent even metioned anything about the amount of water you get from us! Please do some research first, it makes you look very amatuer.
by the truth richards on May 12, 2008
hi great year for the land of song welsh sporting year giggs becomes most successful british footballer who ever lived gary speed breaks every other appearance record calzaghe becomes greatest british boxer since another welshman howard winstone who was best brit since welshman jimmy wilde who was best brit since welshman jim driscoll wales won their tenth grand slam and became undefeated champions of europe shane williams maybe the worlds best player this year welshman won cheltenham welsh trainer welsh horse cardiff in FA cup final swansea promoted welsh smimmers won medals greatest ever paralympian retired welsh legend tanni grey outside sport anthony hopkins voted greatest british actor of all time and 4th in the world ever endless welsh singers on world stage; bassey still the best, tom still the best, kathryn jenkins stunning, charlotte church making classical comeback, duffy the biggest female brit pop sensation since? tv shows many best most innovative made in wales, used to be the legendary prisoner in portmeirion, now world class shows ; doctor who, torchwood, life on mars , question time. now building UKs biggest studios at valleywood with themepark, will ensure world class welsh based movies wales national orchestra produced all music for these huge shows now in top few in world biggest and most complete sporting UK venue complete at celtic manor due to host ryder cup 2010 test cricket and ashes due to arrive in the worlds newest built test stadium in cardiff, under budget on time. st davids 2 due to complete in 2009 the UKs biggest and best centralised shopping location I have nothing to say about other nations. I am just very proud of these magnificent world class achievements. It is a testament to the great people of this great ancient country and its old school values passed down the ages that wales produces such wonderful people Like anywhere there are endless faults too. But on the whole its a beatiful unique remarkable nation and its been a darn good year and its going to get better the dragon roars on
oh by the way whilst the great industrial nation reinvemts itself from being the worlds number 1 supplier of coal, tin , slate and copper. a word of congratulations on a few of the biggest UK economic successes in past few years; especially the boeing plant in north wales signing yet another multi billion pound deal to build yet more of the worlds biggets planes also down south congratulations to the politicians and MOD in wales for winning contract to build 1 of the worlds biggets most cutting edge £25 billlion military training and aviation academy also on the amazon move which attracted 3000 plus new jobs to swansea there have been many more massive successes as such pembroke dock where the oil company has raised its staff to 1200 also tv giant tinopolis came from nowehere to make the biggest shows the rest is mostly about taking care of the bottom line in wales the magic is all in the little things try the endless reclaimed, cleaned out forests and hillsides, for walking, cycling, caving, kayaking and so on cities like swnasea have been reborn with culture, jobs, reciamed lands, new museums, water park completed new shpooing centre (after decades rebuilding from world war 2 bombing) cardiff will be UKs second city by 2010 #whats happening in wales is just magic and I hope everyone round the world comes to wales to enjoy the legendary hospitality
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