The Welsh Football Revolution
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- čas přidán 25. 11. 2021
- Over the last ten years Welsh football has experienced a revolution. On the pitch, they started the decade ranked 117th in the world, the lowest point in their history. Yet by 2015 they had even surpassed England to reach a high of 8th. A Euros Semi final followed and Wales find now themselves in the fight for a first World Cup spot since 1958.
However, off the pitch is where you’ll find the real story. The fans, inspired by their team, have created a special culture as their under threat language is given a space to thrive. Directed by @gregcaine93 ‘Independent Football Nation’ tells the story of how following Welsh football, particularly on away trips, has become the quintessential expression of a modern, bilingual Welsh identity. This is COPA90 stories in its purest form.
Directed by: Greg Caine
Camera-operator: Charlie Phillips
Translation: Manon Evans & Gareth Evans
Music:
Adwaith (Libertino Records)
Modern Aquatic
Mobile footage credit:
Tim Nicholls
Aled Williams
Joel Pugh
Image credit: Leigh James
With special thanks to all interviewees and everyone else who gave up part of their trip to talk to us.
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What I like about Wales Football is it is very inclusive and makes me feel at home. Being ethnic Chinese I am used to being treated as an outsider especially in football, but no, every time I go to watch Wales play at the CCS, all the Welsh fans treat me as a part of them, and this comradery is something I will cherish forever. I am proud to be a member of the Red Wall and can now even sing most of the chants in Welsh. Safe to say, Welsh football has already become an important part of my life. Can't wait for the Play Offs in March and let's get to the World Cup in Qatar. Cymru am Byth 🏴
I absolutely love this! Diolch am rhannu!
Nice to hear this
Hard to imagine how it’s like for a fellow Chinese living in Wales
This is so true of Wales & the Welsh as a whole. Exactly my experience of Wales.
Beautiful country, even more beautiful kind & welcoming people.
Yes. Don’t find that everywhere especially from our noisy neighbours, our fans are similar I feel 🏴🤝🏴
The Martians will be able to hear the renditions of the national anthems if Wales and Scotland play each other in the World Cup playoff final. What a spectacle that would be 🏴🏴
As a linguist and football fan, this story warms my heart. So good to see the younger generation promoting and being proud of their ancestral language AND their national team. Respect from California!
@@JohnM-sw4sc Don’t forget nationalism. Reject that shit too.
@@thorazine8402 Welsh independent football nation culture is rooted in our nationalism. Cymru am byth!
You must see this fantastic documentary about Welsh, a small bit of history but mainly what the modern state of the welsh language is in parts of Wales. It also elaborates and explains on the social stigma that used to be associated with welsh mid 20th century czcams.com/video/U0bgSbJUBG0/video.html
@Thorazine You must see this fantastic documentary about Welsh, a small bit of history but mainly what the modern state of the welsh language is in parts of Wales. It also elaborates and explains on the social stigma that used to be associated with welsh mid 20th century czcams.com/video/U0bgSbJUBG0/video.html
@@hawkinsstern5356 This sounds good already. I don’t know as much as I should about Wales and Welsh, so I’m definitely watching this. Thanks for the recommendation.
After being living in Wales for almost 5 years, I can say that I have felt in love with both Cardiff City and Wales, attending every game I can. Now, even if I leave Wales in the future I will keep supporting it as I consider it a second home. Lots of support from a young Spaniard with a bit of Welsh in him. DEWCH YMLAEN CYMRU!!! 🇪🇸🤝🏴
Good lad supporting the city uppa cymru uppa bluebirds
Domestically and internationally, Wales is regularly, kind of forgotten as a country. “Britishness” being a political synonym for Englishness - our national identity is pretty much invisible under the banner of the UK.
As an “independent, football nation”, however, we’re just like any other, small, autonomous European nation. With the language, culture, traditions and passion on full display... hopefully, as the sport grows here, we could develop a stronger footballing identity in the future - maybe emulating other small, renowned football nations like Denmark or Croatia. Time will tell.
So win, lose or draw - it feels fucking amazing to be a Welsh football fan. A small nation on the global stage, punching above its weight.
As a Scot I know this feeling. Shame only one of us at most can go to Qatar.
Britishness is our national identity fellow Brit compatriot,Cymru punching above it's weight eh Boyo LOL.
@@Support-your-local-team There should be one BRITISH football team,all football authorities have even demanded it eh fellow Brit.
@@mktf5582 No thanks.
As someone from Ireland, I do envy the strong relationship that the Welsh have with their language and hope one day us Irish can have a similar pride and use our language to the same extent and more.
It’s still alive enough that it can make a comeback. Shame that it hasn’t risen to greater prominence since you ran the brits out of the country a hundred years ago, but it can still happen yet. 🤞🏼 Fado beo an teanga!
🏴🤝🇮🇪
Tiocfaidh sí ar ais a chara. Grá ón mBreatain Bheag
@@maharencall3219 is áileann é a bheith ag fheiceáil daoine eile ag labhairt ár dteanga dúchais, agus tá Gaeilge iontach agat freisin, mairfidh an chultúr Ceilteach go deo 🇮🇪🤝🏴
It took a long long time, and as you can see from this documentary, it's been quite a recent development. Don't lose hope.
It's mainly psychological. I think a lot of us older Welsh grew up with an embarrassment over the Welsh language and it was very 'uncool', and as the bloke in the doc said, speaking Welsh made you seem as being like a 'political deviant' basically or an 'extremist'. WhIch is crazy, nothing 'extremist' about wanting to speak the native language of your own country! But that was the extent of the brainwashing.
It hasn't helped that we are subject to English/ British media that can still be (especially in the past) very disparaging about the Welsh language, and that does have an effect on people's confidence in speaking it. But it's amazing that Wales has more confidence in speaking Welsh and losing the colonial hangups.
But if you put it into context, 'Welsh' or a proto-Welsh language i.e Brittonic was spoken all over Britain until the Saxons turned up. So technically Welsh has been lost in England too.
"imagine that first anthem back" is spot on. That really helped me keep my spirits up during the pandemic
Noone sings like Welsh fans. You can tell they all learn singing in school. My choir director would be proud of the rugby crowd singing their anthem.
I'm a language geek who can't get enough of underdog stories, so I'm gladly following Wales and Scotland campaigns. I'm not from the UK but the fact that these nations might face each other kinda breaks my heart. That match should happen DURING the World Cup, not months before 😔
As a welshman and a football fan I watched your recent Doc on the Scotts thinking 'Fuck, wish we'd get some recognition' not just for the level of football we play, but for our footballing culture too. This vid was spot on, loved it.
You all do great work big ups
🏴❤️🏴
This will probably go under the radar but I have started doing Ireland away the past few years and my best trip so far was the nations league where we lost 4-0. Everyone in Cardiff was so welcoming and ready to chat to us. I support league of Ireland and I was met with men who have the same passion for the Welsh top division and we were sharing stories of the tales of our small clubs. Welsh football fans are a credit to the trade and hope we can continue our friendship for years
Amazing, great to hear you had such a good welcome in Cardiff 👍
As a fan of a lower league Scottish club I can relate to this. Following your local club through thick and thin can be both frustrating and rewarding. I wouldn't swap it for anything else.
🏴🇮🇪
Loved this. Brilliant! Grew up in the 70s in Deeside. A regular Wrexham fan til late '80s then I moved abroad. Grew up fighting hating and being hated by the English. Working with loads of plastic Scousers, getting shht and being put down. Sheepshagger Woolie and all that.
The turning point was Super Furry Animals, Manics, Stereophonics Oh and Twin Town!!
The pride has just grown and grown. I live in Thailand my kids have learnt Welsh support Wrexham and have the same pride as me. Epic nights with my 10 year old son watching the lads in Euro 2016.
Wales is one of my favourite countries ever and most of the people there are extremely so humble and kind,good friends!!!I fully hope that like in rugby,Wales would progress even better than what they have achieved in their national team's footballing history and hoping for the Welsh first division's footballing league together with the lower leagues for me to have a chance to watch and enjoy each and every good moments of each and every matches which would be played,good friends!!!LONG LIVE WELSH FOOTBALL!!!🏴
I remember watching the EURO 2016 semifinal with some Wales native fans. Their passion and love to their home country is so impressive
Lads, I loves this video. Excellent stuff and great to see a language oppressed by the English on the rise again, especially through football.
While our relationship here in Ireland is not as prominent with the Irish language as Welsh is in Wales (especially not in football), there are plenty of similarities between ourselves, the Welsh and the Scots.
Would love to see a video in a similar vein of Ireland fans from the Charlton years, through the shit days, the "Ole Ole Brigade", the League of Ireland and on to the new Kenny era.
It's a such a shame Wales lost a lot of culture by not speaking Welsh. It's great to see football help revive a very ancient language. Embrace it. I've been all over Wales many times and it's different to England and should be celebrated. All power to them
Stolen. Not lost.
We got it stolen from us by the English, but it’s on it’s way back 🏴
@@m_wxm7950 it wasn't the English, I always thought that but was shocked by who it really is.
Long live the Celtic nations, love you brothers and sisters and looking forward to our game when yous beat Austria and we scrape a win against Ukraine 😂, but I'm glad our culture's are having a revival, what the UK government has done to our nation's, outlawing our languages and getting rid of our traditions is unacceptable, we are PROUD NATIONS and this is subjective but I hope we are both independent sooner or later! Cymru Am Byth! Alba Gu Bràth! 🏴❤️🏴
🏴🤝🤝🤝
fax
Respect. 🏴🏴🏴🏴 If we don't make it, then I'll be behind Wales.
Always been amazed by the red wall in rugby, so glad to see it's moving to football as well. That Euro 2016 campaign was absolutely insane and I really thought you guys were gonna bring it home, unlike your neighbours 😉 love from Italy!
The immense proudness I feel for my country cannot be overstated, through hundreds of years of hardships and being overlooked, to be where we are, on the cusp of emerging as an independent country, unshackled from restraints, I cannot describe the unparalleled love for Cymru that I have
Yes!
Independent? When?
I'm Welsh, my lad is a Welsh, first language speaker, but we're not on the cusp of emerging as independent nation.
@@davidwatkins1734 I am English ( northern monkey) love Wales and the Welsh. Stunning country. Dont blame you for being proud of your country and heritage. Something we have lost over the decades. Still not sure why independence would be a good thing though
@@chchedda because our government is a more capable, compassionate, open-minded and financially responsible one. Westminster regularly treat us and Scotland as afterthoughts. The Union is rotted, divisive and dysfunctional.
Dear Welshmen,above anything, above all else..... preserve your language...it's your past, present and future....unless you want to keep bending the knee to Lizzie be loyal to your past
With love
Ireland 🇮🇪
Welsh...not British
Agree to everything except the "Welsh not British" - The Welsh ARE the British!!! The English are Anglo!
@@taffyducks544 we haven’t been ‘british’ since we were annexed centuries ago. We are most certainly not the modern day ‘british’.
Love this. Things have changed following Wales as well. Trouble between rival clubs.
I love Welsh People and Welsh fans so much like love English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Nordic, Italian and Greek fans.
Thank you🏴
Great video, it's great to see the progression in Wales football over the last 20 years. I remember watching them in the millennium stadium with barley 10k there. Now every home game is s huge occasion and going away is like a stag weekend
Absolutely brilliant work from this channel documenting the underdogs of football and different footballing cultures. Mad respect
Mon the Wales 🏴, potential playoff final between us is gonna be tasty though ahaha 😅 🏴🏴
If we both get in the final then good luck 😂🤝 no hard feeling for both of us after the result though?
Love a bit of Adwaith in the intro and outro!
As a Portuguese, I wouldn't say that football was a factor in recognizing Wales as independent, I would argue that rugby did way more. For example, the fact that wales play in the 6 nations leaves implicit the fact that wales is an independent nation and my first introduction to Wales was the expression "3 points for Wales" that is used when someone is playing football and shoots the ball way over the bar. That's just my point of view at least
Not sure what you’re getting at? In terms of the fanbase rugby fans are far more unionist and more conservative, the whole point with football is that it gets us seen across the world rather than across the former empire. At least now we can go anywhere in the world and they will have heard of Gareth bale, no one knows about rugby apart from a few. Not to mention the football fan culture and songs etc are far more pro independence. Rugby has been important for the expression of welsh identity for a longer time than football, but are rise as a footballing nation correlates heavily with an increase in independence polls
@@joebowden4065 100% agree Joe. Rugby's place in the political landscape of Wales hasn't shifted since those empire days. Our rugby teams adorns the 3 feathers of an English prince, the English royal family visibly attend all of our games. Most matchday fans have no interest or knowledge of Welsh history or culture, or why we should be bothered about the 3 feathers. Rugby has become the acceptable face of Welsh patriotism in the British media. You turn up for 80 mins a couple of times a year to support your country, and then back to day-to-day life upholding a political class & system that keeps all of us suppressed
Football has transcended that, and is a far more modern expression of Welsh national identity. The language & culture are front and centre - unlikely the rugby where English culture / traditions are celebrated. And as you say football puts us on a global stage. I'm sure the OP heard about Wales through rugby, however, most of the world don't follow rugby as it isn't a global game. Football is, and qualifying for the Euros with Bale as our star player has really put us on the map
@@joebowden4065 rugby is a working class sport in Wales. Rugby represents the majority in Wales and the majority are unionist
@@KeithMcormack895 not at all. Rugby is big in south Wales but not in north Wales.
@@alynwillams4297 north wales is all football based I would say, and because I’m from north wales I would know
Well done Greg. Thoroughly enjoyed that.
Thanks Neen xx
Amazing fans
Love this
Bias imo.
Class
Hopefully this will enlighten igno people about Wales. So many hate us for so many reasons. We were 119th ten years ago, now 19th with back to back euros behind us. Even now Many see Wales as the least favourite among Wales, Scotland, Ukraine and Austria for World Cup playoffs. Even though we are the highest ranked amongst them and only lost 2 of the last 22 home matches.
What are you on about everyone loves Wales 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@KeithMcormack895 If you say so! Not from my experiences.
I know it doesnt fit the channel, but Puerto Rico and basketball has a lot of parallels
as those in Zealand's FM community will tell you. The best place to manager in FM is WAAAAAAAAAALLLLEEESSS
Real shame that only Wales or Scotland can make it to this coming WC :(.
Bravoooo Bola sepak Scotland ,Wales ,Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland !!
Was this filmed in Tallinn? I was there years ago but j was too drunk to remember what it looks like.
Most of it was, with some bits in Prague too. Beautiful city!
Cymru Rydd! 🏴
As an asian dude who spoke Irish Gaelic growing up, it still boggles me when I see another asian speaking a Gaelic language
Brittonic! Cousin language of Gaelic
Colwyn bay now in the welsh premier is brilliant for the town the people and the country.
Support your local team and whilst you're there vote plaid cymru.
If you build it they will come and we sure have
Theres a fantastic documentary called "The Welsh Knot" about Welsh language, a small bit of history but mainly what the modern state of the welsh language is in parts of Wales. It also elaborates and explains on the social stigma that used to be associated with welsh mid 20th century czcams.com/video/U0bgSbJUBG0/video.html
Y’all should partner with the athletic
Don't expect many views - the hatred for Wales runs deep by many. Alot is second hand knowledge/lies thanks to you know who.
Yma o hyd 🏴🏴
anyone know the intro/outro song name please x
‘Newid’ by a band called Adwaith. Welsh language band from Carmarthen. You should check out their other stuff too, they’re brilliant.
@COPA90 Stories: you guys NEED to do a story on Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. They're having a meteoric season. Just promoted from the Belgian Second Division and they are top of the table come Xmas. They play Anderlecht on the 29th of January (massive Bruxelles derby) and it is a can't-miss event. The club is steeped in history, and would make a fantastic story. I'd be happy to help film/facilitate the project.
I'd love to see that. Belgian football doesn't get much coverage in the UK. I still don't understand your play off system either...
Wrexham afc are in wales to
Uppa Cymru 🏴
What’s the name of the chant at 7:45
Hogia Ni
Yma o hyd 🏴 indy Wales
Nah boys it is a Cardiff thing I live in England but I'm from Llanelli love my rugby love my Welsh football but rugby is always and will always be no1!
But we have had some moments! Live in England for ever Cymraig!
Gwych / Awesome
Cymru am Fyth❤️
Nothing like a rugby game in the Millennium stadium when the fans start singing the Welsh anthem. If you guys win the 6nations next year then the rugby gods are bias towards Wales 🤣
Mae CBC wedi gwneud jobyn da o ran hyrwyddo'r iaith ond mae sylwadau rhai o'r cyfranwyr yn dorcalonnus ac yn adlewyrchiad o ba mor Seisnig ydy'r wlad erbyn hyn. Mae hunaniaeth genedlaethol yn rhywbeth sy'n cael ei throglwyddo gan deuluoedd a chymunedau. Dydy campau fel pêl-droed a rygbi ddim yn gallu cuddio'r ffaith fod Cymru ddim yn genedl go-iawn bellach (Mae cenhedloedd megis Fflandrys a Chorsica yn haeddu tîmau yn fwy na ni) . Siwr o fod mae nifer o aelodau'r 'Wal Goch' yn edrych lawr ar gefnogwyr rygbi sy'n gwisgo hetiau cennyn Pedr ac yn y blaen ond maen nhw'n debyg iawn mewn gwirionedd. Ganolbwyntiwch ar bethau o sylwedd! Os ydych am fod yn Gymro urddasol, siaradwch Gymraeg, fagwch deulu yn Gymraeg, ddatblygwch fusnesau Cymraeg.
Annibyniaeth i Gymru
Football more popular in the North than in the south but I still prefer rugby. Less amateur dramatics
I disagree, I’m from South Wales and 90% of the people I know prefer football over rugby, the football clubs down south get way higher attendances than the rugby clubs do
@@Itswilliams-xt7ti north Wales introduced football to the south. The south was playing rugby and the north was playing football.
Don't think that's true ,more people watch and play football even in the South,but a pro rugby media does tend to play up for the rugger buggers!
@@keithevans9544 look at the pro rugby clubs and non pro in South Wales then compare it to north Wales. Football was introduced to the south because of the north at a time when South Wales was focused around rugby and the chapel while north Wales was forming the FAW and the international team. Not to mention the oldest and most played internationals are up north. The south is a mixture of football and rugby, where as nobody really cares for the rugby up north.
@@alynwillams4297 very interesting,but the fundamental point is which is more popular in reality as opposed to the perception.For me its football hands down, more of players more spectators,and week on week more involvement.I grant you the six Nations is a huge event,I'm not decrying it,just don't think on the world stage it compares to the light football shines on Wales when we do well.When to ku are in a non rugby part of the world and someone doesn't know about Wales, currently I could say Gareth Bale and most would know him.He isof course a world star,but as a well travelled 57 year old I've used Giggs,Rush and to a very old Albanian Juve fan John Charles and achieved the same.
Which languages do they speak it's Gaelic or Celtic language's
Welsh, it’s one of the oldest languages in Europe, it’s a Celtic language
@@Itswilliams-xt7ti thank you
Welsh and Gaelic are both Celtic, but belong to different branches of qthe family.
Welsh is in the Brittonic Branch and Irish is in the Gaelic Branch!
@@Ned-Ryerson Irish Scottish and Manx are Gaelic and Welsh Cornish and Brenton are Britonnic but they are all Celtic
first i guess
Hopefully there's gonna be one of these about England.
The plastic chair throwing champions of Europe 😉
They are the ones booing their own players and their oppositions national anthems, right?
Outhwith mixed race people, Why is it that a few Welsh folk look Mediterranean whereas other "celtic" nations are generally fair skinned?
Many South Walians (Southern Welsh) were said to have crossed over from Iberia at an earlier moment. The Romans thought the case because of how different they looked.
Was also discovered that north Wales has a genetic make up similar of that around the Baltic Sea. Most likely through travelling hunter gatherers that were stranded here after the last ice age.
were descended from northern spain
mae'r iaith yn fyw
Welsh sounds like a mix between Dutch and Scandinavian languages
No relation to either, and their use of the Latin alphabet pre dates theirs by hundreds of years.
@@taffyducks544 OK. still sounds like it.
If you are so proud of your culture, why don't you ever seek independence?
we do
Unfortunately some in wales suffer from Stockholm syndrome which comes from hundreds upon hundreds of years of English rule. Same with Scotland.
Too many English people live in Wales/ have 2nd homes here, they'll never let us go unfortunately
Too many unionists who identity with ‘britishness’ not knowing that it means ‘Englishness’, who have been heavily brainwashed by London centric media and govt. Stockholm syndrome as someone said. Once this cancer is cured, there is hope.
"What football gives Wales is a way to be independent". Biggest Welsh clubs play in the English league system...
There’s an interesting history behind why that is!
When the English football league was formed, Wales was still very much considered a part of England in a political sense - as Martin says in this documentary, “Wales was politically integrated into England in the 16th century”. So Welsh teams playing in the English pyramid wasn’t considered as strange as perhaps it would be if they joined now, with Wales a much more distinct entity these days.
You’ve also got to recognise the economical and population disparities between the two countries. England was much stronger in both senses and so many Welsh players preferred to play across the border. Wales’s biggest clubs did so too, not just to play a higher standard of opponent but because playing English opposition provided bigger gates and thus more money.
When you think about it in this context it makes sense. Wales had Wrexham, Cardiff, Newport and Swansea as the main industrial (and thus, population) hubs, and to a lesser extent Merthyr etc.. Whereas in England you had loads more, and loads more big football clubs as a result.
What makes more financial sense - playing 4 teams a year that’ll sell out your ground, or 20+? Also take into account the Welsh psyche - we absolutely love playing and beating England. If our clubs play in the English league, we can do that every week!
The practicalities also made it difficult. Transport links between north and South Wales are dreadful even now, so you can imagine what they were like back then. It was much easier for teams to travel east to face English opposition than it was north/south to face Welsh opposition.
By the time the Cymru leagues were formed in 1992, the Welsh clubs in the English pyramid all said no to rejoining, mainly for financial reasons I assume - the reasons they had for joining the English league in the first place are probably still the same 100 years on.
Some have rejoined and maybe one day the likes of Cardiff, Wrexham etc. will too. But when you consider what you’re competing with - 100+ years of history and 💰 💰 💰 - you’ve got to conclude it’s pretty unlikely it’ll happen in our lifetimes.
@@gregcainemedia Northern Ireland have their own League
@@hernan5940 NI have a totally different history to Wales. Northern Ireland’s league actually predates the Republic’s by about 30 years and is even older than Scotland’s.
@@gregcainemedia your points are all very good but my point is that the statement makes no sense and whatever "excuses" there might be, they're still integrated I to the English competitions. So, that alone makes the statement a contradiction
@@hernan5940 I get your point. I guess what I’d say to that is; the existence of our national team is what gives us a way of being independent, regardless of what our clubs are doing.
I’d much rather our clubs play in the English pyramid and us have our own team than vice versa.
Pls Újpest
So, in normal life you can't tell the difference between english people and welsh people, but when the national team plays welsh people are really welsh?
No, he is under selling Welsh culture. Over 800k people speak the Welsh language, there are annual Welsh festivals and institutions. Historical Welsh people who have created history independently of The English.
No, more that people outside of Wales forget that we exist until we play football, because politically we are largely invisible and dismissed as irrelevant by the wider world, especially the English
I think England, Scotland & NI all agree! Wales can leave the UK & nobody would give a toss!
Think we can all agree wales doesn’t give a toss what anyone things
Liverpool and Birmingham water companies will disagree
Are u even from the UK?
I want Scotland and Wales to fuck off
Yes please. Shame however England would care deeply! English Goverment Still have all of Wales' Gold and Water to extract before England will let Wales go. Lets not forget about all of Wales' historical figures and events that get past of as English.
Sounds like small nation anger to me. As always blame the English.
I will admit to anger growing up ,then drifted into not wanting to define my nation by its occupiers, have to admit Tory governments in Westminster always bring back the anger!
Not really? The English ruined us as a country so obviously we will say about it and england still won’t Leave us alone. We just want to mind our business🏴
is there a legit reason for it? Look up the Welsh Not and you'll just may understand.
What a silly immature comment.
Biggest load of nationalist/secessionists sympathetic BS.
yeah that cheung guy is really having identity issues.
Racist much?
Ridiculous comment.
Why? He was born here and speaks the language. The guy is Welsh.
Yeah football should stay well out of politics.
Football has always had political aspects
@@lucuslovesyou2961 sport and it's participants should stick to sport period.
Nothing about sport, playing sport and having fame due to sport makes you anymore credible than any other people.
It's idiot psychophants that lead celebs to thinking their opinions are more valid. They're not