Wales didn't qualify, but!

Positive about the future. Last night, Wales get a 0-0 draw, away, against "football superpower" Germany, in an international qualifier. Made all the more remarkable with the players fit and available to Wales: Hennessey, Ricketts, Gabbidon, Collins, Nyatanga, Gunter, Fletcher, Davies, Edwards, Ledley, Earnshaw (Easter 55). 6 eligible for the Wales U21team - who in the last week have beaten France (a country with a youth policy second to none) 4-2 in Cardiff, and Bosnia 4-0 in Wrexham and on course for qualifying for the U21 Euros - weldone Brian Flynn and the Welsh FA. This 'was' a match the Germans wanted to win, fielding a strong side to finish their group topping campaign with a win (Miroslav Klose, World Cup golden boot winner anybody?), the boo's from the stands testament to Wales' performance. So I thought i'd tune into BBC Five Lives 606 phone-in...

It seemed another game was melting the 606 phonelines... I saw the last 25 minutes of this England game, i saw Crouch's goal to bring them level, and my first thought was "Fuck! The summer brigade of quasi-England fans with St George flags wedged in their car windows will be in a North Wales town near me" - you know, the ones which look like an ambassador is visiting, except when on a mid-range family saloon. So when sub Petric wrapped his left peg round the Croatian 3rd, the relief was immense... I then began to look closer at everything, McClaren continued to be silent, supping mainly on a bottle of water wedged into the dug-out with "Big Tel", it then cuts to Bilic stomping every inch of the Wembley technical area screaming orders, hand gesturing orders to every player, he was still on the attack - in a 'doesnt matter' game for them, they could have rolled over and lit up an Havana cigar. Where was England's "we'll shed blood for a point, what ever it takes" attitude from the players? It had all but gone, and only Motson was on hand to gee up the England fans watching on TV with a 91st minute corner "PLEASE let Beckham take it, please!", sounding as pathetic as his comment less than 60 seconds later informing us "Andorra still only trail by a goal to nil against Russia"... final whistle, cut to Ian Wright, who definitely wasn't feelin' like chicken tonight. Simply brilliant TV!

The 606 phone-in consisted mainly of: McClaren out, ban all foreigners ever from the Premier League, where was the passion?, re-vamp football in school PE lessons, and of course McClaren out some more. Download the podcast and frankly, have a bloody good gut-laugh! Wales barely got a mention, but it just didn't matter, with the future of talent I saw at the U21 match at the Racecourse last Saturday night, Tuesdays U21 win over France, and last nights full international v Germany - our time will come. Cadwch y fydd!

Geezers Need Excitement

You may be aware that Wales defeated England, let me repeat that, "Wales defeated England" in a fast and open game. After jeering our English friends (well taken lads!), the losing of my voice and the sinking of several ales, a bit of a scuffle ensued, bit of beer flying, followed by the glass - yes that's the feeling of a glass hitting me on the back of the head - landlord vaults the bar! By now we were very pissed in that "we can take on the world" mood, and errrr, we just watched as the trouble was herded out onto the street.

Did anybody watch "The Championship" on ITV the other weekend? My post glass round the head and recovery hangover was turning on to see the MK Dons late winner v Wrexham - the ball didn't cross the line, the linesman didnt signal goal, the referee didn't signal goal. A great double save from Ingham, yet the person responsible for "pressing the button to play music when a goal is scored", pressed the button, 'then' the goal was given by the linesman! Let's keep "playing music when there is a score" for sports such as Ice Hockey and the likes - not league 2 (div 4) football.

I did enjoy 'the' local derby match of the other weekend though, as Conwy Utd entertained Llandudno Junction. Conwy running out 2-1 winners, creeping up the league, 5 games in-hand, oh no, i sound like a proper fan.

I'd been to watch Llandudno v Llangefni a couple of weeks ago (top of the table clash), impressed by Chris Johnson, Llandudno centre back, though I did a double take as he ran out in the tangerine Conwy Utd strip! Llandudno with a slim chance of promotion to the Welsh Premier this season, currently 4th in the direct North Wales feeder league i.e. The Championship of N.Wales. He'd drop a league to play for Conwy United?! The matter was cleared up chatting to the Conwy bench (I was in school with most of them); if Llandudno don't have a game, some of their players have contracts making them eligible for Conwy Utd; keeping match fitness - totally legal under the FAW rules at that level! The Dudno manager and coaching staff stood amongst us, scouting. Slightly scary that I know the faces and names of the players in these lower Welsh leagues.

Speaking of lower Welsh league players, got to mention Matt Christie who plays football with us on "Wednesday nights", for being spotted by Glan Conwy FC coach, and getting his first couple of games under his belt - it was only because their coach saw him skin past me "once" that he was offered to sign for them, obviously :) Fair play Matt, great to see you on the back page of the Weekly News this week as Glan Conwy won their Semi Final in Mid-Wales to get to the FAW Trophy Final! Great achievement! See you Wednesday night to try and frustrate you some more, at least I know the calibre of player i'm up against now, FAW Trophy finalist and League 1 in the Welsh Pyramid... gives me hope of playing for "Kinmel Aztecs" - Div 4 of the Clwyd League, the bottom of the entire FAW pile... technically it would take them 7 seasons to get to Welsh Premier if they won every league consecutively, I love stuff like that. I should update Wikipedia with this stuff - does anybody care though? Probably not.

Weekend just gone then. Wales v Ireland, Euro Qualifier... not the best. Wrexhams Steve Evans held his own, but i never realised just how slow he was compared to the rest. I kept a keen eye on him throughout, "what a tackle" on Duff, he's all heart and perhaps over-aggressive & over-committed (3 red cards this season too) yet kept Keane quiet. A "my thoughts on defending" post later in the week I think...

The weekend sport did have an upside; Wrexham winning away 0-1, and Steve McNumpty and his team of world footballing 'names' and talents couldnt beat (or even score past) Israel; a team with such luminary figures as "Spungin", "Ziv (so want to pronounce that as Viz)", "Tamuz"...