Henry Tudor Statue Campaign at Pembroke Castle
PLEASE SIGN THE OFFICIAL WELSH GOVERNMENT PETITION AT THE LINK.
“We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to fund a statue of Henry VII in Pembroke, town of his birth and birthplace of the Tudor Dynasty.
There is no statue or memorial in the town of this man. A statue could improve the economy of the town as a Tudor must-visit place.’
https://www.assemblywales.org/epetition-list-of-signatories.htm?pet_id=739
As you may or may not know I am a keen amateur Tudor historian whom is currently attempting to work on his first historical book regarding the Welsh origins of the Tudor Dynasty. As part of my interest I have visited many locations throughout England ranging from the major attractions like Hampton Court to minor areas such as various Wars of the Roses Battlefields in the Welsh Marches. I have visited Windsor Castle, Greenwich Palace, St James Palace, Westminster Abbey amongst others. As a proud Welshman from Carmarthenshire I have a great love for this picturesque area of South Wales and have spent many hours, days and even weeks scouting any historic areas with links to the Tudor Dynasty with the sole intention of visiting and photographing for posterity. After all, the Tudors were a Welsh family and the links are throughout our country, albeit one must lament in a less obvious way than the major palaces in London where they achieved their later fame as Kings and Queens of England.
As locals to South Wales, you may or may not be aware of Tudor links in this part of the world but my hunch is that unless one has a reasonably deep interest in the subject then they will be ignorant to the history on their doorstep. If an area of historical interest isn’t publically advertised, then how is one supposed to learn about this local past? So where are these Tudor links first of all? There is the incredible ruins of Lamphey Bishop’s Palace just outside Pembroke where Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond and father to the future Monarch regularly stayed when on state business in South Wales. This plush retreat was seemingly a location the Earl of Richmond found relaxing, for the site was and still is situated in the middle of sprawling forest and parkland which together with the fishponds and orchards ensured everything the Earl required was openly available. It was at Lamphey palace that Edmund had honeymooned with his young bride Margaret Beaufort and seems very possible that it was here at his Pembrokeshire headquarters that his son was conceived. Edmund died without ever having seen his newborn son and although initially buried in a monastery in Carmarthen, after his grandson Henry VIII dissolution of this monasteries a century later his tomb was moved to St David’s Cathedral where it now rests impressively in the centre of the religious soul of Wales, as befitting his role as ancestor of the Kings of the realm. Resting fittingly in the same region that Edmund had reached the zenith of his power shortly before his death, the epitaph that appears around his tomb declares: “under this marble stone here inclosed resteth the bones of that most noble lord Edmond Earl of Richmond father and brother to kings, the which departed out of this world in year of our lord God MCCCCLVI the third of the month of November: on whose soul Almighty Jesu have mercy”. Across the county lies Tenby, a favourite holiday resort of many and a town that has a deep Tudor connection. Henry’s uncle and Edmund’s brother Jasper Tudor was the Earl of Pembroke and as such made this region of South Wales his powerbase during the hazardous years of the Wars of the Roses. Jasper’s half-brother was King Henry VI whom was coming under attack from Yorkist forces and with defence in mind Jasper ensured the walls of Tenby were strengthened. The famous Five Arches can still be seen today as well as the multiple-storied Mayor’s House situated just in front of the harbour. On this building lies a blue plaque which proudly states “it is said that Henry Tudor (Later King Henry VII) escaped through a tunnel here, in 1471, when he fled to France”. After living in exile in Brittany for 14 years to escape capture and probable execution at the hands of Yorkist King Edward IV, Henry found himself the new Lancastrian heir and eventually launched his invasion force to usurp the crown. Choosing his birth area and the Land of his Fathers for reasons of strategy and alliance, his forces landed at Mill Bay just outside the lovely village of Dale in 1485. His rag tag army of loyal soldiers and mercenaries landed here under both his and his uncle Jasper Tudor’s command and began the arduous task of marching through Wales to that fateful meeting with King Richard III at Bosworth in England. By the end of that day, Henry’s forces had vanquished Richard’s and the Welshman was acclaimed as King Henry VII. Similar to Tenby, Mill Bay is a rural outpost that is difficult to get to but has a memorial to this historic landing.
The final and greatest connection to the Tudor dynasty in Pembrokshire’s historical crown is the impressive Pembroke Castle, an impressive monument that would become the birthplace of a King and the birthplace of the world’s most famous dynasty. It was in one of the outer wards to the west of the main gate on 28th January 1457 that the 13-year-old Margaret Beaufort brought her young son into the world. As well as her young age, the new mother was also very slender and had a small frame not suited to the rigours of child birth and by all accounts it was a very difficult pregnancy. In fact it probably rendered her infertile for the remainder of her life as there were no other accounts of her baring child. The child was sickly soon after his birth and good care by both his mother and the attendant nurses seem to be the core reason for this young babe not becoming yet another statistic for the high infant mortality rates of the time. Although the son was called Henry, a regal English name and possibly in tribute to the child’s half-uncle Henry VI, a later tradition suggested the original name was in fact Owain. Although no contemporary evidence exists to corroborate this account, it is interesting to note nevertheless that the aforementioned Welsh prophecies suggested an Owain would come to lead the Welsh as their Mab Darogan. Perhaps the story has some truth, although the likelihood is that it was an apocryphal story from a Welsh bard looking to further increase the myth surrounding this Welsh-born child. By blood Henry of Richmond, for he had inherited his father’s Earldom upon birth as was his hereditary right, was one quarter French, one quarter Welsh and half English but with his birthplace and father’s nationality considered most valid under patrilineal descent, it is indisputable which nation would claim Harri Tudur as their own. The courageous Edmund Tudor had passed before he could live up to the hopes and dreams of the Welsh bards whom watched from a distance but fittingly he had left something pure and new in his place, a young son with an equally impeccable Welsh bloodline hailing back to the great Welsh Princes.
With this in mind it is somewhat disappointing to note the lack of celebration towards the birth and subsequent life of Henry Tudor at this castle. This isn’t merely a location with a tenuous link to the Tudors, it’s an integral part of the Tudor story as the birthplace of Henry VII. With the plethora of Tudor related places in the region as already mentioned it is very surprising and almost unacceptable to learn that the Council or the relevant Tourist board hasn’t capitalised on this wonderful historical occurrence and looked to find its way into the lucrative Tudor market that is currently a major tourist stream in England. If people are willing to travel hundreds of miles, sometimes thousands, to visit Tudor locations throughout England then surely Pembroke and indeed Pembrokeshire should be marketing itself as the “Birthplace of the Tudor Dynasty”. It is difficult to overstate the financial benefits the Tudor’s being to the UK touristy industry, hundreds perhaps thousands of Americans alone regularly visiting the many palaces and castles in England to place themselves in the very spot History happened. Hampton Court. Windsor. Kenilworth Castle. Ludlow Castle. Even Stratford Upon Avon with its Shakespeare links. The list is endless. Disappointingly and somewhat with a degree of short sightedness Pembroke as a town and a council has not capitalised on this Tudor-mad industry by marketing itself as a core Tudor attraction. The castle itself, under the managerialship of Jon Williams, has certainly all it can financially do to increase tourism although their ambitions are drastically reduced by the economical issues of running such an enterprise. Jon stated to me “we are gradually adding to and modernising our intrepretation here and although we don’t lack ambition and ideas unfortunatly it takes money to make things happen on a major scale“. Indeed Pembroke Castle itself is a small independent charitable trust “that needs to spend a lot of resources to simply maintain the castle as a visitor attraction“.
I read with interest the other day that in 2010 Mrs Melanie Phillips campaigned for a statue of Henry VII at Pembroke castle and I feel that this would be a fantastic addition to the premises, or at least in the town. It would give an overt and obvious indication of the importance of the castle to the Tudor story and could prove to be a lucrative marketing aspect for Tudor addicts. It is all very well having exhibitions inside, but the key is attracting people to the area in the first place, and a statue would certainly do that. As a comparison, the small North Welsh village of Corwen has a magnificient statue of Owain Glyndwr and as a result has been able to attract scores of Welshmen from all over to view it. Imagine tapping into only a mere percentage of the gigantic Tudor Tourism Industry and persuading them to come to Pembroke for a similar pilgrimage to the one they already make to many different locales throughout England. Jon Williams of Pembroke Castle agrees, stating “it would make perfect sense to have a statue although my opinion is that it would benefit Pembroke more if it were at the opposite end of the main street to the Castle. Firstly this would encourage Castle visitors to wander the town and secondly it would act as a good welcome to people arriving at East End Square“. It would certainly benefit Pembroke and it would benefit Wales. Pembrokeshire’s most famous son deserves more than a couple of mere plaques and in an age of austerity any attempt to bring in tourism to boost the stuttering economy must be seriously looked at. I understand on that occasion Mrs Phillips’ campaign was not successful but I would urge the council and tourist board to take another look at this matter. Pembroke is the home of the world famous Tudor Dynasty and deserves recognition that would certainly place it on the global scale alongside other famous Tudor locations in England.
PRESS
As part of this campaign, there will be occasions where it will receive press interest.
The Western Mail; (11th May 2012) http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/05/11/call-for-castle-to-make-most-of-its-role-in-tudor-dynasty-91466-30944610/
The Western Telegraph; (16th May 2012)
Party on the Pitch Preview 2012!
Summer is back and for those of us in this glorious corner of Wales that can only mean one thing…Party on the Pitch is back! If your looking for an affordable, fun, family-orientated festival to take the whole family to this June then look no further than our 5th Party on the Pitch extravaganza at Tycroes RFC, the annual spectacle that always leaves you gasping for more!
This year’s event takes place on Saturday 9th June and having attracted thousands upon thousands of festival-goers in recent years, make sure you don’t miss out on the fun this summer. Nestled tightly alongside the breath-taking Betws Mountain in Carmarthenshire, the much lauded “Garden of Wales” – Party on the Pitch provides exactly what the name suggests; a fun-fulled and action-packed party on a pitch for the whole family, from toddlers to teenagers and from adults to pensioners.
With a diverse but popular line up each year, the 2012 line up proudly boasts X Factor star Amelia Lily amongst the headliners, ably backed up by 60′s Chart Toppers The Tremeloes and Herman’s Hermits. Another 10 acts complete the lineup – Atlas Plans, The Cherry Beats, NVS, Dead Wolf Club, the Ecko, Queen Tribute Band Rhapsody, The Rookz, The Untouchables, Carbon and Peepshow! With this summer’s festival bringing down the curtain on Tycroes RFC’s Centenary Celebrations, the organising committee have gone all-out in ensuring this years event is not one to be missed!
Middlesbrough teenager Amelia Lily wowed the nation last year with her show-stopping 3rd place finish on the incredibly popular X Factor and followed up her talent show success by penning a 3-album deal worth a reported £500,000 to make her childhood dreams a reality. With long flowing blonde locks and a strong voice she is regularly compared to uberstar Christina Aguilera and her vocals are sure to reverberate around the hills come June 9th in a manner never experience before in these parts!
Backing up the supremely talented and prodigious Amelia will be the Tremeloes, the blasts from the past and chart toppers from the 60′s who were once more acclaimed than their close rivals The Beatles! Carrying on the pop revival at Tycroes RFC on the same day will be Herman’s Hermits, themselves also chart toppers in 1960′s with their debut single and signature song “I’m into Something Good”. It shapes up to be an incredible day of music on the pitch with a varied and diverse outpouring of all those favourite songs from across all generations.
Away from the stage the event continues to live up to its “fun for all” moniker with a wide range of activities for all the family. Returning will be the ever popular Fun Fair in addition to many new features from Streamline Leisure. For those who have seen them before, a highlight of this years event will undoubtedly be the ever-popular and innovation “Water Zorbz”, best described as a way to run, roll, flip and spin on the water…without getting wet! Imagine a hamster ball on water as you crash into each other and roll across the water and you have some idea of the fun to be had from “Zorbing”. Bucking Bronco’s and Sumo Wrestling fancy dress suits also help to add to the fun whilst those with a need for speed can take advantage of the mini motor bikes that will be on hand. Last year the surprise hit of the day, “the Brian Moore Mouth”, will again be back with prizes on offer for those who can defeat all comers by passing the most balls through Brian Moore’s gigantic mouth – You just throw it, Brian Moore will eat it!
Along with many smaller stalls that will be dotted around the pitch, the arena is a fun-filled paradise for all whatever the age. With food and drink playing a major part of these festival events Party on the Pitch will also be impressive as usual this year, from typical festival fare in burgers and hotdogs to more lavish offerings of noodle boxes and the ridiculously popular hog roast! To whet your appetite and no doubt as home base for many of you will be our immensely popular and much-loved Marquee where we will feature many of the bands alongside our long bar which will be stocked to the brim with your favourite beverages.
Additionally, as in previous years and as befitting the event’s community-based intentions, Party on the Pitch is proud to be working with and supporting Sue Ladd and Friend’s Cancer Charity, endeavouring to ensure this wonderful lady and the good work she does is prominently featured on the day. With a charity motto which states “together we can find a cure”, Party on the Pitch is pleased to play a small part in attempting to further Sue Ladd’s aims.
This will be an all ticket event with numbers limited by the Licensing Authority. Tickets are now available through numerous outlets including Tycroes RFC clubhouse and Odd’s “N” End’s in Ammanford town centre. Early Bird tickets are priced at £10 for adults over 18, £7 for those aged 8-17 and in keeping with our family promise all kids aged 7 and under go free! Judging by the significant interest already experienced, the tickets are expected to sell quickly therefore it is recommended to pick them up soon to not miss out on the place to be this June 9th! The annual event has truly increased the village’s status as more than just the gateway to the M4 and you will regret it if you miss out this year. Just ask those who have been present at past events! Once you arrive you won’t want to leave! Remember to visit www.thepartyonthepitch.com for more info or like us on Facebook
Kony and Invisible Children; Dont Always Believe What You Watch
Joseph Kony. A man whom was previously unheard of by the masses but whom now has his name on the lips of over 50 million people worldwide due to a viral campaign by a charitable organisation. On the surface this looks like an incredible success in the battle to capture and imprison one of the world’s most despicable warlords and to bring a measure of stability and justice to a people whom he has terrorised for so long. Yet, scratch the surface a little and all is not what it seems and I feel that those poor people whom have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into publicising the campaign via their personal Social Network sites need to be aware of what they are supporting.
Joseph Kony is a man whom many have never heard of before this week yet is someone who has been committing atrocities against his fellow man, woman and child for 2 decades. In essence this Christian Fundamentalist and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) that he heads has aimed to implement an extreme religious ideology in Central Africa whereby they adhere to the same 10 Commandments that feature in the Bible. Primarily active since 1987 in Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo the group has been effortless in their campaign to impose its strict ideals on the people of those nations and as strived to achieve their extreme aims through murder, mutilation and rape. A key component of their force has been the abduction and subsequent training of local children to bolster their forces. To highlight the absurdity of the group’s intentions, leader Kony claims to be a spokesperson or even prophet acting on behalf of God. With Kony at the helm the group have committed many atrocities including but not limited to various massacres that number hundreds of people at any time. A recent attack that drew media reporting from abroad was the December 2009 Makombo Massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the Red Cross verified the butchering of at least 321 people and the abduction of dozens of children for military and sex purposes. Deceased deputy leader Vincent Otti once gave an interview where he chillingly stated “Lord’s Resistance Army is just the name of the movement, because we are fighting in the name of God. God is the one helping us in the bush. That’s why we created this name, Lord’s Resistance Army. And people always ask us, are we fighting for the Ten Commandments of God. That is true – because the Ten Commandments of God is the constitution that God has given to the people of the world. All people”. Not much difference from the Islamic extremists looking to impose Sharia law it seems. We’ve all seen “Blood Diamond” with Leonardo Di Caprio therefore we have some kind of basic cinematic idea about what has happened at various points in the heartland’s of Africa in recent times.
As stated earlier, the group have been active since 1987 and in that time have committed many disgusting and outrageous acts against their own people as well as those of different tribes in Africa’s complex Central region. Yet it was only this week it appears that the name of Joseph Kony has become known to the vast populations of the so-called West. Beginning this week with the publication of an emotive and well-produced docu-appeal by the charity organisation Invisible Children, the reaction has been incredible with such superstars as Rihanna and Justin Beiber using their social network sites to repost the video. The video has received over 50m hits and has become known newsworthy for the way it has taken social network by storm; indeed at various points this week the hashtags that have trended on Twitter have included #stopkony, #Kony2012, #stopKony2012, #InvisibleChildren, #MakeKonyFamous, #LRA, and #Uganda. Objection complete…the world now speaks of Kony is the same kind of breath once reserved for Bin Laden, Saddam and Gaddafi. Men the West considered public enemy and men whom had to speak.
But hold on. Is this the full story? A fantastic charity organisation taking on one of the world’s biggest demon’s and winning. Not quite. The charitable organisation whom produced the video are controversial to say the least and with good reason. Invisible Children are an hardcore activist group who proudly display that they are not for profit whilst undertaking various campaigns primarily through the media of film. To date they have released the group has released 11 films since their foundation in 2004 each accompanied with a different colour bracelet to highlight the cause. Nothing unusual here and all very commendable so far. Slowly however there appear to be cracks in the organisation’s public image and this is something very important to take on board for the amount of incessant and ignorant preaching from many millions of normal and grieved citizens on social networks need to be fully informed of what they are agreeing to support. Most people enter into campaigns such as this with an aura of ignorance about them…they see something bad happening in a video and within seconds they are fully signed up activists. That’s good…if what they have signed up to fully complies with their beliefs as opposed to manipulating many facts and stories to suit their own agenda. And manipulation and over exaggeration of facts is certainly something that Invisible Children is guilty of.
Merely re-tweeting a video or linking to their campaigns on Facebook is directly supporting the organisation. Purchasing a so-called Action Kit even more so. Wouldn’t you like to know what you are supporting as opposed to entering blindly into a campaign? Invisible Children is a group that has regularly drew criticism from those who were aware of it before this week’s sudden “hit”. One key criticism the group draws is that despite being termed “not-for-profit” one would reasonably consider that the vast majority of any donations to the organisation that have been given in good faith would be immediately redirected to the heart of the campaign, in this case Uganda. Yet the company’s own records show that last year only around 31% of donations went to their Charity programme, something that earned it the condemnation of an independent Charity organisation that only rated Invisible Children with an accountability level of 2/4 stars. The “Charity” undoubtedly do provide a portion of donations to the grassroots level in Uganda but when they proclaim to be fighting the evil of Kony and working on this subject to get funding from people is it right that a whopping 69% of funds go on non charity matters such as film-making, wages and even transportation? Surely people donate to help the children in Uganda as opposed to funding the wages and travel costs of the activists themselves. It’s a given that some funds have to be diverted to help prolong a campaign but the majority? Recent figures that have come to prominence from the company’s OWN accounts include the fact that the organisation have paid $1.72m in “compensation, $16k on “entertainment”, $1.1m on “transport” and the infamous video itself which set the company back around $1m. Big money. None of which has directly gone to those whom the Charity implores us to help. How about the fact that the company has influenced people to spend $32 on an “Action Kit” that judging by Facebook and Twitter the masses are climbing over each other to get not realising that only around 10% of their hard earned donation will be utilised in Uganda.
And whilst we’re back on the subject…why Uganda anyway? The LRA have been relatively inactive there for the best part of a decade and the nation is slowly moving on. This campaign is coming towards the end of the reign of terror as opposed to during the heart of it. Do these people on social network sites, many whom are charitable by nature and thus of the peace-loving variety, realise that Invisible Children actually calls for DIRECT MILITARY INTERVENTION?? That’s correct, the “charity” doesn’t advocate merely concentrating on providing water and medical supplies but is using your money (some of it anyway, the rest is on flights and entertainment whatever that means) to call for a US-Led war in the country. They indeed wish to flood Uganda with arms so the people can wage their own war. I hazard a guess that there are a large number of anti-war people whom have been duped by a well-produced video into directly supporting yet another war. I’m sure they would be sickened and insulted if they were aware of this. Taking it a step further, the organisation and their funds go towards the Ugandan Government’s Army as well as some other related armed forces in the locality whom the charity seemingly portrays as the liberators against tyranny. Yet many human rights experts explicitly point out that just as the LRA are culpable for their actions in harming the people of Uganda, the official army themselves are not without their critics for murder, rape, pillage and corruption.
With this in mind, if one still feels they wish to support the campaign then by all means go ahead and carry on re-tweeting. Knowledge is power however and armed with the full facts, make your choice accordingly. Joseph Kony has been a bad man for a long time and hopefully now his name is known he will be found and tried by an International Criminal Court but always be careful which side of the fence you align yourself for you may discover things are not always what they may seem.
Swansea City FC; No to McDonald’s taking a Liberty
Do we fans of Swansea City simply attract undesirable hangers-on that attempt to exploit our good nature or are we merely easy prey? Easy prey that is, until we fight back. First it was Tony Petty who tried to kill us off and now it appears it Swansea County Council and burger-lovers McDonald’s are severely attempting to hamper any potential growth we have a club, a city and a region through their own brand of selfishness and short sightedness. Dylan Thomas once described Swansea as the “Graveyard of Ambition” and outside the hallowed walls of the Liberty Stadium, it would appear he has a case.
Swansea City Football Club has been on an incredible ride over the last decade. In the grand scheme of things we may have appeared to be just another minor provincial club, one of many, but to the fans the club has meant everything and more. The crux of the matter is that when we were offered the Liberty Stadium in 2005 it was ample enough and gladly received with both hands. Things change in an instant in sport and the ambition of the board coupled with key decisions have led the club to grow exponentially in a way many would never have dreamed of. As of May 2011, Swansea City is no longer a provincial club. It is a worldwide brand up with the big boys and with an opportunity to really take advantage of its sporting standing to transform the community it is the very beating heart of.
We have a ground with a current maximum of capacity of 20,532 whilst our current average annual attendance’s in recent memory have been 15,186, 15,407, 15,507 and after promotion to the biggest sporting league on the Globe 19.930. The sudden leap is clear and with the stadium not being able to accommodate any more Swans fans this has led to a regularly farce surrounding the weekly scramble for match tickets. In the summer there were queues around the stadium as many attempted in vain to obtain a Season Ticket and rumours abound there are up to 6,000 people on a waiting list for next season already. The maths is simple; the Liberty Stadium cant currently cope with demand and matters will reach a head should the club continue to grow off the field to match their on the field success. This naturally leads to discussion on ground expansion, something vital to ensuring the club gains not only maximum support in the stands but additionally maximum revenue in the bank. Of course, this increased support for the football club has also led to other logistical problems which any person whom has attended a recent match at the ground can only attest to. Parking is an issue despite attempted alleviations by the Club and Authorities and many fans and shoppers find themselves trapped in traffic chaos for over an hour post-game. Whilst increased attendances are a must for the club to continue prosper, so is the acceptance that any impediment in the way will only drastically escalate any traffic issues around the area.
It is into this situation that the Council have effectively cast aside any ambitions to see the region grown on a national scale through the effective administration of the Football Club on its own doorstep by drafting in yet another “get-rich-quick” type scheme that typifies the McDonald’s corporation. Much of the land surrounding the Liberty is owned by the neighbouring Morfa Retail Park including a sizeable plot of land adjacent to the Stadium’s South Stand. With a car park that has been zoned off in recent memory creating not only an eye sore but an annoying lack of vehicular utilisation for many fans, this land has repeatedly been put forward as a clear possibility in plans for expansion. Whether or not it is owned by the Retail park is surely irrelevant. As it is currently not being used there has always been the possibility of the club acquiring the land itself for its own purpose. That is to say, it was possible to acquire up until the Council sold its soul and its community to the all-powerful McDonald’s conglomerate.
What is particularly galling to Swans fans whom have been slapped in the face by a very Council many would have helped vote into office is the sheer arrogance of such a collective. The application appears to have been submitted back in May 2011 and initially recommended for rejection by the Council’s OWN planning committee. How many personal applications once recommended for rejection never again see the light of day? If recommended for rejection, then there are clearly satisfactory reasons for reaching such a conclusion. Liberty Stadium Management Committee themselves also objected for this on grounds of Pollution, increased Traffic and even more food outlets in a tight area already consisting of Pizza Hut, KFC, Rossi’s, Harvesters and Frankie and Benny’s. Despite the recommendation of the Planning officers and the clear objections from a sizeable business in the area, the Council overruled all decisions in a vote 8-1 and made a final, binding decision on 7th February 2012. They are now refusing to accept any objections or appeals, branding their decision final for yet another McDonald’s in the City and are instead palming off supporters fears on twitter to an alternative account. The Twitter account @DemocracyatCCS simply has a statement saying “Liberty Stadium/McDonald’s Planning App was granted on 07/02/2012 – as the decision has been made the Authority are unable to take comments”. There are currently McDonald’s in the City Centre, Fabian Way, Junction 47 Penllegaer, Cwmdu and Morrison and it is hard to justify yet another outlet in the area. Is the demand really that high for a McFlurry and Mc Nuggets? The planning officers stated that a new drive-thru land, parking and access points would “accentuate the cramped nature of the site layout” and “compromise pedestrian movement”. That is, more than it is already.
Of course, Swansea East MP Sian James disagrees, proudly flaunting that this new McDonald’s will amazingly create 60 jobs in the area whilst seemingly oblivious to the success a football club generates for the immediate area. Millions of Pounds in tourism, World Wide exposure, thousands of extra fans in the area all don’t compete with a few hundred people a week buying a cheap burger. The inadequacy of understanding simple economics is incredible to say least, as is grasping at immediate reward over long term gains on a larger scale. McDonald’s benefit’s McDonald’s. Swansea City FC will benefit South Wales. Then again Sian James is a member of the same party that in August attempted to extort more rent of the Swans in the very same sentence as congratulating them on their achievements. What a baffling way to endear themselves to a fan base numbering at least 20,000 people in their electorate.
Swansea City Football Club is the jewel in the crown of the region and should be protected, encouraged and supported at all costs by those in power. They forget that WE voted these people in to speak for US. Whether we actually expand or not is not the issue, it is that we are considering expanding and therefore should be given an appropriate time to set up plans for this with the help of a Council for whom we as a club are indirectly helping with our success. Let us put it to the Council, what should happen a decade down the line when Swansea City potentially have to leave the Stadium due to a lack of help from this council. What will they do with such a big empty White Elephant? I’m sure that little McDonald’s next to it encouraging an unhealthy lifestyle will be worth it to the out of work ex-councillors.
Perhaps it’s best to end this with some choice words from Swansea City Chairman Huw Jenkins whom, as per usual, hits the nail on the head of the matter. “The club’s board of directors was shocked and disappointed at the short sightedness of this decision. The local authority was well aware of our concerns and objections for a fast food outlet on the perimeter of the stadium and it remains to be seen whether the decision will have a detrimental effect for the further expansion plans we have for the Liberty Stadium. Everyone is well aware that we have already started exploring the possibility of increasing the capacity at the stadium, improve fan facilities and car parking. We were already working on plans”
“There are thousands of supporters who would love to watch the Swans in action in the Premier League and we are keen to facilitate that. This decision may jeopardise that opportunity now for the people of Swansea. Also, to increase traffic in the area on match and non-match days is baffling to say the least, especially considering we have been in constant dialogue with the council to alleviate and improve traffic congestion around the stadium. Swansea as a city has made too many short-term decisions over the years. Again the view of creating a handful of jobs is more important than the development of the Liberty Stadium and the overall growth of the city that Premier League football can promote and deliver. The expansion of the Liberty Stadium, its facilities and the long term growth and success of the football club will create far more jobs than another McDonalds. The council have been shouting from the rooftops since Swansea City gained promotion to the Premier League about the massive benefits it has brought to the city in terms of business and tourism. Yet they make a decision which goes against everything they have been preaching. It’s baffling. Yet again it seems to be a decision that fails to put the best interests of the community first and typifies why Swansea as a city has failed to grow and develop over the years”.
The Swansea City fans are rightfully keen to see that their club gets all the necessary opportunities to grow and put their hometown on the map and have therefore created a petition. Please visit the Facebook page “No To McDonalds Behind the South Stand” set up by the Swans trust to sign the petition doing the rounds and sign the petition here http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/notomcdonalds/signatures. Together we can voice our displeasure at an act that threatens the direct growth of our Club after all, Who Are We?!
The Craziest South American Footballers
A casual Facebook status recently had me breaking out in an almost uncontrollable fit of laughter, the content of said status unleashing wild images in my mind of the crazed actions of a prestigious minority. These select few are an unusual breed, lumbered with a reckless and rugged devil-may-care attitude often redeemed by a god given talent to entertain the masses in their chosen field. A roll call of misdemeanours that would make the hardened criminal proud is often offset with trophies and glory, their sins temporarily forgiven as soon as their next act of inspirational genius is unleashed. The South American footballer is the subject in mind and in particular the more “loco” extremes of that colourful contingent, a self-destructive cartel that seems to be one constant still prevalent in the new capitalist greedy and murky world of Globalised football and all that entails.
To the regular viewer of the polished Premier League we are often privy to the incredibly boring and repetitive actions of our footballers outside of the game. The stories that do explode of the front pages of the country’s press tends to be more focused on the sex life’s of the 20-somethings as opposed to genuine ‘loco’ behaviour, a constant stream of threesomes and affairs by the immoralistic and hedonistic young men being paid ransoms to kick a ball around our pitches. There have been minor blips in this carefully constructed PR haven however, names such as Eric Cantona, Paolo Di Canio and lately Mario Balotelli providing jaw-dropping glimpses into their extrovert personalities that have occasionally bubbled over. Yet, does this country compare with the best South America can offer? No chance.
Rene Higuita
Lets study some of the more extreme actions of South America’s most infamous loco’s and check out their rap sheets. How about beginning with the player whom best encapsulated the crazy South American stereotype, even earning the nickname “el Loco” due to his extracurricular (and sometimes curricular) activities. Rene Higuita was born in 1966 in Medellin, Colombia and through his undoubted talent as a goalkeeper progressed into the national team for whom he ended up winning 68 caps over a decade. El Loco Higuita is perhaps best remembered by UK-based sporting fans for his incredible save from a tame Jamie Redknapp cross-cum-shot in a 1995 friendly between Columbia and England at Wembley. Expected to be nothing other than a simple catch for the eccentric keeper turned into one of the greatest sporting moments, Higuita launching his body forward before clearing the ball with the soles of his feet, calling the incredibly picturesque yet professionally risky move “the Scorpion kick”. Cue this writer and many other school children taking to the playing fields all across the country and winding themselves countless times trying to re-enact the pointless clearance. Higuita had infact become famous five years earlier when during the 1990 World Cup he inexplicably began dithering and dribbling on the ball way out of his usual remit, being dispossessed by the eternally young Roger Milla whom proceeded to score in the unguarded net and eliminate Higuita’s Columbia from the competition. Emanating from a nation probably best known for its drug barons and production of Cocaine, why a professional footballer of international repute felt the need to get involved is not evident to normal people but to someone of a Loco temperament it may seem normal. The result? Imprisoned for profiteering from a kidnapping and missing the 1994 World Cup as a result. That’s correct, Higuita acted as a go-between for infamous barons Pablo Escobar and Carlos Molina and his ill-gotten gains of $64,000 landed him in jail. After being released from his seven month sentence, the cult hero stated in an interview “the best moments of my life are the ones I spent in jail. In jail I found a different kind of loyalty – from the so-called delinquent, the so-called narco-trafficker, the so-called terrorist. I learned to know his heart, and it is a noble heart”. El Loco indeed.
Faustino Asprilla
Whilst having one madman in your team may seem bad enough, then you must feel some sympathy for the carthorses that made up Columbia’s talented 90’s generation for they were also lumbered with another madman in the cart wheeling dynamo that was Faustino Asprilla. Notable to British fans as the man who, unfairly and incorrectly it must be said, was considered the catalyst for Newcastle’s implosion in the 1997 title race ‘Tino nevertheless left Tyneside awash with memories of historic European nights. This was never best demonstrated by his one-man show against the mighty Barcelona in the Champions’ League group stage when leaping like a salmon his hat-trick put the sword to the Catalan giants with aplomb. The Colombian’s silky skills were often overshadowed by his off the pitch temperament, which goes some way to highlighting just how mad “The Octopus” and one time FIFA top 6 player in the world nominee actually was. As Parma’s star striker, he was expected to lead the line in the 1993 European Cup Winners Cup final but was forced to sit it out through an injury that no doubt would have been avoided if he was a little bit less, well, mad. Involved in a routine car accident with a bus driver in Columbia when he attempted to exit his vehicle to take up his issue with the offending driver his opposite number slammed the door shut on him, forcing Tino to kick at the windows. The result was perhaps inevitable, his foot went through the sturdy glass and he was out of a major European final. After moving to Newcastle he was being wined and dined in the stadium before settling down to watch his new teammates with a glass of wine still barely down his throat…within an hour the Toon’s newest star was on the pitch scoring. It wasn’t a lengthy stay on Tyneside and before long the man who wore his shirt outside his shorts and his socks round his ankles like a naughty schoolboy was back at Parma before winding down his career with as a journeyman on his native Continent. In 2008 the mercurial Colombian was arrested after becoming so enraged at a standard checkpoint in his native country he began firing at the security forces with a machine gun, peppering the area with bullets as though in a Scarface movie. The Octopus became allegedly enraged when his friends were refused entry into a farm at the check point and thus began the shooting, 29 bullets being fired from the firearm although no one was hurt. Not the first time Tino landed in hot water for use of an illegal weapon, at the height of his powers in 1995 the international superstar almost found himself imprisoned for firing his gun outside a nightclub. Another infamous story, which he dispels himself as nothing more than a training ground prank, was when he turned up to training whilst playing in Chile with a firearm and threatened to shoot the players if they didn’t run. What he claims was a joke was still reported by a watching journalist and adds yet another outlandish incident in a lifetime of unstable behaviour from the El Pulpo.
Jose Luis Chilavert
When it comes to crazy goalkeepers, after one has thought of Rene Higuita and his hair, thoughts quickly turn to the goal scoring menace between the posts for Velez Sarsfield and Paraguay; Jose Luis Chilavert. Noted for a brawl with the aforementioned Tino Asprilla in 1997 when they came to blows during a World Cup qualifier, whilst Higuita was more of a crazed persuasion Chilavert was certainly more temperamental, a typical Latin hothead. He also nearly came to blows with fellow South American legend Roberto Carlos after a qualifier between Paraguay and Brazil when he was sent off and banned for spitting at the famous left back, although he alleged that he did so as he was the victim of racial abuse from the Brazilian. The crazy Chilavert then went further into the realms of the ridiculous by exploding the myth of South American unity by claiming that his action of spitting on the Brazilian was justified as the match was a war and referenced the claiming of Paraguayan land by the Brazilians in the 19th Century War of the Triple Alliance. After leaving Velez at the beginning of the millennium Chilavert temporarily played in France for Strasbourg and in 2005 it was because of this short spell he received a suspended Six month prison sentence by French authorities for falsifying documents in an attempt to claim undue compensation from RC Strasbourg. It is perhaps fitting that the last we have heard of Chilavert was with an outburst of his combustible temper in an airport when he was caught on CCTV confronting and trying to fight his agent over a monetary dispute in a way more befitting an episode of The Sopranos than a lauded ex-international star. An lauded he certainly was. In amidst the off-the-field outbursts and the explosive free-kicks not only was Chilavert the first recognised Goalkeeper to score a hat trick in a top level game but was voted the IFFHS World Goalkeeper of the Year an unprecedented three times in 1995, 1997 and 1998 as well as his strong showing at the 2002 World Cup.
Carlos Roa
Another goalkeeper with a suspect mental capacity but of a more innocent nature was England’s tormentor from the 1998 World Cup Carlos Roa, a top quality goalkeeper who at the peak of his powers abruptly retired and removed himself from public life in accordance with his devout Seventh –Day Adventist Church beliefs that the world was due to end on the cusp of the new millennium. Probably the most bizarre retirement reason the game has ever seen from an international sportsman, “The Lettuce” eventually accepted the inevitability that the world had indeed not ended and returned to his old club Mallorca to begin a gradual decline through the Spanish leagues, his undoubted talent having been irreparably tarnished by inactivity.
Armando Paredes
Another player whom has seemingly vanished of late but with completely different outlook to life is the Ecuadorian fireball that is Armando Paredes. Unlike his exalted company on this list, Paredes is much lesser talent whom has only earned 2 caps for his country but arguably would be a lot more if he wasn’t…well, loco. As missing training sessions and having an overactive social life being minor to him, Paredes came to prominence when he was substituted by his manager at Emelec and proceeded to not only throw his shirt to the floor in anger and disgust but to launch a tirade of death threats towards his boss. As well as attacking photographers Paredes also found himself arrested in 2009 for attacking his former partner, her mother and the maid after breaking into their house in an intoxicated manner. Before being arrested by the police officers he had insulted, he also managed to scrape through a scuffle with his ex-partner’s relatives before innocently proclaiming he had “only wanted to relax with his daughter” when quizzed on the incident. After being dismissed from yet another club in 2010 for refusing to give blood for a standard test (something to hide perhaps?) Paredes has yet to resurface, although it is surely only a matter of time before his path of destruction comes back to the fore.
Edmundo
When you have earned the epithet “The Animal”, it would take a very brave man to encounter ex Brazilian World Cup runner up Edmundo without even a hint of trepidation. Once described as having a “lion-like temper” by an ex Chairman and receiving seven red cards in one year, Edmundo has a pretty impressive, or unimpressive as it may be, rap sheet of immaturity, assault, going awol, alcohol and even death. Again as seems to be the norm, Edmundo had incredible talent and was often lauded as one of the world’s best strikers but with the incredible handicap of being, well, himself. In what would turn out to be a vintage year of misdemeanours, 1995 began with a bang when during the South American quarter final against Argentinean team Velez Sarsfield he responded to a tough challenge from an opposition player by slapping him square on the face, earning a punch back for his trouble. The result would be an all out brawl between both teams and coaching staffs as belligerents on all sides aimed kung-fu kicks and punches at each other. That same year he was also temporarily detained in jail in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil after lashing out at a TV Cameraman after missing a penalty in a Copa Libertadores match before being pardoned when the Brazilian Foreign Ministry stepped in. Incredibly this would be a tame incident compared to what happened in December that year when an inebriated and intoxicated Edmundo crashed his speeding pickup truck into another car, killing the three passengers whilst he himself would only receive 10 stitches. After he was found guilty of drink driving and manslaughter incredibly he wasn’t jailed outright, but rather was essentially given a free pass due to his profession and at the time of sentencing would only spend a few nights imprisoned. Finally in 2011, after spending some time on the run, the ex Brazilian star was arrested and commanded to serve the four years jail time he had originally been sentenced to. The final incident for which the Animal is perhaps best remembered was the occasion in 1999 when for his son’s birthday party he hired an entire circus for his back garden and proceeded to fuel a chimpanzee with beer and whisky, earning the ire from animals rights groups and the police. With a name like “The Animal”, Edmundo was never going to be a quiet shrinking violet.
Garrincha
To some Garrincha was even greater than Pele. The disabled child with the bend legs whom grew up to win two World Cups possessed the kind of talent which genuine football men always appreciated even if general acclaim from an ignorant public was never as forthcoming as it was with his great teammate Pele. By all accounts, on the pitch Garrincha was a dream, floating past players with ease using his unequalled dribbling skills. As well as being a two time World Cup winner, the 1962 edition’s player of the tournament and scoring an incredible 232 goals in 581 games for Botafogo, Garrincha was honoured when the home dressing room of the Maracana was named after him whilst the away dressing took the name of Pele. As great as his on pitch career was, just like George Best it is the off field tragedy that propels him from mere sportsman to flawed icon. Just like his father, Garrincha developed a lethal liking for the taste of alcohol from a young age and would continue to be addicted to the juice for the rest of his life. His wayward drinking didn’t seem to affect his social life, for Garrincha also married young and fathered 8 daughters with his wife before controversially leaving her for a famous Brazilian samba singer. By his death he was believed to have fathered at least 14 children although rumours have been known to put this number at 30 plus. By the late 1960’s Garrincha was a full blown alcoholic and despite never legally learning to drive regularly found himself behind the wheel in an intoxicated state, having got into numerous crashes including running over his father once. The lowest point of his life no doubt came in 1969 when he drove into a lorry in a car wreck that caused the death of his mother-in-law. Garrincha continued to deteriorate before finally succumbing to cirrhosis of the liver in 1983, passing away at the young age of 49. Strikingly, it was only 20 years after his peak atop the world game of football.
Diego Maradona
No article on extrovert and crazy South American footballers is complete without the King himself, El Diego. The rap sheet of the greatest of all times is so littered with controversy it’s impossible to know where to begin. Gun crime. Assault. Rants. Weight Gain. Dictators. Drugs. Maradona has seen and done it all, both on and off the pitch. Let’s begin with his cocaine addiction. Allegedly becoming hooked in 1982 whilst playing for Catalan giants Barcelona and carrying the habit throughout the next two decades, he has been suspended from the sport on two separate occasions for his addiction. There was the time he was given a 15 month ban whilst at Napoli in the early 90’s before incurring another ban during his decline in 1997. In between this came arguably his most infamous suspension when he was tested and found positive for ephedrine during the 1994 World Cup, being sent home in disgrace from a tournament he had temporarily lit up with a wide-eyed celebration more becoming of a madman than a sportsman. Further proof that he hadn’t learnt his lesson and continued to use the white powder came in 2000 when he was busted by Uruguayan police with the drug still in his system and further in 2004 when the obese 20-stone legend suffered a heart attack allegedly brought on by a cocaine overdose. Maradona had retired in 1997 on his 37th Birthday and immediately descended into a coke-addled mess, his weight ballooning to unrecognizable levels before he began to overcome his cocaine addiction in 2005 together with a stomach stapling operation to control his weight.
Aside from his unrivalled on-pitch skills that led him to becoming the world’s most expensive player (twice) in the early 1980’s he first came to prominence away from his football skills for an incredible on-field brawl in the 1984 Spanish Cup final when chaos broke out between his Barcelona team and those of their rivals Athletic Bilbao after the match. Although by no means the only player whom erupted, Maradona was infamous spotted launching a series of karate kicks at anything that moved, his acrobatic attacks catching their targets on more than one occasion. It doesn’t need to be highlighted that this was also the period that the unhappy Argentine began experimenting with cocaina. After moving to Naples after Barcelona, El Diez reached the peak of his powers on the pitch but also began cavorting with the shadier elements of Neapolitan society off the pitch, namely the Mafioso-like Camorra. An investigation by the authorities into links with the Camorra’s drugs and prostitution rackets were only abandoned shortly before his 1991 failed test and his nocturnal activities around Naples were not innocent to say the least. A recent story emanating from the mouth of an incarcerated Mafia don was that the Camorra had even melted down his 1986 World Cup Golden Ball trophy in another example of the incredible community that Maradona immersed himself in. It was also whilst in Naples that one of El Diego’s many extramarital affairs resulted in the birth of a lovechild dubbed Diego Maradona Jnr in 1986. Maradona had always denied parentage of the child even though Italian Courts had ruled contrary in 1993 after the icon refused to undergo DNA tests. He is even on record as stating “my legitimate kids are Dalma and Giannina. The rest are a product of my money and my mistakes”. Although still not playing an active part in his son’s life to the present day (who now goes by the name Diego Sinagra and is a beach soccer player in his native Italy) he did meet the boy for the first time in 2003 when the youngster tricked his way onto an Italian golf course and confronted his absentee dad. His time in Italy would also have another consequence that he continues to fight to the present day, two decades after he ceased to work and live in the country. Italian authorities recently reported in March 2009 that the ex-Napoli hero owed the Italian government €37m in taxes and that so far he had only repaid €42,000, two luxury watches and a pair of earrings that were seized when he made a short visit to a clinic.
Always a target for the press for stories such as these and the fact that Diego himself would never shy away from a barbed comment on a wide range of topics, he took it a step further prior to the 1994 World Cup tournament when he confronted journalists camped by his property by firing an air-rifle at them, some of them reporting injuries to the police after being struck. Additionally in 2000, again irate at what he felt was an unnecessary intrusion into his life by the paparazzi, he attacked one such chancer by punching the photographer and then breaking his car window. Referring to his infamous “Hand of God” goal at the height of his athletic prowess, Diego commented in typical self-absolving style “if, in 1986, I said the goal against the English came from the ‘Hand of God’. Today I announce this broken glass comes from the ‘Hand of Reason’.” Maradona was again involved in a dubious incident with a member of the press on the day the then-Argentina manager announced his anticipated 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Making his way to the venue to make the announcement, the short-fused Diego seemingly hit a cameraman with his car and rather than apologizing or at least feigning concern as most decent people would, he immediately began launching a vicious verbal assault at the stricken man culminating in the epic retort “what an asshole you are! How can you put your leg there where it can get run over, man?!”. This outburst itself had only come a short while after his infamous and sordid rant during a press conference in the immediate aftermath of a climatic qualifying campaign where the normally resolute Argentines had struggled. Only mere minutes from being eliminated from the qualification spots for the World Cup, Maradona’s Argentina incredibly clinched a victory in their penultimate game against all odds and the dramatic reprieve sent the extrovert Diego into a crazed and wild spring town the touchline which culminated in a theatric “Klinsmann”-type dive on the waterlogged pitch. Clinching another victory to sneak into the World Cup a few days later Diego then shocked journalists and football bureaucrats the globe around by shouting at the press “to all you who did not believe in us, and I apologize to the women in here, you can suck it and keep sucking it”. Cue a fine and a ban from FIFA. Under threat from the game’s administrators and warned about his conduct at the game’s showpiece event, Maradona seemingly forgot this during another press conference after his team had satisfactorily defeated South Korea in their second group match. Theatrically hugging and kissing his players when celebrating on the touchline, when questioned about this Maradona replied in his customary manner; “Well I still prefer women. I am dating Veronica who is blond and 31-years-old. No I have not gone limp wristed”. Not his first reference to homosexuality, he issued a barbing retort to his constant nemesis Pele in 2009 after his Brazilian rival for the “greatest ever” title admonished him as a bad role model. Maradona outrageously and cheekily stated “what do you want me to say? He debuted with a lad”.
However, my personal favourite moment of the most outrageously outspoken but incredibly talented footballer of all time is his constant admonishing of the United States government in a way almost all other sports stars wouldn’t dare do. Maradona doesn’t care and feels passionately about many issues which always leads to fantastic outbursts, including nonchalantly referring to George Bush as a “murderer” to wearing a “Stop Bush Nazi” t-shirt with a Swastika on depicting the ex US president. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Diego Maradona, the greatest and craziest of them
The Madness of Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli. Enigma. Entertainer. Erratic. Crazy? If there is one thing guaranteed about the petulant Manchester City and Italy striker it is that he is worth his weight in gold to the tabloid press eager to capitalise on his entertaining curricular and extracurricular activities. The man is a tabloid dream. In this age of mass media, multiple social networks, glaring camera lens and scribbling journalists have all been caught up in the personality cult of the man nicknamed “Super Mario” and aged just 21 there appears to years of material to come. Modern football fans are unused to Footballing personalities with such an extraordinary output of comedic occurrences in this “safe” era of Public Relations and political correctness. The 1970’s and 80’s in particular was the era of the playboy footballer; George Best, Charlie Nicholas and Frank Worthington for example. Hard drinkers and serial womanisers who went about their business with a twinkle in the eye and the public’s affections.
Even the 90’s had characters at the top of the game who became loved, from the Gallic arrogance of Eric Cantona to the heart-on-the-sleeve man on the street attitude of Ian Wright. Today the players make too much money and have too much advisers around them to issue anything other than standard cliches more befitting of robots than the greatest sportsmen of their era’s. Where has the wit, arrogance and most importantly fun gone? PR has taken over. The perfect example of such image-awareness is the many instances of football autobiographies that tend to be released at the peak of a popular player’s career, for instance throughout the last decade serving England players including but not limited to Beckham, both Coles, Crouch, Rooney, Rio, Gerrard and Lampard. All were watered down books that offered nothing apart from an unimaginative biography of each player’s career void of any personal views or even input, concocted by a friendly journalist and a army of club lawyers.
But then we come to Mario. Where to begin? How a man has courted so much controversy so young is beyond me but in my opinion he is brilliant. Stupid, but brilliant. With undoubted talent as a youngster he probably first became known to fans in this country not for his promise but for first getting racially abused by as Italy’s first real black star and then for the increasing stories of his petulant behaviour under everyone’s favourite egomaniac Jose Mourinho. A match made in hell and a working relationship rockier than the Himalayas. Breaking point was reached towards the end of the 2010 season when first Mario committed the cardinal sin amongst football fans of praising their rivals. Not content with admitting he was a boyhood AC Milan fan, the enigmatic Inter striker was then shown on a popular Italian tv show parading around in a Milan top complete with his name and number on the back with a cheeky grin on his face. Only a month later he was booed off the field and threatened with physical harm by a group of fans after flinging his Inter shirt to the ground in disgust as he exited the field after the club’s Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona. In perhaps the most unsurprising event that summer, Mario was shipped of to Manchester City in a £24m deal in a move that has been worth it with comedic value alone.
August 2010 – It was only a week after his debut when the Balotelli circus crashed into the consciousness of his new home when driving to training his destroyed his £120,000 Audi R8 in a collision with a BMW. Having only just been shipped over from Milan, the car was left a complete write-off and astonished witnesses mentioned that the striker was lucky to be alive. Despite the severity of the crash, the striker turned up to training later that morning as though nothing had happened. Questioned by police who discovered him to be carrying £5,000 whilst passing through Manchester’s less desirable areas, his nonchalant reply as to the reason to be carrying such obscene and suspicious amounts of cash was “because I am rich”.
October 2010 – Detained by police, questioned and then sent on his way after he and his 17 year old brother were caught driving through the gates and into the yard of a woman’s prison in Italy in what was obviously a major breach of security. After being recognised by guards the excuse he gave was that he was “curious”.
December 2010 – Comically caught by the Sky camera’s turning up to a game vs Everton with a gigantic glove-like hat on his head before picking up the European Golden Boy Trophy later in the month. When questioned on prospective challengers and past winners, he egotistically blurted out “Who else would have won it other than me? There is only one who is a bit stronger than me – Messi. All of the others are way behind me”. When asked about English wonderkid Jack Wilshere he replied ““What’s he called? Wil …? No, I have not heard of him yet, but next time I play against Arsenal I will have to pay attention. Maybe I could show him the Golden Boy and remind him that I won it”
March 2011 – Shortly after half time in a European tie vs Dynamo Kiev Mario complained of swelling on his face and was immediately subsituted, claimed he was allergic to the grass. Although bringing derision from fans about how it is possible for a footballer to be allergic to the very surface he plays on, manager Roberto Mancini apparently confirmed he was allergic to certain types of grass.
March 2011 – A week later Mario becomes an internet viral celebrity after appearing to take minutes to put on a bib, a seemingly simple thing even toddlers can manage. after After becoming increasingly confused it took a member of the backroom staff to help Mario put it on. He then takes it off as he wants a blue one…which he again seems unable to put on forcing the backroom staff member again to help him out. Eventually Balotelli throws away the bib in a mixture of anger and bemusement. Balotelli then went out and inexplicably got sent off for a karate kick on Dynamo’s Goran Popov as Man City went out of Europe. Later that night he was allegedly caught on camera getting out of his car and confronting a group of Kiev fans whom were shouting abuse towards him. Fearless. or Stupidity.
March 2011 – Balotelli is fined £100,000 after being caught throwing darts at members of Man City’s Youth team from a first floor window at the club’s Carrington training base, failing to see the danger in such a stunt. His excuse was that he was apparently “bored”.
April 2011 – After winning the battle of Manchester in the Wembley FA Cup semi final and announcing City’s arrival at the top of English football, Balotelli is caught kissing his badge and winking provocatively towards United’s Rio Ferdinand who subsequently had to be kept away from the Italian. A mass brawl erupted after the game which resulted in Balotelli being shepherded away from the Manchester United players. He was criticised as an “embarrassment” by Sky Pundit Gary Neville but no doubt won the approval of the many Anti-United fans for his cheeky arrogance.
April 2011 – Ejected from the Rude Lap Dancing Bar in Liverpool after allegedly breaking the “no touching” rule Balotelli was seen stood toe-to-toe with five bouncers in a seemingly suicidal gesture of cockiness before being escorted away, not before one of the bouncers caused damage to his Maserati. The same month another story emerges that the striker regularly abandons the £100k Maserati outside Manchester restaurants and has run up around £10k in parking tickets as well as having the supercar impounded 27 times.
April 2011 – After a night out at Manchester’s 235 casino with Blackburn Rovers’ Christopher Samba, Mario won £25k and when outside gave £1k to a homeless man, something he apparently regularly does, confusing his bad boy reputation but nevertheless enhancing his overall bewildering attitude.
July 2011 – Received criticism from across the sport when he was substituted after only half an hour in the first half of a friendly against LA Galaxy after getting into a clear goal scoring opportunity and instead of scoring he showboated by attempting to backheel the ball into the net. Lambasted for being disrespectful from all sides he walked away from his angry manager Roberto Mancini who proceeded to follow him down the touchline whilst admonishing the striker for the absurdity of his backheel.
August 2011 – In an interview claims that whilst he has no problem with his team-mates he hates Manchester as a city, alienating him from a large section of his own fanbase. Admits he wants to move back to his home town of Brescia and perhaps even Milan.
October 2011 – Police and fire engines are called mere hours before the Manchester derby after Mario is forced to escape from his own house after fireworks were set of in the bathroom causing a fire. Police were called to control Balotelli after he reportedly ran back inside the burning property to retrieve cash and seemed reluctant to stay outside.
October 2011 – Incredibly, a few days after the fireworks incident Mario then becomes the face of Manchester’s firework safety campaign in the greatest act of irony. He is quoted as saying “It is important children should not mess with fireworks. They can be very dangerous if they are not used in the right way. People should follow the firework code”. Yes Mario…they should. Such as not setting them off out of their bathroom window.
Dec 2011 – In another act of on-field arrogance, scores nonchalantly with his shoulder vs Norwich again drawing criticism for disrespect.
Jan 2012 – Surprised college students at Xaverian College in Manchester by pulling up outside in his Bentley and walking into the premesis to use the toilet. After attending to nature, began talking to the students in the canteen before walking into the staffroom to talk to the bewildered members of staff. He was observed as walking around the school “like he owned the place” before leaving the starstruck pupils behind.
Whilst this lists his most prominent and famous incidents to date, as explored earlier there will be without doubt much more to come from a man who doesnt seem to be able to help himself. Common sense is not something that can be expected from a man whom, when seeing prostitute Jenny Thompson in a Manchester restaurant he began chanting “Rooney, Rooney, Rooney” at her in reference to her famous affair. Mario Balotelli is a very good footballer but he is a fantastic personality and I for one hope he stays on these shores for the remainder of his career. Pure theatre. As the chant goes…
“Ohhhh Balotelli, is a striker, he’s good at darts!
An allergy to grass but when he play’s he’s fucking class!
He drives around Moss Side with a wallet full of cash!!
Ooooooh Balotelli!”
Gary Speed; Leader, Captain, Legend.
“Gary Speed, Gary Speed, yn mynd a ni i Gwpan y Byd!”
That was the dream. Gary Speed is going to the World Cup with us, the Welsh fans sang. Gary Speed would be leading us to the cliched date with destiny as his Barmy Army looked to take their own Valley’s carnival to Rio. Thousands of fans flocking from God’s Country with our leader in front of us as we took on the very best the World had to throw at us. Was it a mere pipe dream with little chance of coming true? Probably. Yet the fact we were able to wistfully daydream about such things only 10 matches into Gary’s Welsh managerial career is evident of the impact his short reign had on the fans. We Believed. We Dreamed. Now we’re broken-hearted and in a nightmare.
Much has been written in the last 48 hours about Gary Speed, both about his personal character and his footballing ability. I struggle to recall another human being whom has received such unrepentant grief upon their passing. This is without doubt a prime example of not realising what you had until its gone, for Gary Speed’s death has unleashed a torrent of tears from everyone of us linked to his career, be it as fan or player. I’ve been in a daze since I received the text Sunday morning whilst in the pub before the Swansea vs Aston Villa game. “This isn’t true” I shouted and immediately went to twitter where these days seems to be the ultimate platform of breaking news. There it was. Wales Manager Gary Speed, dead at 42. How? Why? When? Then the eyes started watering and I had to stop reading momentarily. An Aston Villa fan got dragged out of the pub by police apparently and I never saw it. Dazed. Confused. Is it possible for a stranger to have this affect on me? I didn’t think it was. I’m not one for sentiment for those that know me.
I’ve had people I consider to be heroes pass away before, its a part of the growing up process it seems. Michael Jackson. Nate Dogg. Aaliyah. Yet whilst I respected such people and would express grief at their deaths, its different with Gary Speed. He doesn’t seem like a celebrity at all but rather just your local football coach, friend, even family member. One word being used to describe him is how “normal” he was in respect to the overpaid, spoilt footballers of the modern generation whom are not in touch with the local man. Any man that makes a football reporter break down and cry live on air like Bryn Law did must have been a special man. Any man that makes that colossus of a human in Big Bad John Hartson cry his eyes out in public over his friend must have been a special man.
I don’t really know where I’m going with this blog. Dan Walker of Football Focus began his tribute article on the BBC Website by mentioning that it was just a stream of his consciousness. I can relate. Everyone knows of Speed’s solid and under appreciated career for Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United. When a play has no ego and doesn’t put himself in the spotlight, it is easy to overlook just how great they were. Paul Scholes is another who has traditionally been overlooked in favour of more showy and PR-savvy players of a more mediocre talent.
I will end by saying I have three overriding memories of Gary Speed and his impact in my life. Again, due to the very nature of Speed and his character he was definitely taken for granted and as such it is sad his talent is only really being expose upon his passing. As a boyhood Newcastle fan it was Shearer or Asprilla I would get on the back of the tops but like all football teams the star is nothing without the true talent pulling the strings behind them. Think Claude Makelele at Real Madrid or the aforementioned Scholes. I remember loving Gary Speed because he was Welsh and I felt with him being at the Toon we had something in common. I remember the poster I had on my bed room wall, an A5 one which had Speed in all his pomp and glory in the infamous Black and White stripes with a Welsh flag in the bottom corner. I loved that Poster. The Welshman at Newcastle. Perhaps I thought I could one day emulate him, I don’t know.
From around 2000 to 2004 this was the period where I really began to support the Welsh team. And what a team we had, key word being TEAM and not individual star players. John Hartson, Paul Jones, Robbie Savage, Mark Delaney, Craig Bellamy and running the show our captain and leader Gary Speed. Solid professionals who got the job done. And get the job done we did. I was there when we beat Germany. I was there when we beat Italy. I was there when we drew to Argentina. We consistently destroyed your Azerbaijan’s, Kazakhstan’s and Belarus’s. What a halycon period. 72,000 fans for every home game, pride, passion, perseverance. Did Gary Speed miss friendlies, consider himself above playing against minnows in favour of a week off to go shopping? No. Some display patriotism with tattoo’s and photo opportunities, some put their all on the line out on the pitch.
Finally, not content with merely leading us on the pitch the man became our mentor, leader, inspiration on the sidelines. Gary Speed, Manager of Wales. It was perfect. It was ideal. It was natural. Again I’m not going to go into specific details about the game as its not important. What I will say is I was at the Wales vs England game in February this year in his second game in charge and we were shocking. A hangover from the previous regime. I was also present at Gary’s last two games of his career and indeed life. His 9th and 10th games in charge. We were fantastic. We played incredible football. We scored, we passed, we ran, we tackled, we entertained. This wasn’t Wales surely? But it was. Red Dragon on the chest and “Gary Speed’s Barmy Army” emanating from our throats in the stands. Without being a Welsh football fan and understanding how ridiculous we have been in general since god know’s when I am not a good enough writer to explain the optimism we were feeling about the future. Bale, Ramsey, Allen, Bellamy, Collison, Blake, Williams, Matthews, Taylor, Vokes. We had the right man to lead them, both professionally and personally.
I’m thankful that I got to grow up a fan of Newcastle who regularly watched and admired Gary Speed. He was present on my 13th birthday when my father took me and my friend to watch Newcastle play Blackburn. I was in awe at that game, the famous Newcastle and I was here to watch them! Given, Speed, Shearer, Barnes. Amazingly my first ever game I went to watch was as a 10 year old when we went to Highbury to watch Arsenal play Leeds. Gary Speed was also present in that game. How coincidental.
Now its gone. Maybe the dream will be kept alive in his honour but at the moment, its gone. Shattered. I don’t know what to say. I’m sad for his wife. I’m sad for his sons. I’m sad for his dad. I’m sad for his friends, team-mates, players, family, supporters. I’m sad for Gary Speed. I’m sad. Finally, another footballing hero of mine, Sir Bobby Robson, has finally found his captain in heaven.
History of Welsh Flags
As a nation with a long and storied past it is no surprise to discover that Wales has a myriad of flags, symbols and banners that represent the Country itself. Some are famous, some are forgotten and some are obscure yet all have intriguing origins and meanings. Today both Welsh people and those from other climes are all greatly aware of the national flag of Wales, “Y Ddraig Coch” (The Red Dragon). Yet what my experiences teach me is that very few are aware of the history of the flag or even the alternative Welsh flags we have flown throughout the history of our nation. With this in mind I have decided to provide you all with a rundown of the differing flags which at one time or another been raised in tribute to our small country in the hope of educating our future generations. After all to some flags are mere material, yet to others they are the embodiment of national identity and pride and are thus an important part of our history.
Y Ddraig Coch
When discussing flags of Wales, one must start with the most recognisable and famous banner the country possesses, “Y Ddraig Coch”. To many people, including the average Welshman, this is the only flag the nation has and many will be surprised to learn just how recent official recognition of a seemingly ageless flag was. Accepted as an official flag by the British Government only in 1959, the flag consists of a passant Red Dragon on a Green and White background, often considered a field. Although only just over 60years old, the flag and its significance has been felt by the Welsh people for centuries. The Red Dragon itself was thought to have been brought to these lands by the Romans but it’s first clear connection to Wales came with its involvement in the mysterious Welsh prophecies. Allegedly the Wizard Myrddin (commonly known as Merlin) told a story of an underground duel between a White Dragon and a Red one, the white beast representing the invading Saxon warriors whom were attempting to suppress the native Welsh people. Merlin allegedly prophesised that the White Dragon would dominate at first but would eventually succumb as the Red Dragon and thus the Welsh people would rise up and vanquish their enemy. This link between Merlin and the Red Dragon was further lend credence if not actual historical fact by the association of the Red Dragon as a flag symbol with the mythical Arthur, King of the Britons. What is not shrouded in historical cynicism is that the banner was definitely used by the Gwynedd King, Cadwaladr, whom has a reputation as one of the greatest Welsh leaders of the era.
With the symbol confirmed as a representation of the Welsh people it became further entrenched in the consciousness of a people when first Owain Glyndwr raised the so-called “Red Dragon of Cadwaladr” during his revolt against English rule and then his distant kinsman Henry Tudor won the English throne at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Henry was a Welshman whom invaded England via a Welsh-landing from France and had almost uncontested support from his people in his quest to conquer the English throne and end the dynastic Wars of the Roses. Henry had combined his Tudor livery colours of Green and White with the Red Dragon of Arthur, Merlin, Cadwaladr and Owain Glyndwr to create an iconic image and it was this banner which was carried triumphantly into St Paul’s Cathedral on Henry’s march through London. Even so, it remained half a millennia longer before the flag received official patronage from the British Government amidst pressure from Welsh nationalist groups. In 1959 one of the world’s most loved flags came into official existence and has since then been seen in possibly every part of the world as patriotic Welshmen always ensure they pack their flag with their luggage on their travels, never a group of people to pass up the opportunity to show off “Y Ddraig Coch”. Whether it is Rugby, Music or Politics, the Welsh flag is without doubt the most potent symbol of Welshness and national pride and is often viewed in every place possible. A visit to any shop in the country will unleash a torrent of products enshrined in the Red Dragon, from food goods to magnets and from teddy bears to clothes. For a nation so small, Y Ddraig Coch is a flag of enormous appeal and affection and held in high esteem by Welshman and outsider alike. As the only officially recognised flag to be flown from Governmental buildings within the country, it is without doubt the most widely seen flag representing the people of Wales.
The Flag of Saint David
England has the flag of St George whilst Scotland is proudly represented by the saltire of St Andrew, both of which are immediately recognisable around the globe as representative of the countries which use them. Together with the more obscure cross of St Patrick which represents Ireland the three flags make up the iconic yet controversial Union Jack flag. Therefore one could reasonably expect the national flag of Wales to be of the respective national saint, David, in keeping with local consistency. Yet the St David’s cross is a banner that has suffered from a lack of familiarity with those whom inhabit the country of David, let alone recognisable to those further afield. Aesthetically the flag constitutes a simple yet effective design of a yellow/gold cross on a black background, enabling it to stand out and be more effective than the dull-by-comparison St George’s cross. The flag itself has cropped up in a few public places in recent times as Welsh nationalism and national pride grows with each passing generation, eager to stamp their own identity on a crumbling British union. The flag has played a prominent part in marches and parades celebrating St David’s day every 1st March and was even featured temporarily as part of the club badge of Cardiff City Football Club in an overt display of their Welshness in an English-dominated scene. The St David’s cross was also used as the basis for two recent Rugby shirts that has probably increased awareness of the flag more than any other concerted campaign ever could. In 2008 the WRU released a Golden away jersey for the national Rugby team that featured the Flag imprinted on each arm together with a press release explaining how the shirt was inspired from the flag of St David. The other instance where the flag was used in sport was when Rugby League’s first Welsh franchise Crusaders RLFC used the entire flag as the basis for its first kit to again overtly display their heritage in a previously-English environment.
For a flag that is now arguably unrivalled as Wales’ second (unofficial) flag, the history is sketchy at best. The fledgling Church in Wales, of which the diocese of St David’s is an integral part, disestablished itself from the larger Church of England in 1920 and it seems that the flag was consequently flown atop Anglican churches in Wales to display their affiliation. Throughout the diocese’s under control of the Church of England the St George’s cross was readily flown above the constituent churches and around 1939 it seems that a flag was created from the historic St David armorial arms of a yellow cross on a black background…but reversed. Whilst the usage of the black cross on a yellow background as a flag seems to be solely used from 1939 to 1954 atop Church in Wales, the colours of yellow and black have always traditionally been linked with the Saint as highlighted by the aforementioned Armorial arms which still represent the diocese in the area. St David was devout Christian whom lived well and taught the new ways of Christianity to the pagan tribes of Wales from his monastery on the banks of the modern city which takes his name. As a famous and well-loved figure from Welsh history, indeed the only patron saint of the nation, the flag has in itself also taken on connotations of Welsh nationalism as briefly explored earlier and its visibility continues to grow throughout Wales.
The Church of Wales flag
Similar in meaning and source if not in design to the banner of St David, the Church of Wales flag is the official emblem in usage in Wales to differentiate the organisation from their neighbourly Church of England. Stylistically the flag consists of a Gold Celtic cross nestled on a blue cross and a white background. The flag was inaugurated in 1954 and was created to specifically replace the reversed St David’s flag mentioned above to represent the Church of Wales within their remit. Unlike the previous two this flag is arguably unknown amongst the vast majority of Welsh natives, especially in these days of low Church attendance. Theologically, the Church in Wales is part of the Anglican communion in Wales although in sharp contrast to its larger and dominating neighbour the Church of England it has retained an admirable disestablished stance since 1920. With a strong tradition of non-Conformist Christianity throughout Wales there was always a sense of Conflict towards the Church of England itself from the Welsh whom in particular felt marginalised and oppressed by Church policies. The Welsh church act of 1914 was thus passed amid controversy and the Church in Wales was legally separated from the Church of England which it remains to this day, the Welsh church being disestablished from the state whilst the Church of England remains inextricably linked. Today this flag is often found atop of Church in Wales properties although even then it competes with the local diocese flags, again resulting in lower recognition of a dazzling banner.
Glyndwr/Aberffraw Flag
Owain Glyndwr. Patriot. Hero. Freedom Fighter. Welshman. Every native Cymro is aware of the name Owain Glyndwr as he was the romantic hero who stood up in the face of oppression and took the fight back to the English whom had conquered and subdued the nation of Wales a century prior. Glyndwr had raised a rebellion in 1400 and within four years had crowned himself Prince of Wales and the inheritor of the defunct Welsh royal family. The royal kingdom’s of Wales prior to being rendered extinct under the might of the English crown had been a fractured bunch, varying Kingdoms rising to power for an intermittent period before being replaced or usurped by another. What helped Glyndwr win the loyalty of his men and to validate his claim to the throne was that he was descended from three of the main royal families and was thus the apparent personification of a true Welsh prince. The flag today widely known as the Glyndwr banner was in fact derived from the hereditary flag of the previous princes of Wales although Glyndwr’s version had one clear and aggressive difference. The flag of the native princes from the powerful Gwynedd-based House of Aberfraw consisted of four passant lions on a quartered red and gold background. One prominent user of the flag was Llewelyn the Great whom in 1216 was lauded as the Prince of Wales after gaining acceptance and homage from his rival rulers. The flag in itself had been utilised by the kinsmen of Llewelyn’s from at least the 11th century and was in all probability considered an official flag of Welsh royalty. The importance of this flag is such that after Edward I of England conquered the nation in 1282 and instilled his own eldest Caernarfon-born son as the Prince of Wales it was this flag that became the de-facto representative banner of these foreign Princes of Wales. Since 1911 this flag has again been utilised by the foreign Princes of Wales as their Coat of Arms before they succeed to the Crown of England. Prince Charles in the 1960’s began to use the Aberfraw banner with his heraldic coronet placed directly onto the middle of the flag as his representative banner and in 2008 the flag itself holds a prominent role in the official Royal Badge of Wales.
Perhaps because of its usurpation by the Royal Family of England as their own symbol of claim on the Welsh Kingdom, it is the aforementioned version of Glyndwr’s banner that has subsequently become a potent symbol of Welsh nationalism amidst Independence-related insignia. As mentioned above the Glyndwr flag has one major difference to the Aberfraw flag and that is that as opposed to being passant, the four lions are on their hind feet in an aggressive rampant pose. Although the real reasons for this are no longer evident, many experts in Heraldry point out that as per Glyndwr’s triple ancestry the rampant lions are evident in the respective arms of both his mother and father’s princely ancestors and combined with the colours and style of the Aberfraw flag create an ultimate Welsh flag. As a result of Glyndwr’s patronage of this flag in the last two decades it has increased in usage across the nation by proponents of a free Wales and can be seen in a myriad of places, arguably now the second most popular flag of the country and growing. Most Welsh sporting events will have a smattering of Glyndwr flags amongst the fans whilst such organisations as the Urdd Eisteddfod and Town Halls have been known to fly the flag particular around 16th September, a date put forward by Welsh nationalists as a candidate for Glyndwr day. As political symbol’s go, the message behind the Glyndwr banner is a clear one. An independent Wales.
Golden Dragon
Whilst the above flag of Glyndwr’s has become widespread in modern times, it was the Golden Dragon that Glyndwr famously raised in his battles against the English armies. Near Caernarfon on 2nd November 1401 Glyndwr’s forces were positioned on Tut Hill when Glyndwr raised up the legendary Golden Dragon flag in defiance of English rule, best encapsulated by the domineering fortified Castle which lay before them. The Flag itself was essentially as its name suggests, a Golden Dragon in a rampant pose which in Welsh was referred to as Baner Y Ddraig Aur. Although obscure by today’s standards and only known by fervent nationalists with an active interest in history, this would have been considered Glyndwr’s premier flag at the start of his rebellion and certainly carried a plethora of overt symbolism. A previous Prince of Gwynedd whom Glyndwr was seeking to replicate in his actions was Owain Gwynedd whom was associated by Welsh bards with Golden Dragons and although a reputable link by Glyndwr it was from a different kind of Leader that Glyndwr was seeking to really exploit. Since the turn on the 11th Century the legends of the Ancient Briton King Arthur were never far from Heraldic poetry within Wales as the bards prophesised about a new leader to take up Arthur’s mantle and banish the invaders from the lands of the Britons. In the intervening period the Britons had become identified as the Welsh whilst the Saxon’s and Normans were gradually melting into an English race. The Welsh people often fantasised about the Mabdarogan or Son of Prophecy who would fulfil the bards predictions and free the people. It was no surprise for Glyndwr, scion of three Royal Families, to find himself cast in this role and much like his later distant kinsman Henry Tudor embraced this development by encouraging the link. The Golden Dragon was the standard that was linked to the ancient Briton warrior Uther Pendragon whom would be better remembered in history as the father of Arthur. In the early Welsh language the translation of Dragon was (and in fact still is) “Draig”, and this was a word that was considered to mean a Warrior. With the epithet “Pen” meaning Chief or Great often added to Ddraig to suggest a great or chiefly Warrior the status of Uther Pendragon is in little doubt. Thus a banner that displayed both Glyndwr’s heritage, prophecy and hopes found itself immortalised in the guise of a Golden Dragon.
Welsh Republican Tricolour
A flag in which not only is its design but also its intended meaning illustrated in the accepted name of the flag, the Welsh Republican Tricolour is a minor flag that has caught on with a subsector Welsh Nationalists whom wish to display their antipathy towards the English Monarchy through Republican motives. With legitimate native Princes extinct with the downfall of Llewelyn the Last in 1282 and Glyndwr’s mysterious disappearance at the start of the 15th century, Wales herself doesn’t have a realistic pretender to a Welsh throne and therein lies the dilemma for modern nationalists. Should the nation gain independence the new, forward-thinking entity it will become will surely not revert to a form of State-ship that has long been considered outdated. Welsh republicanism therefore has a credible basis from which it has slowly began to grow and has been further emboldened by ancient Celtic ties to Ireland where of course Republicanism has been a core concept throughout the 20th century. Based on the Irish and French designs, the Welsh tricolour is a simple design using the already-established national colours of Green, Red and White and sometimes appears with a Socialist/Communist star on the white section to display further political motives. The star has also been stated to denote a memorandum to all those patriots that have died for Wales. The flag itself was used by the Welsh Republican Movement that seceded from the mainstream Plaid Cymru in 1949 in an internal dispute over policy. The Republicans believe that more should have been done with regards to Socialism within the nation as opposed to rural affairs and the Welsh language and aimed to become a major party. Although fervent in its ideals the party failed to catch the support of the general public and faded from national consciousness in the 1960’s although the flag they conceived continues to be occasionally spotted, in particular in the new modern world of the Internet and in that arena of nationalism, the sporting event.
Yr Eryr Wen
The “Eryr Wen” flag was a flag that first came to prominence in the 1960’s with the rise of violent nationalism in Wales through the advent of the Free Wales Army. Translating as the White Eagle, the dramatic flag consists of a stylised and simple design purporting to the be the White Eagle on a ominous black background. The flag’s connotations were subtle and therein lay the attractiveness of the flag. The black background was used to put the full focus on the white eagle design which was said to carry two meanings. The aforementioned Owain Gwynedd, as well as being linked to Golden Dragon’s by the bards, was attributed a coat of arms that consisted of three eagles whom were displayed with their wings spread wide on a green background. Owain I of Wales is considered by historians and nationalists alike as one of the greatest Welsh princes and his wars with the English King Henry II are still fondly remembered by Wales’ patriots and no doubt the corrupting of his coat of arms into a modern white stylised design was a way for the members of the Free Wales Army to display their objectives. The FWA were created by Julian Cayo-Evans in 1963 and were created to raise awareness of the fight for Welsh republicanism, their lust for self-promotion gaining them much publicity in an era of Celtic reawakening. The flag began to be prominently displayed by the followers of the FWA and was used and is still used by those of a Nationalist mentality to display their political viewpoint and is instantly recognisable to other comrade’s of a similar outlook. Whilst the FWA themselves were rendered extinct with a plethora of arrests and convictions in the late 60’s the flag is still seen by other individuals purporting to be taking up the mantle of Welsh resistance to Colonial British rule and as well as flags can be seen on badges and graffiti occasionally in rural Wales.
Why I’m Welsh Not British
Many times people often ask me to clarify myself on certain statements I utter, whether the claims are made in person or through the modern medium of Social Media. Whilst the majority of people tend to be laid back in most aspects of life, merely sitting on the fence is not something that is built into my being. I passionately believe in a myriad of campaigns or causes and find it hard to turn my head nonchalantly away without a care in the world. Having an opinion matters, even an opinion that some might consider outdated, offensive, controversial or ridiculous. It is such people that create talking points and stop the world from being merely a uniformed mass of conformist robots.
For those that know me, the issue that often crops up is my firm stance on the rejection of “being British”. I live in a state that collectively titles itself the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. This is a legal fact, documented by the residual powers of the island. I possess a British passport in an overt expression of enforced-Britishness on the holder, once again a legal fact. I was born on 14th November 1985 and since I took my first breath in Morriston Hospital in Swansea I have been TOLD I am British by documents if not verbally. Am I allowed to reject this? Do I have a case at all? Without creating a fuss and offending the easily offended… it seems not. Yet I do reject this. People can bleat all they want about how I am British because the state say so, the simple fact is that a person has the power to self-identify as they wish. We are born free human beings, free of the shackles of slavery and oppression from others. I am Welsh. Call me anti-British or anti-English all you want, the view I take is I’m pro-Wales. I love visiting London and I enjoy the company of English friends. I love Scottish history and learning about Robert the Bruce for example, but I’m not British or English or Scottish. Wales is my concern since, in case you haven’t realised by now, I am Welsh. This is my self-identification and opinions of others are irrelevant. Yet I hear you ask, what is so wrong with being British and why aren’t you content to be considered a Great Briton like so many others before you? Where to start?
What is it to be British? Who are the modern day British? Anyone with a decent grasp of history knows that the native peoples of large sections of these islands, the Britons, were the modern day Welsh and even spoke a Brythonic language that was the forerunner of Welsh. These “Welsh-Britons” inhabited modern day Wales, most of England and the Scottish lowlands before constant conquests by invading forces pushed the Britons back to a small western section of the island. Therefore surely this historical account is accreditation enough that I should be proud to be British, the forerunner of Wales and her people? Well, no. Let’s look at what Britain means in its current guise for the word has been usurped. The etymology of the word is that Great Britain constitutes the historic and different nations of Wales, England and Scotland in a cumulative and combined political alliance. The creation of this “Britain” occurred when the independent Kingdom of England (and its conquered and thus annexed colony of Wales) entered a union with the equally independent Kingdom of Scotland, in practice with the ascension of the Stuart dynasty to the English crown in the early 17th century and officially with the Union of the Crown’s a century later. This was further complicated by the inclusion of Ireland and then Northern Ireland in the official usage although the term Britain and British still refers to the mainland itself. England and Scotland thus ceased to exist and independent, self ruling nations and became the Goliath “Great Britain” in an era where collective Imperialism meant power. Wales of course had lost her self determination in 1282 after it was battered into submission by its larger and stronger neighbour. Due to this political manoeuvring and rebranding the English, Scottish and Welsh thus became “British”. So with that quick history lesson done, it instantly shows my first reservation about being lumbered with the concept of Britishness regarding self-identity. Britain came into official existence in 1707 whilst the Welsh nation both as a people and as a country predated the manufactured statehood of Britain by at least a millennia. I have traced my family tree on my mother’s side as far back as reasonably possible and have gotten back to the very time the British union was created. The Griffith’s family of Talley were farmers and it is absurd to think that one day they woke up and ceased to be Welsh and suddenly became British with a sudden pride and affiliation not only to their kin in Wales but also to strangers 500miles away across a land they had never ventured. Welsh is what I identify with, this is my roots, this is my country and this is my nationality regardless of what anyone wishes to state to the contrary. Why would I want to be British (which also includes the Scottish and English whom are different peoples with similar-yet-distant characteristics) when my people and the people I identify with are from Swansea, Llandovery, and Aberystwyth and not London, Aberdeen or Newcastle. Where does one stop…are we all now European only due to bureaucratic insistence from Brussels? It should be noted that the union was met with vicious derision from both Scottish and English peoples and was initially a hostile merger amongst vociferous opposition. Hardly the will of the people.
Of course a major feeling of anti-Britishness has festered within myself due to a feeling of my Welsh compatriots being ostracised and sidelined by the ruling establishment in London. How can I be expected to be proud and patriotic towards “British” events in parts of the state that don’t concern me whilst ignoring what I personally feel are vicious acts of oppression against the very people from whom I am descended and live amongst? How can I throw my weight behind an institution that has gleefully raped my small, helpless country of its natural resources, leaving behind mass unemployment, crumbling communities and broken hearts once they had satisfied their capitalist needs. We all know the true price of Coal and the hundreds of men whom perished whilst filling the coffers of the self-styled British Government. What about the lesser known plundering of Welsh water, sinking communities in order to create reservoirs to supply English cities with drinking water with no thought to the destruction caused to rural lives? Cofiwch Dryweryn. Remember Tryweryn. How about the attempted destruction of the Welsh language and Culture by the biggest proponents of the “British” way of the life, the Victorians. At the height of the British Empire in all its pomp and glory the usage of Welsh was frowned upon and embarrassing for a world power attempting to force English on its colonies around the globe. This was perhaps best illustrated by the implementation of the “Welsh Not”, a device used in schools to eradicate and discourage the speaking of Welsh under the threat of physical harm from teachers. The Welsh people are not even represented on the Union Flag, the official banner for which purports to represent the so-called British people of this island. Am I supposed to gleefully wave a rag which symbolism notwithstanding, has no representation of me on it? A rag that was the symbol of oppression, imperialism and slavery for centuries and a rag which is currently the darling of the far-right movement? I think not.
How about the repugnant way in which the all-encompassing idea of Britishness is constantly forced upon the people that are unlucky enough to come under its ridiculous guise? When the very idea of a British identity was being crafted in the 18th Century it superimposed itself over the existing identities that had been cultivated on this island for hundreds of years previously. It says something about the resilience of the individual cultures of the English, Scots and Welsh that they are still visible amongst the overpowering enforcement of Britishness on the people. Renowned Welsh politician Gwynfor Evans once state “Britishness is a political synonym for Englishness which extends English culture over the Scots, Welsh and the Irish” and I have to agree. Whilst Scottish people then may have felt endearment to the term British due to allowing them an even keel in a wider context and some Welsh feeling affection for a term that is derived from the historic name of the Welsh people, to the majority of the English people both past and present “British” and “English” are interchangeable and this no doubt alienates vast swathes of the alliance. Once again, why do I wish to be inextricably linked with a people whom do not represent me both in outlook, attitude or ethnicity (the Welsh side naturally). I am not English. Why do I want to claim to be, or Scottish for that matter? A Scottish victory in anything is not a Welsh victory simple because of the term “British”. Equally, why should a Welsh victory be shared with others whom have no affiliation whatsoever to the victor simple because of this all-encompassing term “British”. When I watch the Olympics I do not support the British Olympic team. I feel no affiliation to them whatsoever. I will on individual Welsh athletes in a similar way I will on individual Welsh players in the British and Irish Lions rugby team but I do not feel any sense of affection for the brand they are forced to represent for no other eligible option. I refer to an earlier point, I do not celebrate a Spanish World Cup victory simply because they are fellow European union members and we are all European citizens. The same logic applies. This imposition of a manufactured state has parallels with other similar creations in recent history however much proud British citizens may protest. The Soviet Union was a nation that was created out of the spoils of World War I whereby ethnic Ukrainians, Moldovans, Kazakh’s and Estonians to name but a few were forced into an alliance whereby their own national identities were ignored in favour of the new super nation. Their passports and state papers may have announced them to be Soviet, but the people themselves would self identify as Ukrainian or whatever the case may be. The Soviet Union fell and traditional national pride and identity resumed. This will happen to Great Britain sooner rather than later as 300 years of enforced Britishness has still not led to the individual affections being diluted and replaced.
What about reputation on a global scale? The British as a state are amongst one of the most despised states in the World, their actions both historically and presently building up a strong feeling of anti-British sentiment. Why? Foreign Policy. The British Empire may have unleashed the age of industrialisation on an unsuspecting world and in the process evolving Human’s capacities beyond all expectations but the way they conquered countries to use up their resources remains a sore issue. South Africa, United States, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Ireland etc are just a number of countries that had their issues with colonisation by a British force. Many of the world’s current conflict zones are a direct consequence of British involvement. Palestine and Kashmir spring to mind. The modern age also has brought with it British armed force in a myriad of nations such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. The reasons they are there is irrelevant, the fact they are however creates an anti-British sentiment that endures across the world and is even directly responsible for bringing terror to the streets of this country in revenge attacks. The IRA brought their campaign to the British mainland during their operational years but tellingly never attacked Wales. We were not the target, England was. However, does a fundamentalist based halfway around the world understand the nuances of the separate nations within the British union? Why should Wales be potentially bloodied for the actions of a London-centric government? I do not want my name linked to the string of offences, even war crimes some might say, committed across the world in the last three centuries and possibly for many more to come. How anyone can be proud of a country that merely acts as a stooge of the United States is beyond me and this is another reason for a distinct lack of affection to being “British”. If Britain’s foreign policy is something to be ashamed of then I don’t possess the vocabulary to adequately capture the actions of the United States. What I do know is that the “Special Relationship” lowers Britain’s standing even more. Some view Britain as a country full of Hugh Grant-bumbling fools whom enjoy tea, prudish morality and waving Union Jack’s at the Proms and Royal Weddings. Others view Britain as a dominating war machine eating up the cultures of others in an attempt to impose its own agenda and ways on the world. Both are simplified stereotypes that belie the true picture but even so, I will be Welsh not British until the day I die and for this I make no apologies.
An Open Letter of Thanks to the Welsh Rugby World Cup Squad of 2011.
To our Warriors in Red,
As individual men whom have grown up in various towns and villages throughout our pleasant nation, each and every one of you will be aware of how the powerful yet graceful, simple but strategic game of rugby features highly in our collective psyche. We are a proud yet small nation for whom the chance to support our nation in the national sport is a rare chance for us to compete on an even keel with larger opposition, most of whom tend to be more dominating and imposing in matters of culture and economy. Rugby is Wales’ outlet to impose OUR culture and style on others as opposed to having theirs forced on us.
A story jumps to mind from a documentary I saw on the BBC post-2008 Grand Slam where it was mentioned that in order to entice Warren to take over the reins of the hottest job in Welsh sport he was flown over the Valley’s and couldn’t believe the plethora of rugby pitches that littered the Valley floor. Mile after Mile, Pitch after Pitch. Even from another similar Rugby nation in New Zealand, the sight was an incredible one for Mr Gatland. Maybe Warren could confirm this, but even if the story transpires to be mere media invention the point behind the tale remains relevant… South Wales in particular is a Rugby Kingdom. Let the RFU of Twickenham preach whatever they must in their public school accents, us Son’s of Wales know where the true home of Rugby is.
We have a good reputation in the standing of the world game for our illustrious history yet genuine success has always eluded us. We follow up individual spurts of domestic success with capitulation the year after. If there was a World Cup in the 1970’s then Wales may have a title to their name but alas, there wasn’t and therefore we don’t. World Cups have tended to come and go in a blur of underachievement and controversy. The promise is always clear, the actual practice lacking. When the inevitably embarrassing and heart wrenching defeats come during the World Cup’s, unlike the English whom seemingly enjoy unleashing their anger and rage in a myriad of directions we Welsh fans just skulk away and deal with our pain in a way we deal with Family deaths. We sink into ourselves, our eyes fill with tear, our stomach begins to churn and our hearts yearn for success.
But that was then. And this is now. For all those whom have grown disillusioned with constant underachieving during Rugby World Cups we have been suddenly and some might say surprisingly blessed with an abundance of success in the guise of you, the 2011 Welsh rugby World Cup squad. We watched as you departed to New Zealand with the usual fanfare to face a group made up of certain teams for whom many of us felt weighed down with the pressure of history. Yet you accepted the challenge and met it head on, a brave and almost successful battle against the reigning World Champions before dispatching decades of painful memories swiftly with victories of Fiji and Samoa. You moved onto the Quarter Finals and won, comprehensively and comfortably, against an Irish side many felt would dispatch us with the advantage of Experience. The Semi final loomed on us, an epic date with destiny versus France that had our country on edge for the longest week in our lives. Longer even than the 2005 wait for the Grand Slam decider vs Ireland. How must you have managed during that week? There was no outrageous partying; there was no scandalous behaviour in public; there was no arguments or brawls between squad members and there was no other negative actions. You were all business. You treated your adoring support with respect and humility and have given us belief in ourselves and belief in you. In an age of escalating disassociation between the public and sporting superstars you have remained by our side. Rather than arrogantly dismiss the incredible levels of support back home in the run up to the Semi Final you acknowledged with a degree of incredulity how closely you were being followed. You took to the press conferences and your twitter’s to thank us personally. Small things such as the tip of your hat to the fans means everything to us. You stared down the French with the support of 2.9 million people and in difficult circumstances gave it your all. You didnt dwell on the controversial decision, you didnt shy away. You took it in your stride and did all you could to carry us over the finish line but alas, it was not meant to be.
We will welcome you home as heroes. This is what you are. Through all the heartbreak, lows and downfalls the Welsh public have suffered in our lives supporting you from the terraces we have never been as optimistic or proud as we are now. You have performed with incredible talent and style, impressing all whom have viewed us. To do so in a way that extols youthful exuberance with the touch of humility is incredible and capable of moving even the toughest of old school, cauliflower-eared props from bygone eras. To honorary Welshmen Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards, the part you have played in the rebranding of Welsh rugby as not only talented but more importantly winners cannot be understated. Your position in the pantheon of Welsh sporting heroes was safe with the incredible 2008 Grand Slam campaign however with the creation of such a promising young collective you have ensure a rapturous applause whenever you should return to the confines of the Millennium Stadium.
Whilst I cautiously instil a word of warning not to revert to old and undo all the good work as previous generations have in recent years by losing focus off the pitch, nothing I or others have seen during this competition suggests this will be the case. You have been a credit to your country both professionally and personally and a credit to yourselves. You are not merely a rugby team but the personification of the Nation itself and have made every Welshman once again happy to stand up in the face of the world and say “I’m Welsh”.
Yours Sincerely
The Welsh Public.
