For many years, seeing Wales take part in a World Cup for the first time since 1958 felt like an unachievable dream for football fans in this country.
Tournament after tournament we’d watch on enviously as other countries got to not only show off their footballing talents on the global stage, but also put themselves on the map as individual nations.
How much did people really know about Cameroon before Italia 90? The newly-formed Croatia made everyone take notice of their red and white chequerboard colours as they made the semi finals at France 1998, while the passion of numerous South American teams’ supporters always gives us a brilliant insight into their nations’ personalities.
Wales’ qualification for Qatar gave Cymru the chance to show what we’re made of. Yma O Hyd.
Ok, so the tournament didn’t quite go to plan on the pitch, but the impact of just being there was immense.
Here, Owain Morris – Service Design Officer, and Dan Jardine – Digital Communications Officer: Social Media Lead, tell us about their experiences as part of the Red Wall who made the trip across to the sands of Qatar...
Owain: “Having supported Wales at home and away games for years, being there to support at the World Cup was a fantastic experience! It was another great example of sport putting Wales firmly on the map as a result of the global audience that was there, in-person, or watching on TV. Because the tournament was held in one city, rather than across a whole country, which is usually the case, there was constant mixing with fans from across the world!
“There was maximum exposure for Wales, as well as for the Welsh language and culture. There were so many conversations where people wanted to learn about Wales.
“Just from our group’s experience, there were examples of explaining to people from South America about where in the UK Wales is, teaching Welsh phrases to a taxi driver from Pakistan, singing Yma o Hyd with the World Cup marshals, singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, on request, to Argentinian fans, and shirt swaps with fans from Brazil and Japan!
“It certainly was an opportunity to teach the world about Wales. The fact that one of the stewards outside the stadium said “Wales is in our heart” as we left the last game suggests the Red Wall left its mark in Doha!”
Dan: “Despite the fact that Owain and I have followed Wales away in all sorts of countries, watching Wales at a World Cup felt alien to us and it didn't seem real until we were all blasting 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' under the Arabian sun.
Regardless of the performances on the pitch, Wales certainly made a lasting impression in Doha and around the globe. Based on how many bucket hats we saw in the souk, on the metro, and in the bars every day, we were the best-supported team out there, alongside Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil!
As we rode the metro to the stadium, songs like ‘Oes Gafr Eto’ and ‘Hen Fenyw fach Cidweli’ were sung by all the riders. We even stayed to thank the boys for their effort in getting us to this very special tournament. Some of you may have seen but even Chris Gunter came to join us in the stands to top off an unforgettable trip!