Wales Euro dream lights up big screen
A STUNNING film of Wales’ Euro 2016 heroics that opened this week should be compulsory viewing for England’s under-achieving footballers.
Don’t Take Me Home, which had its premiere in Leicester Square, graphically conveys the togetherness throughout the Welsh squad and backroom staff that was so utterly absent from England’s woeful performances in France.
Wales manager Chris Coleman, who was accompanied by a number of his players, introduced the film, by saying: ‘Talent is not enough, the icing on the cake is the mentality.’
The open- door attitude of the Welsh at their base in Brittany, embracing the Euro adventure as a unit and bonding with their fans, came across vividly in behind-the-scenes footage that included the squad’s delirious reaction to England’s humiliating defeat by Iceland.
The Welsh approach was a stark contrast to the permanent guards on the door at England’s hotel base in Chantilly and the unwelcome feeling epitomised by the snarling presence of assistant coach Gary Neville with his ‘ don’t give them anything’ approach to the media — which the FA have promised to change. Memorable moments in the film include 5 Live football correspondent Jon Murray predicting a Belgium victory just before the start of the quarter-final won by Wales and Coleman asking Gareth Bale on the open-top bus whether he had seen anything like the Cardiff homecoming reception. Bale replied, ‘Yes’, having won the Champions League with Real Madrid a few weeks earlier.
LIVERPOOL’S appointment of Peter Moore, of gaming giant Electronic Arts, as their new chief executive was officially confirmed at 10.15pm on Monday following Liverpool’s defeat at Leicester — as if the club wanted to bury a major announcement. The club say it was due to US stock market requirements. The choice of Moore is a further sign of Premier League clubs increasingly looking outside the sport for CEOs, with the game becoming such big business.
TROUBLED British Cycling are likely to combat allegations of fostering a sexist culture by appointing a female chief executive to replace Ian Drake. And top of the short list is Sally Munday (right), CEO of England Hockey.