Tanni Grey-Thompson Incredible and cruel, the reality of sporting world T

HIS has been an up and down week for Welsh Football. Last week they won their match against Finland but this week lost against Poland, which means they are not going to qualify for the Euros.

Being able to qualify would have been incredible, not just because of the monetary contribution it would bring in to the game but because of how it would lift the sport.

I grew up in Wales in a time that it was dominated by rugby, but all that is changing.

I was lucky enough to go to both games and we all knew, while the first win was crucial, the second game was going to be tougher, and it was.

Nil-nil at full time, 30 mins of extra time and then penalties – Poland won 5-4.

It is such a brutal way to lose but an incredible way to win.

I won’t begin to pretend that I know that much about football. It doesn’t help that when I watch team ball sports I watch the ball not the game.

That generally means that I haven’t got a clue about what is going on.

I went to watch a women’s rugby game last Saturday with a friend who played rugby at a high level. I was constantly surprised by some of the kicks and how they found their way to the team-mates.

My husband pointed out (and my friend agreed) that was why I was not very good at ball sports. I just have no idea where the people are.

I have to say that the atmosphere was incredible and there is nothing quite like the national anthem.

The translation of the title is “Land of my Fathers”. The first verse includes some words on being a land of signers and poets and then the

It doesn’t help that when I watch team ball sports I watch the ball not the game.

final line of the first verse is about shedding our blood for freedom.

It is pretty powerful stuff.

I was incredibly lucky back in 2005 and I was asked to lead the Welsh rugby team out against England, and I couldn’t get through the first line without crying. At the football there wasn’t a band or a choir, as usually happens at the rugby, we were just led in to it by a couple of bars, and then the supporters just carried on.

What felt more unusual in that when the team was huddled together before the extra time that the crowd starting spontaneously singing it.

In the end it didn’t help, but we all had an amazing time willing them on.