IN MY VIEW
MATT SOUTHCOMBE
football fans have been in expressing their views, as is their right, the problem with social media is that it can quite easily create the notion that the voice of the vocal minority represents the view of the majority.
‘Anyone but England’ and ‘I know no-one who wants them to win’ is the claim put forward.
Of course, that is not the case. For a number of valid reasons, there are people in Wales cheering on England in their quest for World Cup success.
Supporting English club teams
Many football followers this side of the border are fans of Premier League teams and, as such, are keen to see players from their club do well on the world stage.
A Manchester United fan from Brecon, for example, may be inclined to support the Three Lions as a consequence of wanting Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford to have a good summer.
Tottenham fans don’t want to see Harry Kane flop, Liverpool supporters are keen to see their skipper Jordan
A more likeable England regime
England’s cause this time has also been helped by the fact there is clearly far more warmth to Gareth Southgate’s current crop. Their fresh approach and openness so far has been well-documented.
The players have developed a good rapport with the media – inviting them to play darts after press conferences, etc – and articles like the disarmingly-honest one Raheem Sterling published in The Players’ Tribune make them a group you can identify with more than past regimes.
Maybe England have actually taken a leaf out of Wales’ book. Gareth Bale, his team-mates and their travelling fans enchanted a continent with their exploits on and off the field at the Euros. England, by contrast, were a complete turn-off with their football and their demeanour.
Willing to put the rivalry aside
This new-found likeability under Southgate, coupled with the fact that the coverage on free-to-air TV has been pretty much wall-to-wall, means that the more casual football fan may be more inclined to support the neighbours. The World Cup, like the Olympics, draws in greater interest.
There are those who are simply willing to put the rivalry to one side, given that England are the only home nation in the tournament.
The Three Lions definitely have backing from this side of the border. Whether that is the majority, or the minority, I guess no-one can know for certain.
THE REASONS FOR NOT SUPPORTING ENGLAND IF YOU’RE WELSH
Wales-England rivalry does exist and transcends beyond football.
Across a number of sports, England boast a superior player pool and far better resources than Wales and other nations. Many revel in their failures because of that.
And even if this was simply limited to the round-ball game, it’s a fixture that originated in 1879, with Wales winning just 14 of the 101 matches that have taken place since.
Since the last Home Internationals fixture in 1984, the two countries have met just five times – and England have won the lot.
Rivalry alive and kicking
That may lead to folk of a certain