Bring on the Battle
» Bale’s boys targeting England after 2-0 defeat » Red Wall army insist victory could be theirs
WALES face a Battle of Britain against England on Tuesday in their bid for World Cup glory.
It comes after yesterday’s 2-0 defeat for Rob Page’s team as Iran bounced back from their opening 6-2 thrashing by England.
It means Wales must beat England to stand any chance of going through to the last 16 – but fans at the stadium in Qatar remained upbeat.
Xavier Burns, 12, of Roath, Cardiff, who was with dad Leon, 43, said: “We can still do it. There’s always a chance in football. It will be difficult to beat England, but it’s possible. With Gareth Bale in your team you’ve always got a chance.”
Amanda Nolan, 50, an emergency worker, and Anton Davies, 51, a paint company boss, flew in from Dubai.
Amanda said: “In Gareth we trust. We can still do this.”
Anton added: “Beating England is not impossible. Let’s see what happens next week. We still believe.”
Ground worker Gareth Newell, 39, of Rhymney, South Wales, was one of the Red Wall of 6,000 in the crowd of 40,875 in Ahmad bin Ali Stadium yesterday, outnumbered five to one by nearly 30,000 Iranian fans.
He said his country needs a footballing miracle now, but added: “We’ve pulled it off before against the big teams, including Belgium.”
His friend Craig Gabb, 40, also a ground worker, added: “Maybe that’s what happens when you wait 64 years to play in a World Cup. I don’t know if the heat or early kick-off made a difference.” His son Mitchell, 16, said: “It’s been a great experience but that was hard to take.”
Det Insp Paula Williams of South
Wales Police, in Qatar as a spectator engagement officer, paid tribute to Welsh fans, saying: “There’s not been one single issue with them, not one arrest, not one anti-social behaviour incident. They’re just happy to be at a World Cup. The way the Welsh sing their anthem is something to behold. It makes us all proud to be Welsh.”
Skipper Gareth Bale became Wales’s most capped men’s player against Iran with his 110th appearance, overtaking sub Chris Gunter.
Pupils across Wales were given free time to watch in class, hoping for a win. But it was not to be, with the side down to 10 men as goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off in the 83rd minute.
Wales return to the same stadium at 7pm on Tuesday to face England, who they have not beaten since 1984.
There was further misery yesterday as their official fans’ band the Barry Horns had to ditch their brass instruments to be let into the stadium, despite their attendance organised by the Football Association of Wales and sanctioned by FIFA.
The band, who perform at home and away matches, got a Welsh Government grant to attend Qatar as fan ambassadors.
Founding member Fez said: “They also scanned our T-shirts, seemingly worried we were making a political statement.” Band member Tomos Williams added: “It was devastating.”
But FAW ambassador Laura McAllister got one victory for the nation when she was allowed into the venue wearing her rainbow hat – which she had been ordered to remove before Monday’s 1-1 draw with the US.
Laura, a professor of politics at Cardiff University who played 25 times for her country, said: “If anything, by trying to suppress us they’ve given us a greater platform.”
The FAW had contacted authorities to ensure their fans could wear rainbow hats. It said: “We remain with the belief that football is for everyone.” It came after European teams including Germany, England and Wales ditched plans to wear OneLove antidiscrimination armbands due to the threat of sporting sanctions from FIFA.
Laura’s friend Jon Bettinson, 52, a civil servant from Cardiff, wore a rainbow scarf and wristband.
He said the pair congratulated Iranian fans for their civil rights demonstrations at the ground. Several were led away by police as they made a stand against their own Government.
It came after Iran’s players refused to sing their national anthem ahead of their game against England on Monday. When some of the Iran team sang yesterday, they were jeered by large sections of the crowd.
Images of female Iran fans in tears flashed up on screens in the ground, amid protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, arrested in Tehran for dressing “‘inappropriately”.
We can still do it. With Gareth Bale on your team you’ve always got a chance
XAVIER BURNS, 12 WALES FAN WATCHING IN QATAR WITH DAD