The
Wales national football team represents Wales
in
international men's football. It is controlled by
the
Football Association
of Wales, the governing body for football in Wales and the
third oldest national football association in the world. The team
has not qualified for a major international tournament since 1958,
when it qualified for the
1958 FIFA
World Cup. Wales did however progress through
UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying to the
Quarter-Final which was played on a home and away leg basis.
Although
part of the United
Kingdom
, Wales has always had its own representative side
that plays in all the major professional tournaments, though not in
the Olympic Games as the IOC
only recognises the United Kingdom.
Wales were placed in Group 4 for
qualification for the
2010 FIFA World Cup alongside
Germany,
Russia,
Finland,
Azerbaijan and
Liechtenstein.
History
The early years
Wales
played its first competitive match on 25 March 1876 against
Scotland in Glasgow
, making it
the third oldest international football team in the world.
Although
the Scots won the first fixture 4–0, a return match was planned in
Wales the following year, and so it was that the first
international football match on Welsh soil took place at The
Racecourse Ground, Wrexham
on 5 March
1877. Scotland took the spoils winning 2–0.
Wales'
first match against England came in 1879 – a 2–1
defeat at the Kennington
Oval
, London
and in 1882
Wales faced Ireland for the
first time, winning 7–1 in Wrexham.
The
associations of the four Home Nations
met in Manchester
on 6 December 1882 to set down a set of worldwide
rules. This meeting saw the establishment of the
International Football
Association Board (IFAB) to approve changes to the rules, a
task the four associations still perform to this day.
The 1883–84 season saw the formation of the
British Home Championship, a
tournament which was played annually between England, Scotland,
Ireland and Wales, until 1983–84. Wales were champions on 12
occasions, winning outright seven times whilst sharing the title
five times.
The FAW
became members of FIFA
, world
football's governing body, in 1906, but the relationship between
FIFA and the British associations was fraught and the British
nations withdrew from FIFA in 1928 in a dispute over payments to
amateur players. As a result, Wales
did not enter the first three
World
Cup.
In 1932 Wales played host to the
Republic of
Ireland, the first time they played against a side from outside
the four home nations.
A year later, Wales played a match outside
the United
Kingdom for the first time when they travelled to Paris
to take on
France
in a match which was drawn 1–1.
Post-war
Wales, along with the other four home nations, rejoined FIFA in
1946 and took part in the qualifying rounds for the
1950 World Cup, the 1949–50 Home
Championships being designated as a qualifying group.
The top two teams were
to qualify for the finals in Brazil
, but Wales
finished bottom of the group.
The 1950s were undoubtedly a golden age for Welsh football with
stars such as
Ivor Allchurch,
Alf Sherwood,
Jack Kelsey and, of course,
John Charles pulling on the famous red shirt
and Wales made its only World Cup appearance in
1958. However, their qualification was
fortunate to say the least. Having finished second to
Czechoslovakia in
qualifying Group 4, the Welsh thought their chances of appearing in
Sweden were over. But the golden generation of Welsh football had
reckoned without the politics of the
Middle
East.
Egypt and
Sudan had refused to play
against
Israel whilst
Indonesia had
insisted on meeting Israel on neutral ground. As a result Israel
were proclaimed winners of their respective group in the
Asian/African zone.
FIFA were understandably reluctant to allow a team to qualify for
the World Cup finals without actually playing a match and so lots
were drawn of all the second placed teams in the
UEFA qualifying groups. Belgium were drawn out of the
hat but they refused and so then Wales was drawn and awarded a
two-legged play-off match against Israel with a place in Sweden for
the winners.
Having
beaten Israel 2–0 at the Ramat Gan Stadium
and 2–0 at Ninian Park
, Cardiff
, Wales went through to the World Cup Finals for the
first and, so far, only time.
The strong
Welsh squad
made their mark in Sweden, drawing all the matches in their group
against
Hungary,
Mexico, and
Sweden before defeating the
Hungarians in a play off match to reach the quarter-finals. There
the Welsh lost 1–0 to eventual champions
Brazil, with 17-year-old
Pelé grabbing the only goal of the game
for the South American side. However, Wales' chances of victory
were hampered by the injury of John Charles.
The 70s and 80s
Wales have never qualified for the final stages of the
European Championships
since its inception in 1960. However, in 1976, they did reach the
last eight of the competition, having finished top of qualifying
group 2 ahead of
Hungary,
Austria and
Luxembourg.Prior to 1980,
only four countries qualified for the final stages of the
competition, and Wales were drawn to play against the winners of
group 3
Yugoslavia, in a two
legged match.
Wales lost the first leg 2–0 in Zagreb
and were
knocked out of the competition having only managed a 1–1 draw in
the return leg at Ninian Park.
The
following year, Wales defeated England on English soil for the
first time in 42 years and secured their only victory to date at
Wembley
thanks to a Leighton
James penalty. Another notable achievement came in 1980,
as Wales tore England apart in one of the best performances ever
witnessed by a Welsh side. Goals from
Mickey Thomas,
Ian Walsh, Leighton James and an own
goal by
Phil Thompson saw Wales thrash
England 4–1 at The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, just four days after
England had beaten the then-world champions,
Argentina.
In the
1982 World Cup qualifiers,
Wales came extremely close to qualification, a 3–0 defeat against
the USSR in their final game meant they missed out on goal
difference.
Manchester United youngster
Mark Hughes marked his debut for Wales
by scoring the only goal of the game as England were defeated once
again in 1984. The following season, Hughes was again on target,
scoring a wonder goal as Wales thrashed
Spain 3–0 at The Racecourse
during qualification for
Mexico
86.
1990s–present day
Wales came close, once again, to qualifying for a major
championship when they came within a whisker of reaching the World
Cup of
1994. Needing to win the
final game of the group at home to
Romania,
Paul Bodin missed a penalty when the scores were
level 1–1; Romania went on to win 2–1.
Following the failure to qualify,
Terry
Yorath's contract as manager of the national side was not
renewed by the FAW and
John Toshack,
then manager of
Real Sociedad, was
appointed as a part-time manager. However, Toshack resigned after
just one game — a 3–1 defeat to
Norway — citing problems with
the FAW as his reason for leaving, although he was sure to have
been shocked at being booed off the pitch at Ninian Park by the
Welsh fans still reeling from the dismissal of Yorath.
Mike Smith took the reins for
the start of the
Euro 96 qualifiers,
which saw Wales slip to embarrassing defeats against
Moldova and
Georgia before
Bobby Gould was appointed in June 1995.
Carl Fletcher, 2010 World Cup
qualification.
Gould's time in charge of Wales is seen as a dark period by Welsh
football fans. His questionable tactics and public fallings-out
with players such as
Nathan Blake,
Robbie Savage and Mark Hughes, coupled
with embarrassing defeats to club side
Leyton Orient and a 7–1 thrashing by
the Netherlands
in 1996 did not make him a popular figure within Wales. Gould
finally resigned following a 4–0 defeat to
Italy in 1999, and the FAW
turned to two legends of the national team,
Neville Southall and Mark Hughes to take
temporary charge of the game against
Denmark four days later, with
Hughes later being appointed on a permanent basis.
Under Hughes, Wales came close to qualifying for the European
Championships in 2004, losing in the play-offs for a place in
Portugal against
Russia. The defeat, however,
was not without its controversy as Russian midfield player,
Yegor Titov, tested positive for the use
of a banned substance after the first qualifying leg, a scoreless
draw in Moscow. However, the sport's governing body decided to take
no action against the
Football
Union of Russia other than instructing them not to play Titov
again, and the Russian team went on to beat Wales in Cardiff 1–0 to
qualify for
Euro 2004.
Following
a disappointing start to the 2006
World Cup qualifying campaign, Hughes left his role with the
national team to take over as manager of Blackburn
Rovers
of the English Premier
League. John Toshack was
appointed manager for the second time on 12 November 2004.
In the qualification for
Euro 2008,
Wales were drawn in
Group
D alongside
Germany,
the Czech Republic,
Slovakia,
Republic of
Ireland,
Cyprus
and
San Marino.
The team's performance was disappointing, finishing fifth in the
group with expected defeat at home to Germany yet an unexpected
draw away, a loss away and a goalless draw at home to the Czech
Republic, a loss away and 2–2 draw at home to the Republic of
Ireland, a 3–0 home win and uninspiring 2–1 away win against
minnows San Marino, a 3–1 home win and 3–1 away defeat against
Cyprus, and a spectacularly mixed performance against Slovakia —
losing 5–1 at home and winning 5–2 away. However, better
performances towards the end of the competition by a team
containing, of necessity because of injuries and suspensions of
senior players, no fewer than five players who were eligible for
selection for the Under-21 squad has been viewed as a hopeful sign
of future progress for the team.
In
qualifying
for the
2010 FIFA World Cup in
South Africa, Wales made a promising start, winning 1–0 and 2-0
against Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein respectively. However, they
lost their next game against Russia in Moscow after Joe Ledley had
briefly drawn them level.
The qualifying campaign showed signs of
promise when the team managed to prevent Germany from scoring for
74 minutes of their match in Mönchengladbach
, but the match eventually finished 1–0 to
Germany. Two 2–0 home defeats by Finland and Germany in
Spring 2009 effectively put paid to Wales' hopes of qualification,
with matches away to Finland, Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein, and at
home to Russia still to come.
Players
Current squad
Wales
announced their squad for their friendly against Scotland, on the 14 November 2009 at the
Cardiff City
Stadium
in Cardiff.
Caps, Goals and Ages are accurate as of the squad announcement
on the 6th November 2009.
Most-capped players
As of 30 May 2009, the players with the most caps for Wales
are:
50 Cap Club
In addition to the above players, the following have attained 50
caps (players still active in bold):
Top goalscorers
As of 11 Oct 2009 (players still active in bold):
Notable former Wales international players
- See also :Category:Wales
international footballers
- Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
inductees:
- Welsh inductees to the English Football Hall of
Fame:
- Welsh inductees to the Football League 100
Legends:
- Welsh Inductee to the PFA
Premiership Team of the Year:
Managers
- See also :Category:Wales
national football team managers
Prior to 1954 the Welsh team was chosen by a panel of selectors
with the team captain fulfilling the role of coach.
Other staff
- Goalkeeping Coach: Paul Jones
- Team Doctors: Dr. Mark Ridgewell &
Dr. Mark Davies
- Physiotherapists: Mel
Pejic & Dyfri Owen
- Masseur: David Rowe
Competition history
World Cup record
| World Cup record |
| Year |
Round |
Position |
GP |
W |
D* |
L |
GS |
GA |
| 1930 |
Did not enter |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1934 |
Did not enter |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1938 |
Did not enter |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1950 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1954 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1958 |
Quarter-finals |
7/16 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
| 1962 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1966 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1970 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1974 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1978 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1982 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1986 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1990 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1994 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 1998 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 2002 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 2006 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 2010 |
Did not qualify |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Total |
1/19 |
1 Quarter-final |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
- * Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty
kicks.
UEFA European Football Championship record
- 1960 – Did not
enter
- 1964-1970 – Did not qualify
- 1976 - Quarter-Final
(played on home and away leg basis)
- 1980-2008 – Did not qualify
Stadium
Wales
play most of their home matches at the Millennium
Stadium
, Cardiff. The stadium was built in 1999 on the site of
the old National Stadium, known as
Cardiff Arms
Park
, as the Welsh Rugby
Union (WRU) had been chosen to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Prior to 1989, Wales played their home games at the grounds of
Cardiff City,
Swansea City and
Wrexham, but then came to an agreement with the
WRU to use Cardiff Arms Park and, subsequently, the Millennium
Stadium.
Wales' first football match at the Millennium Stadium was against
Finland on 29 March
2000. The Finns won the match 2–1, with
Jari Litmanen becoming the first player to
score a goal at the stadium.
Ryan Giggs
scored Wales' goal in the match, becoming the first Welshman to
score at the stadium.
In recent
seasons, a handful of friendly home matches have been played away
from the Millennium Stadium at Swansea
's Liberty Stadium
and Wrexham's Racecourse
Ground
. However, with little recent success on the
field, the 74,500 capacity Millennium stadium has only been around
20–40% full, leading to calls for some international matches to be
held at Cardiff City
Stadium, the Liberty Stadium and the Racecourse Ground with
capacities of 15,500-27,000. On
14
November 2009 Wales played their first
international game at the Cardiff City Stadium when they hosted
Scotland, in a
friendly attended by 13,844 - almost exactly half the stadium's
capacity.
See also
References
- History of the Irish FA at
www.irishfa.com
- Qualification for 1958 World Cup at
RSSSF
- John Toshack profile at BBC Sport
Online
- Gould in racist row with Blake at Socialist
Review
- Wales reprieve for Savage at BBC Sport
Online
- Wales consider Euro 2004 appeal at BBC
Sport Online
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