Football Related lesson

The squad are given numbers for the entire competition, long standing players, tend to keep their number in numerous competitions . Then they may play in any position. For example Gareth Bale was initially a winger, having the no.11 jersey. Now he plays more as a forward, however as 1-11 are prestigious numbers to have in a national squad, players keep that jersey even if they no longer play in that position.
Love the gifs.

Erm, because that’s how the tournament was scheduled? for teams hoping to go all the way, they would then have a longer rest before the 1/4 final match.

As Y_Ddraig_Las says above basically. Going back in time they were relevant to a players position. But these days they really mean nothing more than what numbers are available and the players personal preference.

Was very happy to see the score, I cant wait to get home this afternoon to watch it.

Yes, very different from rugby is football - the goalie is always no 1, but after that there is no real rule that applies. Some players have favourite numbers that they often use. My dad was a left forward, and was no. 11 - just like Gareth, only not nearly as excellent :slight_smile:

And well done Cymru!

I always tried to get the number 10 like Dennis Bergkamp! haha.

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I do hope I didn’t spoil it too much for you by giving away the result before you saw it!! I’ll try to wait longer next time!
@Y_Ddraig_Las I can take no credit for the gifs, they are on the thread “Dancing dragons” and were produced by a lovely person called @rhywun.

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Oh no no. I already knew the score. It’s ok. If I wanted to not know there is only one solution… Avoid the Internet and all human contact haha. Cracking game. Thought ref was a bit below par though.

Diolch yn fawr!! I thought so, too, but I know so little, I think, “Now then, who am I to judge the ref, he knows a lot more than I do!!!” :grinning:
I yell at rugby refs with absolutely no doubts in my mind that it’s me who is right!!!

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Aha absolutely. Don’t get me wrong he wasn’t BAD, but there were quite a few instances where he should have been tougher. Russia goalie kicks ball away well after whistle within first ten minutes. Clear yellow card every day of the week. And some other challenges by the Russians should have been dealt with harsher. He was quick enough to get his card out on a Welsh foul early in the game. Overall they have been far too lenient with obstruction this tournament for all games. We should have had a penalty in the first game against Skrtel for example. But great game, and again, great fans. Yet again I found myself sat here singing along with Calon Lan and Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau haha

There is a great “Likely Lads” epsisode based on the lads not wanting to know the result of a game that they are planning to watch later on on TV. :slight_smile: (And that was in pre-internet, pre-social media days… :slight_smile: ).

It was much easier to insulate yourself then!!
p.s. Can any of you understand how thy work out who plays who next? I heard “Northern Ireland will play Wales or France.” I am at a loss as to how they pick! Is it drawn from…well, maybe not a hat nowadays, but is it by drawing lots?

Au contraire, it is a very clear system which is explained here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016 the progression into the final 16 knockout round, and why Northern Ireland plays either Wales or France, is explained towards the end of the article. Clear as mud :wink:

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A word I heard a lot on the radio after the last game was buddugoliaethus - that must be up there with some of the longest welsh words - although I know we have quite a few

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Sorry, Bach, I gave up half way through!! Definitely mud-like!!
I now see that England, having supposedly to face a harder path, are to play poor little Iceland (population about 1/10 of Wales). One wonders if they purposely failed to beat Slovakia in order to get this path?

I have always loved the fact that the Queen of the Iceni (known as Boudica) was Buddug = Victoria!! If Buddugol is winning, I guess you have to jazz it up a bit to get a really triumphant feeling!!

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Saturday
Yn dda iawn bechyn bach coch!! The comments said we didn’t actually play very well, it was GB who did it - by getting one of them to put it in the net! Seems clever to me!! I have a nasty feeling the next game will be harder!! :thumbsup: :grinning:

^ me!!

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I gather that England were shocked to find that Welsh players delighted in the excellent play of the tiniest country present. I certainly feel that Iceland deserve much llongyfarchiadau!
I suspect there is some evidence that professionalism and much money leads to clubs which buy the best from the world and don’t bother to coach local kids. The same is now happening in rugby!

Most of the true coaching young kids around the world happens in clubs and leagues where there is a mix of not having the money to buy the best players available, and to some extent relying on the income from developing players then selling them for as much as possible.

I don’t think clubs are really clubs any more when professionalism gets to take over. They are businesses, run for profit. I do hope Iceland doesn’t lose its players to the Premier League and Real Madrid! I hope they prefer proper jobs and their own fair land!!

None of the Iceland squad plays for a club in Iceland. Indeed, two of them play in Wales, one for Swansea City and the other for Cardiff City - which is one of the reasons that the Wales lads were celebrating.

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Whoops! I thought a reporter said they were all amateurs! Maybe that was the coach? (Aren’t England in need of one of those?) :grinning:

In hindsight: obviously :wink: