(Version of article printed in International Wales Magazine)
After spending most of my life watching Cymru play football and all that time being disappointed during the World Cup qualifiers, sometimes at the end of the campaign (Romania, Scotland, Rep.Ireland), most of the time after three of the eight matches when we knew it was all over. Most of those time when I was younger, there was a tear of sadness in my eyes. Then on Sunday 5th June 2022, the unthinkable happened! There were tears, but this time it was tears of joy, we made it to Qatar. But I, like many others it wasn’t just at the final whistle that we were overcome with emotion. I will happily admit to the many times I cried during that day.
The first time that the emotion of the day got the better of me was when the opening bars of Yma o Hyd boomed out around the stadium. We all knew that it would be special after the Semi Final performance before kick off, but this was different; the passion, volume and pride was increased tenfold. I barely made it to the end of the first chorus before the tears started.
Having gotten myself together, it was now time for the anthem. Normally like most people, I will have a tear in my eye while we are signing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, but this time we all knew we had to sing with as much hwyl as possible. The singing was nothing like I had heard before. It was another level, it made your body tremble with emotion and pride as we belted out the anthem, then for the second time a tear rolled down my cheek.
Then the game started and the tears were replaced by stomach turning nerves, until the great man Gareth Bale stepped up to take a Free Kick, on the wrong side of the pitch for a left footer, but this was no ordinary mortal, it was the real Prince of Wales. Seconds later it was pandemonium, as Elis James puts it ‘limbs everywhere’. I was hugging people I had just met only an hour ago like they were long lost relatives. Then the tears started again! It was far too early in the game to think it was the winner and with our knack of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, a sudden dread passed over us, but it didn’t stop us believing that this could finally be our time.
I managed to keep my cheeks dry for the next hour of the match. Then as the final minutes approached, it finally dawned on me at this could finally happen, although we are all afraid to say it out loud in case we jinxed it. We could finally make a World Cup for the first time since 1958. Then when the referee finally blew the final whistle, the biggest out pouring of emotions I have ever seen. The loudest roar I ever heard soared into the Canton sky. Everyone had tears in their eyes, I started hugging my mate, screaming ‘we did it!’ The man next to me hugged me and said ‘do you know we will remember standing here watching this for the rest of lives’ It’s true, a life time of waiting for this moment and it finally happened.
Of course I cried again when the players joined in singing Yma o Hyd and when someone near me shouted that we are going to be in a World Cup Sticker Album, something that most of us had growing up and the only time we got to see Cymru in it was when they showed the qualifying table and we were at the bottom of one of the big countries group. Now a lot of grown men and women will be swapping stickers in pubs up and down the country.
One moment of sadness did occur, when I thought about all the people who are no longer with us, like my Dad, Michael Baker and friend’s family members (Martyn Pember being one such fan) who watched Cymru play through the dark days and would have been with us in the stadium. To all those loved ones who are no longer with us and was looking down watching on that Sunday, WE DID IT! WALES ARE IN THE WORLD CUP!!!!!!
Stephen Baker's Blog 