Tag Archives: Wales

The 5 Best Welsh Boxers Ever


Wales has a strong track record of producing outstanding sportsmen, and the sport of boxing is certainly no exception. Welsh boxing has a long and glorious history with an amazing number of legendary fighters. Here, we’ve picked and ranked the 5 best of all time.
Howard Winstone

While working in a toy factory in his teens, an accident cost Winstone the ends of three fingers on his right hand. This forced the young fighter to alter his style, which he did so under the guidance of trainer Eddie Thomas. Thomas shaped Winstone into a world class boxer through rigorous training. Defeating Japanese fighter Mitsunori Seki in 1968 to claim the world title was the pinnacle of Winstone’s career, and he returned to a hero’s welcome in Merthyr Tydfil.

Jim Driscoll

When ‘Peerless Jim’ Driscoll set out to prove himself in the USA, he was initially met with scepticism from the American public, not to mention the press. Unperturbed, Driscoll went on to win seven of nine matches, with two no-contests. He went on to defeat world featherweight champion Abe Attell, but failed to gain official recognition as champion due to Attell’s insistence that the fight be contested under a no-decision rule. Driscoll eventually became the first featherweight to wear a Lonsdale Belt.

Freddie Welsh

Welsh came from a more privileged background that many other fighters of his day. Fond of embellishing his life in interviews, it can be difficult to tell truth from fiction, but one thing is certain: he is one of the greatest lightweights of all time. After claiming the world title from Willie Ritchie, he embarked on an intense schedule of fights in the US, all of which were carried out under the no-decision rule. He held up incredibly well, but eventually lost out to Benny Leonard at the age of 31.

Joe Calzaghe

In March 2006, modern-day legend Calzaghe had maintained an undefeated streak of 40 fights and held onto the world crown for nine straight years. At this point, Calzaghe began to suffer the effects of a build-up of injuries, and Jeff Lacy believed he could defeat the long-reigning champion. Calzaghe, however, maintained his position with style, before going on to conquer America, defeating Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr and maintaining his 100% record.

Jimmy Wilde

Nicknamed ‘The Ghost with the Hammer in his Hand’ due to his incredible punch, Jimmy Wilde began his career in the boxing booths. At the peak of his 15-year career, Wilde claimed the world crown against Young Zulu Kid. Standing at a little over five foot and weighing just 100 pounds, Wilde’s was eventually forced to take on opponents who were much larger and heavier than him. This became to his downfall, as a fight against bantamweight Peter Herman left Wilde with severe concussion. It is believed that over the course of his career, Wilde fought over 1000 times and lost only four of his 149 official matches.

10 Basic Welsh Phrases To Impress Your Friends

Most of us struggle to learn French, German, or Spanish in an effort to make our holidays abroad a more fulfilling experience. Being able to converse with taxi-drivers, order local delicacies in restaurants, and haggle in the native tongue when in local markets, all help create a more enjoyable holiday, as well as impressing the natives.
What though, if you prefer to spend your leisure time closer to home, Wales for instance. Rugby Union fans can visit Cardiff Arms Park. Those with an interest in culture can enjoy the National Eisteddfod of Wales. The National Parks, castle ruins, countryside, fabulous coastline and pristine beaches all help attract thousands of visitors to this beautiful country annually.

Be different – speak Welsh:

Learning a few phrases in the unique Welsh language will surely make you stand out from the crowd. And I mean stand out from the crowd. Although Welsh is taught in schools, less than 20% of the Welsh population can actually speak the language.

Try to memorise these few phrases and impress not just your friends, but many of the locals as well.

Greetings:

Hello. Helô, Hylô

Good morning. Bore da

Good afternoon. P’nawn da

Good evening. Noswaith dda

General Phrases:

Pleased to meet you. Mae’n dda gen i gwrdd â chi.

Do you speak Welsh? Ydych chi’n siarad Cymraeg?

Please speak more slowly. Siaradwch yn arafach, os gwelwch yn dda.

Please write it down. Wnewch chi ysgrifennu hynna, os gwelwch yn dda.

Thank you very much. Diolch yn fawn

Goodbye. Dab o chi.

The devolved National Assembly for Wales through its education system is trying very hard to retain a language which unfortunately appears to be in danger of dying out. For many years prior to devolution, learning Welsh has been a compulsory subject in schools. Official documents, official signs and road and street names all have to carry the information in both English and Welsh.

While Welsh speaking appears to be in decline within the country, in a land thousands of miles away there is a colony where the Welsh language remains alive and well. The colony of Y Wladfa, in the Argentine province of Chubut, retains Welsh as its foremost language. So perhaps, on your next visit to South America, taking the trouble to memorise a few Welsh phrases may well assist you converse with the local taxi driver, or help you find out how to get where you need to be.

A New Breed of Welsh Football?

Though Wales have often threatened to qualify for major tournaments since they last did so – the 1958 World Cup in Sweden – there is genuine optimism among two of the greats of Welsh football that things may be about to change. Both Ian Rush and Neville Southall think that Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey are so good that they can take Wales to a major tournament at last. A draw away to an impressive Belgian side late last year was also further proof of Wales’ emergence as a true force in international football.
Wales’ record goalscorer Ian Rush also believes that his career goals tally is under threat. The former Liverpool and Juventus star thinks that his record of 28 goals could be overtaken by both Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey. Bale has scored 14 times in his 48 games in a Wales shirt, while Ramsey has netted 8 goals so far in his international career. 

Gareth Bale has been in fine form for Wales, transforming a fairly disappointing record of just 3 goals in his first 29 games, by scoring 11 goals in his last 19 appearances. Bale’s two goals against Andorra also underlined why Real paid Spurs a world record £85m for his services, as his two strikes rescued his side from an embarrassing result against one of international football’s true minnows. Aaron Ramsey’s international appearances have been restricted recently due to injury, and it’s vital he remains fit if Wales are to make a major breakthrough at tournament level. 

Rush believes that, because both Bale and Ramsey are still young, and that there’s more international games now, it’s inevitable that his record will be passed. To underline his point, Rush’s 28 goals were spread over 16 years, as his international career lasted from 1980 to 1996.

Former Everton and Wales great Neville Southall thinks that Wales should qualify for the 2016 European Championships, which will be held in France. Arguably the greatest goalkeeper ever to play for Wales, Southall claims that the qualifying group Wales are in is the “weakest” that his country has been in for many years. 

Southall was also full of praise for Gareth Bale, who he likened to Ryan Giggs in terms of ability. Southall hopes, too, that two outstanding talents such as Bale and Aaron Ramsey will inspire more young Welsh talent to emerge in the coming years.

Wales in Rugby – A History of The Six Nations Championship

 

With the Six Nations Championships now well underway for the 2015 season, Welsh rugby union fans’ confidence will be riding high in anticipation of a successful campaign, undoubtedly matched by a steely determination to win back the title after losing grasp last year. The welsh team have an enviable record in the competition having won outright twenty six times since in all and winning jointly on a further nine occasions.

In actual fact, Wales did not feature in the predecessor to the current competition which featured only two teams – England and Scotland – when they played the first international rugby union match in 1871. With the inauguration of the Calcutta Cup in 1879 as the prize for the winners of sporadic matches between the two countries, the appetite to participate in international rugby union grew in Wales (as well as in the other Home Nations) and in 1883 the Home International Championship was launched, featuring England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

The Welsh team enjoyed early success in the competition and came to be the dominant force in the final years of the competition, winning six out of the last ten championships in the first decade of the 20th century. With a surge in popularity of rugby union on the continent, France was admitted to the competition in 1910 and the Five Nations was born, although the advent of World War in 1914 led the tournament to be suspended for the duration of hostilities and for two further years beyond.

With allegations of financial mismanagement, the French were ejected from the competition in 1931, with the five Home Countries continuing to compete until world war intervened for a second time and the tournament was suspended again. On its resurrection in 1947, France returned to the fold and the Five Nations resumed, although this time the French proved to be a formidable competitor, winning a string of titles over the next two decades. Welsh dominance in the 1970s, in particular, proved that the Red Dragons were anything but a bit part player.

For the best part of half a century the format of the Five Nations remained unchanged until Italy’s admission in 2000 led to the tournament being renamed the Six Nations Championship. With Wales cementing their reputation as a rugby union powerhouse through continued success in the competition, fans will be passionately urging their team to reclaim the title at the end of the 2015 season.

Wales’ Brush With The UEFA European Championship

The fact that Wales haven’t qualified for a major football tournament since the 1958 World Cup in Sweden doesn’t mean that they haven’t produced some good teams in the decades since.

In 1976, Wales reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship, but only four teams would play in the actual finals held in Yugoslavia. Wales had also progressed further in ’76 than the other Home Nations, and their side included the likes of John Toshack and Leighton James. Mike Smith was manager of Wales then, with Terry Yorath (father of TV presenter Gabby Logan) the captain of the Dragons.

Having to get past Yugoslavia (who even had to qualify to be present at the tournament they were hosts of), Wales got off to a disastrous start in the first leg of their two legged quarter- final. In Zagreb, the Welsh were a goal down before a minute of the game had been played. Yugoslavia eventually won 2-0 to leave the Welsh with a mountain to climb in the second leg in Cardiff.

Leighton James, when remembering the Cardiff leg, said that the East German referee had awarded Yugoslavia “an awful penalty”, and, though Wales pulled it back to 1-1, they had too much to do to qualify. James recalled that Wales should have won the game, and had “played very well” on the night.

However, one famous Welshman did play a big role at the 1976 European Championship finals – legendary Welsh referee Clive Thomas. Thomas caused controversy in the 1976 semi-final, when the sublime Dutch side were beaten by eventual winners Czechoslovakia after extra-time. Frustrated by a sodden pitch, which negated the total football of the Dutch, Thomas sent off two Dutch players and one Czech player. So, it can be argued, it was a Welshman who played a decisive part in Czechoslovakia winning the tournament.

Wales have produced some outstanding players since 1976, including Gareth Bale, Ryan Giggs, Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Neville Southall, but none have got as close to playing in the finals of a major tournament as the ’76 Welsh team.

Hopefully 2015 will be another year to remember.

Have Yourself a Very Welsh Christmas – Past Celebrations of Christmas in Wales

In Wales on Christmas morning, it was traditional for men to go to church very early to sing in harmony and welcome in the dawn with a service that would go on for 3 hours. They would then go home and begin the day of feasting and drinking. This tradition called Plygain is being revived in some parts of Wales and can now be enjoyed by both women and men. Families would wait up together for Plygain and whilst waiting would make taffy – a special kind of toffee. This is called Noson Gyflaith.

Many Welsh traditions actually pre-date Christmas itself. A well known one of these is Mari Lwyd, which is Welsh for Grey Mare. In December or on New Year’s Day, a horse’s skull is decorated with bells and ribbons plus false ears. A sheet is used to represent the body of the mare. People then take the Mari Lwyd around the neighbourhood calling on local households. The residents are challenged to a battle of wits using Welsh verse. After the battle, which is called pwnco in Welsh, the visitors are then invited in to refresh themselves with drinks. This led to the tradition being associated with drunkenness, which led to the tradition dying out in some areas during more austere periods. Mari Lwyd is still celebrated though in some parts of Wales, in particular in Llangynwyd on each New Year’s Day.

A very popular New Year’s custom in Wales was to give a gift, called a Calennig. Much like modern day trick or treating, children would go from door to door with symbols of good luck such as skewered apples plus evergreen twigs and a cup of water from the local well. They use the twigs to splash people with the water and are given the calennig as a present. This would often be small coins. This tradition has mostly died out but in some places children still call door to door to be given gifts of money.

Pêl-droed – The Definitive Guide to Welsh Football

Though the country is best known for being pretty amazing at rugby, football in Wales is also kind of a big deal, with its teams making waves outside of Wales and football mania out in force, picking up all over the country.

Some of its teams, like Cardiff City, have strong reputations across the footballing world, and their national football team, who represent Wales in big tournaments, are becoming increasingly competitive after a slight lull in performance. Want the low down on Welsh football and the country’s unique scene? Keep reading for our informative, definitive guide to all things Pêl-droed.

The Welsh Cup

The Welsh Cup is the pinnacle of Welsh football and is one of its most prized and celebrated sport institutions. Founded in 1877, it is also one of the oldest surviving football competitions not just in Wales, but in the world. Every year, the cup sends everyone in Wales into football crazy mode as they get their flags out and don their football jerseys in support of their local or favourite team. Wrexham currently hold the record for most wins in the cup, with Cardiff City coming in very close second at just one win behind.

Famous Welsh players

Wales has birthed a whole host of talented players who have now achieved worldwide fame, many of them playing for big international teams while also being key players in the Wales national team. Amongst them are Gareth Bale, who is now playing for Real Madrid, Ryan Giggs, who has enjoyed a lengthy and successful football career in the UK, veteran Manchester United player Mark Hughes. The late great Trevor Ford and Aaron, Ramsey who is fast becoming one of the biggest names to come out of Wales.

Cardiff City F.C.

One of the most popular professional team in all of Wales, Cardiff City, are the only non-English club to have succeeded in winning the FA Cup. They have played in an array of championships and national cup finals in the United Kingdom. The team is adored by those in Cardiff and has accumulated a number of supporters outside of Wales as it has played continually impressive matches all over the UK.

Stadiwm y Mileniwm – The Story of The Millennium Stadium

The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales is a major arena that hosts important sporting and entertainment events. It was opened in 1999, and its capacity is 74,500.

The Stadium is notable for its sliding roof, which allows for football and rugby matches to be played in dry conditions all year round. Only one other stadium in Europe also has a retractable roof.

While London’s new Wembley Stadium was being developed, The Millennium Stadium hosted FA Cup and League Cup finals, and some rugby league Challenge Cup finals. The venue is the home ground of the Welsh rugby union and football teams, and also hosted the 1999 rugby union World Cup final and some football games during the 2012 Olympics. Boxing and motorsport events have also been held at the venue.

Among the music acts to have performed at the Millennium Stadium are Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and U2.

Boxing Clever in Wales – Welsh Boxing Heroes

Wales has a rich boxing history, with many of Britain’s greatest fighters originating in the Principality.

One iconic boxer from Cardiff was Jim Driscoll, a child of Irish parents, who won the Lonsdale Belt in 1910. A featherweight, Driscoll grew up in grinding poverty in the Newtown district of Cardiff.

An interesting figure in Welsh boxing is former pro and now media pundit Nicky Piper. A highly educated man, Piper is also a member of Mensa, confounding the stereotype about punch-drunk fighters being barely articulate people.

More recently, Joe Calzaghe, the son of a Sardinian father and Welsh mother, has emerged as one of Welsh boxing’s true heroes. He retired in 2009, having finished his career with no professional defeats. His record of 46 bouts, no defeats and 32 wins by knockout is one of which any professional fighter would be very proud.

The History of Cardiff Castle

Situated in the heart of the city, Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’ most famous and historical sites.

The castle is located on land which was once home to a Roman Fort, but the structure you see today traces much of its history back to the 11th century when the Normans established their presence in Wales.

Historians are unsure if the castle was constructed under the orders of William the Conqueror after he had returned from a journey to St David’s or Robert Fitzhamon, the lord of Gloucester. One thing that is for certain is that this is a place of great beauty and historical significance.

Many people have owned the castle through the ages, but two of the most significant were the 2nd and 3rd Marquesses of Bute. The 2nd Marquess was responsible for turning Cardiff into a leading exporter of coal, while his son was reportedly the wealthiest man in the world during the 1860s.

During the third Marquess’s occupancy, many new areas were added to castle, including the 150ft clock tower, the stunning Arab Room and the main banqueting hall.

The castle has belonged to the city of Cardiff since 1947 and, as well as servicing as a museum, now hosts a number of social events, including rock concerts.