Sports Perspectives

By Leigh Sanders

Yesterday European media descended on Polish capital Warsaw for the drawing of the qualification groups for the 2012 European Championships to be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

It is an exciting time for many fans as plans for forthcoming sojourns can be conjured up and across the continent hopes are raised towards an appearance at the forthcoming big show (although for many these dreams are often dashed in the most horrific of on-field antics).

There are always surprises, the dreaded (and clichéd) ‘Group of Death,’ and perhaps the mouth-watering prospect of two nations with little like for each other doing battle on the most poetic of battlefields – the football pitch.

This time around quite a few eyebrows were raised at some of the draws. The political history between Austria and Germany always makes those matches a tasty encounter and they have been drawn together in Group A. In Group B, Russia will face a host of former Soviet territories while Finland and Sweden will reignite Scandinavian animosity in Group E, as will Norway and Denmark in Group H.

But the draw which got mouths wagging the most in the United Kingdom was the pairing of England and Wales in Group G. With a history as bloody and territorial as theirs, this one will be interesting.

The differences are staggering. The Welsh population of roughly three million is a drop on the surface of the 51 million squeezed in to the water-bound borders of England. While the Welsh capital Cardiff boasts 317,000 citizens, London regards (including the Greater London Urban Area) over eight million inhabitants to be at its disposal.

The rivalry between the two is intense. Many Welsh disregard their British status and, led by the political entity Plaid Cymru, are calling for separation. It is understandable. Countless Welsh citizens have fallen at the English sword over the centuries and many a rebellion, including that of the ‘Last Welsh Prince’ Owain Glyndwr, ended in failure.

The animosity has led on to the football pitch too. The Welsh and the English have met on the field 99 times in their history, making the first meeting of the qualification campaign an extra-special occasion.

England have walked away victorious on 64 occasions compared to Wales’ 14 wins, with 21 matches ending in draws. England have only missed three World Cups since their first entry in 1950 while Wales have only qualified for the tournament in Sweden in 1958 during their history. England, of course, were victorious on home soil in 1966.

The English are currently ranked at No. 9 in the world. They were as high as No. 4 in December 1997 and September 2006 and their lowest ever ranking was at 27 in February 1996. Wales, on the other hand, are not regarded so highly. Currently ranked at No. 77 in the World, No. 27 was their highest ranking in August 1993 while they sunk as low as 113 in September 2000.

The quality of player has always been an issue between the two nations and the pool of talent the English have to dip in far outweighs that of the Welsh numerically.

However the latest crop of Welsh talent to be labelled a “golden generation” will be chomping at the bit to get their teeth in to an England side rocked by the recent sacking of captain John Terry over allegations about his private life. The recent pushing of England all the way in a 2009 European Under-21 Championship Playoff by the youngsters of Welsh football will give the main side hope going in to the encounter. After all, most of that side are now full Welsh Internationals.

With all the previous encounters in mind, hope will be that the fighting can be done on the pitch this time around. Two proud nations will be holding their breath over these tasty encounters and national rivalry will be resumed as twenty-two men fight for the honour that would inevitably be installed in them by their compatriots should they win.

The prize; unquestionable bragging rights and hopefully a place at the European Championships. For the losers it’s always sore wounds and battered pride. The thought of losing is unbearable.