For those of you who are not fluent in Welsh, the words of Yma O Hyd perfectly sum up the feelings of many of the people from that country. “Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth, ry’n ni yma o hyd” translates as “In spite of everyone and everything, we are still here”. It is a sentiment that runs through the veins of many proud Welsh men and women and the song is now one of the favorites, belted out by the fans at Welsh international football games.
There has always been a growing number of the population at least curious about the possibility of independence, with a larger percentage thinking that way since the 1960s. In recent years, the success of the Wales national football team has been used as a symbol by the independence movement. The betting sites that can be found at MyTopSportsbooks might still not be backing Wales to win a World Cup anytime soon, but appearances at major international tournaments have boosted the awareness across the globe of Wales as a country in its own right.
The football fans who make up The Red Wall, the name given to the supporters of the national side may not be representative of the country as a whole, but there is no doubt that the calls for independence are loud and clear – and that Welsh football has led the way in making it a mainstream topic, debated by politicians and the media alike.
Wales qualified for the 1958 World Cup finals and then did not appear at any major tournament for another 58 years. There was a team that made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the 1976 European Championship but the official tournament consisted of just the four winning sides – of which, Wales was not one. It wasn’t until the 2016 Euros that Wales finally made another appearance on such a grand stage. Led by the legendary Gareth Bale, Wales surprised everyone – including their own fans – by topping a group that also included England and then beating Belgium on its way to the last four, where it was finally beaten by Portugal.
A renewed era of success was upon the Welsh national team and for many outsiders it was the first time that Wales had been acknowledged as an independent football nation and not just a “part of England”. Although Wales failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, it did manage to return to the Euros in 2020 and then made it to the biggest competition in world football in 2022, 64 years after it had last played at a World Cup. The pride and passion shown by the fans and players alike proved that there was a deep love of the country – and the songs sung in the stadiums extolled the virtues of Wales as an independent nation.
The distinct identity and, in particular, the language, of Wales have always been rallying points for those interested in independence. However, because of historical and legal links to England, it has been the world of sports where this has been most visible many times over the last 50 years or so. In the 1970s it was the all-conquering rugby team that created so much Welsh pride, as it beat England to the Five Nations rugby title year after year. While rugby is still very important to many people in Wales, it is undoubtedly football that has now taken the mantle of representing the country on a global stage – and one with independence very much as part of its makeup.
Football has not created this new movement in Wales. But it has harnessed the feelings of many people and directed them in a very visible way. There is no mistaking the pride of the athletes playing for the country (not that there ever was) and the thousands singing the national anthem and other very Welsh songs prove time and time again that there is something happening here.
The FAW is the organization that runs football in Wales and it has not shied away from the general feeling of the fans and players. Whereas some sports authorities have avoided any political relationships, there has been a very direct connection with national sentiment. This is best exemplified by the way the FAW has requested FIFA to refer to the team as “Cymru”, which is the Welsh name for Wales. This use of the Welsh language by such an official and visible body cannot be overstated. The language is at the heart of Welsh identity and its use by the fans in stadiums around the world is another way that Wales can set itself apart and prove its credentials as a true independent nation.
A common argument put forward by Welsh football fans is that many of the teams Wales plays against represent smaller populations. Iceland is rightly known for being an economically strong, independent country and its national football team has famously qualified for European Championships and World Cup finals. The fact that the population of the country is under 400,000 makes the “too small” refrain dismissing calls for Welsh independence ridiculous. A better example might be Uruguay, twice winners of the World Cup and universally viewed as independent. Its population is about the same as Wales.
It is unlikely that independence will come to Wales in the near future. But it is obvious that there is a shifting of viewpoint in many areas of the country – and that it is most visible within the prism of football. The Wales national team might not be overtly pushing the cause but its continued success and pride in Welsh national identity is boosting the call for independence in a way that is increasingly noticeable.
