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From the Battle of Wrexham to wunderkind Woodburn’s audacious entrance: a brief history of Wales v Austria (part four)

When Wales welcome Austria to the Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow evening for a vital World Cup play-off semi-final, it will be the eleventh instalment in an intermittent rivalry that has produced some memorable moments dating back to the first meeting in 1954. Coleman earns draw with goal on debut Following their triumph against Austria at the Racecourse in November 1975, Wales enjoyed a period of unprecedented competitiveness and consistency in international football over the next two decades. Unfortunately, they never achieved their aim of appearing in a showpiece summer tournament.  Even after topping their qualifying group for the 1976 European Championship, their reward was a tough quarter-final tie over two legs against Yugoslavia, one of the strongest sides in the world. Wales bowed out 3–1 on aggregate after the second leg descended into violence on and off the pitch in what became known as the Battle of Ninian Park, which surpassed even the Battle of Wrexham in notoriety. For
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From the Battle of Wrexham to wunderkind Woodburn’s audacious entrance: a brief history of Wales v Austria (part three)

When Wales welcome Austria to the Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow evening for a vital World Cup play-off semi-final, it will be the eleventh instalment in an intermittent rivalry that has produced some memorable moments dating back to the first meeting in 1954. Local hero Griffiths stars on glorious night for Wales Two decades after the Battle of Wrexham , Wales welcomed Austria back to the Racecourse on 19 November 1975 for the most crucial clash between the two nations prior to this week’s play-off. A place in the quarter-finals of the 1976 European Championship was at stake. Since succumbing to two late goals in Vienna in Mike Smith’s first match as manager , Wales had roared to the top of their qualifying group on the back of four consecutive victories. They had begun their whirlwind revival by beating Hungary 2–0 in Cardiff and thrashing Luxembourg 5–0 in Swansea in successive months before the end of 1974 and then repeated those successes against the same opponents away from home i
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From the Battle of Wrexham to wunderkind Woodburn’s audacious entrance: a brief history of Wales v Austria (part two)

When Wales welcome Austria to the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday evening for a vital World Cup play-off semi-final, it will be the 11th instalment in an intermittent rivalry that has produced some memorable moments dating back to the first meeting in 1954. Late collapse sours Smith’s opening salvo Unsurprisingly, Wales and Austria did not rush to confront each other again after the two bruising battles between the two nations in the mid-1950s. Indeed, they would not resume acquaintances until they were drawn together in the same qualifying group for the 1976 European Championship. Wales would open the campaign with a trip to Vienna in September 1974 – two decades after John Charles and company had lost 2–0 at the same venue, simultaneously sowing the seeds of discontent that culminated in the Battle of Wrexham .  The match would be a milestone for Mike Smith, recently installed as Wales’ first full-time manager in a move that was criticised by at least one prominent member of the pre
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From the Battle of Wrexham to wunderkind Woodburn’s audacious entrance: a brief history of Wales v Austria (part one)

When Wales welcome Austria to the Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow evening for a vital World Cup play-off semi-final, it will be the eleventh instalment in an intermittent rivalry that has produced some memorable moments dating back to the first meeting in 1954. Bordering on a bloodbath: The Battle of Wrexham Differences in the interpretation of certain laws were a problem for Wales during their early forays to the continent.  They had only played two internationals outside the United Kingdom before the second world war – both times against France in Paris, in 1933 and 1939 – but these ventures became more frequent from 1949 onwards. The main bone of contention was the tendency of players such as Welsh firebrand Trevor Ford to shoulder-charge goalkeepers. The practice was allowed in the Football League, but invariably incurred the wrath of referees and opponents on the continent. This culture clash culminated in the Battle of Wrexham in November 1955, the second of two encounters
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Cymru'n achub ar eu (hail) gyfle i gyrraedd rowndiau terfynol Cwpan y Byd

Ar y diwrnod hwn 60 mlynedd yn ôl, sef 5 Chwefror 1958, roedd gan bêl-droedwyr Cymru gyfle annisgwyl – ac o bosib anhaeddiannol – i gwblhau taith ragbrofol ryfedd drwy gyrraedd rowndiau terfynol Cwpan y Byd yn Sweden ar draul Israel ar Barc Ninian yng Nghaerdydd. Yr hyn a wnaeth y daith mor rhyfedd oedd y ffaith bod tîm Jimmy Murphy eisoes wedi ffarwelio â’r gystadleuaeth unwaith ar ôl iddynt lithro i'r ail safle yn eu grŵp y tu ôl i Tsiecoslofacia. Ond byddai penbleth yn ymwneud ag Adran Asia-Affrica y rowndiau rhagbrofol yn newid y sefyllfa’n sydyn ac yn syfrdanol. Roedd Israel wedi ennill yr adran heb ymgymryd â’r un gêm ragbrofol pan wrthododd Twrci, Indonesia, yr Aifft a Sudan â chwarae yn eu herbyn yn sgil y rhyfela gwaedlyd yn y Dwyrain Canol ym 1956 a 1957. Mynnodd Fifa na ddylai unrhyw dîm gael mynediad i rowndiau terfynol Cwpan y Byd dan yr amgylchiadau anghyffredin hyn. Felly, penderfynwyd cyflwyno ail gyfle yn y gystadleuaeth i un o’r gwledydd a oedd wedi gorff
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Llafur cariad a llafur caled: y cefndir i'm llyfr am bêl-droed Cymru

Isod ceir y cefndir i’m llyfr digidol newydd, Pêl-droed: Cymru yng Nghwpan y Byd 1950-1974 , sydd ar gael i’w brynu ar gyfer Kindle am £3.49. Rhoddir yr holl elw sy’n deillio o’r llyfr i’r elusen Menter Iaith Bro Ogwr. Bu llunio fy llyfr yn llafur cariad a dweud y lleiaf. Ffurfiodd y syniad o ysgrifennu llyfr am hynt tîm pêl-droed Cymru yng Nghwpan y Byd yn fy nychymyg rywbryd yn ail hanner y 1990au, ar ôl darganfod cyfrolau cyffelyb (yn Saesneg, wrth gwrs) am Loegr, yr Alban a Gweriniaeth Iwerddon gan awdur o’r enw Clive Leatherdale. Fel mewn meysydd eraill, roedd y Cymry wedi’u hanwybyddu, gan f’ysgogi i geisio unioni’r cam hwnnw fy hun. Roedd gennyf ddigonedd o amser a chymhelliant i ymgymryd â’r dasg gan nad oedd fy rhagolygon proffesiynol yn rhy addawol ar y pryd. Roeddwn yn ddi-waith ac yn dioddef o ryw glefyd anhysbys a oedd yn achosi poen eithriadol yn fy nhraed ac yn effeithio’n ddifrifol ar fy ngallu i gerdded, heb sôn am gysgu, yn iawn. Câi’r clefyd hwn ei ddehongli fe
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Ar y diwrnod hwn yn hanes pêl-droed Cymru ... Charles ac Allchurch i’r adwy

Yn ôl yn nhymor 1953/54, cynhaliwyd ail ymgyrch ragbrofol Cymru yng Nghwpan y Byd. Bu’r un gyntaf, bedair blynedd ynghynt, yn fethiant llwyr, ond y tro hwn roedd y rhagolygon yn fwy addawol i’r crysau cochion. Y prif reswm am y newid oedd presenoldeb John Charles ac Ivor Allchurch yn eu rhengoedd – yn ddiau, dyma’r ddau chwaraewr gorau i gynrychioli Cymru yn ystod yr ugeinfed ganrif. Fel ym 1949/50, defnyddiwyd y Bencampwriaeth Ryngwladol Gartref fel grŵp rhagbrofol ar gyfer y cenhedloedd cartref, sef Cymru, Lloegr, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon. D yma’r unig adran lle câi dau dîm wahoddiad i’r rowndiau terfynol yn y Swistir.  Erbyn i Gymru wynebu’r Alban ar Barc Hampden ar 4 Tachwedd 1953, roeddent eisoes wedi colli eu gêm gyntaf. Er iddynt deyrnasu drwy gydol yr hanner cyntaf yn erbyn Lloegr yng Nghaerdydd, dan ddylanwad mawreddog y cawr Charles, roedd anaf i Alf Sherwood wedi’u condemnio, ar gam, wrth i’r Saeson rwydo bedair gwaith yn absenoldeb y cefnwr – nid oedd di
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