Interesting post, especially the part about the Welsh language school. How common is Welsh in Wales, I've heard in some parts, it's the first language, is this true? Would you say that the language is growing or diminishing in your estimation?
I think that some school districts wont entertain soccer and really dislike it. But there are loads of soccer teams outside of the school system. I did play Rugby on the school team and broke my arm in 2 places at 11 years old but on our break times we always always played soccer in the school yard. As for Welsh language I heard it made a comeback now and some jobs will pay you more if you know Welsh but I think north Wales was more Welsh speaking none of my family really know it except my sister but you can choose a Welsh language school for your child. If you pick an English school they will have Welsh classes but a real Welsh school is all Welsh everything and most subjects are taught in Welsh... except say english class or french class of course. I haven't lived there for 13 years or so so i'm not up on everything. I would imagine only say a few hundred thousand people speak it.
in cardiff at least when i lived there about 8 years ago, nobody knew Welsh, Rugby was just getting huge cause we were only finally doing well internationally, and the majority of everyone everywhere followed and loved soccer. As for us, i'm telling you boys, between aaron ramsey and the 15 year old that was playing for cardiff in some friendlies this summer (or at least one), we will be fine.
I'm guessing from the tone of your post that you went to a Welsh school in the South, which one was it? I went to Llanhari and also found that rugby was favoured to football, but didn't mind too much as I enjoy playing both sports. My dad went to Ystalyfera and taught at Glantaf, and I've got plenty of friends from Rhydyfelin, who tell me the same thing. I'm lucky that I joined my local football team when I was 14 because the school didn't have a team or even play it in gym lessons. I've always found football to be more popular with my friends, both in school and in uni. As for Cymraeg, I think around 25% of the population have some knowledge of it, and around 10% speak it fluently.
Freddy eastwood scored the winning goal on his international debut http://www.goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=390966
If Wales sells out most rugby internationals and doesn't come close to selling out most soccer internationals, that's a pretty strong data point in favour of rugby. But I'm from over the Loughor, which is pretty much rugby central. You were basically a poof if you played soccer any more seriously than a kickabout on the street (a lot harder to ruck on concrete ).
Tell that to the twenty-five thousand empty seats that watched one of the biggest names in international rugby spank Wales last weekend.
welsh is hard to learn. i have tried through tapes in my car amd on my ipod. i have learned some, but to become fluent would take major effort. all of the mutations and guttural sounds are hard to deal with. i'm american, i can't do the guttural thing at all.
Re: Wales NT Thread Paul Parry retires from the NT http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/7603887.stm
Welsh is a very difficult language to learn, with all the mutations as well as the genders. Parry's retirement is no great loss, and if he's going to throw his toys out of the pram we're better off without him anyway. Maybe he can go and join up with Lily Savage and slag Toshack off whenever we lose.
Wales lost today a crucial match at home against Finland 2-0 which practically ends their hopes of a World Cup http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_of_wales/7970054.stm
Jason Koumas has decided to retire from the NT , wasnt expecting this!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_of_wales/8240621.stm
Posted July 2007! This guy was right about Ramsey...maybe he's right about Euro 2012. Ramsey, Sam Vokes, Ched Evans, Simon Church, Gareth Bale, Chris Gunter, Jack Collison ,Joe Ledley - some great young talent. Although I don't know about the defense. Ashley Williams? Craig Morgan? Sam Ricketts may be the least popular player among Bolton fans right now and of course that is the least popular team in the Premiership. Pretty sure there were more Premier League players on the Wales team than the Scotland team in the recent friendly. More SPL players on the Scotland team though! (notwithstanding the great Andy Dorman)
Williams has been on of the best defenders in the Championship this season, he'll be off to the Prem either in the summer or next year assuming we don't go up. Gabbidon and Collins are both quality defenders, Gabbs is never fit though which doesn't help. Morgan is a bit of a donkey though. I think we've got a lot of good young players coming through at the moment, but other than Ramsey and Bale, there are no great players there. They're all solid enough Championship players, but I don't see that being enough for us to reach the finals in 2012, especially not with the group we've got.