Latest news with #TheRedWall
Wales Online
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
'We're just as important as England!' Wales look to go out of Euro 2025 with a bang
'We're just as important as England!' Wales look to go out of Euro 2025 with a bang The Red Wall have been nothing short of exceptional in Switzerland, and the intensity of their support is set to go nuclear this weekend. Wales come up against the old enemy in Switzerland. (Image: (Photo by) ) Wales have called on The Red Wall to support them against England as one player insisted: "We're not just the little one next door". Cymru come up against the holders in St Gallen on Sunday night, in the final group stage match. While Rhian Wilkinson's side have not yet been officially knocked out, it is unlikely they'll manage to turn it around in the game against England, relying on results elsewhere and a turn of the tide in terms of goal difference. However, Wales v England, no matter the stage, is always a fierce occasion. Facing England in the sporting arena often represents an opportunity for Wales to topple their neighbours, and Wales striker Ffion Morgan echoes these sentiments exactly. "We're neighbours," Morgan said, when asked about the rivalry and it's significance. "Wales have always been the smaller country, or seen as the smaller country, and we are definitely not that. "From a Welsh point of view, we want to show who we are and what we can bring. Article continues below "We're not just 'the little one next door', we are just as important as England. That's the fire in our eyes." Speaking about the immense support of The Red Wall in Switzerland, Hannah Cain has called on them to set the tone again and dominate the stands at Kybunpark on July 13. "The Welsh fans and support is something that I will never, ever forget," says Cain. "It will be in my top three moments, probably the top. I'll never ever forget that moment we walked out for our first game at a major finals and we heard the Welsh fans and them singing. "They've been louder than the Netherlands, louder than France and I know for a fact that they will be louder than England. "It's so surreal. You walk out onto the pitch and all you can see is this big red wall. "Every single fan has got a Welsh shirt. You look around at the other team… you don't really know who you're playing against if you're looking at the crowd. "That is something I'm very grateful for and we are all grateful for. I hope the Welsh fans know that we really value them, a lot. "We really hope they do one better and out-loud England!" Article continues below Wales face England in St Gallen on Sunday, July 13 at 8pm UK time.
North Wales Live
09-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Live
The little girl who grew up determined to play for Wales living out her dream at the Euros
As Wales watched their women's national side make history last weekend, sat in the crowd were the parents of Ffion Morgan. They watched on with pride as their daughter entered the fray on one of the biggest stages in world football. Even for the average member of The Red Wall, it was a day stacked with emotion and patriotism as a sea of red marched the streets of Lucerne in Switzerland. The national anthem that followed at Allmend Stadion was one for the history books, and left this writer with goosebumps in the press box. But for Ruth and Phylip Morgan from Llandeilo, their pride extended beyond purely being Welsh. They were witnessing their daughter play a part in history. At that moment, all the long car journeys and muddy boots must have seemed worth it. Speaking to WalesOnline out in St Gallen ahead of the second match against France, Morgan's parents spoke about their surreal experience, with Phylip once noting that he felt as if one day, he might just wake up from a dream. "When they came out on the field to warm up, the fans, it was literally The Red Wall, it was completely red!," explained mum Ruth. Ruth recorded the players running out for their pre-match warm-up, showing Ffion later on, who noted one detail to her after watching the video, which encapsulated the moment. "You can see us all looking at our arms because we've literally had goosebumps, because of the noise and the encouragement from The Red Wall! She said the fans were just out of this world," said mum Ruth. "She has obviously experienced this before in Cardiff, Newport and other places, but there was nothing like this, it was absolutely immense." Dad Phylip added: "Even when the game was about to kick off and we were going through the anthems, Ffion was saying that when they were all coming off, even the Dutch players were commenting about the volume of the anthem, that it had moved them as Dutch people. "For them to be moved in such a way with just the volume... I'm biased, I know, as a Welshman, but it is the best fans in the world, isn't it? "For me, as a dad," continues Phylip, who composes himself ahead of talking about his daughter's journey. "I say this to Ruth often, I feel as if I am about to wake up from a dream! What I remember the most, and I'll get emotional talking about this - she is just my little girl. "And so, there was this four, five year-old little kid who has got really good co-ordination, she could do several different sports if she wanted to, but she picked football. She's always had a right boot and defends really, really hard. I still cannot believe that we are here and more importantly, my little girl is doing this for a living. Because I would've killed to have done that myself!" "It was literally a pinch me moment," adds mum Ruth. "Even yesterday, we were walking around: 'Can you believe we've just watched our daughter playing in the Euros?' "It's just incredible. Our other daughters are heading out as well, we're just so proud of her. it's just unreal." Of course, Morgan has been a constant in the Welsh set-up for quite some time now, but the feeling of getting called up to the first major tournament still hit hard, as Ruth says. "We were at the house, she'd finished with Bristol, the season had come to an end so she was home," she says. "Her girlfriend was there as well. We were looking at something on the iPad and the next thing she went: 'Oh my gosh, Rhian is phoning me.' "We were like: 'Rhian?', she says: 'Yeah, Rhian Wilkinson!', we were like: 'Go take it, go take it!'. She disappeared for about 10 to 15 minutes and then she came back, saying: 'I'm going to the Euros!' "We were like: 'Yeah that's great', she's says: 'No, I'm actually going to the Euros!', we were like: 'Did you doubt it then?', she said: 'Well until you've had the phone call you never know', she started tearing up: 'I'm so relieved I now know 100% that I am going to the Euros' "Even if they play regularly, until that phone call is made… Rhian started that conversation by saying: 'Hey Ffion, just wanted to congratulate you, you've been chosen for the squad. She said: 'I nearly broke down!'" As far as representing her beloved Wales, Morgan never had anything else on her mind. Her parents were incredibly supportive when she was young even in the face of some discouragement from others. However, there was one moment that truly inspired her journey, and it was down to two former Welsh internationals. "For us as parents, looking back on her journey with football and Wales, from the age of four she was football-obsessed, she always had football kit on, she'd always have Wales hats on, we were very determined to help her as much as we could. "We took her to every trial that was going, if she wanted to join a team, we would get it sorted. We had a lot of hassle for it and lots of people were like: 'Don't encourage her, she's going to be heartbroken!' "We took her to a charity event when she was seven-years-old and Gwennan Harries and Loren Dykes were there. They gave her a Welsh shirt and they signed her ball for her. She's got a photograph, got a smile from ear to ear with a massive Welsh shirt on, it was too big for her. "She came home and she said: 'Mam, that's what I want to do, I want to play for Wales'. That is all she's ever wanted to do, even in school: 'What do you want to be?', (she'd reply) 'Footballer. Footballer.' "We took her to trials, we took her everywhere she needed to go, when she signed for Bristol Academy she had to finish school a lesson early because we had to travel two hours to Bristol three times a week. "She has been very very focused on what she's wanted, she's been very determined. To see it actually come to something now is just amazing. "Even though we believed in her, we always said: 'You can always do whatever you want to do'. We always used to say: 'Somebody's got to play for Wales, why can't it be you?' "Even with that encouragement, in the back of your head, you never know. "But then when you see her run out at one of the biggest tournaments ever and she's playing in the Euros, it's just like: 'Oh my gosh, I can't actually believe that it's all worked out and it's all she's ever dreamed of doing.' Dad Phylip adds: "We are not pushy parents. You see so many parents that live out their unmet dreams through their children. All we've ever done is get behind them, with all three of our daughters, not just Ffion. "She is quite unusual. Ffion, from that day on at seven years of age, she was going to play football for Wales. It was decided! "And then she told her grandad, he never got to see her win her first cap but he's probably looking down from glory right now at here. "And that's a big thing for here as well, with the anthem, she can hear grandad singing: 'Gwlad, gwlad'. She's done it for him and done it for herself, it just shows what can happen with encouragement." Speaking about what it was like for Ffion after the match, Ruth said: "The players came out to see us after they showered, I said: 'How are you feeling?', and she says: 'Mum, Wales have played their first game in the Euros!' "They came back to the changing rooms and they were like: 'We've just played in the Euros!' "Whilst they obviously would have loved to have a better score, the big thing for them was: 'Look at what we've done, at what we've achieved in just arriving here'. "That was very much what was on their minds after the game, really. They were just proud that they had done Wales proud to be here." Morgan and her teammates have certainly done Cymru proud, and their next challenge comes on Wednesday night in St Gallen against France, where The Red Wall will be ready and waiting for their history-makers.
Wales Online
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
The little girl who grew up determined to play for Wales living out her dream at the Euros
The little girl who grew up determined to play for Wales living out her dream at the Euros Cymru played in their first-ever major women's tournament against Netherlands on Saturday. Ffion Morgan has always been football mad. (Image: Ruth Morgan ) As Wales watched their women's national side make history last weekend, sat in the crowd were the parents of Ffion Morgan. They watched on with pride as their daughter entered the fray on one of the biggest stages in world football. Even for the average member of The Red Wall, it was a day stacked with emotion and patriotism as a sea of red marched the streets of Lucerne in Switzerland. The national anthem that followed at Allmend Stadion was one for the history books, and left this writer with goosebumps in the press box. But for Ruth and Phylip Morgan from Llandeilo, their pride extended beyond purely being Welsh. They were witnessing their daughter play a part in history. Follow live updates from Wales game against France on Wednesday night in Switzerland here At that moment, all the long car journeys and muddy boots must have seemed worth it. Speaking to WalesOnline out in St Gallen ahead of the second match against France, Morgan's parents spoke about their surreal experience, with Phylip once noting that he felt as if one day, he might just wake up from a dream. Article continues below Ffion Morgan represented Wales on one of the biggest footballing stages. (Image: Ruth Morgan ) "When they came out on the field to warm up, the fans, it was literally The Red Wall, it was completely red!," explained mum Ruth. Ruth recorded the players running out for their pre-match warm-up, showing Ffion later on, who noted one detail to her after watching the video, which encapsulated the moment. "You can see us all looking at our arms because we've literally had goosebumps, because of the noise and the encouragement from The Red Wall! She said the fans were just out of this world," said mum Ruth. "She has obviously experienced this before in Cardiff, Newport and other places, but there was nothing like this, it was absolutely immense." Dad Phylip added: "Even when the game was about to kick off and we were going through the anthems, Ffion was saying that when they were all coming off, even the Dutch players were commenting about the volume of the anthem, that it had moved them as Dutch people. "For them to be moved in such a way with just the volume... I'm biased, I know, as a Welshman, but it is the best fans in the world, isn't it? "For me, as a dad," continues Phylip, who composes himself ahead of talking about his daughter's journey. "I say this to Ruth often, I feel as if I am about to wake up from a dream! What I remember the most, and I'll get emotional talking about this - she is just my little girl. "And so, there was this four, five year-old little kid who has got really good co-ordination, she could do several different sports if she wanted to, but she picked football. She's always had a right boot and defends really, really hard. I still cannot believe that we are here and more importantly, my little girl is doing this for a living. Because I would've killed to have done that myself!" "It was literally a pinch me moment," adds mum Ruth. "Even yesterday, we were walking around: 'Can you believe we've just watched our daughter playing in the Euros?' "It's just incredible. Our other daughters are heading out as well, we're just so proud of her. it's just unreal." Ruth and Phylip Morgan. (Image: Ruth Morgan ) Of course, Morgan has been a constant in the Welsh set-up for quite some time now, but the feeling of getting called up to the first major tournament still hit hard, as Ruth says. "We were at the house, she'd finished with Bristol, the season had come to an end so she was home," she says. "Her girlfriend was there as well. We were looking at something on the iPad and the next thing she went: 'Oh my gosh, Rhian is phoning me.' "We were like: 'Rhian?', she says: 'Yeah, Rhian Wilkinson!', we were like: 'Go take it, go take it!'. She disappeared for about 10 to 15 minutes and then she came back, saying: 'I'm going to the Euros!' "We were like: 'Yeah that's great', she's says: 'No, I'm actually going to the Euros!', we were like: 'Did you doubt it then?', she said: 'Well until you've had the phone call you never know', she started tearing up: 'I'm so relieved I now know 100% that I am going to the Euros' "Even if they play regularly, until that phone call is made… Rhian started that conversation by saying: 'Hey Ffion, just wanted to congratulate you, you've been chosen for the squad. She said: 'I nearly broke down!'" As far as representing her beloved Wales, Morgan never had anything else on her mind. Her parents were incredibly supportive when she was young even in the face of some discouragement from others. However, there was one moment that truly inspired her journey, and it was down to two former Welsh internationals. "For us as parents, looking back on her journey with football and Wales, from the age of four she was football-obsessed, she always had football kit on, she'd always have Wales hats on, we were very determined to help her as much as we could. "We took her to every trial that was going, if she wanted to join a team, we would get it sorted. We had a lot of hassle for it and lots of people were like: 'Don't encourage her, she's going to be heartbroken!' "We took her to a charity event when she was seven-years-old and Gwennan Harries and Loren Dykes were there. They gave her a Welsh shirt and they signed her ball for her. She's got a photograph, got a smile from ear to ear with a massive Welsh shirt on, it was too big for her. Ffion Morgan is pictured with Loren Dykes. (Image: Ruth Morgan ) "She came home and she said: 'Mam, that's what I want to do, I want to play for Wales'. That is all she's ever wanted to do, even in school: 'What do you want to be?', (she'd reply) 'Footballer. Footballer.' "We took her to trials, we took her everywhere she needed to go, when she signed for Bristol Academy she had to finish school a lesson early because we had to travel two hours to Bristol three times a week. "She has been very very focused on what she's wanted, she's been very determined. To see it actually come to something now is just amazing. "Even though we believed in her, we always said: 'You can always do whatever you want to do'. We always used to say: 'Somebody's got to play for Wales, why can't it be you?' "Even with that encouragement, in the back of your head, you never know. "But then when you see her run out at one of the biggest tournaments ever and she's playing in the Euros, it's just like: 'Oh my gosh, I can't actually believe that it's all worked out and it's all she's ever dreamed of doing.' Dad Phylip adds: "We are not pushy parents. You see so many parents that live out their unmet dreams through their children. All we've ever done is get behind them, with all three of our daughters, not just Ffion. "She is quite unusual. Ffion, from that day on at seven years of age, she was going to play football for Wales. It was decided! "And then she told her grandad, he never got to see her win her first cap but he's probably looking down from glory right now at here. "And that's a big thing for here as well, with the anthem, she can hear grandad singing: 'Gwlad, gwlad'. She's done it for him and done it for herself, it just shows what can happen with encouragement." Speaking about what it was like for Ffion after the match, Ruth said: "The players came out to see us after they showered, I said: 'How are you feeling?', and she says: 'Mum, Wales have played their first game in the Euros!' "They came back to the changing rooms and they were like: 'We've just played in the Euros!' "Whilst they obviously would have loved to have a better score, the big thing for them was: 'Look at what we've done, at what we've achieved in just arriving here'. "That was very much what was on their minds after the game, really. They were just proud that they had done Wales proud to be here." Article continues below Morgan and her teammates have certainly done Cymru proud, and their next challenge comes on Wednesday night in St Gallen against France, where The Red Wall will be ready and waiting for their history-makers.
Wales Online
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Wales forced to stop team meeting as epic moment unfolds outside hotel
Wales forced to stop team meeting as epic moment unfolds outside hotel Players were blown away by a special moment that took place in the midst of the match day chaos and left them with tears in their eyes The Red Wall sing outside team hotel Welsh supporters sang so loud outside the team hotel at Euro 2025 that Rhian Wilkinson was forced to stop a team meeting. The moment occurred ahead of Wales v Netherlands in Lucerne, Switzerland, last weekend. Around 4,000 of The Red Wall descended upon the streets of the Swiss city, walking in unison with Dutch fans from the fan zone to Allmend Stadion, which is a 2.5km stretch. In what was a superb display of passion and pride to kick off the footballing action, there was one moment that slipped under the radar. As some Welsh fans marched through the streets, they noticed the Cymru team coach parked down a side street, discovering where the team were based for the game. Spotting an opportunity to give their players one final boost ahead of the game, the fans started singing. In an interview with WalesOnline out in Switzerland, Wales star Ffion Morgan's parents spoke about experiencing this surreal moment. "We were walking up the street and everybody was singing," began mother Ruth Morgan. Article continues below "And obviously we passed the end of the road where they (Wales) were staying in their hotel. The bus was constantly parked outside. So of course the fans saw it, started gathering around the bus and started singing the Welsh national anthem. "So I was videoing it, not thinking anything of it - I'll just send this to Ffion later on. Then I got a text from Ffion saying: 'Oh my gosh, we are in a team meeting and all we can hear is the national anthem outside the window. Rhian has stopped the meeting and we are all looking out the window and there are fans everywhere!' "I texted her back saying: 'Yeah, it's us, we're there! We're standing behind the bus.' "She sent me the video of the fans on the bus from the team room and I sent a video from outside the team room, so it was quite a surreal moment really - we were sharing exactly the same experience but from two different angles. The Red Wall sing outside hotel (second angle) "Rhian was speaking and she had to stop because the noise of the anthem from outside was just incredible, they all got up off their seats looking out the window and they were all comparing goosebumps. She said everybody had tears in their eyes, it was such a special moment. "She was saying, to have that just before the game was such a boost for all of them. They had such a backing from the fans, it was great." Speaking about the march itself, mum Ruth said it was "incredible". "We were in the fan zone first, which was equally as incredible," she continued. "Because when you looked around the fan zone it was just all red, all bucket hats, there was hardly any orange there at all, fabulous. "They had the music on, everyone was singing and dancing in the fan zone. Then the announcement came: 'We're leaving!' - Yma O Hyd, Oggy, Oggy, Oggy, everything was going off. It was quite emotional really, because people recognised us so they were coming out to us and wishing us luck. We're definitely going to be there on Wednesday and Sunday." Dad Phylip added: "One of the moments for me, was one of the dads that was out, he said: 'It feels as if I'm in heaven'. I said: 'Why is that?' He says: 'I'm mad about sport' "He was there in 2016 and now he's able to be there with three of his young kids, because it's a really safe environment. They were making a family holiday of this, all of them are out able to enjoy football, which he loves. Article continues below "It is without all of the edge that comes with men's football. Even in the fan zone we felt really safe. Controlled alcohol and everything, that was a big thing for me, when we were walking with the fans, that it was just a really nice, joyous place to be with everyone."
North Wales Chronicle
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
'A proper, genuine football fan': FAW pays tribute to Mike Peters
Mike Peters and The Alarm recorded Wales's official song for EURO 2020 – 'The Red Wall of Cymru' – which saw him perform alongside members of The Red Wall at locations across the country. Mike, who was born in Prestatyn and lived in Dyserth, was a passionate fan of Welsh football and performed live in the stadium ahead of Men's National Team matches. Ian Gwyn Hughes, the FAW's Head of Public Relations and Culture, said: 'Being brought up in the same part of the world, I always looked up to Mike Peters and The Alarm and felt proud of his achievements but of course, there was also his huge passion for the country and football. "I remember meeting for the first time and asking him to play in a celebrity match ahead of a Premier Cup Final between Wrexham and Cardiff City at the Racecourse alongside the likes of Joey Jones, Mickey Thomas and Dai Davies. He was just so passionate and genuine. "He was a natural choice to compose and sing the EURO 2020 song, The Red Wall of Cymru, a song he described as a story of real people coming together. He travelled the length and breadth of the country meeting members of the Red Wall in eleven different locations. 'Often seen at the side of the pitch at the Cardiff City stadium before matches, Mike was humble, always positive and smiling. "He will not only be remembered for his music but also as just a proper, genuine football fan who made a huge contribution to the culture of The Red Wall. "Our sympathies to his family' RELATED STORIES A voice of defiance and hope both on and off the stage, Mike first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm, whose powerful anthems like '68 Guns' and 'Strength' helped define a generation of alternative rock. Known for their rallying cries and heartfelt lyrics, The Alarm garnered a devoted international following, with Mike's raw vocals and commanding stage presence at the heart of it all. During a music career that spanned five decades, Mike performed with some of music's greatest artists and bands including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and U2. Mike died in the early hours of April 29 from blood cancer. He leaves his wife Jules, 58, and two sons, Dylan, 20, and Evan, 18. The rocker was first diagnosed with blood cancer chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) more than 30 years ago, aged 36. Over the years Mike underwent numerous drug treatments and rounds of chemotherapy and tried experimental therapy to keep his cancer at bay. Most recently, he underwent Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy (CAR-T) at The Christie in Manchester in an attempt to cure his Richter's syndrome, a rare and aggressive blood cancer. In March, Mike revealed that although CAR-T hadn't officially been able to cure him, it had "helped". During his lifetime, Mike, along with Jules, tirelessly raised awareness and funds for cancer research and care. The couple staged huge fundraising events and concerts such as The Gathering, Snowdon Rocks and Zip World Rocks - just to name a small few. The couple co-founded Love Hope Strength, a cancer charity to encourage action around stem cell donation. Through its Get On The List campaigns, often publicised at rock concerts, the charity has added more than 250,000 people to stem cell registers worldwide.
