Right city, right game, but for these Scots from Dundee (United!) not the right team
Despite the day being overcast, the fans of Wales and the Ukraine brought colour to the streets of Cardiff
The streets were also filled with reminders of how football has its place in the fabric of Welsh society
Fans start to pour into the pubs and clubs!
Eventually, those with game tickets start their journey to the stadium
Inside the stadium Welsh language singer Dafydd Iwan leads the crowd in “Yma O Hyd” (Still Here) a Welsh language song about the endurance of the Welsh and their language. The song proclaims “Ry’n ni yma o hyd, er gwaetha pawb a phopeth” translating as “We’re still here, in spite of everyone and everything.
100% Cymru, but despite the smiles 100% Nervous!!
33,280 pack into the Cardiff City Stadium
5pm Kick-off time!
If we were 100% nervous before the match, we now had to strap ourselves in for a bumpy 96 minutes!
Just about visible in photos 4 and 5 (in the 5 picture carroussel below) is Ukrainian captain Viktor Tsygankov squeezing between Dan James (20) and Andriy Yarmolenko (15) to deflect Gareth Bale’s free-kick past the Ukrainian goalkeeper.
Finally! The Final Whistle!
Keith Tabatznik from Washington DC – who I’ve known since 1981 – celebrates OUR win! Keith was with me 29 years earlier when Wales lost their final qualification match to Romania in Cardiff. The 1-2 defeat meant that we failed to get to the USA for the 1994 World Cup Finals. So this was – if it were possible – an extra sweet moment for the two of us!
Before the next set of photos featuring the full-time Welsh celebrations, so many, many Welsh hearts went out to the Ukraine team and their nation’s unimaginable suffering.
Diolch yn fawr i Ukraine
Singing in the rain, dancing in the drizzle – the party kicks-off!
Monday lunchtime and the World Cup smiles and party refuses to end!
Finally: Time for reflection
I saw my first Wales men’s game at Ninian Park in 1970 v Romania. Since then I’ve followed the team with a passion through a journey of – until the Euro finals of 2016 – near misses and heart breaking results.
There were of course highs to go with the lows. I recall the fun of being part of the crowd when we beat England 4-1 in Wrexham. There was also our almost forgotten Euro qualification in the 1970s before it became a country based tournament.
World Cup qualification was however the final piece of the jigsaw! Being in a rain-soaked Cardiff with so many family and friends on Sunday washed away so much hurt.
Tim, you have a remarkable eye for capturing the full experience. I am so jealous that I was not there, however these pictures really bring me into the moment as if I were standing and cheering next to you (which I was virtually). This achievement is was so long overdue for Wales. It is inspiring to see the players (past and present) and the loyal supporters like you enjoying this moment to the fullest. The excitement will last through the summer, and the journey continues later this year, and what an amazing tournament that is going to be!
Nice one Tim. I still can’t quite believe we’ve finally made it.
Great photos of a brilliant day! Thnx Tim!
It was truly a special time to watch Wales qualify for Qatar. The passion and support is second to none and no in that stadium will ever forget that night. Making it more of a story for me is that the next time I see Wales play live will be in Qatar for the opening Group game…vs my USA team!!