Football Daily | One Man’s Odyssey And A Hollywood Striker Get Wales Fired Up For Kazakhstan

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

Considering Cymru caput coach Craig Bellamy is truthful patriotic that he lives successful a location constructed wholly of Fragrant Spring daffodil bulbs, thinks nan long-running BBC soap opera Pobol y Cwm is simply a documentary and has Dafydd Iwan’s stirring anthem Yma o Hyd arsenic his ringtone, it was nary astonishment he was impressed by nan journey undertaken by Wales instrumentality John McAllister to get to his nation’s World Cup qualifier successful Kazakhstan. Currently sitting 2nd successful Group J, a constituent down North Macedonia but pinch Belgium 3 points further backmost pinch 2 games successful hand, Wednesday afternoon’s lucifer successful Astana is simply a reasonably must-win 1 for Wales. Anything little than 3 points would beryllium a crushing disappointment for McAllister, who group disconnected for nan Kazakh superior from Barry 5 weeks agone and has taken successful 11 shot matches, nary extremity of overseas boozers, a dense metallic gig and immoderate Irish stranger’s stag do arsenic he travelled astir 5,000 kilometres eastbound crossed 4 clip zones and 12 countries connected a bid of 17 trains, 11 buses and 1 level (a formation he’d alternatively person not taken but was incapable to avoid).

“We’ve sewage to spot him, because it intends truthful overmuch to us,” said Bellamy of McAllister’s bonkers odyssey. “I’m beyond proud of that fact.” While super-fan McAllister whitethorn footwear himself erstwhile he discovers he could person conscionable taken a nonstop formation from Cardiff to Astana for illustration nan Wales team, he is apt to person a hero’s invited from astir 1,000 chap supporters who took a acold little circuitous and comparatively unadventurous way to Astana. “To spot really they each get connected pinch each different arsenic well,” said Bellamy, beaming pinch pridefulness astatine nan devotion of his bucket hat-wearing brethren. “They look aft each other, they’re good behaved but they bask themselves. We want to beryllium for illustration that, we want to play for illustration that.” While Celtic’s Bigger Cup exit astatine nan hands of Kairat Almaty past week proved that teams from far-flung European outposts don’t ever person it their ain measurement erstwhile they sojourn Astana, nan existent incarnation of Wales should realistically expect to hit a squad 83 places beneath them successful nan Fifa rankings and 1 who they person already seen disconnected successful Cardiff. For nan first clip successful 15 years, nan Welsh squad is besides apt to beryllium boosted by nan uncommon inclusion of practice from Hollywood FC.

“I deliberation we’re each captivated by nan travel of Wrexham,” trilled Bellamy of nan plucky rag-tag assortment of churchmice and underdogs from nan Racecourse Ground who spent complete £30m connected 13 players successful nan caller transportation window. “It’s been astonishing for Welsh shot and hopefully now successful a number of years we’ll spot young players coming through. Surely, whether it’s Swansea, Newport, Cardiff, Wrexham, nan amended they do nan amended chance we person of being a stronger federation successful football.” While Danny Ward and Nathan Broadhead will miss retired against Kazakhstan pinch knack, on pinch Leeds defender Joe Rodon, nan in-form Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore is apt to characteristic and it is to beryllium hoped nan 6ft 5in target man was afforded plentifulness of leg-room connected nan eight-hour formation over.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

I americium decidedly utilized to playing successful basking temperatures now successful Italy” – recalled England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek reckons he tin grip nan power – which is useful fixed Thomas Tuchel’s broadside whitethorn person to play successful dangerously scorching conditions astatine nan Geopolitics World Cup adjacent year.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek staying cool, earlier. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

I only publication Big Website of people (ahem) but I did chance upon this piece successful yesterday’s Estadios de España connected Atlético Madrid’s B squad and their caller stadium. Yes, it’s world fortnight and I’m saturated already. Apparently, successful 1999, they vanished 2nd successful nan Segunda División but evidently couldn’t beryllium promoted to La Liga arsenic Atlético Madrid were already there. And, to make things worse, conscionable a twelvemonth later, Atlético Madrid were relegated to nan Segunda División successful 2000 truthful nan B squad were forced to spell down into nan 3rd tier!” – Noble Francis.

The photograph of Arsenal players celebrating their 1971 FA Cup triumph (yesterday’s Memory Lane – afloat email edition) was good captioned. The only info missing was, who is that dude successful nan inheritance giving disconnected Saturday Night Fever vibes? We merit to know” – Jim Scullion.

I can’t show you really relieved I americium to yet spot nan backmost of nan transportation window. My encephalon was truthful saturated pinch rumours, cliches and transportation motto that I mislaid nan expertise to separate betwixt a woody expanse and a sh!t deal. I simply couldn’t woody pinch this expanse anymore” – Peter Oh.

If you person any, please nonstop letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s victor of our prizeless missive o’ nan time is … Peter Oh. Terms and conditions for our competitions, erstwhile we tally them, tin beryllium viewed here. 

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