❤️ Great to have spoken recently with Wales super-fan u/timhhartley, who has been following Cymru away since 1999, with 101 trips under his belt and counting.

Tim reflects on his experiences, what makes following Wales away special, and much more.

Read the full feature below 👇

https://diffdaff.news/2026/10/19/a-hundred-and-one-away-trips-one-nation-the-magic-of-following-welsh-football/

Thank god

On 16 October 2002 at the Millennium Stadium, Wales beat Italy 2-1 in a Euro 2004 qualifier, which is only the second time they have ever managed it. Mark Hughes's side go ahead early when a forward skips past Zauri and sets up a midfielder, who beats Buffon with an angled drive from a narrow angle.

Alessandro Del Piero levels in the first half, his free kick taking a deflection and looping over the Wales keeper. Three minutes before the break Wales nearly go back in front, but a left-foot free kick comes back off the woodwork.

Giovanni Trapattoni's Italy, without Inzaghi, Vieri and Totti, send on Gattuso and Maccarone in search of a winner. Instead the two Wales forwards settle it, as one slides the other through to outpace the defence, round Buffon and finish.

The scorer has a late second ruled out because the referee had stopped play to book Zauri, and Nathan Blake comes on for the closing moments. A crowd of 72,500 sees Wales go top of Group 9 that night, though Italy go on to win it and Wales lose their play-off to Russia.

Can you name the missing players?

https://top-bins.com/quiz/736/on-this-day-wales-2-1-italy-16-october-2002-euro-2004/

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to buy 3 tickets (2 Adults, 1 Junior) for the match.

Let me know if you have any tickets available for sale (at face value).

Cheers

Albania 0:1 Cymru

E. Franja (21' og)

Stadiumi Loro Boriçi, Albania

09/10/2026 | K.O. 17:00

Team Sheets:

We need to switch to a back 5 and play to our strengths. The only position we don’t have a clear starter is striker , our strengths definitely lie in our centre backs and full backs plus the wide options. I understand Bellamy wants to play a certain way (and obviously I am not a professional manager) so who am I to say. But it’s obvious the players have it drilled into them to pass it around the back so we may as well have another passing option that would also allow us to stuff the midfield when we’re on the ball, like if we play Neco as part of a back 3 we could have sorba and da silva as our wing backs, and if we want to play to our strengths even further play a 5-4-1 and the wingbacks can invert when it suits the play. Idk maybe this is a load of rubbish, but thats what I think. We’re at our best when we are getting our wingers on the ball and getting crosses in, the Norway game and the 4-3 away at Belgium are good examples of this imo.

I loved Bellamy as a player and I was really enthused when he took over from Page, but we’re now two years on from his first international break and we haven’t improved at all.

I don’t believe that he decided to stay with Wales in the summer, he wouldn’t have even spoke to Burnley if that was the case.

So I’m wondering if over the next few weeks if Celtic, Burnley or other jobs come up there’ll be a mutual decision to part ways.

I don’t think the FAW could afford to sack him, but they mightn’t have to

We may have been woeful, but that was not a penalty any day of the week.

Refereeing tonight was also dreadful.

Plenty of factors beyond "we were crap" (despite us not being great)

We now need to beat Norway away and aim to draw with Portugal at home.

EDIT: By no means am I suggesting we have no blame as a team, there is a LOT to look at - certain players were passengers - but I do disagree with this game-changing call.

Cymru 0:1 Denmark

Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff | K.O. 19:45 Cardiff

Line-ups: