Remembering the August friendly
The end of season tour was long a staple for representative international teams.
In June-July 1929 an FAW squad travelled from Canada’s eastern flank to its western flank and back again playing and winning 15 matches. In the same months of 1971 another FAW squad toured Oceania and the Far East playing nine matches (W6 D1 L2; F20 A8), against representative and provincial teams and uncapped internationals against Tahiti, New Zealand and Malaysia.
In between, full internationals were played on various end of season tours such as to Brazil (L 1-3, 1-3) and Mexico (L 1-2) on the eve of the 1962 World Cup; and four years later to Brazil (L 1-3, 0-1) and Chile (L 0-2).
In May 1949 Wales played capped internationals on a first ‘full’ overseas tour of Portugal (L 2-3), Belgium (L 1-3) and Switzerland (L 0-4). A 15 man squad travelled and due to each Continental opponent traditionally wearing red, Wales were obliged to wear an away kit for the first time: daffodil yellow with green collar and cuffs, green pocket trim, black shorts, and yellow and green striped socks.
With the increase in the number of countries entering qualification for European Championships and World Cups, qualifying groups increased in size and the calendar filled with competitive games that squeezed out such tours. Away fixtures where the squad would fly in and out for single, sometimes exotic, matches became increasingly common, and throughout the season, not just at its end. For instance, Kuwait, September 1977 (D 0-0), Iran in April 1978 (W 1-0), Saudi Arabia in February 1986 (W 2-1), Brazil in November 1997 (L 0-3), Qatar in February 2000 (W 1-0).
The end of season tour had not ended altogether though. In 1986 as part of Canada’s preparation for their maiden World Cup appearance, Wales played two internationals against the Maple Leaves in Toronto and Vancouver (L 0-2, W 3-0); in June 1988 Wales won both games on a Mediterranean tour of Malta (W 3-0) and Italy (W 1-0); and a decade later Bobby Gould took Wales to Malta (W 3-0) and Tunisia (L 0-4). But on each there was never a chance of a Wales XI playing a representative, provincial or club side like it did in 1971 or 1929.
In 2002 FIFA allocated a friendly window in the increasingly cluttered international schedule to mid August. Clubs were not particularly pleased with it occurring only a couple of games into the domestic season and affecting the rhythm they were desperate to establish in the early days of a new season.
Nevertheless, international managers such as Mark Hughes – himself wanting to try out new combinations and ideas before the qualifying campaign for Euro 2004 got underway – were able to use FIFA rules to insist that clubs made their players available.
Eventually, however the international scene bowed to pressure from clubs to abandon the August date, part of a wider campaign by them to reduce the number of ‘meaningless’ friendlies played. In truth the matches, at least those involving Wales, were often low key, low quality with low attendances, and by 2013 August was no longer part of the international schedule.
Here are the August friendlies Wales played between 2002-2013.
2002 – Croatia (a) 1-1
Wales travelled to Varaždín to face Croatia for the first time. Having shocked Germany at the Millennium Stadium three months earlier, Robert Earnshaw and Danny Gabbidon won their second caps from the off, and Rhys Weston and Paul Evans won their second caps from the bench. On only 10 minutes Simon Davies pounced on a loose pass in the Welsh centre circle and drove forward before slicing through the Croatian defence to slide home one of the great individual Wales goals. His uncle Ian Walsh was commentating, and proudly so, for BBC Wales, and had “been jibbing [Simon] all summer” to score for Wales and then “he’d be on his way”. And indeed he was. Two games later Davies scored against Italy in the famous 2-1 victory in Cardiff.
The match is also noteworthy for the one-off all yellow Kappa kit Wales wore that was never made commercially available. Simon Shakeshaft has Digger Davies’s shirt from that match in his matchworn
2003 – no friendly was played because of the need to rearrange the Euro 2004 qualifier against Serbia and Montenegro
2004 – Latvia (a) 2-0
Wales travelled to Riga to face Latvia for the first time and, as became the norm in these August fixtures, lacked rhythm. Latvia hit the woodwork twice on 70 minutes as Wales laboured to victory with two late goals from John Hartson, heading in a Jason Koumas free kick, and Craig Bellamy slotting home his seventh international goal.
2005 – Slovenia (h) 0-0
A week after Swansea’s new stadium hosted its first league fixture, Wales faced Slovenia in the maiden international at ‘The New Stadium’. It was the first time Wales had played in Swansea since 1988, yet the crowd numbered only 11,000
It was also only the fourth game of John Toshack’s second spell in charge and after a host of withdrawals, a weakened XI, captained by John Hartson for the first time in his home city, performed resolutely against a talented Slovenia side. Richard Duffy made his debut, as did Gavin Williams and Craig Davies from the bench. Wales wore the stunning black Kappa kit for the first of only two occasions.
2006 – Bulgaria (h) 0-0
Another eastern European opponent, another goalless draw, another poor crowd in Swansea…
Wales warmed up for the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a lively goalless draw in front of 8,000 fans in which Dimitar Berbatov – who had just signed for Spurs for £10.7m – caused Wales all sorts of problems.
Wales nevertheless created lots of chances themselves as they switched from 4-4-2 to Toshack’s preferred 3-5-2 formation during the match.
2007 – Bulgaria (a) 1-0
As part of a reciprocal arrangement Wales travelled to Bulgaria and the resort of Burgas with Freddy Eastwood given his first cap. Eastwood made it a goalscoring debut late on in the first half but victory was assured more thanks to an excellent display in goal by Wayne Hennessey. Neal Eardly made his debut from the bench at half time as a replacement for Gareth Bale.
The BBC Sport website described it as “possibly the best victory of [Toshack’s] 22 games in charge” to date.
2008 – Georgia (h) 1-2
After two dismal defeats to Georgia under Mike Smith, Georgia travelled to Swansea with Wales looking for revenge. However, in front of less than 6,500 fans, a comical error in injury time let Georgia snatch victory.
Several players who would have normally figured in John Toshack’s plans were ‘loaned’ back for the night to under-21 boss Brian Flynn in a crucial qualifier at The Racecourse versus Romania, including Gareth Bale.
Nevertheless, there was still plenty of experience in the Wales starting XI, though Glyn ‘Boaz’ Myhill won only his second cap in goal. Paul Parry returned to the starting XI for the first time in 18 months.
Georgia were spurred on by the recent conflict with Russia over the disputed territory of South Ossetia and they wore black armbands and linked hands – held aloft – during their anthem.
Jason Koumas scored with a long range shot that the Georgian keeper fumbled but Georgia deserved their equalizer on 66 minutes. In injury time, Beka Gotsiridze took advantage of a mix-up between Ashley Williams and Myhill to head home, his only international goal.
2009 – no fixture played
2010 – Luxembourg (h) 5-1
Yet again John Toshack had to deal with a host of withdrawals, notably Simon Davies who retired from international duty after 58 caps, 8 as captain, only 3 days before the match in Llanelli, aged only 30. Uncle Ian said, “I’ve got to say I don’t agree the fact that he is retiring but I do understand it.”
David Cotterill, Andy King and Ashley Williams all claimed their first international goals as Wales thrashed 10-man Luxembourg. Craig Bellamy and Joe Ledley, from the penalty spot, also scored in a comfortable victory. Millwall’s Steve Morison made his debut, qualifying via a nan from Tredegar.
It proved to be John Toshack’s penultimate game in charge. Three weeks later after a meek defeat in Podgorica against Montenegro, Tshack departed by mutual consent. He said, “I spoke to the president after the [friendly] game in Croatia about reviewing it after the first three matches of this group.” Toshack had got used to mass withdrawals from squads but 15 withdrawals for that Croatia friendly had stung him.
The ‘mutualness’ of the decision was undermined by Toshack going onto say, “To be honest, I didn’t decide to finish at the moment, I understood the situation but I was quite prepared to go onto the next two matches.
“If the results do go against us, I think I would have preferred that to happen with me still in charge.
“Wales are still very much in this group, and now the decision has been made hopefully they’ll be able to get some positive results in the next two games.
Brian Flynn stepped into the breach as caretaker in what was considered by many an audition for senior job. Only 14,061 turned up at Cardiff City Stadium for an underwhelming display although a few weeks later, after another sobering defeat, 1-4 to Switzerland to end a desperately disappointing campaign, Gareth Bale championed Flynn for the role. “I hope Brian Flynn gets it as it would be good for Welsh football,” said Bale.
Lars Lagerback, Chris Coleman and John Hartson were among the candidates, but it went to Gary Speed. After a few months more, a corner had been turned…
2011 – Australia (h) 1-2
…although arguably not until after this game against Australia, playing Wales for the first time ever, and having not long beaten Germany. Australia at the time were ranked in the world’s top 20, while Wales were ranked 114, only 3 places off their lowest ever position the year previous.
If belief and pride had begun to be restored among the Red Wall, the crowd in August didn’t suggest it. Only 6,373 were in attendance to watch Wales slip to defeat, a ninth in 11 games; the Luxembourg friendly and a 2-0 Carling Cup win against a second string Northern Ireland team the only positive results in the preceding 21 months.
Gary Speed had been largely encouraging, complimentary and supportive of his new charges in the Carling Cup, but ripped into the squad after the Australia defeat revealing a harder edge than many fans realised he possessed.
Gareth Bale played under Speed for the first time and Darcy Blake, on the occasion of his third cap, scored a late equaliser, but had done enough to demand a starting place in the next game, the 2-1 victory over Montenegro, and embark on a run of games in central defence in which he looked every inch the international centre back.
2012 – Bosnia and Herzegovina (h) 0-2
By the time of this, the penultimate August friendly, Gary Speed had tragically passed away and his friend and former Wales teammate Chris Coleman had replaced him. Although officially in charge for the Costa Rica tribute game, Osian Roberts had taken the lead in preparations and selection. Thus Coleman had had an end of season friendly away from the glare of the home faithful against Mexico in New Jersey (L 0-2) to begin to put his stamp on things.
Jazz Richards had made his debut in NJ and Jason Brown had won only his third cap in six years in goal, in the place of Wayne Hennessey who had torn a knee ligament the previous month. But on the whole Cookie didn’t make too many changes. Boaz Myhill returned in goal for this clash against Bosnia in Llanelli and Joel Lynch, unearthed by Coleman and eligible via his Barry-born father, made his debut on 78 mins for his only cap.
Wales were limited in attack and uncertain in defence as Bosnia made light work of Wales ahead of the 2014 World Cup campaign. Coleman was pugnacious in the media about how he felt he had seen enough in his first months in charge to suggest Wales could compete for a place in Brazil 2014. But after only 26 minutes of the opening qualifier against a talented Belgium team, James Collins was dismissed for a crude and rash challenge and once again Wales were facing an uphill qualification battle.
2013 – Republic of Ireland (h) 0-0
By the time the Irish came to Cardiff, Coleman had endured a chastening 1-6 defeat to Serbia after which he had decided to start doing things his “own way”, having tinkered little out of respect for Gary Speed.
Bright spots, such as a double over Scotland – in a Cardiff deluge and at a snowy Hampden Park – a friendly win over Austria at Swansea, and an encouraging performance in defeat in Swansea against Croatia, had lifted a little of the pressure Coleman had been under, but there were still a lot of #ColemanOut bile on the socials.
This game took place before the Football League season had even started, a fact that no doubt helped cement the August friendly as a thing of the past. Neither keeper was tested until the 54th minute when Kieran Westwood fended a free kick from Craig Bellamy, who was now in his final few months as an international player.
Wales then lost in Macedonia – a game I didn’t watch as my wife was in labour with our third child – and then Serbia bumped their aggregate score against us to 9-1 in a desperately poor performance to really heap the pressure on Coleman.
Simon Church arguably saved his job with the winner in the return against Macedonia before Wales snatched a 1-1 draw in Brussels in November, with a scratch defence finishing the game and a 16 year old Harry Wilson having permission off his mam to stay up late on a school night.
The rest was, as they say, history.
