A taste of their own medicine? Welsh football coverage ‘one-eyed cheerleading’ complains Telegraph
Welsh and Scottish fans have long complained about having to put up with the UK media’s adulation of all things England, but it seems that the tables have now turned.
Coverage of Wales’ game against Turkey amounted to “one-eyed cheerleading” according to the Telegraph newspaper, which condemned the BBC for “inflicting” Robbie Savage onto their screens.
The analysis told us nothing about how Wales had reached the brink of qualifying for the knockout stages “with a team seemingly even less star power than at Euro 2016” they said.
“This analysis was less a considered breakdown of Rob Page’s tactics than an exercise in one-eyed cheerleading that some cyclops would consider excessive,” Daniel Schofield, who is billed as the paper’s rugby reporter, wrote.
“To be clear this is not Savage’s fault. ‘Paschun’ and the wearing of heart on his sleeve like cufflinks is as much part of his brand as his suspicious all-year round tan. Instead it is the BBC who must bear responsibility for inflicting Savage upon our ears.
“Putting Savage on co-commentary and expecting dispassionate erudite analysis is like giving a Rottweiler a bunny rabbit and hoping they become friends. This is the deliberate direction of travel, not just from the BBC but from ITV, Sky and BT Sport.
“From celebrating a five-yard pass to disputing every decision that went against his team, Savage did a grand job of embodying the emotions of every Wales supporter watching the game.”
However, Daniel Schofield does concede at the end of the article that perhaps England fans are only having to tolerate what Welsh and Scottish fans have put up with for decades.
“There will be no shortage of Welsh, Scottish and Irish readers happy to point out for much of the past 20 years they have had to put up with an overwhelming favouritism being shoved down their throat every time England are involved in a major tournament,” he ends.
“Which is true. Who knew that karma would come with blond locks and skinny jeans?”
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Have Ingurland been knocked out?
Not yet. But, bring on that blessed dawn!
Euro 96 badeil and skinner 3 lions and 4 years later the same song with slightly different words I mean ffs how long have the Celts put up with this blatant English biased eh too long well tough luck I say Cymru Am Byth🏴🍀🏴
Yes, I don’t recall ‘Rhedeg i Paris’ getting wall to wall broadcasting on British radio in 2016.
I always thought that was an extended Adidas advert (and was surprised they didn’t cash in on it): “Three lines on our shirts”!
Radio 5 live says England commentators undercover, their Scottish colleagues out in the rain…typical of the pro English Beeb says he…brave man!
engerlund naah naah not even an original nat anthem Leichtenstein anyone?
“one-eyed cheerleading” – and the Telegraph thought they had a divine monopoly for eternity. Beats having to listen to Gary the crisp peddler waffling his way through hours of anybody’s life !
All that the Daniel Schofield’s of this world have to do is turn the sound down if they can’t bear hearing Robbie Savage bigging up Wales. Personally, I love it when Savage goes all patriotic and emotional during his colour-commentating. I’m not looking to him for analysis as I’m not sitting an exam. Wales’ achievement in international football has, after all, been pretty remarkable. As long as he doesn’t slip into hubris, he’s fine with me.
Going back to 1966 it’s been England England England England England right up till now even when other sides are playing you can bet the talk will be England England England even good morning TV show yep England England England .
Just check out the Telegraph coverage of the “six nations” rugby. If England are playing it’s a four page spread in the sports pages (at least), on the day before, the day of the match, and the day after. Any other team is lucky to get a single page (unless they’re playing against England)
The media England sports bias is symbolic of their England bias in everything, and of Westminster’s total disdain for Wales. It’s time to stop sucking this up. Wales can be an example to the world once we are free of post colonial, self important, and deluded Westminster.
If anybody wants proof why we can never trust having a GB team look at the set up for the Women’s Olympic GB. Team. Picked by the England manager the team has 20 English Ladies, no Ulster Ladies with one “token” representative from each of Scotland and Wales.