Millennium Stadium

Monday, October 15, 2018

Wales 1-4 Spain

Ratings
Overall Ground Quality : 9/10
Ease of getting there : 8/10
Atmosphere : 5/10
Programme : 3/10 (Can't complain, it was free!)
View of Action : 8/10
Quality of the game : 6/10
The "football" feeling : 10/10
Chances of coming here for a random game : 1/10
Legroom : 9/10
Surrounding area : 8/10

Overall : 67/100

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Wales 1-4 Spain

The Millennium Stadium (or for sponsorship purposed the Principality Stadium/Stadiwm Principality – if you speak welsh) has hosted many famous sporting events which even include iconic English football moments such as the Liverpool comeback in the FA Cup against West Ham and Liam Lawrence’s penalty for Mansfield Town in the Play offs. The Wales national team now host their home match just up the road at the Cardiff City Stadium (home of Cardiff City) however for the first time in 7 years, they will return to the national stadium for one night only as they take on the world-famous Spain.

With a day off work booked, Adrian picked me (Ross) up at 8.30am making our way towards the M42 and M5 before creeping over the border on the M50. We planned to just make the one stop on the way to the Welsh capital to Merthyr Tydfil. Merthyr Town play at Penydarren Park which is very much a football throwback with its vast terracing and uncovered urinal block.

After taking a few pictures, we headed south for 40 minutes parking on Cathedral Road in Cardiff by 12.30pm. We walked past the cricket ground before crossing the River Taff and continued walking through Bute Park. As we reached the city centre, as predicted the heavens opened and we both got drenched in the famous Welsh rain. We took shelter outside Holiday Inn (funnily enough this wasn’t the first time we’ve done this!). When the rain eased off, we continued walking down the road to a nearby Subway for lunch.

After lunch, we decided to walk through the city centre towards Cardiff Bay which has been redeveloped over the last 20 years now hosting the Millennium Centre and the National Assembly for Wales not forgetting many eateries along the water front.

We walked back towards the city centre along Lloyd George Avenue before taking photos outside the Millennium Stadium. Just as we were taking the photos, the rain came down again. Quick as a flash, we took shelter under a tree and waited for the rain to blow over before continuing our journey back into the city centre.

With time starting to tick on, we explored some more of the city centre before visiting the Prince of Wales Wetherspoons pub for our pre-match meal making the most of the Thursday curry club deal offering a curry & drink for just over £7.00.

Full refreshed, we explored more of the city even getting a chance to grab a hot drink before heading towards the stadium. As we approached the stadium, it suddenly became a military operation where swarms of stewards dressed up in orange high vis jackets were ready to make sure you were in the right area before being searched and entered into the ground. We explored the vast concourse and even took the opportunity to take a photo from the opposite end to where we were sitting.

As we completed the full circular of the concourse, we took the stairs to the second tier and found the fan zone near our stairs where we enjoyed listening to a live band playing various Oasis numbers.

The Millennium Stadium, (named for sponsorship purposes as the Principality Stadium) is the national stadium of Wales, located in Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team. Initially built to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup, it has gone on to host many other large-scale events, such as the Tsunami Relief concert, the Super Special Stage of Wales Rally Great Britain, the Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain and various music concerts. It also hosted six FA Cup finals and several other high-profile football fixtures while Wembley Stadium was being redeveloped.

With a capacity of 74,500 seats, the Millennium Stadium opened in June 1999 and it is also the second-largest stadium in the world with a fully retractable roof.

The four ends of the ground are called the North Stand, the West Stand, the South Stand, and the BT Stand (east). The stadium has three tiers of seating with the exception of the North Stand, which has two tiers. The lower tier holds approximately 23,500 spectators, the middle tier holding 18,000 and the upper tier holding 33,000 spectators.

The stadium was slightly restricted in size due to its proximity to Cardiff Rugby Club's home in the adjacent smaller stadium within Cardiff Arms Park. The WRU were unable to secure enough funding to include the North Stand in the new stadium, and the Millennium Commission would not allow any of its funds to be used in any way for the construction of a new stadium for Cardiff RFC. The WRU held talks with Cardiff RFC to see if it would be possible for the club to either move or secure funding for the Cardiff Arms Park to be re-developed, but these were unsuccessful. The stadium thus had to be completed with a break in its bowl structure in the North Stand, known colloquially as the Cardiff fault or Glanmor's Gap, after Glanmor Griffiths, then chairman of the WRU and now a former president.

For one reason or other this was our third international friendly this year, following games in Liverpool between Brazil and Croatia and in Leicester, England v Switzerland.

Neither game will live long in the memories, so out of the 3 games this match was the best.

Not because it was particularly competitive, but because Spain’s latest generation continue the ethos of their predecessors.

Before the match the national anthem for Wales, Land of My Fathers, was loudly and proudly sang by the 50,000 in attendance creating the best atmosphere of the whole evening. The closed roof may’ve helped retain the noise without forgetting to mention this was both mine and Adrian’s first football match under a roof!

Spain controlled the game throughout, dominating possession and if at any time they lost the ball, it was quickly won back.

Hapless Wales were without their best player Gareth Bale, injured and with manager Ryan Giggs preparing for a Nations League game in Dublin next week, clearly the Welsh were not at full strength as there was an opportunity to experiment.

Consequently, it was a long 90 mins for Wales, which was a shame. In recent times the Welsh have played home fixtures at the Cardiff City Stadium, but tonight over 50,000 packed into the Principality Stadium, the home of Wales rugby union and although they had the pleasure of watching a talented Spain, they were made fully aware of the gulf in these two international sides.

The visitors were 3-0 up within 30 mins.

Alcacer from Borussia Dortmund fired in a right foot shot from the left-hand side of the penalty area after an initial shot was blocked.

Woeful defending at a free kick saw Ramos extend the lead with a free header and more indecisive wales defending saw Alcacer lash home his second and Spain’s third in 29 mins.

Wales came close in the first half on two occasions, a Wilson free kick going just over the bar and an Ampadu header from a corner which hit the outside of the post.

As in friendly internationals, the second half was littered with substitutions but despite that Spain continued to dominate.

Suso hit the crossbar and then took the corner for Marc Bartra to head home brilliantly his first goal in international football.

The one Wales sub to shine was young David Brooks of Bournemouth, he wasn’t afraid to run at the Spanish defence and it was Brooks that created the Welsh consolation in the last minutes.

His centre from the right with the outside of his left foot found big Sam Vokes who guided his header past Spain sub keeper Arrizabalaga.

A comfortable win for Spain, all the players seems to be able to slot in and play the same way and the passing and moving was top quality. Rodri, Suso and Alcacer all to the fore.

The contest was over very quickly with the early goals and the young Wales team were left chasing shadows for most of the game.

The experiment of returning football to the Principality Stadium worked in terms of a bigger attendance but suspect the more familiar Cardiff City Stadium will be the preferred choice of venue for the players and fans alike

After the match, we made a dash for the exits and started our run back to the car which took no more than half an hour or so and we were on the M4 by 10pm. With the M50 closed for roadworks, we use the A449 through Ledbury towards Worcester before joining the M5. After that, the journey was relatively straightforward joining the M42 reaching my house for 12.30am with the tiring thought of work the next day!

All in all, a very enjoyable day out to the Welsh capital to experience one of the best cities to host sporting events. Let’s hope more footballing opportunities arise at the Millennium Stadium in the future.