A big thank-you to the Daily Mail and all those who've made the non-singing of Duw gadwo'r Frenhines by Giggs and pals such a huge issue. It's even been picked up in the foreign papers and, by highlighting our separate identities, has doubtless done something to diminish the threat posed by the Great Britain team to the continued existence of Welsh, Scottish and English international football.
We all know that Welsh soccer players rarely sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. It's never caused a fuss in easy-going, moderate Wales. But when this tight-lipped tradition transfers to the more rabidly nationalistic acres east of Offa's Dyke all hell breaks loose.
It's a puzzle of course why folk who are quite happy to see their laws made in Brussels, their armies deployed in support of American foreign policy, their best companies sold off and jobs transferred abroad and their respected head of state reduced to acting in a spoof advertisement for the James Bond franchise, get quite so up-tight about soccer players maintaining a respectful silence during the playing of the pre-match anthems.
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