08/06/10

To cheer or not to cheer? The Welsh World Cup dilemma

Working Word has held a debate exploring whether Welsh football fans should cheer for England- while raising money for ex-footballer John Hartson's testicular cancer charity. 

The highly topical question - and potential dilemma for patriotic Welsh people - was addressed with the help of author of books on Cardiff City and Wales, the BBC and Talksport's Grahame Lloyd, who read his poem ‘For He's A Jolly Capello'.


Welsh fan Dan Tyte and English fan Andy Green of Working Word are kept apart by South African manager of ZeroDegrees Clynton Marks.

The event was held on Monday June 7th in the shadow of the Millennium Stadium at ZeroDegrees, Westgate Street.

Around 50 guests heard Working Word's Irish managing director Eoghan Mortell, Yorkshire girl Caroline Holmes and London East Ender Andy Green talk on the subject, which was chaired by the firm's Cardiff-born Daniel Tyte.

The company identified eight categories of responses for fans in Wales to the question of supporting England in South Africa including:


•    English in Wales - you support your country (25%- result of a survey carried out in the week leading up to the event)
•    Wenglish - you have an active positive affinity to England (17%)
•    Passive Positive - you do not mind if England do well (18%)
•    Passively Indifferent - you are not really bothered about England's performance (12%)
•    Other Nationed - you have a different prime national allegiance other than Wales or England (3%)
•    Passive Negative - you support England's opponents but keep it to yourself (4%)
•    SA - Selective Anti - you support England's opponents except certain countries less popular than England (3%)
•    ABE - Anyone But England, you make your position against England clearly evident (23%)

Donations were taken to Welsh football legend John Hartson's charity foundation, which aims to tackle testicular cancer.

Welsh celebrities were quizzed through Twitter on the subject; ex-British Lions' rugby captain Gareth Thomas said ‘I couldn't. I'm too Welsh'. Singer Cerys Matthews said ‘2000 plus years of in-fighting. 800 years of quietish subservience. Hmm. That's a toughie. Let me think about that one.'

Commenting on the event Daniel Tyte, Account Director at Working Word said "Every football fan is looking forward to the World Cup, but there is a potential dilemma for patriotic Welsh people of whether they should get behind and support their neighbours England - or indeed, if they should support the other team."

He added: "Do you cheer, not cheer? Want them to win, or lose? Do you cheer loudly or quietly? What is appropriate? Our event aimed to get to the heart of this topical issue with arguments for and against, really getting people talking."

Steve Hooper, of The John Hartson Foundation said: "The John Hartson foundation would like to thank Working Word PR for supporting the foundation by raising money on what was and interesting and fun event debating whether England will be cheered or jeered by supporters from Scotland, Wales or Ireland."

"Cancer of the testicles is rare, but is the most common cancer in men aged 15-45. The John Hartson Foundation aims to create awareness on the importance of conducting a simple, regular self-check to detect any early signs of the disease. If Testicular Cancer is caught within the first 12 months, the statistics say that the cancer is over 90% curable."