Madam,

Recently I wrote a letter, which was published in the Cambrian News, extolling the achievements of our national football team at the Euro Championships.

In that letter I attempted to convey not only my own personal thanks for the glory and jubilation they brought to our small nation, but also hopefully I was speaking and echoing the thoughts of the vast majority of my fellow countrymen.

It was with a combination of sadness and anger that I read that a request to have the team honoured at our national Eisteddfod had been refused.

I can only congratulate the ex-president of Football Association of Wales, Trevor Lloyd Hughes, for voicing his strong objections to that decision which has angered many, many people.

What is ironic, of course, is the fact that Wales as a nation has no other body or establishment to bestow any accolades to outstanding individuals or a team of true warriors who fought against all the odds to make the world sit up.

People and nations who had never even heard of Wales, or know we had a language and a unique identity, became aware of our existence overnight.

As I said in my previous letter, no political party or movement could even dream of achieving such an immense reaction.

The Archdruid, Geraint Lloyd Owen, declared “there will be no recognition due to the majority of the players not being Welsh speakers”. I understand Mr Lloyd Hughes responded to this by saying that “of course not every member of the team can speak Welsh, but neither can the Queen and she’s in the Gorsedd”.

How very true and ironic. I would add that there are other members of that family in the Gorsedd. Isn’t Prince Charles also a member?

It had been my belief that Mr Lloyd Owen would stand up for the ‘werin bobol’ and their wishes and not ‘cronyism’? As to the issue of them all being Welsh speakers or not, all I know is that each and every one had learnt the words of our national anthem and they sang it with pride and passion.

Mr Lloyd Owen is a sensible sort of man and I’m sure he will listen to reason, after all had he been brought up in an anglicised town or city, like Cardiff or Swansea, would he speak Welsh today?

I was lucky enough to be brought up in the Welsh-speaking heartland of Pen Llyn and Mr Lloyd Owen in the uplands of Meirionnydd.

What if it was the other way around, if Gareth Bale had been brought up in Gwynedd and Mr Lloyd Owen and myself in Splott or Canton, would we speak Welsh today?

Geography I’m afraid does have a lot to do with it.

Yours etc,

Owain Williams,

Leader, Llais Gwynedd,

Pistyll,

Pwllheli.