Madam,

Much has already been written and said following the heroic performance of our national football team at the recent European championships.

The bilious comments by the irrelevant Piers Morgan that our team “hadn’t won anything” deserves nothing but contempt.

Apart from displaying ignorance, it is also untrue, because our gallant national heroes brought back over £15m to our country’s football association as a result of their huge success.

However, that is not the reason why I chose to try and put into words the colossal effects of what everyone has been honoured to witness in France during the last few weeks.

To put it into a true perspective, Chris Coleman’s men have succeeded in uniting Wales and promoting our nation on an international stage far beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

No political party or any movement have ever succeeded in accomplishing such a feat and never could.

North and south were never even mentioned, Welsh speakers and non Welsh speakers were united as one - ‘together stronger’ triumphing over petty parochialism.

Finally, when I was a young boy, many, many moons ago, I used to dream what it would be like to cheer our team as they took on the best in the world, well Europe at least.

Now I can testify that “I was there”. What an incredible feeling and emotion.

Hopefully I speak for every true Welsh person, adult and child, when I say thank you boys for giving our little nation an injection of true pride and passion.

Let’s hope also that this is a beginning, not only in building a successful football team but in giving us confidence and hope and the passion in re-building our nation at all levels.

Diolch hogia. ‘Together stronger’.

Yours etc,

Cllr Owain Williams, Clynnog Ward, Cyngor Gwynedd.

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