' Welsh football's darkest night '

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' Welsh football's darkest night '

Postby Forever Blue » Fri Nov 16, 2018 2:53 pm

The tragic story of Welsh football's darkest night - told by the people who were there


By Ian Mitchelmore

Friday 16th November 2018

On November 17, 1993, Wales suffered incredible pain on the football field. It was nothing compared to the tragedy that unfolded in the stands of the National Stadium



Wednesday, November 17, 1993. The day football heartbreak and human tragedy engulfed the National Stadium of Wales.

There have been moments of sporting pain for Welsh supporters to endure over the years, but very few have compared to this.

This was a night that defined a man's career, cost another his job and ended the World Cup hopes of some remarkable players forever.

In the end, none of that mattered.

What followed Wales' devastating 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat to Romania put everything into perspective as a son, covered in his father's blood, shouted for the help of his fellow supporters.

John Hill, a 67-year-old postman from Merthyr Tydfil, would never return home that night after being struck in the chest by a distress flare set off in the stands.

Twenty-five years on, the shocking events of that fateful night remain difficult to comprehend.

This is the story of what happened in the words of those who were affected by it.

The game





Wales' qualifying campaign for the 1994 World Cup got off to a horrific start as Terry Yorath's side were thumped 5-1 by Romania in their opening game.

But five wins from their next eight games ensured they were just one victory away from winning a ticket to the USA.

With stars including Ian Rush, Nevile Southall, Dean Saunders, current national team manager Ryan Giggs, Gary Speed and Mark Hughes in their ranks, Yorath's troops were brimming with confidence as Romania headed to the Welsh capital on November 17, 1993.

A bumper crowd of 40,000 packed into the National Stadium, which had become something of a fortress for Wales who had earlier beaten powerhouses Brazil and Germany at the capital venue.

Former Wales international Laura McAllister, who watched on from the stands that night, recalls: "My memories are of a rare sense of optimism amongst the fans going into the stadium, Yorath sounding confident in his pre-match interviews, we really believed we could do it."





Wales' 1994 World Cup qualifying campaign

Romania 5-1 Wales (Rush)

Wales 6-0 Faroe Islands (Rush x3, Saunders, Bowen, Blackmore)

Cyprus 0-1 Wales (Hughes)

Belgium 2-0 Wales

Wales 2-0 Belgium (Giggs, Rush)

RCS 1-1 Wales (Hughes)

Faroe Islands 0-3 Wales (Saunders, Young, Rush)

Wales 2-2 RCS (Giggs, Rush)

Wales 2-0 Cyprus (Saunders, Rush)

Wales 1-2 Romania (Saunders)

But the home fans were left stunned as Gheorghe Hagi - then with Brescia following a spell at Real Madrid - cut inside from the right before firing beyond Southall just after the half hour mark, allowing the ball to squirm underneath his body and into the back of his own net.

"People talk about Paul Bodin missing the penalty – what they never talk about is Neville Southall making a mistake for the first goal," said Yorath.

Roared on by a passionate home support, Wales rallied in an attempt to get back on level terms.

And 16 minutes after the restart, that's exactly what they did.

Giggs was fouled on the right wing, and the Manchester United man whipped the resulting free-kick into the box.

And after a trio of headers from Saunders, Eric Young and then, crucially, Speed, the former was able to prod home to send the Wales fans into raptures.

Buoyed by the deafening noise from the stands, Wales pushed for a second goal, and within a minute of Saunders' leveller, they were presented with a golden opportunity to take the lead.

Substitute Jeremy Goss picked out Speed inside the area, and the then Leeds United midfielder was tripped inside the penalty area by Dan Petrescu, with Swiss referee Kurt Röthlisberger immediately pointing to the spot.

It was the moment Wales had so desperately craved. The chance to bury the demons of the past was at long last in their grasp.


But the 60 seconds that followed ultimately defined Wales' prolonged period of pain.

Up stepped Bodin to take the spot-kick, but his left-footed strike rattled the crossbar, and Romania subsequently cleared their lines.

"For me personally it was a huge disappointment missing the penalty," admits Bodin 25 years on.

"I'd scored three out of three prior to that game and I was confident in taking the penalty on the night.

"For whatever reason, I just hit it a little bit too high and it's hit the bar."

It was equally agonising to watch from the stands.

"It felt as if it was in slow motion - I really never thought he was going to miss though - Paul was such a superbly reliable penalty taker," added McAllister.

"He always struck the ball cleanly and ferociously - a proper defender style penalty taker."

Bodin, now Wales Under-19 manager, adds: “It has become something that has almost defined the my life since with people coming up to me to ask about it.

"I have had to live with that hurt and it never quite goes away.

“It was more the sense of loss, it was such a big opportunity and that crop of players never went that close again. Deep down I knew that was my chance to go to a World Cup gone.”

Although things could have been very different, as Yorath describes.

"About 10 or 15 minutes before the penalty was awarded I turned to [Wales’ assistant manager] Peter Shreeves and said ‘I think I’m going to bring off Paul Bodin, put Gary Speed back to left-back, and bring on Malcolm Allen'," he said.

"I pondered and pondered and pondered and then we got the penalty and obviously he missed the penalty but he might not have been on the pitch."

Understandably, it proved to be a major setback for the hosts.

And despite their valiant efforts, they were ultimately undone seven minutes from time as Florin Răducioiu fired beyond Southall to end Wales' World Cup hopes.

Defeat - in what was his 100th match with Wales (59 as a player and 41 as manager), cost Yorath his job with the national side.

But in tragic circumstances, things were soon put into perspective for the Cardiff-born boss, as well as everyone connected to Welsh football.






The tragedy, and Yorath's pain

Moments after the full-time whistle, a loud bang erupted as a distress flare was let off inside the stadium.

WalesOnline sports writer Anthony Woolford was covering the game for a local newspaper during the fateful night.

"Back in those days the press box was situated up in the South Stand from where the distress rocket was fired from," he said.

"The angle it travelled, you just knew as it passed over the top of us and into a crowded stand opposite, you immediately feared the worst."







The consequences were catastrophic.

The flare struck John Hill in the chest, killing the retired postman despite the best efforts of his son, also named John, to save him.

"I can only describe it as what I thought was an aeroplane about to hit the stadium," John Jr, originally from Merthyr Tydfil, previously told the BBC.

"I could hear this huge rushing noise and I remember looking around, but I couldn't see anything.

"The next thing I was aware of was my dad fell forwards. I didn't put the two events together. I thought my dad had had a heart attack or had fallen.


"I leaned forward to try and pick my dad up, and when I stepped back because I realised I couldn't lift him on my own, both of my hands were covered in blood. My jeans, my shoes, they were covered in blood.

"That just stopped me for a moment. Then I remember shouting 'can somebody help me please, something's happened to my dad'."

While the pain of defeat was an immensely tough one for Yorath to take, it had been nothing compared to the suffering he had experienced after losing his son Daniel who passed away a year before the loss to Romania due to a heart condition.

And following the tragic death of fan John, Yorath admits that Wales' failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup was quickly put into perspective.

"It was a nightmare for me. I lost my son. We got knocked out of the World Cup. It was probably the worst time of my life," recalled Yorath.

"I can remember after the Romania game sitting on the stairs at the hotel at 1am crying my eyes out. Then when I woke up the next day there was a press conference at about 9am and the first thing that hit me was the guy who got killed that night.

"That guy was sat there watching a football match and he was killed – it puts everything in perspective."







The aftermath

Two men, aged 31and 35 at the time, both from Wrexham, were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to three years each in prison after admitting manslaughter.

During his sentencing, Mr Justice Schiemann told the court it was vital for those guilty of "mindless and crass stupidity" at public events to be punished.

"It was a dreadful, depressing, dismal night for Welsh football and for Wales," added McAllister, who was interviewed by police after the game about the flare incident.

"The awful death of an innocent fan hit by that distress flare was the worst possible and deeply tragic end to the game where we blew our chances of going to USA 1994. And then we had to wait another 22 years to qualify for a major tournament.

"We were visited by the police at home the next morning as our seats had been a few rows in front of the fools who released the flare with such tragic circumstances. It was an awful night all round."

The incident left everyone connected to the game in Wales with mental scars, not least John, who lost his father as a result of the actions of the two men from Wrexham, although he refused to allow the offenders to take over his emotions.

"In terms of any angry feelings towards these people, I didn't see that that would help me, it wouldn't help my family and it would be a negative energy."

It also had a major impact on the players themselves.

Wales 1-2 Romania - November 17, 1993







"Football is football, but when someone loses their life at a football match, that should never be repeated," adds Bodin, who won 23 caps for his country.

"First of all, to lose the game, you know you're not going to the World Cup as soon as the referee blows the full-time whistle.

"I remember Alun Evans (then chief executive at the FAW) coming into the dressing room after, and that did put things into perspective, he told us what had happened and it was a really devastating blow."




And it's Bodin's comments that sum up that fateful night.

Because when all is said and done, the Red Wall have experienced incredible highs and some truly miserable lows over the years, and they will continue to feel a full range of emotions long into the future.

But ultimately, football can quickly become insignificant.

No-one should ever leave their home to watch a football match and not return.
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' Welsh football's darkest night '

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Re: ' Welsh football's darkest night '

Postby pembroke allan » Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:11 pm

Was at game behind goal same hight as rocket came across pitch? Nobody took much notice until later , .must say the atmosphere that night was extremely high not really witnessed same since.. :shock:
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Re: ' Welsh football's darkest night '

Postby maltablue » Fri Nov 16, 2018 7:28 pm

Was there that night poor chap about 20 feet from me terrible end RIP.
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Re: ' Welsh football's darkest night '

Postby Ninianman » Fri Nov 16, 2018 10:33 pm

Have to disagree with all that,Wales' darkest night was when the lights failed against Iceland down the caravan park
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Re: ' Welsh football's darkest night '

Postby cityone » Sat Nov 17, 2018 10:45 am

The man who got killed was about four rows above me and my brother that night, but to be honest we never saw the flare coming from the opposite stand and never found out about the tragedy until after the game.
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Re: ' Welsh football's darkest night '

Postby RICK+CCFC » Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:45 pm

It was a very emotional night, a game Wales simply had to win, & although the suspension of Mark Hughes at the time was a big blow, Wales were still confident of a result. Before the game started there was hand flares & all sorts going off,,, never seen it at a Wales football match before ( or indeed after), & the death of a fan, killed by a marine distress flare being let off in the opposite stand Was the darkest night, & for me, the lowest point of any football match I've ever been to.
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