' BBC WALES BIASED TOWARDS RUGBY/SO FAW BOYCOTT '

' BBC WALES BIASED TOWARDS RUGBY/SO FAW BOYCOTT '

Daily Mail

By CHARLES SALE

10 December 2015

An insider said: 'We're fed up to the back teeth with the way BBC Wales look down on football while glorifying rugby

FAW make stand over 'divisive' BBC and apparent rugby bias as Euro 2016 heroes boycott Personality of the Year awards
The Welsh Football Association (FAW) boycotted the BBC Wales' Sports Personality of the Year awards over a perceived rugby bias
FAW were also disappointed with the BBC's publication of a story relating to Welsh footballers' bonuses in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign


BBC Wales' Sports Personality of the Year was boycotted by the country's FA because they regard the company as being rugby-obsessed and sneering towards football.
While barmy world boxing champion Tyson Fury is doing his best to derail this year's national event with his abhorrent views, the BBC Wales version last Monday didn't pass without controversy either.
The FA of Wales decided that their 12-strong group of invitees, including manager Chris Coleman, chief executive Jonathan Ford, plus a number of players, would snub the awards ceremony in Cardiff.

Wales manager Chris Coleman led his country to qualification for the 2016 European Championship


Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale was integral in Wales' qualification campaign

The last straw — in a year that Wales qualified for their first major tournament since 1958 — came when the BBC ran a story about an alleged pay dispute between players and the FAW over bonuses for reaching Euro 2016.
The story claimed the players had been offered a smaller pot than the seven-figure reward mentioned before the qualifying campaign.
The FAW insist that no bonus figure was agreed ahead of Euro qualifying and that the issue of the figure — which is determined by the yet-to-be-known UEFA prize-money for the 24 finalists — has already been resolved.


In a dramatic widening of the FIFA corruption scandal, Swiss police arrested two more top football officials in a dawn raid today on suspicion that they accepted millions of dollars in bribes.

An insider said: 'We're fed up to the back teeth with the way BBC Wales look down on football while glorifying rugby — and a divisive story published just before they wanted us at their ceremonial event was the final insult. Somebody had to make a stand.'


The FAW's absence meant ex-internationals John Hartson and Iwan Roberts accepted the manager-of-the-year award for Coleman and the team trophy for Wales.
But fly-half Dan Biggar was voted sports personality despite Gareth Bale's heroics on the road to France.


BBC Wales said: 'We stand by the editorial integrity, accuracy and impartiality of our sports journalism, including the recent report on Euro 2016 bonus payments. We were disappointed the FAW decided not to attend the awards.'

There has always been a bias and its getting worse...BBC had the chance to buy the rights to show Welsh football they declined and plough money into rugby shows, so they are getting bitter now we are successful in my opinion

There has always been a bias and its getting worse...BBC had the chance to buy the rights to show Welsh football they declined and plough money into rugby shows, so they are getting bitter now we are successful in my opinion

Correct Corky, there is to much biased towards the egg and yet more kids in Wales play football than Rugby.

This is just the start,its gonna get a lot uglier.

There has always been a bias and its getting worse...BBC had the chance to buy the rights to show Welsh football they declined and plough money into rugby shows, so they are getting bitter now we are successful in my opinion

Correct Corky, there is to much biased towards the egg and yet more kids in Wales play football than Rugby.

A lot of the country still believe that rugby is bigger. Yet in my home town (proximity) there is 5 senior football teams compared to 3 rugby. 30 under 16s footy compared to 16 rugby. Football is the clear winner

Rugby might seem big in Wales as we are one of about ten international teams that are any good so there's no real competition, and the stadium is sold out for a six nations piss up. All you have to do is look at the league games to realize it's not as big as they like to make it.

There has always been a bias and its getting worse...BBC had the chance to buy the rights to show Welsh football they declined and plough money into rugby shows, so they are getting bitter now we are successful in my opinion

Correct Corky, there is to much biased towards the egg and yet more kids in Wales play football than Rugby.

A lot of the country still believe that rugby is bigger. Yet in my home town (proximity) there is 5 senior football teams compared to 3 rugby. 30 under 16s footy compared to 16 rugby. Football is the clear winner

I agree they do, but its a myth, rugby is a 3 times a year national piss up.

Rugby might seem big in Wales as we are one of about ten international teams that are any good so there's no real competition, and the stadium is sold out for a six nations piss up. All you have to do is look at the league games to realize it's not as big as they like to make it.

I hate the way the BBC cover rugby, they talk about it like everyone should care and I find it cringeworthy. ,

I am a rugby fan but I support Cardiff RFC and have attended their games for years mainly for the craic and I love the Arms park, iv'e seen one Blues game in my life and have never been to watch a Welsh rugby game, I avoid it when possible. They ruined rugby in this country when they brought the regions in.

The bbc have no rights to any home nations teams. So no, they would not have welsh rights without the others, as the other countries would kick off.

And the sport in wales gets the bigger draw. Rugby is massively about internationals, way more than football. It is all geared to internationals.

And wales rugby has always been a big crowd draw as every year there is a tournament filled with great rivalries - the 6 nations. And autumn internationals also get 70k filled stadiums. And the bbc have the rights to the rugby, so of course theyre going to big it up??.

Sky will always out bid them for the qualifiers. You bid for the package dont you?. The bbc cant bid for just welsh euro rights and all the other games are on sky?.

Whereas, wales football have a few friendlies and qualifiers we usually get battered in.

Do the math.

And all the moaning about rugby glory hunters. Some guy on twitter saying theyre fairweather fans. He said he was a welsh football fan.

He supported man united.

Not this again, how many times...Welsh Rugby at International level is far far more popular than Welsh International football, therefore it gets more coverage, makes perfect sense to me.

You need a balance between the two.

The six nations is similar to Royal Ascot or the Cheltenham festival, its an event, a piss up. As with all events of this nature half the crowd is clueless to what is really happening. The myth around rugby in Wales is perpetuated by the BBC to feed their one jewel in the crown, the six nations.

I am not quite sure why the national broadcaster where subscription is mandatory should be bidding for any commercial sporting event though.

I guess the Euro's are on the BBC & ITV so i'll expect the hype to start and the reality hitting home that football really is the game that holds the nation.

The six nations is similar to Royal Ascot or the Cheltenham festival, its an event, a piss up. As with all events of this nature half the crowd is clueless to what is really happening. The myth around rugby in Wales is perpetuated by the BBC to feed their one jewel in the crown, the six nations.

I am not quite sure why the national broadcaster where subscription is mandatory should be bidding for any commercial sporting event though.

I guess the Euro's are on the BBC & ITV so i'll expect the hype to start and the reality hitting home that football really is the game that holds the nation.

That is a myth.

The pubs and clubs are packed with your usual drunkards.

Then all the rugby fans from the valleys go.

The people in the ground, 99% are loyal rugby fans. When I go its usually all the old fans 60+ who followed them for decades.

And the people in the centre know just as much about rugby as the two bit fans well see cheering wales on next year

If our football teams had the rebranding, the soul destroying that the rugby regions have had the attendances would dive.

Cardiff attendances are poor and we are one league below the prem.

It is an organised piss up every february. But the six nations is one of the main reasons the pubs and clubs choices in the centre have gone awesome.

And it has been a huge factor in cardiff being more prosperous than swansea.

As it brings a shed load of cash to the city every february/march - autumn.

The six nations is similar to Royal Ascot or the Cheltenham festival, its an event, a piss up. As with all events of this nature half the crowd is clueless to what is really happening. The myth around rugby in Wales is perpetuated by the BBC to feed their one jewel in the crown, the six nations.

I am not quite sure why the national broadcaster where subscription is mandatory should be bidding for any commercial sporting event though.

I guess the Euro's are on the BBC & ITV so i'll expect the hype to start and the reality hitting home that football really is the game that holds the nation.

That is a myth.

The pubs and clubs are packed with your usual drunkards.

Then all the rugby fans from the valleys go.

The people in the ground, 99% are loyal rugby fans. When I go its usually all the old fans 60+ who followed them for decades.

And the people in the centre know just as much about rugby as the two bit fans well see cheering wales on next year

If our football teams had the rebranding, the soul destroying that the rugby regions have had the attendances would dive.

Cardiff attendances are poor and we are one league below the prem.

It is an organised piss up every february. But the six nations is one of the main reasons the pubs and clubs choices in the centre have gone awesome.

Yeah all those daffodil and cowboy hats watch their local rugby club

I have been to loads of six nation games with ticket from reps, always from valleys rugby who sell their allocation to businesses. Very few genuine rugby fans there nowadays like the 70's & 80's, rugby supporters (i am one) yes, but not fans who watch it live whatever level.

Wales are their team, not the national team of Wales, they don't watch their local team live.

The six nations is similar to Royal Ascot or the Cheltenham festival, its an event, a piss up. As with all events of this nature half the crowd is clueless to what is really happening. The myth around rugby in Wales is perpetuated by the BBC to feed their one jewel in the crown, the six nations.

I am not quite sure why the national broadcaster where subscription is mandatory should be bidding for any commercial sporting event though.

I guess the Euro's are on the BBC & ITV so i'll expect the hype to start and the reality hitting home that football really is the game that holds the nation.

That is a myth.

The pubs and clubs are packed with your usual drunkards.

Then all the rugby fans from the valleys go.

The people in the ground, 99% are loyal rugby fans. When I go its usually all the old fans 60+ who followed them for decades.

And the people in the centre know just as much about rugby as the two bit fans well see cheering wales on next year

If our football teams had the rebranding, the soul destroying that the rugby regions have had the attendances would dive.

Cardiff attendances are poor and we are one league below the prem.

It is an organised piss up every february. But the six nations is one of the main reasons the pubs and clubs choices in the centre have gone awesome.

Yeah all those daffodil and cowboy hats watch their local rugby club

I have been to loads of six nation games with ticket from reps, always from valleys rugby who sell their allocation to businesses. Very few genuine rugby fans there nowadays like the 70's & 80's, rugby supporters (i am one) yes, but not fans who watch it live whatever level.

Wales are their team, not the national team of Wales, they don't watch their local team live.

One massive piss up and party. You'll find the women in the daffodil hats are usually more interested in seeing the rugby players' legs and bums rather than the rugby

The six nations is similar to Royal Ascot or the Cheltenham festival, its an event, a piss up. As with all events of this nature half the crowd is clueless to what is really happening. The myth around rugby in Wales is perpetuated by the BBC to feed their one jewel in the crown, the six nations.

I am not quite sure why the national broadcaster where subscription is mandatory should be bidding for any commercial sporting event though.

I guess the Euro's are on the BBC & ITV so i'll expect the hype to start and the reality hitting home that football really is the game that holds the nation.

That is a myth.

The pubs and clubs are packed with your usual drunkards.

Then all the rugby fans from the valleys go.

The people in the ground, 99% are loyal rugby fans. When I go its usually all the old fans 60+ who followed them for decades.

And the people in the centre know just as much about rugby as the two bit fans well see cheering wales on next year

If our football teams had the rebranding, the soul destroying that the rugby regions have had the attendances would dive.

Cardiff attendances are poor and we are one league below the prem.

It is an organised piss up every february. But the six nations is one of the main reasons the pubs and clubs choices in the centre have gone awesome.

Yeah all those daffodil and cowboy hats watch their local rugby club

I have been to loads of six nation games with ticket from reps, always from valleys rugby who sell their allocation to businesses. Very few genuine rugby fans there nowadays like the 70's & 80's, rugby supporters (i am one) yes, but not fans who watch it live whatever level.

Wales are their team, not the national team of Wales, they don't watch their local team live.

As i said, they are the drunk people that go there on a saturday anyway.

And I see no issue with wearing them.

And neither do the welsh football fans.

As the majority of them support english teams.

It's a very sad state of affairs when a fantastic display from a Welsh team is not rewarded.

BBC Wales has let itself and it's country down... let's all switch off Eastenders and start watching Corrie!!!

If we want to be seen as the number 1 sport we need to start acting like it.

Not crying and moaning every time rugby is mentioned. Not wanting Wales to lose just cos they don't mentioned City first.

lots of our lot lack class and act inferior. Therefore, we are treated as such.

Time for people to realise that both sports, especially both national teams, are not competing against each other.

We need to stop moaning and grow a pair

The bbc have no rights to any home nations teams. So no, they would not have welsh rights without the others, as the other countries would kick off.

And the sport in wales gets the bigger draw. Rugby is massively about internationals, way more than football. It is all geared to internationals.

And wales rugby has always been a big crowd draw as every year there is a tournament filled with great rivalries - the 6 nations. And autumn internationals also get 70k filled stadiums. And the bbc have the rights to the rugby, so of course theyre going to big it up??.

Sky will always out bid them for the qualifiers. You bid for the package dont you?. The bbc cant bid for just welsh euro rights and all the other games are on sky?.

Whereas, wales football have a few friendlies and qualifiers we usually get battered in.

Do the math.

The Six Nations is very parochial if you ask me, much like rugby in general. There was a discussion during the World Cup about letting other sides like Georgia in, and it quickly died down. They don't want the status quo to change. It's pathetic, and why rugby will always be a total minority sport.

It's a very sad state of affairs when a fantastic display from a Welsh team is not rewarded.

BBC Wales has let itself and it's country down... let's all switch off Eastenders and start watching Corrie!!!

To be fair, both the Wales team and Coleman won their respective awards (which were presumably decided by a panel), which weren't subject to a public vote.

But the fact that Biggar won the main award instead of Bale is a farce, and is a damning indictment of the Welsh public.