Letter: France song an insult to BBC’s Welsh listeners
Wednesday 19th October 2011, 6:00AM BST.
Letter: Since the opening of BBC Radio Shropshire many years ago to serve Shropshire and The Marches areas, I have always been an avid fan.
There are times when I did not always agree with certain presenters and the contents of some of the programmes.
But this is the beauty of free speech and, with changes planned by the London-based BBC, I would have fought tooth and nail in order to save any changes from being made to our station.
That is until Saturday morning when one of the presenters decided in his wisdom it would be a great whiz to play Bonnie Tyler’s Lost in France just minutes after the controversial Welsh defeat in the Rugby World Cup.
Did this person not realise that Radio Shropshire covers a large part of Mid and North Wales and also that many hundreds, if not thousands of people of Welsh decent live over the border in Shropshire?
It was an insult.
Rugby is not a game in the principality but a religion. I, for one, am not ashamed of the tears shed for my team and country on Saturday.
So Radio Shropshire, don’t expect this family to write to the BBC or our elected MPs to help save your jobs.
Allan Biggs-Williams
Burlton
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It’s just a game. Get a sense of humour.
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I find it interesting to read reactions like this when the shoe is on the other foot for once.
We, the English, are always having our noses rubbed in it following a football World Cup embarrassment by the Welsh and Scots. What goes around, comes around, Allan.
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Get a grip for evans sake – I well remember the songs of a certain Max Boyce when a youngster at college in Wales – we Englis took it all with a pinch of salt.This nation would be a sad place without its sense of humour and gentle rivalry.
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This guy Allan isn’t much of a Welshman if he refers to Wales as a principality!
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Well, not since 1542 when Wales was formally incorporated into the Kingdom of England.
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Good to see a sense of humour is still alive and well in Bulton
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Free speech,you said it, also Wales blew it and if you can’t take a bit of ribbing, well….
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What was ‘controversial’ about the Welsh defeat? Not the sending off surely?
What was questionable was the Welsh inability to kick the ball with missed penalties and drop goal opportunities as well as the missed conversion.
As an Englishman, Vive La France! And before anybody tells me that we should have been supporting our neighbours, I would point out that rugby supporters in Wales follow ABE – anybody but England.
Anyway, good luck to New Zealand for the final.
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Poor losers…
At the end of the day you lost, try and show some humour… it is after all only a game.
Always the Euro’s to look forward to…
well the football world cup…
oh… well you have the best eistedffods :)
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Funny, last time I checked, Shropshire was in England !
Can’t imagine there were many Welsh tears shed when England were beaten by France.
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Why were you listening to BBC radio Shropshire any True Welshman/woman Rugby follower would have had either a Radio Station or indeed a TV station actually carrying the Game to enjoy Rather than a local (Shropshire) station.
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repy to ron 19/10/11 @ 10.48
re wales v france game i had watched the match on the television in full & was on my way to pick my wife up from work my car radio allways tuned to radio shropshire hence hearing that song
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Is this seriously the most important thing happening in your life, if so i really feel sorry for you Allan
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@Allan Biggs-Williams Lighten up, its JUST a game.
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hahahahahaha, someones got their cry on…
its only a game…oh no, apparently its a religion…
bore off…
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Unfortunately, the Welsh are very keen to laugh at England if they lose in any sport and also to openly spur on their opponents – basically the majority care more that England lose rather than Wales win! If you can’t take a bit of banter try not to expect others to!
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It was not an insult – it was a bit of fun – it was also spot on!
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There were many England fans that supported the Welsh rugby team at the weekend and were as equally disapointed with the final score. But this does not seem to stop the Welsh feeling inferior and lashing out at the English.
I’ve never seen and English fan wearing a T-shirst saying “they support two teams, England and anyone playing against Wales”, but the Wales fans are more than prepared to wear there’s against England.
I would go as far as to say that English fans support Wales in any sporting competition far more than Wales do for England.
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More evidence that the Welsh have an inferiority complex.
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good sense of humour these welsh. A bit like holidaying in north wales, very hard work!!!
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What a sad chap, get things in to perspective,
“they played lost in france” dee dums did it upset one ahhhh bless.
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This has got to be a wind-up surely?
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Bahaha, I might start listening to Radio Shropshire from now on! Anyone but Wales!
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Bonnie Tyler – a great Welsh singer with a true sense of vision.
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Last time I checked Shropshire was still in England – we can play what we like on our radio stations and if they’re picked up in Wales that means yet more free English resources for Wales. I take a great deal of pleasure in Welsh (and Scottish) defeats. This Englishman cheered himself hoarse for France.
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Allan, If you are that easily insulted then you seriously need to get a life. We English have to put up with perpetual jibes from the Scots and Welsh, many like you who strangely choose to live in OUR country. Repeat after me:- “ITS ONLY A GAME!!!”
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I suppose I’m lucky, in a way that I can – guilt-free – support both England and Wales (born in Wales, but have been a resident in Salop for 23 years) in rugby, and this is exactly what I did during this World Cup.
I cannot think of a more undeserving team as France to reach the finals in consideration of that facts that they won the quarters against an England team who fielded a second schoolboy XV in the first half, and won the semi by not scoring a try against a 14-man team for three quarters of the match.
Notwithstanding this, my in-built irony filter is getting clogged up by the “it’s only a game” comments. There is more hand-wringing and bleating when Shrewsbury Town fail to get to the play-offs. It’s more than just a game then, isn’t it?
Cue arguments between egg-chasers and bladder-kickers.
In the meantime, and especially during the Six Nations, I’ll continue to support both White and Red shirts.
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“It’s more than just a game then, isn’t it?”
That depends on who you’re asking. Rugby, football, cricket, tennis, golf, motor racing, tiddlywinks… to me, all just a game.
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Jake,
Read my post again.
The irony is that most commenters on this page are saying, “Boo hoo. It’s just a game. Move on.”. When, on the other hand, Shrewsbury Town fail to get promotion to the third best league in the country it seems to be a major issue.
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I read it the first time, but I do admit I didn’t cross reference the commenters with any STFC articles to check for evidence of double standards.
Anyway, I said “to me, all just a game”, I wasn’t talking about anyone else.
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I think they should of played Tom Jones, its not unusual, hee hee
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Excuse me…………..Anyone lost a teddy?
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It’s nice to have the time and energy to spare caring passionately about trivial matters. Well done.
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Well, I’m French leaving in Shropshire for the past 14 years. I am a rugby fan & am always for 1/ France & 2/ England.
Of course I was pleased to see my countrymen winning the match. But, believe me there was nothing to be proud of… As for that song, it was a decision taken by the Station so please don’t get offended! You will try again in 4 years time & France will probably lose against NZ on Sunday… C’est la vie!!
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What a decent gracious chap. Vie la France!
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So you’re all for freedom of speech, but just so long as it doesn’t upset you? I think that’s called fascism Allan. But good luck with that.
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Sorry Allan you’re barking up the wrong tree here. I too am Welsh but wouldn’t perceive this as in any way an insult. If we can’t laugh at something as mildly amusing as this then we deserve to be ridiculed as a humourless bunch of whingers and England haters. I don’t mind being called an England hater [well their sports teams] but I’m not humourless. And by the way, we lost against France and Australia because we simply weren’t good enough on the day. It wasn’t bad luck, biased or poor refereeing just an inability to take our chances. In the cold light of day all we did was beat the teams we should have beaten anyway!!! We can crow when we beat Australia, South Africa and France on a regullar basis. We’ll not beat the Kiwis until 2053, trhe 100th anniversary of our last win.
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Dont know about get “Get a Grip” should be more like “Get a Life”
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OMG for all the things that are in the news and that are going on in the world and the welsh are bothered about a song… i am a big sports fan myself and always want home nations to win. at the end of the day
YOU GOT BEAT FAIR AND SQUARE. grow up and support ENGLAND
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check the title of the song lost IN france. not lost TO france
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No matter… it still seemed to hit the right nerve :-D
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I’m with Biggs-Williams on this. Subjecting the good people of the Marches to the traumatic sound of Bonnie Tyler is beyond the bounds of decency. Pretty sure the CIA have used Tyler as a weapon of mass torture. Any pets and working animals who came within range of the Tyler assault may have been equally harmed. There’s an animal rights issue here.
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Comment 24 John Howard – Shropshire actually belongs historically to Wales.
It was only annexed from Wales following the Norman conquest when the entire of England was taken over by the French (Normans).
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Don’t forget Patagonia, you’d best have that back too.
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what made you think the presenters even new or cared what the score was every body moans about us english am i allowed to say english boyo you lost aas did we and i bet you loved it with out england wales would not survive actually i useually support wales and we have your goaly playing for us come on you wolves new zealand lamb from now on and no not for that reason so get off my mountain boyo
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