Unit Five.

Cymru neu Play-offs? / Wales or Play-offs?

Yn ô Paul Abbandonato mae'r holl gemau Seisnig sydd wedi cael i chwarae yn Stadiwm y Mileniwm wedi cael effaith enfawr ar y dorf a ddisgwylir i fynd i'r gem holl bwysig yn erbyn Gwlad Pwyl dydd Sadwrn nesaf. Dim ond 25,000 sydd wedi cael ei gwerthu ar y pris isel o £10.00 a £5.00 i blant. Yn ôl Abbandonato, y rheswm am hyn yw fod bobl Cymru wedi talu £22.00 i weld y gemau 'play-offs' cymharol ddi-nôd dros y penwythnos. Ond, os edrychwn ar y ffigyrau ar gyfer y gêm rhwng Reading a Walsall yn gem derfynnol yr 2il adran mae'n amlwg nad yw pethau mor syml a hynny. Yn ôl Sky roedd tua 30,000 o gefnogwyr Reading wedi teithio i'r gêm, a tua 25,000 o gefnogwyr Walsall. Cyfanswm y 2 amcangyfrifiad hyn yw 55,000, ond roedd y dorf ychydig yn is na'r ffigwr hwnw - 50,496. Mae'n amlwg felly fod y nifer o gefnogwyr lleol, niwtral yn isel iawn - ag eithrio Bobby Gould a Sam Hammam.

Mae'n amlwg felly mai nid y rhesymau sy'n cael ei nodi gan Abbandonato sydd yn gyfrifol am y gostyngiad yn y nifer o Gymry sydd eisio dangos eu cefnogaeth i'w gwlad. Ond, mae'n amlwg fod y play-offs wedi cael effaith anuniongyrchol ar y diddordeb yn gêm Cymru. A hynny, oherwydd yr holl sylw wedi cael ei roi i'r play-offs ar draul gêm Cymru, gyda llawer o gyfryngis yn ei weld yn anrhydedd fod Cymru yn gallu denu timau mor fawr a Leyton Orient, Blackpool a Reading.

Rheswm arall posib am y diffyg diddordeb yw agwedd negyddol sianeli teledu fel HTV sydd eisoes wedi dweud ei bod yn amhosib i Gymru orffen yn yr ail safle yn y grwp. Mae Cymru eisoes wedi ennill un pwynt mewn gem gyfartal oddi-cartref yng Ngwlad Pwyl, arweinwyr y grwp. Mae'n dangos felly fod siarad mor negyddol cyn y ddwy gem nesaf yn ffwlbri noeth, ond yn anffodus yn nodweddiadol o agwed HTV. Er ein bod yn aml yn condemnio Abbandonato, heb ei bapur o, byddai dim sylw o gwbl wedi ei roi i CYMRU V GWLAD PWYL.

According to Paul Abbandonato, all these English matches being played at the Millenium stadium are having a huge effect on the crowd expected for the vital match against Poland next Saturday. Only 25,000 tickets have been sold at the low price of £10.00 and £5.00 to children. According to Abbandonato this is due to the preparedness of Welsh people to splash out £22.00 to see the relatively unimportant 'play-offs over the weekend. But if we look at the figures for the 2nd division final between Reading and Walsall, it is clear that things aren't guite that simple. According to Sky, Reading brought around 30,000 supporters with them, while Walsall chipped in around 25,000 supporters. The total of these estimates would be 55,000 but the actual crowd fell short of that target at 50,496. It is clear therefore that the total of local, neutral supporters was very low - with the exception of Sam Hammam and Bobby Gould.

It is clear that the reasons noted by Abbandonato, are not responsible for the reduction in the number of Welsh people who want to support their country. But it is celar that the play-offs have had a negative, if indirect affect on the interest in Wales' match. This is down to the massive amount of importance attached to the play-offs by the 'Welsh' media at the expense of Wales, with many of the mediaites seeing it as a huge feather in the cap of Wales that it can attract the likes of Leyton Orient, Blackpool and Reading.

Another possible reason for the lack of interest is the negative attitudes of television channels like HTV who have already said that it is impossible for Wales to finish in the top two spots in the table. Wales have already won a point in an away match against Poland, the group's leaders. This shows that such negative talk at this stage is sheer stupidity, but unfortunately is all that can be expected from HTV. We might criticise Abbandonato, but without his paper, WALES V POLAND would have received no coverage at all.