Special - Part 2

:00:10. > :00:17.They inspired a nation - now, Wales' footballers have arrived

:00:18. > :00:27.And they are ready to party. You're watching a special programme from

:00:28. > :00:54.BBC Wales. I hope you have taken the afternoon

:00:55. > :00:58.off because there is a party planned and you are all invited. Throughout

:00:59. > :01:02.the afternoon we will bring you all news of the Wales team arriving

:01:03. > :01:09.home. Let me show you some pictures now of the motorcade making its way,

:01:10. > :01:15.two buses, with the players and coaches in front, and the support

:01:16. > :01:20.staff behind. Release outriders guiding the Wales team through the

:01:21. > :01:23.streets of Cardiff. They left Cardiff airport earlier today, and

:01:24. > :01:27.they are making their way to the centre of Cardiff, where I can tell

:01:28. > :01:30.you there are thousands upon thousands of fans waiting to cheer

:01:31. > :01:36.them on, to say thank you for what they have done over the last few

:01:37. > :01:42.weeks. Well, it has been an eventful morning here at Cardiff airport.

:01:43. > :01:48.Many schoolchildren were waiting to welcome their heroes. Let's now have

:01:49. > :01:52.a recap of the days events so far. At 2.37 this afternoon, the jet

:01:53. > :02:00.touched down on Welsh soil after their epic French adventure. Players

:02:01. > :02:03.and managers emerged to be treated by a barrage of photographers. Once

:02:04. > :02:12.inside the terminal building, the volume turned up a notch. As the

:02:13. > :02:16.heroes emerged, they took time to chat with fans young and old,

:02:17. > :02:25.signing autographs and posing for photographs with adoring fans. I got

:02:26. > :02:30.my shoe and my book signed! They were very good, especially against

:02:31. > :02:33.Belgium, and we should have won but it does not matter because we got so

:02:34. > :02:40.far. Their success has captured the imagination of the nation. Today,

:02:41. > :02:44.everybody wanted to say Diolch. People would have thought, another

:02:45. > :02:49.politician talking nonsense, if I had said we would make it to the

:02:50. > :02:54.semis. The Belgium match, I was there and it was the best I have

:02:55. > :02:57.ever seen a Wales team play. We are the smallest country to have got

:02:58. > :03:02.that far in the Euros. We can take some pride in that. They left the

:03:03. > :03:05.airport with the cheers ringing in their ears, heading for Cardiff City

:03:06. > :03:12.centre, where even larger crowds were waiting. Let's talk now to Ron

:03:13. > :03:16.Jones, who I am delighted to say has joined us. He is the king of the

:03:17. > :03:20.commentary box. You have seen it all in your career. Did you ever think

:03:21. > :03:32.you would see scenes like this today? I certainly did not think at

:03:33. > :03:36.the start of my commentary career that I would see a Wales team

:03:37. > :03:41.perform in the way that they did in such a major championship. I am

:03:42. > :03:46.lucky enough to go all the way back to 1958, when we previously qualify

:03:47. > :03:51.for a major tournament. Then it was the World Cup in Sweden, and amazing

:03:52. > :03:56.occasion. Just have a look at these scenes now in the centre of Cardiff.

:03:57. > :04:00.We heard during the campaign that some of the players in 1958 arrived

:04:01. > :04:06.home and some people were not even aware that they had competed at a

:04:07. > :04:09.World Cup. That was the story at Swansea station, when three Swansea

:04:10. > :04:15.players arrived and they had cases with them, and someone asked them if

:04:16. > :04:20.they had been on their holidays. It is hard to comprehend. But these

:04:21. > :04:24.scenes which we are watching around the castle, where the parade will

:04:25. > :04:29.start. The team is on its way to the starting point. They are 20 deep.

:04:30. > :04:38.This tells us as much as anything the impression that the players and

:04:39. > :04:43.staff, the whole group have made, on the people of Wales. They really

:04:44. > :04:50.have been absolutely wonderful. They have indeed. And we covered the

:04:51. > :04:54.Olympic torch relay a few years ago, and the scenes across the country

:04:55. > :05:00.were quite amazing. I never thought that we would see something akin to

:05:01. > :05:07.that. Especially coming from the Wales football team. Many Wales fans

:05:08. > :05:14.have endured years, decades, of near misses and heartache. After almost

:05:15. > :05:18.30 years of working for the BBC, I covered five World Cups and I went

:05:19. > :05:24.with England, I went with Scotland, I went with the Republic of Ireland.

:05:25. > :05:30.Never once did I go to a major championship with Wales. Of course,

:05:31. > :05:41.the moment they qualify, I have come off the BBC staff and missed it!

:05:42. > :05:47.It is astonishing. The only players missing from the team coach, I

:05:48. > :05:52.understand, our Joe Ledley, who is getting married, and Neil Taylor,

:05:53. > :05:56.who is a guest at the wedding. So those two are missing from that fund

:05:57. > :06:01.coach. But all the other players, every single one of them deserves

:06:02. > :06:06.all the accolades. Ron Jones, thank you very much for the time being.

:06:07. > :06:17.The bus is slowly making its way to the centre. And with the fans for us

:06:18. > :06:21.is Kate Morgan. In the last half an hour, this place has become packed

:06:22. > :06:46.with fans waiting to see a glimpse of the team bus.

:06:47. > :06:53.The crowd stretches down St Mary's Street, up towards Queen's Street.

:06:54. > :06:59.There are people on the roof of the building on the corner, they are

:07:00. > :07:04.hanging out of the windows along Castle Street.

:07:05. > :07:09.All to get the best view. The coaches will be arriving here,

:07:10. > :07:13.getting off the coach, and then they can meet the fans. They have waited

:07:14. > :07:21.for hours to meet them. To say thank you. There are a few sign, one of

:07:22. > :07:27.them saying "well done" and that is what this sums up what they have

:07:28. > :07:32.come to say. Well done. Not only for Welsh football, for Welsh sport as a

:07:33. > :07:37.whole. There is a huge range of ages here. Lots of children and older

:07:38. > :07:41.people with the Welsh flag draped around their shoulders. This is

:07:42. > :07:47.really a feel day. The excitement is building. We will just have to wait

:07:48. > :08:01.a little longer until they arrive. . Well, the bus now is making its

:08:02. > :08:09.way to the centre of Cardiff. Just going through Maindypool. This is

:08:10. > :08:17.about five minutes' drive from the Principality Stadium. So two coaches

:08:18. > :08:23.weaving its way into Cardiff. It is lively in the city centre but it

:08:24. > :08:28.will be a crescendo when the buses approach the city centre and Cardiff

:08:29. > :08:32.Castle. I don't suppose there has been a

:08:33. > :08:37.footballing occasion, a return to home, if you like, since Cardiff

:08:38. > :08:44.City in 1927, when they won the FA Cup. They had a fantastic return to

:08:45. > :08:49.the city centre. They came back by train so all of that was centred

:08:50. > :08:52.around the Central Station. But this is very, very special indeed. I

:08:53. > :08:58.cannot remember a Welsh football team. We have had rugby occasions in

:08:59. > :09:02.the past, of course, when we have had great wins, performances,

:09:03. > :09:09.whatever but nothing match this in football terms. As we said earlier,

:09:10. > :09:15.in 1958, even though it was a World Cup, it was a much lower-key

:09:16. > :09:19.occasion. As it tended to be. Television was in its infancy, as

:09:20. > :09:25.such. So we did not have the comp we have.

:09:26. > :09:29.Here they are close to the City Hall, then they have an entrance

:09:30. > :09:33.into the back of the castle, then they go through the castle to the

:09:34. > :09:37.front where the official parade is to start.

:09:38. > :09:42.It seems that the campaign has touched so many people. Even people

:09:43. > :09:48.who are not football fans. When my mother e-mailed me, and giving her

:09:49. > :09:53.unique take on the football matches, when she has never watched a

:09:54. > :09:58.football match in her life! When you see the viewing figures,ed record

:09:59. > :10:08.audiences, more than 1.4 million, 2 million to watch a football game. We

:10:09. > :10:12.have come a long way. Eve no-one Chris Coleman's times as the

:10:13. > :10:17.manager, as he said himself, in his early days as a manager, there was

:10:18. > :10:23.no success at all. He had a vision as a team but playing in front of

:10:24. > :10:28.low attendances, to attend a Wales game was almost an imposition. You

:10:29. > :10:33.were not seeing anything special. About this group of players

:10:34. > :10:36.transcended all of that, and my goodness me, they deserve their

:10:37. > :10:39.rewards. So, the coaches are making their way

:10:40. > :10:43.now. Nearly there. The wait is nearly over for the

:10:44. > :10:54.fans. The fans want to see their heroes.

:10:55. > :11:02.Let's now go... The bus is now approaching the castle grounds.

:11:03. > :11:08.Diolch is emblazoned on the coaches. A squad who are grateful for the

:11:09. > :11:13.support and we are a grateful nation. We have achieved so much

:11:14. > :11:19.this summer. They have put us on the map. I was

:11:20. > :11:23.listening to a programme on BBC Radio, saying that so many people

:11:24. > :11:28.throughout the world think of Wales as part of England, well they know

:11:29. > :11:32.now it is different indeed in football terms and other terms as

:11:33. > :11:36.well. The spin-off of the success of our football team will be I normous.

:11:37. > :11:47.But today this is about them. And our thanks. And the buses are right,

:11:48. > :11:53."Diolch" expresses the thanks for the excitement that they have given

:11:54. > :11:57.us over the last Fife weeks or so. And what of the Cardiff Castle

:11:58. > :12:02.there, and the sun making an appearance as well. Now, let's head

:12:03. > :12:07.down to the fans and our reporter, Caroline Evans.

:12:08. > :12:11.Well, done here in Wellington Street, the excitement is building.

:12:12. > :12:16.The fans are starting to arrive. This will be the last leg for the

:12:17. > :12:20.bus as it heads down to the stadium for the concert with the Manic

:12:21. > :12:25.Street Preachers playing. That is sold out. The tickets are gone. You

:12:26. > :12:29.don't need a ticket to come here to line the streets, that is what the

:12:30. > :12:35.fans are doing. If you are thinking of coming down, this is a good

:12:36. > :12:39.vantage point. A straight road down Wellington streeted. All of the fans

:12:40. > :12:44.can line up to get a great view of the bus. The council have told me

:12:45. > :12:48.that they turned this around in 36 hours. The tightest turn around that

:12:49. > :12:53.they have done. They are confident it will go well. And the fans now

:12:54. > :12:56.are beginning to arrive as you can see.

:12:57. > :13:01.Another sea of red to welcome the bus. We can only imagine what the

:13:02. > :13:05.players will be thinking as they drive here, a route that they have

:13:06. > :13:09.driven around many times, now welcomed home in this way. And of

:13:10. > :13:14.course the point of this is that you don't have to know that much about

:13:15. > :13:19.football, to understand the offside rule, do you? But to engage with the

:13:20. > :13:24.passion, the passion we have seen on that field, no brought home, our

:13:25. > :13:36.chance to say thank you, and to say well done. Caroline, don't worry, I

:13:37. > :13:42.can explain the offside rule. There are lovely shots of thester of

:13:43. > :13:49.Cardiff. -- the centre of Cardiff.

:13:50. > :13:54.We have seen the park and the cricket stadium. We really are a

:13:55. > :14:00.sporting nation. We are indeed. Rugby has grabbed the

:14:01. > :14:07.attention a little more, rightly so. But football is a world game. We

:14:08. > :14:14.have taken on the might of Europe, really. We reached the last four.

:14:15. > :14:18.All but reached the final. It would have been a remarkable achievement

:14:19. > :14:22.had we gone that step further but if we asked the players before the

:14:23. > :14:27.start of the tournament to get us to the last four, as close to the final

:14:28. > :14:32.as they can and they produced this, we would have thought it was

:14:33. > :14:36.fairytale. As it is, they have done it, produced it, given us huge

:14:37. > :14:41.pleasure and in amongst that they played wonderful football. They will

:14:42. > :14:48.now go up to the top 12 nations in the world in football. And also, and

:14:49. > :14:54.not to put too fine a point on it, above England as well.

:14:55. > :15:03.The thoughts of Ron Jones, the football commentator, a familiar

:15:04. > :15:08.voice to many of you. If you are watching, you are watching a BBC

:15:09. > :15:13.News Special. Watching the return of the Welsh football team. There are

:15:14. > :15:20.thousands upon thousands of fans lining the street. Ron, you were

:15:21. > :15:29.talking about the media coverage, and people like me, the Swede itch

:15:30. > :15:33.television, the Japanese TV but the star name is Gareth Bale. His

:15:34. > :15:39.professional is massive, it is Galactic. It is a huge boost to

:15:40. > :15:43.Wales? Of course, in the 1938 team, we had a huge star in the John

:15:44. > :15:47.Charles. He was playing Europe. There is a parallel with Gareth

:15:48. > :15:53.Bale. He was the star of our team at that time. Playing for Juventus in

:15:54. > :15:58.Italy, a wonderful player. Gareth Bale is similar in this respect. And

:15:59. > :16:05.of course with the extended coverage that we get now in terms of

:16:06. > :16:10.television, in terms of the written word, radio, whatever, Gareth Bale's

:16:11. > :16:16.star is in the ascendency. It was interesting up to the Portugal game,

:16:17. > :16:21.and we have to say that Ronaldo won the game for Portugal but those two

:16:22. > :16:27.have pretty well reached level status. I suspect over the next

:16:28. > :16:31.season or so Gareth will go beyond Ronaldo and he will be one of the

:16:32. > :16:35.two or three best players in the world.

:16:36. > :16:39.And he is the man that a lot of the media, especially outside of Wales

:16:40. > :16:43.want to talk to after the games. He is that magnet. He has the

:16:44. > :16:49.professional. We are looking at the scenes now in the centre of Cardiff.

:16:50. > :16:52.A stone's throw from the Principality Stadium and the main

:16:53. > :16:57.shopping area. The heart of the capital. Cardiff Castle ready to

:16:58. > :17:03.welcome Chris Coleman and his players. I guess we can stop talking

:17:04. > :17:08.now about waiting 58 years. I'm sick of saying it to be honest.

:17:09. > :17:12.What I hope, Thomas is that this does not become an end. It has been

:17:13. > :17:19.a wonderful achievement. It will be marked today here and in the weeks I

:17:20. > :17:23.hope it will be a starting point for football. We have a wonderful group

:17:24. > :17:28.of young players. We could do with a little extra strength in depth,

:17:29. > :17:32.maybe but we do have a wonderful group of young players who should be

:17:33. > :17:35.together now for a number of years. We have a starting season in

:17:36. > :17:41.September, a World Cup qualifying group.

:17:42. > :17:46.We have Serbia, Moldova, Austria, Republic of Ireland, and we have a

:17:47. > :17:55.great chance to qualify for the next World Cup in Russia. I hope we can

:17:56. > :17:59.go on and make qualifying for major tournaments, an auto mattic event.

:18:00. > :18:02.If we can do that, that will really build on what these guys have

:18:03. > :18:07.achieved. We have seen the police outriders

:18:08. > :18:12.squeezing through the space. I don't think that the coach can squeeze

:18:13. > :18:15.there. It is at a stand still at the moment. And just look at the crowds

:18:16. > :18:20.there. Many of them taking the time off

:18:21. > :18:25.work to be here. Many taking time off school to be there. Well,

:18:26. > :18:34.impressive crowds. And Kate Morgan is down there. What is the

:18:35. > :18:37.atmosphere like there, Kate. Thanks, Thomas, we are waiting for

:18:38. > :18:43.the castle doors to open. For the team to get out of here. There have

:18:44. > :18:48.been a few false alarms and a lot of security staff, there are so many

:18:49. > :18:53.fans here. There are thousands here. They got a huge cheer when some

:18:54. > :18:56.walked out but they were not the team. Here it is packed with the

:18:57. > :19:02.fans. There are people on the roofs of

:19:03. > :19:08.buildings. There are those up above the shops

:19:09. > :19:13.with the best views. A bit of a party atmosphere.

:19:14. > :19:17.Some of the fans I have spoken to, they have been in Paris, Toulouse.

:19:18. > :19:22.Here the police helicopter is circling above. So it must mean that

:19:23. > :19:25.they are very near. They could be in the castle. They have been following

:19:26. > :19:30.the route today. We are waiting for the moment. The flags are weighing.

:19:31. > :19:33.Everybody is getting excited. There is a sense of anticipation in the

:19:34. > :19:38.air building. That is because people want to say well done. To be a part

:19:39. > :19:42.of it. People who did not get out to go to France to share in that part

:19:43. > :19:47.of the journey, they are here today as they want to share in it. There

:19:48. > :19:52.is a real experience that the team belong to the fans and the fans are

:19:53. > :19:56.very much a part of the team. The people I have spoken to get that

:19:57. > :20:02.feeling. It is very loud. Noise you, young, old, we are all waiting. I'm

:20:03. > :20:06.sure it will not be much longer. But for now, it is back to Thomas.

:20:07. > :20:11.Kate, thank you very much, you will not have to wait long. They have

:20:12. > :20:16.left the bus now. This are walking through the grounds of Cardiff

:20:17. > :20:20.Castle. In the next few minutes the place will erupt when the fans will

:20:21. > :20:26.have a glimpse of their players, of their heroes.

:20:27. > :20:33.They have exceeded all expect nations this summer. At the back,

:20:34. > :20:38.Gareth Bale, the delight to go, the most expensive player in the world.

:20:39. > :20:45.His Real Madrid team-mates got the better of Wales in the semifinals.

:20:46. > :20:50.But there were not many tears. Ron Jones is with me, football

:20:51. > :20:56.commentator. People were proud, despite defeat against Portugal?

:20:57. > :21:01.Disappointment, inevitably, stand fast, we wanted to get to the final.

:21:02. > :21:06.But I think the achievement was so great, the players had conducted

:21:07. > :21:09.themselves so well. And as we watch them walking through the grounds of

:21:10. > :21:13.the castle to the front of the castle, where the coach will pick

:21:14. > :21:17.them up to take them on their tour of the city and eventually back here

:21:18. > :21:20.to the Cardiff City Stadium. They are in their tracksuits, they look

:21:21. > :21:25.very relaxed, chatting amongst themselves. Gareth Bale towards the

:21:26. > :21:28.back, as you say. In some ways that is indicative of what he is all

:21:29. > :21:35.about as well. Very much part of the team. There is no big elders amongst

:21:36. > :21:49.this group of players. Aaron Ramsey -- no-bid star.

:21:50. > :21:55.-- with his new haircut, standing out. This is the modern footballer.

:21:56. > :22:00.Posing for photographs, with the castle keep behind them. We are so

:22:01. > :22:05.lucky, Tomos, that it is a lovely fine day here as well. This adds to

:22:06. > :22:10.the occasion. Great for the crowds, in their red shirts. I was amazed as

:22:11. > :22:12.I was coming down here this afternoon and many people were

:22:13. > :22:19.coming down on the trains on the buses - all in red shirts. And there

:22:20. > :22:23.is that wonderful group of players, in the castle grounds, having

:22:24. > :22:31.photographed together, looking so, so relaxed. It is a wonderful sight.

:22:32. > :22:38.All smiles from the players. We are joined by another broadcaster now.

:22:39. > :22:45.It is amazing. It is incredible, we have created this wonderful

:22:46. > :22:50.community today. It is wonderful. What does this do for brand Wales?

:22:51. > :22:55.Wales playing on the world stage? I think it is branding in three ways.

:22:56. > :22:59.Within Wales, we start to think differently about ourselves as a

:23:00. > :23:03.nation. In Britain as a whole, we have had the Daily Telegraph putting

:23:04. > :23:09.Welsh on the front page. This morning we have had Phil and Holly

:23:10. > :23:14.speaking Welsh. And internationally, football is the only global sport.

:23:15. > :23:18.You achieve in football and you capture the imagination of millions,

:23:19. > :23:23.maybe billions of people. And they have done it beautifully. This was

:23:24. > :23:27.after the photocall, the players slowly making their way. Any second

:23:28. > :23:31.now we will hear the crowd. We will know when they will be close. What

:23:32. > :23:37.have you made of the tournament? It has been an amazing four or five

:23:38. > :23:41.weeks? It has been incredible. I did actually predict on BBC radio Wales

:23:42. > :23:47.that we would get to the semifinals. But I think we have exceeded all of

:23:48. > :23:52.our wildest dreams. Not just from a sporting pass if, but the way they

:23:53. > :23:59.have conducted themselves. The fans have been a joy to watch. --

:24:00. > :24:07.sporting. There had been some trouble, and suddenly, Wales

:24:08. > :24:09.arrived, and it was all joy. I think the Diolch - Together We Are

:24:10. > :24:22.Stronger Motol has been fantastic for all of us. Yes, the praise for

:24:23. > :24:29.the Wales fans, many of them were teaching fans from other nations

:24:30. > :24:33.their songs. I heard Don't Take Me Home in other language, many weeks

:24:34. > :24:39.ago. Just fill in the blanks for us. I was in France for five weeks -

:24:40. > :24:42.what was the reaction of fans like back home when Wales were

:24:43. > :24:46.progressing through the tournament? It was incredible. In the early

:24:47. > :24:52.games we were trying to catch it during working hours. The pubs were

:24:53. > :25:02.selling out, however! And looking at your social media feed in the

:25:03. > :25:07.morning, it was friends and relatives over there, the media,

:25:08. > :25:10.wall-to-wall coverage, personalities have spoken about their reaction to

:25:11. > :25:17.it. Just everybody has spoken about it. We have all been totally

:25:18. > :25:23.expressed for five weeks. Normally I am an egg chaser but I really

:25:24. > :25:26.appreciate the round ball now! Even David Hasselhoff got involved,

:25:27. > :25:32.wishing Gareth Bale and the boys would look. So, the fans outside

:25:33. > :25:37.Cardiff Castle, waiting patiently. They have been waiting there for any

:25:38. > :25:43.many hours now, waiting for the moment to come when Chris, will lead

:25:44. > :25:46.out his players. Fair play to the players, they have been away from

:25:47. > :25:50.home for five weeks, they have seen their families for a day or so

:25:51. > :25:56.during that. I'm sure they have got holidays to go to. Pre-season starts

:25:57. > :26:01.pretty soon! Some of them are even getting married. I would love to see

:26:02. > :26:06.Joe Ledley's first dance! They have made incredible sacrifices. They

:26:07. > :26:10.have been together as a group intensive leave any weeks. Weddings

:26:11. > :26:22.have not been attended, Beyonce concerts...! What a tragedy that is!

:26:23. > :26:28.A disappointed Neil Taylor! It is looking quite biblical now, isn't

:26:29. > :26:33.it? Incredible! Ron Jones, what do you make of social media? The

:26:34. > :26:36.players of 1958 did not have such things? Do you think it helps, to

:26:37. > :26:56.maintain that connection? You cannot compare the two. I

:26:57. > :26:59.suspect the players in 1958 in Sweden, if they wanted to

:27:00. > :27:03.communicate home, they probably had to write a letter. It arrived about

:27:04. > :27:08.five days later. You cannot compare the two. We are seeing pictures of

:27:09. > :27:18.the crowds, hundreds, thousands, waiting. We saw the videos of when

:27:19. > :27:27.Iceland beat England, Wales squad celebrating. Why so much fuss over

:27:28. > :27:31.nothing? It is a natural reaction, as Welsh fan. I did wonder whether

:27:32. > :27:37.it should have been released at the time. But actually, with the banter,

:27:38. > :27:44.it was taken in the spirit in which it was intended. Did you catch the

:27:45. > :27:53.video last night, semi naked players, doing the hakka? Those

:27:54. > :27:59.lovely white bodies! What I liked was that they were celebrating the

:28:00. > :28:08.Iceland win, rather than the England defeat. I think the marketing has

:28:09. > :28:11.been outstanding. Something like Diolch - Together, Stronger, it has

:28:12. > :28:21.been organic, not contrived or corporate. It has just grown into

:28:22. > :28:24.something wonderful. The fans cheering, as the police outriders

:28:25. > :28:37.come out onto the road. The players cannot be too far behind. They have

:28:38. > :28:42.been very patient, Tomos, but they have waited this long, they can wait

:28:43. > :28:50.another ten minutes. Read is obviously the predominant colour. --

:28:51. > :28:54.red. I cannot imagine how sales of football kit has gone over the last

:28:55. > :29:00.few weeks. Almost everybody now has got a red football shirt. Even on

:29:01. > :29:06.the way here, there were some merchandisers en route! Put this

:29:07. > :29:10.into context for us - compared with other sports, how big a deal is this

:29:11. > :29:14.in the context of Welsh sport? Is massive. Obviously, we saw the Welsh

:29:15. > :29:21.road B-team getting to the semifinals of the World Cup, and how

:29:22. > :29:25.wonderful that was. But as I said earlier, football is the global

:29:26. > :29:29.game. If you achieve on that stage, everybody knows about it. People

:29:30. > :29:35.will know about Wales for the first time. I was speaking to me visit

:29:36. > :29:41.Wales, and they said searches have gone up tenfold. No advertising

:29:42. > :29:47.campaign or PR strategy could possibly achieve this. It is just

:29:48. > :29:55.down to a squad of talented footballers. The fans are cheering.

:29:56. > :30:05.Aaron Ramsey is on the top of the wall there. Crowd, responding. And

:30:06. > :30:14.Chris Gunter is with him, taking selfies. Close friends from Cardiff

:30:15. > :30:19.City many years ago. They have both moved on to different clubs now. You

:30:20. > :30:24.see pictures on social media, they are always together, close friends

:30:25. > :30:31.within the Wales camp. It is a day the players will never forget. They

:30:32. > :30:36.certainly won't. They have conducted themselves so well. This is another

:30:37. > :30:39.thing which has always impressed me. We have spoken about Gareth Bale's

:30:40. > :30:43.qualities as a footballer. I think he has grown as a man over the last

:30:44. > :30:47.few weeks, the way he has fronted up for interviews, no matter whether

:30:48. > :30:52.they have won or lost, and in between as well. He has had a bit of

:30:53. > :30:58.mischief about in, which I quite like. I have really enjoyed that bit

:30:59. > :31:02.of mischief from him. But nonetheless, every single player,

:31:03. > :31:07.every single official with the team, Chris Coleman himself, they have all

:31:08. > :31:14.conducted themselves impeccably. It sounds a bit of a cliche about them

:31:15. > :31:18.enjoying themselves, but they really do seem to have enjoyed every single

:31:19. > :31:22.moment of the tournament. The word people keep using in relation to

:31:23. > :31:28.this campaign for Wales, is joy. It is the team ethic as well. The focus

:31:29. > :31:32.was all on Gareth Bale initially, and he made sure everybody took

:31:33. > :31:40.credit. And here we go. The support staff are coming out, filming it on

:31:41. > :31:44.their mobile phones. And these are the people you do not necessarily

:31:45. > :31:52.recognise, the support staff, the backroom staff. The

:31:53. > :31:58.physiotherapists. It is a big operation these days, Tomos. A

:31:59. > :32:08.massive crescendo written squad makes it sway onto the street, at

:32:09. > :32:11.Cardiff gate. The backroom staff have just walked out to the biggest

:32:12. > :32:16.round of applause. There's quite a few of them. I think the crowd knows

:32:17. > :32:21.exactly what their role has been. They are of course waiting for the

:32:22. > :32:27.team. We spotted them on top of the Castle Ward earlier. They are now

:32:28. > :32:34.waiting for the team. We must be moments away. -- the castle wall.

:32:35. > :32:37.Just down St Mary's streak is where they will board their buses. First

:32:38. > :32:44.of all, they will get a huge welcome. The flags waving. I think

:32:45. > :32:48.people have got eyes everywhere. That is after seeing them up on the

:32:49. > :32:54.turret! The anticipation is almost too much for a lot of the fans.

:32:55. > :32:57.Everyone is having a good time. All eyes are on those castle gates at

:32:58. > :33:02.the moment. We're just waiting and waiting. There was a huge applause

:33:03. > :33:06.for some photographers who worked out first of all. I cannot even

:33:07. > :33:11.begin to imagine... The noise is starting to build so that it may be

:33:12. > :33:16.any moment now. The helicopters are still circling. There are two of

:33:17. > :33:26.them. The people across the road have probably got the best view, in

:33:27. > :33:36.their windows. We are just waiting. There are two Roman centurions as a

:33:37. > :33:40.sort of guard of honour outside. We are still waiting. The excitement is

:33:41. > :33:46.building. Most of the fans here today have been here for a good

:33:47. > :33:51.hour. Some of them, for three hours. So they have waited a little while.

:33:52. > :33:55.But I don't think there is anybody who would complain about that. They

:33:56. > :34:01.have all got massive smiles on their faces. Tomos, back to you. Kate

:34:02. > :34:07.Morgan, thank you very much. Enjoy it. Incredible scenes? It is

:34:08. > :34:15.wonderful. I love seeing the players on the turret of the castle.

:34:16. > :34:18.Fabulous! What about the way the FAW has managed things over the last

:34:19. > :34:24.weeks and months. Are there lessons to be learned for other institutions

:34:25. > :34:28.in Wales? Very much so vastly the use of Welsh, I think that has been

:34:29. > :34:35.a huge plus. It has been integral to the campaign, and other people have

:34:36. > :34:40.pick up on it in the media. We saw them with T-shirts at the end of the

:34:41. > :34:46.Paul Jewell Portugal game with Diolch - Together, Stronger

:34:47. > :34:49.T-shirts. -- of the Portugal game. And Chris Coleman talking about,

:34:50. > :34:54.don't give up on your dreams. One teacher from a primary school work

:34:55. > :35:03.to me to say that he had used Chris Coleman's quotes to inspire his

:35:04. > :35:06.pupils. To show that success comes with failure on the way, sometimes.

:35:07. > :35:15.You would not mess with those Roman guards! Security is very tight in

:35:16. > :35:26.Cardiff today! The players now are going to make the grand entrance.

:35:27. > :35:30.And eventually they will be going on to weave their way through the

:35:31. > :35:36.streets of Cardiff on the open-top bus parade. And then there will be a

:35:37. > :35:39.special show, with the Manic Street Preachers headlining a concert for

:35:40. > :35:47.the fans, 33,000, at the Cardiff City Stadium.

:35:48. > :36:03.Ron, you have covered football for decades... Give us an idea of the

:36:04. > :36:08.near-misses, the failures? Oh, gosh. Too much pain. I did say earlier,

:36:09. > :36:14.awaited throughout my broadcasting core to cover Wales in an important

:36:15. > :36:21.match but I think that the one that I remember the most of all... Sorry,

:36:22. > :36:27.Ron, Chris Coleman. The man who led the nation to this success.

:36:28. > :36:32.Remarkable, really, when you think he contemplated quitting after a few

:36:33. > :36:38.games. Heavy defeats. Heavy defeats in Serbia. 6-1

:36:39. > :36:42.defeats. But look at him now, leading the squad out after making

:36:43. > :36:46.it so far in the European Championships.

:36:47. > :36:55.The players in red, clapping, applauding the fans.

:36:56. > :37:04.There are fans waving, the flags waving. They have waited many, many

:37:05. > :37:08.hours for this moment. And the players themselves, they

:37:09. > :37:13.wouldn't have had any #yd, really, what was happening at home.

:37:14. > :37:19.They had during the match days, and in the build up to the match, thank

:37:20. > :37:25.you very much very much aware of this huge band of followers, of the

:37:26. > :37:29.wall of red, as they dallied, the supporters in the stadiums. They

:37:30. > :37:32.would have had some indication that they were hugely supported back

:37:33. > :37:37.home. That there was great excitement at home at their

:37:38. > :37:42.achievement but it is probably only now it is brought home to them just

:37:43. > :37:45.what all of this has meant to everyone who supported them and to

:37:46. > :37:51.them themselves. They themselves now can feel a part of this with all of

:37:52. > :37:59.the supporters at home. It is overwhelming.

:38:00. > :38:03.It must be. Something, they have said that they

:38:04. > :38:09.will remember this for all of their lives. No matter what else they do

:38:10. > :38:13.in football, or in anything in their lives, they will be special. Gareth

:38:14. > :38:19.Bale a truly great player, playing on the world stage all of the time,

:38:20. > :38:24.not all of the players can say that but he can with Real Madrid. He does

:38:25. > :38:29.not get a single moment in a single day where he is peacefully left

:38:30. > :38:33.alone, he is a real star of the football stage. But he integrated

:38:34. > :38:44.himself into the team. Part of the team. Just another player, albeit a

:38:45. > :38:47.great one but even he, I think, will beally overwhelmed by what is

:38:48. > :38:53.happening. It is pretty special, to say the least.

:38:54. > :38:59.Great scenes here in Cardiff. And these pictures will go across

:39:00. > :39:03.the world in the same way that the country of Iceland welcomed their

:39:04. > :39:09.boys home. People will see Cardiff, the wonderful place it is, the

:39:10. > :39:12.castle in the background and these scenes.

:39:13. > :39:15.There he is, walking up the High Street.

:39:16. > :39:21.On to the buses. And a word about that man, Chris

:39:22. > :39:25.Coleman. He signed a new contract. The importance of continue youity?

:39:26. > :39:30.Paramount importance to continue youity. You mentioned the fact he

:39:31. > :39:36.had a difficult start to his career. Of course he did. He took over from

:39:37. > :39:40.Gary Speed, that was not easy. That period when they were losing

:39:41. > :39:45.matches, that was difficult. We did not have crowds in the stadium. But

:39:46. > :39:51.he lifted us. He showed us the vision of what could be achieved

:39:52. > :39:54.with the players he has. And others involved Brian Finn who managed to

:39:55. > :39:59.recruit the players, when they were younger than they are now, who

:40:00. > :40:04.brought them into the fold and now is paying dividends. But we need

:40:05. > :40:10.Chris Coleman to take us on to the next level.

:40:11. > :40:17.And the building blocks were put in place with John Toshack.

:40:18. > :40:21.We owe a lot to him. There was a sense of journey, a climax to the

:40:22. > :40:26.semi-finals, and there has been that from the beginning. What impressed

:40:27. > :40:31.me with Chris Coleman, there is often mind games, messing with the

:40:32. > :40:34.press, the players' minds but he is straightforward, down to earth,

:40:35. > :40:44.honest and transparent. It is refreshing.

:40:45. > :40:51.The thoughts of Karen and Ron Jones. You are watching the special

:40:52. > :40:55.coverage by the BBC of the homecoming of the weal football team

:40:56. > :41:00.after a long month in France. It started in Bordeaux many, many weeks

:41:01. > :41:04.ago. Take us back, how special was it to hear the National Anthem for

:41:05. > :41:11.the first time ever at a major tournament? We had arrived? 58 years

:41:12. > :41:16.later, we were there. And then who could have imagined where we would

:41:17. > :41:20.end up? We are were just glad to be there. This was the first match.

:41:21. > :41:27.Talking about the National Anthem, I have never seen so many players sing

:41:28. > :41:32.the anthem and sing it correctly. That was superb to see.

:41:33. > :41:36.And to hear it spontaneously. I would love to hear it in a rugby

:41:37. > :41:45.match. You might now.

:41:46. > :41:47.And now the players are on the bus. Jason Mohammed's father is

:41:48. > :41:58.apparently the bus driver! A great touch.

:41:59. > :42:02.No producer! -- no pressure. And any moment now I think that the

:42:03. > :42:06.bus is to start to make its way through the streets of Cardiff. The

:42:07. > :42:22.destination is the Cardiff City Stadium. They are passing the

:42:23. > :42:28.Principality Stadium. Chris Coleman said there were options to see games

:42:29. > :42:33.played. Where would you like to see the games played? I can see where

:42:34. > :42:40.Wales are coming from, they have seen a tradition here. With the fans

:42:41. > :42:47.coming through as they are, I can see where they are coming from. If

:42:48. > :42:52.the demand is such that you can fill the Principality Stadium, from a

:42:53. > :42:56.cultural, a spiritual point of view, it will be the right decision to

:42:57. > :43:01.stay near. They have done it in the past were

:43:02. > :43:05.playing Italy, Germany in qualifying matches. It can be done. It will be

:43:06. > :43:08.a temptation. We have the Republic of Ireland to

:43:09. > :43:16.play in the qualifying group for the World Cup. They will be bringing in

:43:17. > :43:20.supporters from Ireland. There will be the temptation there to maybe go

:43:21. > :43:28.to the Principality Stadium. Thank you.

:43:29. > :43:32.Now let's head down as the bus is starting to move, the two buses

:43:33. > :43:41.slowly making their way through the streets. Let's hand now to Kate

:43:42. > :43:45.Morgan on the ground. Hiya Kate? Yes, Thomas, thank you. Well the

:43:46. > :43:54.team have not long come from the castle. They are on the bus, heading

:43:55. > :44:00.down St Mary's Street. A really special moment, huge numbers of fans

:44:01. > :44:05.cheering, applauding. This is a fan who has come here today. What was it

:44:06. > :44:12.like to see the team a few moments ago? Fantastic. A big thank you,

:44:13. > :44:16.amazing, really good. You were saying you have been a

:44:17. > :44:20.football fan since being a little girl. Did you ever think there would

:44:21. > :44:24.be a day like this? Never in a million years did I think we would

:44:25. > :44:28.be in the semi-finals of the Euros. I think it is absolutely amazing. I

:44:29. > :44:31.think that they have done a wonderful job for Wales. Great

:44:32. > :44:35.ambassadors. Everyone that was out there had a wonderful time

:44:36. > :44:41.supporting them. Marvellous. What does it mean to you, you have

:44:42. > :44:46.travelled out to France, you have come back, your euro 2016 is over,

:44:47. > :44:50.how are you feeling? I know. We are so proud of them. We would have

:44:51. > :44:56.loved them to have gone all the way. They nearly did it. They did us

:44:57. > :45:03.proud. We tlorl enjoyed the journey with them. They have been great

:45:04. > :45:09.ambassadors. Very friendly. Friendly to the fans to the supporters and

:45:10. > :45:14.everybody out there was awesome. Amazing. We were so glad we went to

:45:15. > :45:19.Paris. We went to Toulouse, we enjoyed it so much. We stayed on, we

:45:20. > :45:24.went to Paris. It was just fantastic. If we could have, we

:45:25. > :45:31.would have stayed longer. I'm sure you would have! And together we are

:45:32. > :45:37.stronger, you feel a very much a part of this with the team?

:45:38. > :45:41.Definitely. We were out there. So were thousands of fans. I don't

:45:42. > :45:45.think there was anybody left in Wales. You felt that everybody was

:45:46. > :45:51.together. It did not matter what part of Wales you came from, north,

:45:52. > :45:56.south, Mid Wales, or even Welsh and lived in England. Some other

:45:57. > :46:00.country, it did not matter. We were all together.

:46:01. > :46:06.They are moving on now but seeing so many football fans, are you pleased

:46:07. > :46:13.to see so many out in the sport, and the support that it previous has not

:46:14. > :46:17.had? Yes. Even rugby, them supporting Wales, they have enjoyed

:46:18. > :46:22.it so much and now the supporters feel that they have a football team

:46:23. > :46:27.as well as a rugby team. I am glad to see football doing that as well

:46:28. > :46:32.as rugby. Really happy about that. And the Welsh football fans, are

:46:33. > :46:37.they going to head on more foreign trips? Yes.

:46:38. > :46:45.That will be amazing. We'll be there all the way.

:46:46. > :46:50.So this has been a lovely day to finish off a wonderful year and 2016

:46:51. > :46:56.Brilliant. Brilliant.

:46:57. > :47:00.It's been lovely go to the stadium. Brilliant, I will not keep you.

:47:01. > :47:02.You have to warm up to join the party. Enjoy it. Thank you very

:47:03. > :47:06.much. Thank you. I think that most of the

:47:07. > :47:10.fans are maybing their way as well. As soon as they come out, some of

:47:11. > :47:16.the fans made their way down the street. What they wanted to do was

:47:17. > :47:20.to get another place along the route to get another glimpse of the team.

:47:21. > :47:26.That is how popular they are. There is lots of chanting of Wales. Lots

:47:27. > :47:31.of singing Don't Take Me Home but no-one is sad. They are making the

:47:32. > :47:35.most of the party. They are enjoying themselves. This is a huge occasion.

:47:36. > :47:41.Four weeks ago, would have thought that they would be here celebrating

:47:42. > :47:48.this semi-final. Everyone is clearing. The sun is out in Cardiff

:47:49. > :47:50.City centre. It really is a wonderful party atmosphere. The

:47:51. > :47:56.sense from speaking to the fans is how much it means to them. How

:47:57. > :48:00.everybody is in this together. The backroom staff came out first, then

:48:01. > :48:03.the management came out and then the players. I get the sense that

:48:04. > :48:08.everybody is in this together. Nobody wants it to be over, they are

:48:09. > :48:15.making their way to the next part of the party, where you are, Thomas.

:48:16. > :48:20.Kate, thank you very much indeed. Well, the sun is breaking through.

:48:21. > :48:26.It is perfect timing. We saw the office work ears there at the

:48:27. > :48:32.windows. A good vantage point as the bus went past. The chanting, that

:48:33. > :48:37.song, Don't Take Me Home. The fans pleaded with the team, don't take me

:48:38. > :48:45.home, they wanted to stay in France as long as possible.

:48:46. > :48:48.The players there are with their cameras, they are taking selfies, a

:48:49. > :48:51.moment that they will acrish forever.

:48:52. > :48:57.Something to share with the family when they finally get home after

:48:58. > :49:02.this long summer month. This eventful summer. This footballing

:49:03. > :49:05.fairytale. Which no-one saw it coming, let's be honest.

:49:06. > :49:10.No-one predicted that Wales would reach the last four of a major

:49:11. > :49:20.tournament. Frankly, I never thought we would qualify.

:49:21. > :49:25.Wales finally performed on the big stage.

:49:26. > :49:31.Yea of little faith, Thomas. This is something that we learned. Often we

:49:32. > :49:36.lack confidence and self-belief. We didn't even have a fan zone.

:49:37. > :49:40.Suddenly there are tens of thousands of people piling in to watch the

:49:41. > :49:46.games. Sometimes you have to have more belief as a nation and as our

:49:47. > :49:52.team have shown us. The scenes when a goal was scored at

:49:53. > :50:01.the fan zones and gallons of beer... Beer showers. My brother was out in

:50:02. > :50:10.Lille when Ashley Williams put that goal in, he jumped so high he put

:50:11. > :50:18.his back into a spasm. It was the quality of of the

:50:19. > :50:25.football we played as well. We have managed to beat teams like

:50:26. > :50:25.Germany, Italy, we really can defend.

:50:26. > :50:52.Thank you very much. How much will this day in your mind

:50:53. > :51:14.now? Oh, for ever. The whole experience from the start of

:51:15. > :51:18.qualifying, to achieve it for the first time in 58 years we thought

:51:19. > :51:21.was special, but to do what we have done and reach the semis, we would

:51:22. > :51:24.not even have dreamt of that. We are trying to soak it in as much as

:51:25. > :51:27.possible and remember it for the rest of our lives. You have got a

:51:28. > :51:30.World Cup campaign coming up? Gap I think we deserve a few days to

:51:31. > :51:32.recover from this first before we start to think about that! Yes, as

:51:33. > :51:35.disappointing as it was the other night, we know that this is only the

:51:36. > :51:38.beginning. We are all of a really good age, and hopefully this will be

:51:39. > :51:40.a regular occurrence now. I do not want to embarrass you, but generally

:51:41. > :51:43.speaking, you were one of the stars of Euro 2016 for Wales- what kind of

:51:44. > :51:47.plaudits have you been getting? Yes, it is is always nice. I have always

:51:48. > :51:50.been confident in my ability, but to play at the highest level, like I

:51:51. > :51:54.have done, and to experience it for the first time, it is great. I have

:51:55. > :51:58.been pleased with how I have performed personally. More

:51:59. > :52:04.importantly, we are pleased that we have gone there as a squad and shown

:52:05. > :52:09.the identity of Welsh football and performed how we can. They say,

:52:10. > :52:13.don't take me home, you might have to go home soon? Yes. It is a shame

:52:14. > :52:17.at the moment. We have all thoroughly enjoyed the experience

:52:18. > :52:22.and the time we have spent with each other. We will probably get used to

:52:23. > :52:32.a couple of weeks of not seeing the lads. All the best. Enjoy. Thank

:52:33. > :52:35.you. That was James Chester. And Rob Phillips doing the interview. Rob

:52:36. > :52:40.has the best job this afternoon, mingling with a multimillionaire

:52:41. > :52:47.footballers on top of that bus. And we will be hearing more from them

:52:48. > :52:49.throughout the afternoon. Well, the crowds are pretty impressive, not

:52:50. > :53:02.only congregating in front of the castle, but all the way through the

:53:03. > :53:10.city of Cardiff here. Ashley Williams, Gareth Bale... Ashley

:53:11. > :53:15.Williams' performances during the campaign, a real captain. He was not

:53:16. > :53:19.going to be taken off in that game against Northern Ireland. He

:53:20. > :53:24.pleaded, I am OK, bass, don't take me off! It had been thought his

:53:25. > :53:31.tournament might be over after that shoulder injury. A real captain for

:53:32. > :53:34.Wales. Absolutely. And we never thought Joe Ledley would make it on

:53:35. > :53:45.time for the tournament. It is mind over muscle. Let's head now back to

:53:46. > :54:06.the centre of Cardiff, and in fact we can speak to Joe Allen on the

:54:07. > :54:10.bus. They Speak In Welsh. Let's head to Caroline Evans, who is on the

:54:11. > :54:18.ground. I have to say, I can hardly hear you down here. The atmosphere

:54:19. > :54:24.is buzzing. Just take a look around. Hundreds and hundreds of people now

:54:25. > :54:28.packing the scene. The reason they have come down here is because we

:54:29. > :54:32.have got this long, straight route. They are hoping for a really good

:54:33. > :54:37.view of the bus as it travels down through Cardiff. The last leg of the

:54:38. > :54:41.tour, it is going to come down this road, around the corner and onto the

:54:42. > :54:46.stadium. Just look of people lining the road. This is a real family

:54:47. > :54:51.affair down here. We have got the very young to the not so young, all

:54:52. > :54:55.joined together, sitting out in the sun and already cheering and making

:54:56. > :55:00.a noise. And the bus is not even close yet! Let's have a word with

:55:01. > :55:05.some of the fans. I hope you can hear them, because it is quite

:55:06. > :55:08.difficult for us to hear. Are you a football fan or have you just been

:55:09. > :55:15.caught up? No, I always love the football. But this has blown me

:55:16. > :55:19.away, it really has. It is stupid but I have got my house decorated

:55:20. > :55:23.and everything. It's not coming down until Monday, I don't care! We have

:55:24. > :55:28.really enjoyed it. That is the spirit of the event. And you, are

:55:29. > :55:33.you a football fan or are you caught up in the moment? No, I am a

:55:34. > :55:36.football fan as well. I was lucky enough to be out in Bordeaux for the

:55:37. > :55:40.opening game. The atmosphere was reminiscent of this, it was

:55:41. > :55:45.wall-to-wall Welsh and a great atmosphere. What was it like for

:55:46. > :55:50.you, that journey with the team, because of course they have been

:55:51. > :55:55.through thin times? Yes, but this is the time to enjoy the good times and

:55:56. > :55:58.make the most of it will stop you so proud of the players, they are

:55:59. > :56:03.brilliant ambassadors for our country and we are here to show our

:56:04. > :56:11.appreciation, really. Are you a football fan? Very much so. I

:56:12. > :56:16.remember 1958. There was nothing like this. Although we got to the

:56:17. > :56:22.quarterfinals in 1958, but there was no television coverage, as such. So,

:56:23. > :56:32.a golden moment to be enjoyed. Yes. I will hand you back now. This is a

:56:33. > :56:36.bit crazy, isn't it? It is, it shows how much it means to everyone in the

:56:37. > :56:41.whole country. We have had the backing of everyone. I would just

:56:42. > :56:45.like to say, this is a great opportunity for us to save thanks to

:56:46. > :56:48.the fans, because they have been with us from the start of the

:56:49. > :56:52.tournament. When you were a young boy dreaming of representing your

:56:53. > :56:57.country, was this how you imagined it would be? Yes, this is what you

:56:58. > :57:00.dream of as a kid. To do it in a major tournament and get to the

:57:01. > :57:05.semifinals, I think it has surpassed all expectations that the lads would

:57:06. > :57:10.have had. I think we are all very, very proud of what we have done, and

:57:11. > :57:13.we are hoping that this will be the benchmark for the future and we can

:57:14. > :57:18.look forward to more success. Now that you have had a taste of it, you

:57:19. > :57:22.want some more? Yes, of course. The beauty of this squad is, we are

:57:23. > :57:25.still relatively young and we have got the World Cup campaign to look

:57:26. > :57:29.forward to just around the corner. Hopefully we can keep the moment

:57:30. > :57:33.going which we have built up over the last couple of years. Go and

:57:34. > :57:46.enjoy yourself, go and meet your fans, you deserve it. Joe Allen, the

:57:47. > :57:49.metronome in the Wales midfield. Joe Allen keep things ticking over

:57:50. > :57:54.pretty nicely in that midfield, doesn't he? Very much so. Talking

:57:55. > :57:59.about the spirit of a club within an international side. Look at some of

:58:00. > :58:03.the great international sides in history, in any sport,m Edwards

:58:04. > :58:09.always said, felt like a club, not an international side. This is what

:58:10. > :58:14.Wales has. -- Gareth Edwards. Joe Allen, unloved by Liverpool? Not

:58:15. > :58:21.unloved, certainly not. Has not been able to break into the side as a

:58:22. > :58:30.regular starter. He got a few starts towards the end of the season.

:58:31. > :58:35.Simon, it is extraordinary, given what has happened in Welsh football?

:58:36. > :58:38.Exactly. Credit to everyone for coming out and supporting us. We

:58:39. > :58:42.could not have dreamed of something like this a couple of years ago.

:58:43. > :58:44.Credit to the manager and the team and the country for putting it

:58:45. > :58:50.together and achieving something like this. You watch this guy in

:58:51. > :58:55.training - how good was that goal he scored? Which one are you on about?

:58:56. > :58:58.Let's go for the second one! Brilliant, obviously he has done

:58:59. > :59:03.fantastic in this tournament. As we all have. He has really taken his

:59:04. > :59:09.moment, and that goal was very important for us. Hal Robson-Kanu,

:59:10. > :59:14.you have heard him singing your song? Yes, the support is

:59:15. > :59:19.unbelievable. There is a couple of hundred thousand people here, and

:59:20. > :59:30.obviously, it will be a pact stadium as well. I take it you are all big

:59:31. > :59:34.fans of the Manic Street Preachers? Yes, massive fans. You have both

:59:35. > :59:39.gone into this tournament sort of in the shop window, so what happens

:59:40. > :59:42.now? We have got to enjoy this moment and spend some time with our

:59:43. > :59:46.families, as we have not seen them for a while, take it all in and then

:59:47. > :59:52.I think we will go from there. I know it is not the time, but the

:59:53. > :59:57.offers have been pouring in - any thoughts on what next? Not at all.

:59:58. > :00:02.Once we have had a bit of a holiday, we will make a decision. I think you

:00:03. > :00:09.have both sorted yourselves out, though, haven't you? No, it is what

:00:10. > :00:17.it is. Like I said, we are just enjoying this moment. Have a great

:00:18. > :00:23.time. That was Simon Church, with Hal Robson-Kanu. Hal Robson-Kanu

:00:24. > :00:30.does not have a club at the moment. I think he will have one now! Can we

:00:31. > :00:41.assess his performance during the campaign, and that amazing goal...?

:00:42. > :00:44.With out much Jim, and all the more surprising I think because it came

:00:45. > :01:02.from him, of course. Wonderful goal. So, the bus is slowly making its way

:01:03. > :01:06.through the streets of Cardiff. Just getting your thoughts, Ron Jones, we

:01:07. > :01:11.were speaking earlier about past disappointments. We went past the

:01:12. > :01:17.Principality Stadium, the scene of heartache in 2003. I bet there are a

:01:18. > :01:19.lot of former players pleased but pretty gutted they were not given

:01:20. > :01:25.the opportunity to play on the biggest stage internationally? No

:01:26. > :01:28.doubt about it. We had great players over the years who have never got

:01:29. > :01:36.that opportunity. We spoke earlier about John Charles, Cliff Jones, the

:01:37. > :01:39.1958 team. But they did get there opportunity. There were other

:01:40. > :01:44.players in between those times - Ian Rush, wonderful, wonderful striker,

:01:45. > :01:49.probably the best in Europe of his time. Neville Southall, certainly

:01:50. > :01:55.for a period possibly the greatest goalkeeper in the world. Mark

:01:56. > :02:02.Hughes, Dean Saunders, Terry Yorath, you know, there are endless lists of

:02:03. > :02:05.Welsh players who were just not fortunate enough to play in the

:02:06. > :02:09.right team at the right time. And you can add to that elements of bad

:02:10. > :02:15.luck at times. Should have beaten Romania when we have that Doherty

:02:16. > :02:18.which struck the bar. It was the only penalty Paul ever missed in his

:02:19. > :02:22.life. Scored everyone before that and after that. It was the one

:02:23. > :02:35.penalty which he missed and we did not qualify. You have been away from

:02:36. > :02:38.the limelight, five weeks in Dinard, a very quiet place - did you ever

:02:39. > :02:42.expect that you would be grabbing the nation's attention in this way?

:02:43. > :02:47.No, we heard how much attention it was but not being able to see it,

:02:48. > :02:51.this is something we could not even have imagined. It's amazing to see

:02:52. > :02:57.so many people out here supporting us today. Is it a bit emotional as

:02:58. > :03:01.well? Yes, it is. Something we did probably not see Welsh football

:03:02. > :03:05.having for a while. But we are here now and we hope we can stay for a

:03:06. > :03:09.few years to come. Obviously, there was disappointment after the game

:03:10. > :03:12.against Portugal - but when you come back and see scenes like this, does

:03:13. > :03:19.it change you up a bit? Yes, of course it does. The disappointment

:03:20. > :03:24.of the Portugal game was there, but even the next morning we realised

:03:25. > :03:26.that we had something special. To be disappointed at losing in the

:03:27. > :03:33.semifinal shows how far we have come. Just seeing all the young

:03:34. > :03:39.children around the place, are you hoping that you will inspire the

:03:40. > :03:42.next generation? Yes, we hope so. Living in Wales, sometimes we have

:03:43. > :03:47.not had the players coming through, but I think now we have inspired a

:03:48. > :03:57.generation. You have got a party to enjoy - I will let you get on. That

:03:58. > :04:01.was Ben Davies. And a word about Ben Davies - in that first game against

:04:02. > :04:04.Slovakia, the opening couple of minutes, he did an amazing goal-line

:04:05. > :04:10.clearance, and things could have been different had that gone into

:04:11. > :04:15.the net? Very different indeed, Tomos. We could have been out of the

:04:16. > :04:18.tournament before we even started. But somehow or other, his

:04:19. > :04:24.anticipation was fantastic. Our goalkeeper was beaten. The ball

:04:25. > :04:28.seemed to be going into the net, and then apparently out of nowhere, Ben

:04:29. > :04:33.Davies disappeared and cleared it. We survived that and went on to win

:04:34. > :04:35.the game. As you rightly say, it could have been very, very

:04:36. > :04:42.different. Back to the bus, and Chris Coleman. They have been

:04:43. > :04:45.absolutely outstanding, they have been a credit. We never imagined it

:04:46. > :04:50.would be anything like this. Obviously, it makes us incredibly

:04:51. > :04:54.proud. You said when we were in France, you didn't realise, you were

:04:55. > :05:00.in a bubble - did you think it would be this sort of impact? No. We

:05:01. > :05:03.expected a nice welcome, but I think even when we came out of the

:05:04. > :05:15.airport, Cardiff airport, all away along the streets, it was amazing,

:05:16. > :05:18.incredible. We are very proud as a nation, and when we see these people

:05:19. > :05:22.and give them something to shout about, they want to shout. With your

:05:23. > :05:27.new contract, this is now going to be something to build on? Yes. No

:05:28. > :05:33.pressure, there! We have got to keep marching on. The one thing with this

:05:34. > :05:37.bunch of people that I am lucky enough to work with, is, they want

:05:38. > :05:42.to keep going forward. We can enjoy what we have achieved, but like the

:05:43. > :05:47.tournament, it was great that we got there in the first place, but

:05:48. > :05:50.quickly we forgot about that and it was all about concentrating on the

:05:51. > :05:56.next challenge. These boys are very good at doing that. Will Welsh

:05:57. > :06:00.football ever be the same again? Well, it is our job to make sure

:06:01. > :06:04.that it won't. It is our, who is whoever comes after me, to build on

:06:05. > :06:09.this. We have got a World Cup campaign, and it's all about that.

:06:10. > :06:14.We have just got to go into that with the same hunger and desire. We

:06:15. > :06:18.do that and we will be OK. 30,000 at the Cardiff City Stadium, thousands

:06:19. > :06:24.around the streets, just to watch a bus? Yes, I don't know where all of

:06:25. > :06:30.these people come from, to be honest. We are going into the

:06:31. > :06:33.stadium now. And the Manic Street Preachers are waiting for us, my

:06:34. > :06:38.favourite band. They have been great as well, we met. We are looking

:06:39. > :06:43.forward to seeing them. Our families are waiting for us. 30,000 screaming

:06:44. > :06:46.Welsh men and women and children - it does not get better than that.

:06:47. > :06:51.And you have got something big to look forward to, another one on the

:06:52. > :06:57.way, but this will leave with you for ever. Will you have some down

:06:58. > :07:03.time before Moldova? I'm not sure, Moldova will come around quickly. We

:07:04. > :07:09.have got August to prepare for the September one. But we have got a new

:07:10. > :07:14.addition to the family as well. Yet there is a lot of work for me to do

:07:15. > :07:21.in the summer. I am not really a lap top type of fella. But there will be

:07:22. > :07:28.some nappies, yes. Enjoy every second of it. You have brought

:07:29. > :07:32.delight to them. They have brought delight to us as well. I think our

:07:33. > :07:38.team brought something to the tournament. The way they conducted

:07:39. > :07:43.themselves, absolute credit. Thank you. Chris Coleman there, speaking

:07:44. > :08:02.to Rob Phillips. All the best with changing those nappies!

:08:03. > :08:10.Joining me now is Iwan Griffiths, the sports reporter for BBC Wales.

:08:11. > :08:14.What about the welcome the Wales players saved? Yes, the

:08:15. > :08:30.anticipation, the crowd... Ashley Williams on the bus.

:08:31. > :08:37.Could you ever have thought you would create such an impression on

:08:38. > :08:41.the bus? No, I don't think so. We obviously heard thing, saw a few

:08:42. > :08:47.videos but did not realise that everyone was so into it. It is just

:08:48. > :08:52.nice now to say thank you. What is your overriding feeling now?

:08:53. > :08:56.Your emotion? It emotional. One of pride, really. What the lads, what

:08:57. > :09:01.the staff have a achieved. To celebrate it with the fans like

:09:02. > :09:06.this, it makes me feel proud. And you are going to split up soon?

:09:07. > :09:12.I know, it will be weird. Like a divorce. But not too long. That's

:09:13. > :09:19.the good thing. Moldova is 60 days away? That's the boosy of it. It has

:09:20. > :09:24.been long time. Enjoyed it all. It was like a long school trip. We will

:09:25. > :09:28.be happy to see each other in a few weeks' time. Then again for the

:09:29. > :09:35.World Cup. How important is it to build on what you are seen here

:09:36. > :09:38.today? Massively important. We need to use the experience of this

:09:39. > :09:43.tournament and try to take it to the next campaign.

:09:44. > :09:47.Imagine if you had won it? We just said that

:09:48. > :09:51.Something for Russia? Hopefully another one of these.

:09:52. > :09:56.With the trophy would be nice. On a personal note, you have to have

:09:57. > :10:04.a break ready for a big season ahead again? Yeah, yeah, a little break.

:10:05. > :10:09.The gaffer has been texting me to tell us the date when we are back

:10:10. > :10:13.in. So some down time and recharge the batteries and then go again.

:10:14. > :10:19.And finally, how to sum up what happened in the last six, seven,

:10:20. > :10:24.eight weeks? It's hard to put it into words. It has been a whirlwind.

:10:25. > :10:28.Something that we are immensely proud of. Enjoyed every minute of

:10:29. > :10:32.it. Something that we will remember for all of our lives.

:10:33. > :10:37.All the best. Thank you.

:10:38. > :10:42.Ashley Williams, the captain of Wales, comparing this to a school

:10:43. > :10:49.trip! The best school trip ever. If you ask me. How is this, Gareth?

:10:50. > :10:53.Very special. Seeing what it means to the whole

:10:54. > :10:56.country. Obviously it is nice to say a little thank you for supporting

:10:57. > :11:02.us, being there with us for the journey. Amazing scenes. One we will

:11:03. > :11:06.never forget. When you were growing up as a

:11:07. > :11:10.youngster, did you ever think Welsh football would do this? Maybe not.

:11:11. > :11:14.It was obviously the dream, the dream of many but yeah, we have

:11:15. > :11:17.definitely fulfilled our potential. I still believe we have more to give

:11:18. > :11:20.as well. Is that right? I mean that is the

:11:21. > :11:25.important thing now? Yeah, definitely. We are a young team,

:11:26. > :11:31.reasonable. We have our primes to come. Hopefully keep the confidence

:11:32. > :11:37.up, keep going as a team, there is no reason not to achieve more.

:11:38. > :11:42.To go out at the semi-final was it a bit of a disappointment? Definitely.

:11:43. > :11:45.Especially after the games, so close to the final, so close to the

:11:46. > :11:50.trophy. It is obviously disappointing. But looking back on

:11:51. > :11:53.it, reflecting on the defeat, you see what you achieved as a country,

:11:54. > :11:57.as a nation. Yes, you see what it means to the

:11:58. > :12:01.fans. Eve within everything you have done

:12:02. > :12:07.in the game, these sorts of events, this event will forever live in the

:12:08. > :12:11.memory? Yeah, definitely. . Especially to be the Welsh National

:12:12. > :12:16.team, in Wales, it is an incredible feeling. No prouder honour.

:12:17. > :12:19.Putting on the red T-shirt for Wales, to share it with the fans

:12:20. > :12:22.today it is incredible. You have brought a lot of pleasure

:12:23. > :12:27.to a lot of people. I try to do my best. The same as all

:12:28. > :12:31.of us. We work together as a team. We do whatever we can to help each

:12:32. > :12:35.other. Yeah, that is including the fans.

:12:36. > :12:41.Now, tell me, what is the secret, and what does that guy next to you,

:12:42. > :12:50.Ashley Williams, say to you before each game? He just gives that great

:12:51. > :12:54.motivation, that speech we need to calm the nerves, to calm the nerves,

:12:55. > :13:00.an incredible leader. Incredible to have him on our team. Gareth Bale,

:13:01. > :13:06.no prouder honour than wearing the Welsh T-shirt. No doubting his

:13:07. > :13:11.passion. But we have been interrupted twice, third time lucky.

:13:12. > :13:15.Or maybe not... A quick word with Aaron Ramsey.

:13:16. > :13:22.Long time mates but this is special, isn't it? Of course, we have had

:13:23. > :13:26.down days. But this team has been through a lot.

:13:27. > :13:30.We have shown what we are capable of doing. We are proud to be Welsh. You

:13:31. > :13:34.can see the support, it is phenomenal.

:13:35. > :13:39.Chris, you you are good with words, sum it up for me? It has been hard.

:13:40. > :13:47.It will take a while to settle in. We have been in a bubble for the

:13:48. > :13:51.last six weeks or so. I think over today, tonight, over the next week

:13:52. > :13:56.or so, it will soon settle in. But it is hard to.

:13:57. > :13:59.We have worked so hard for this. Firstly to qualify for the

:14:00. > :14:05.tournament. Then to go there and make the mark that we did.

:14:06. > :14:11.It is down to so many people it is nice to say thank you. But it means

:14:12. > :14:15.the world to does. I'm amazed speaking to a few of you,

:14:16. > :14:20.you are taken aback at the impact it has made? Yeah, as we have been

:14:21. > :14:26.away, we have not seen the impact back here, we have not experienced

:14:27. > :14:29.it back here. We have heard from families, the atmosphere, and

:14:30. > :14:33.everybody has been pen foamal but to experience it like this. It is

:14:34. > :14:38.pretty special. Are you over missing the semi-final?

:14:39. > :14:42.Obviously I'm really gutted but it weren't meant to be. But we had a

:14:43. > :14:46.fantastic tournament. We can be proud of what we achieved.

:14:47. > :14:51.Tell me about the World Cup campaign now? Before we know it we will be

:14:52. > :14:56.meeting back up. There will be another campaign to get through. But

:14:57. > :15:02.I don't think there is any way we will let this go and not use it and

:15:03. > :15:06.build on it. These are now the foundations for what we want to do

:15:07. > :15:12.over the next number of years. We won't be able to not use this

:15:13. > :15:16.experience and this momentum that we will now have.

:15:17. > :15:21.It is important to start well. Soon this will be in the distant

:15:22. > :15:24.past so it is important to enjoy it whilst we're in it.

:15:25. > :15:28.The World Cup campaign? Yeah, very much looking forward to it now. We

:15:29. > :15:33.have had a great campaign. We have to build on this. To be successful.

:15:34. > :15:37.To keep repeating that now. So it will be important to get off to a

:15:38. > :15:41.good start. But we are going to enjoy moments like this today. They

:15:42. > :15:45.don't come along often in your career. We are taking this in but

:15:46. > :15:51.looking forward to the World Cup campaign.

:15:52. > :16:02.That hiccup worked out well, didn't it? I -- That haircut worked out

:16:03. > :16:11.well? Yes, well, I'm sorry to some of the parents, I have heard it has

:16:12. > :16:20.meant a few changes. That sham pew. It cost thousands!

:16:21. > :16:26.And the last one, Joe Ledley, otherwise engaged? Yeah, Joe Ledley,

:16:27. > :16:31.he can't be here. He is a massive fan. We've been texting him. It is a

:16:32. > :16:40.shame we can't get to see his dancing skills.

:16:41. > :16:43.Who is stepping in ah? I think that the gaffer is doing a little dance

:16:44. > :16:49.tonight. Terrific guys, thanks.

:16:50. > :16:54.Aaron Ramsey and Chris Gunter. Aaron Ramsey oblivious to the support back

:16:55. > :17:01.home until today. I don't know about you but I suspect there will be a

:17:02. > :17:05.shampoo advert around the corner for Aaron Ramsey! Here are the scenes

:17:06. > :17:15.now. The support is still there on the streets.

:17:16. > :17:25.With the words "Diolch" and "together we are stronger."

:17:26. > :17:33.Well, what a remarkable afternoon for the Wales players and the fans.

:17:34. > :17:39.Let's head to Caroline Evans. Hi, Caroline.

:17:40. > :17:46.Well, they said it was a party to which all were invited. I think that

:17:47. > :17:51.everyone has come! We have been watching as the fans have been

:17:52. > :17:55.pouring down the street. Walking ahead of the bus, heading to the

:17:56. > :17:59.stadium. Not willing to be left behind. Wanting to stay with the

:18:00. > :18:04.moment. We think that they are parting. We can just see the bus in

:18:05. > :18:08.the distance. It's a long road this. This is why so many have gathered,

:18:09. > :18:12.to give themselves the best chance of being able to grab that moment.

:18:13. > :18:17.That selfie, or just absorb the golden moment. Have a look now. I

:18:18. > :18:25.think you may be able to see in the distance... The top of the bus

:18:26. > :18:32.coming down. And the crowd, the crowd they can see it. As you can

:18:33. > :18:38.hear, they are coming out with the chants. Here it comes. There is an

:18:39. > :18:42.outrider ahead of it. A white Land Rover. The crowds being moved to the

:18:43. > :18:47.side of the road to make room for the bus. Let's have a word with

:18:48. > :18:52.someone here. To see what you are waiting for, who are you hoping to

:18:53. > :18:56.see? I'm hoping to see Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Ashley Williams.

:18:57. > :19:03.OK. Well a special moment for you. I know that you are a football fan?

:19:04. > :19:12.The first game of watching Wales was in 1986. Then Wales v Brazil. And

:19:13. > :19:16.Kelly made had is debut. So I go back a long, long way.

:19:17. > :19:23.This must be so special? Very special. So many ups and downs, and

:19:24. > :19:27.disappointments in the as and the '90s. Now, this is incredible. A

:19:28. > :19:32.wonderful achievement. Who are you hoping to see on the

:19:33. > :19:36.bus? Everyone! They have all been incredible. We have said it is a

:19:37. > :19:41.team and they have about. There are some who stick out a little bit but

:19:42. > :19:45.nearly the team effort has been superb.

:19:46. > :19:49.That is it, really. It has been a huge team effort. And Wales has

:19:50. > :19:54.turned out for this party. It is creeping closer. The crowd behind me

:19:55. > :19:58.breaking into song. They are so excited. Go on, then, lads. Give us

:19:59. > :20:15.a song. # Mae hen wlad fy nhadau

:20:16. > :20:18.yn annwyl i mi # Gwlad beirdd a chantorion,

:20:19. > :20:20.enwogion o fri # Ei gwrol ryfelwyr,

:20:21. > :20:36.gwladgarwyr tra mad Here, there are the people behind

:20:37. > :20:40.us. All waiting. Creeping forward as far as the police will allow them.

:20:41. > :20:44.Everybody is dying to catch that glimpse of the bus. They seemed to

:20:45. > :20:51.have paused a minute. Let's go in the other direction to take a look.

:20:52. > :20:52.I think that they must be pausing for more selfies. Perhaps we will

:20:53. > :21:14.come back to you as it gets closer. What a beautiful rendition. The sun

:21:15. > :21:26.is now out to welcome the Wales team. What a welcome at the airport

:21:27. > :21:31.earlier. It was wonderful. The FAW, they have choreographed every single

:21:32. > :21:37.moment of today, starting from the airport and the rifle. Just

:21:38. > :21:48.interrupt you again, we can go back to the bus. The preparation and the

:21:49. > :21:53.hard work, the spirit has meant that they had a number leave double

:21:54. > :21:58.campaign. They captured the hearts of many a nation and people

:21:59. > :22:03.worldwide. We are really proud of what they have achieved. This is

:22:04. > :22:08.something special and everybody is enjoying the moment. Did you ever

:22:09. > :22:14.think you would see this day? Not really. Not really. But we believed

:22:15. > :22:18.in the players and believed they could do well. But they have

:22:19. > :22:23.surpassed any expectations that most people had for this group, but we

:22:24. > :22:28.knew what they were capable of and they are capable of more. Hopefully

:22:29. > :22:33.it's the first of many. The support we've had in France and back home

:22:34. > :22:36.has been amazing. We were in France in a bubble and we were not really

:22:37. > :22:43.aware of what was happening. But this brings it home. This bus driver

:22:44. > :22:48.is really enjoying the brake! We will have to be careful, but it will

:22:49. > :22:54.not spoil the enjoyment. We look forward to getting to the stadium.

:22:55. > :22:58.Tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands here today. What about all

:22:59. > :23:03.the others around Wales who have been supporting you. It's been

:23:04. > :23:08.remarkable, the support here, and across the nation, all areas of

:23:09. > :23:12.Wales and the support in France has been fantastic and something we will

:23:13. > :23:19.always treasure. We went on a journey together. The staff have

:23:20. > :23:23.worked so hard behind the scenes, the players, and then the supporters

:23:24. > :23:27.who got to friends, and also those who didn't make it have supported

:23:28. > :23:33.wholeheartedly back in Wales. We have appreciated that

:23:34. > :23:36.wholeheartedly. Hopefully it means the next generation of young

:23:37. > :23:41.children will be ready to do this and repeat this for Wales for many

:23:42. > :23:45.years. Enjoy the party. Keep an eye on Wayne Hennessey, he might be

:23:46. > :23:56.falling off, this driver really likes the brakes!

:23:57. > :24:02.Speaking there to Chris Coleman's assistant, Mr Roberts, he doesn't

:24:03. > :24:07.get much limelight, Chris Coleman gets most of it, but he was an

:24:08. > :24:11.important part of the backroom team. He was brought in during the reign

:24:12. > :24:21.of Gary Speed. Chris Coleman knew what he was capable of and was keen

:24:22. > :24:26.to keep hold of Roberts, not only the first team with this bunch of

:24:27. > :24:30.stars, but he also does the hard work behind the scenes with the

:24:31. > :24:36.children, bringing them through as well, which will be crucial as we

:24:37. > :24:44.move on and develop in the future and working towards 2018. He also

:24:45. > :24:50.does wonderful work with coaches down at the centre of excellent in

:24:51. > :24:59.Newport. They are bringing new cultures through and also working

:25:00. > :25:02.with a host of stars. Wales is now seen as a centre of excellence when

:25:03. > :25:06.it comes to getting these managers through. We have seen Aaron Ramsey

:25:07. > :25:15.and Chris Gunter they're talking about it. We can chat with Wayne

:25:16. > :25:19.Hennessey, the goalkeeper. He's away with his wedding, that's much more

:25:20. > :25:25.important. We can't hear from him, but how good is that? It's

:25:26. > :25:38.fantastic. I promised I would Face time him for the supporters. There

:25:39. > :25:51.is Joe Ledley! What the little one called, do you know? It's Layla. You

:25:52. > :25:56.couldn't leave him out of this party. He is sadly missed at the

:25:57. > :26:06.moment by the boys and the supporters. The best we can do is

:26:07. > :26:10.Facetime him and share this. We can only thank all the supporters for

:26:11. > :26:17.being here and supporting us all the way. We are all looking forward for

:26:18. > :26:22.a few weeks' time, joining up, being with the squad and staff. We have

:26:23. > :26:25.some fantastic times to come and hopefully we are on the way up. Have

:26:26. > :26:38.a fantastic night. Wayne Hennessey there. And Joe

:26:39. > :26:49.Ledley, but I suspect Layla stole the show. In Ibiza, ready for an

:26:50. > :26:55.important day, his wedding. People have sacrificed so much, given their

:26:56. > :27:03.all for this Wales campaign. We saw a few months ago from the eye in the

:27:04. > :27:06.sky in the helicopter, the coaches are not too far from the Cardiff

:27:07. > :27:22.City Stadium. The crowds are building. We can head back to the

:27:23. > :27:28.bus. In fact... Let's talk to Mr Jones. Remarkable scenes behind you,

:27:29. > :27:32.the crowds gathering already. I just whispered to Carolyn that there are

:27:33. > :27:37.more people here now than actually used a watch them play. That's how

:27:38. > :27:44.far they have come in the last few years. What we really have to do, as

:27:45. > :27:50.some of the players and officials have said, this has to be a starting

:27:51. > :27:54.point. It's not the end. We have done so well. It's been great, could

:27:55. > :28:00.have possibly done with one more match may be! But this has to be the

:28:01. > :28:03.starting point for World Cup qualification, for another European

:28:04. > :28:09.Championships, so it becomes almost automatic. And also a starting point

:28:10. > :28:13.for the fans. They are here today and need to be here on the 5th of

:28:14. > :28:24.September when Moldova play. It would be great if

:28:25. > :28:29.they travelled to Austria as well. But the home games at this stadium,

:28:30. > :28:31.and they are keen to stay at the Cardiff City Stadium, Chris Coleman

:28:32. > :28:34.said it at the press conference this morning in Dinard, it's their home

:28:35. > :28:38.and they need to pack it out. You talk about the future of football

:28:39. > :28:42.but little ones here will have only seen the success and achievement.

:28:43. > :28:47.Imagine how that will inspire them. When they go to kick a ball in the

:28:48. > :28:52.park or go to school on Monday. They will want to be Bale and Ramsey.

:28:53. > :28:56.That's how we all learned to play, that's what captured our

:28:57. > :29:02.imagination. Development from a young age is important. We saw Chris

:29:03. > :29:06.Gunter and Aaron Ramsey and they played together at Cardiff, Joe

:29:07. > :29:10.Ledley as well. They are friends and that comes over on the pitch, they

:29:11. > :29:16.genuinely enjoy each other's company. If things go wrong it's

:29:17. > :29:24.easier to get together. It's happening again, just interrupt you

:29:25. > :29:29.and go to Caroline Evans. What excitement down here you can see I

:29:30. > :29:35.am surrounded by the fans as they are flooding past. The noise as the

:29:36. > :29:41.bus went past was incredible. The chanting and singing, just such an

:29:42. > :29:52.atmosphere. You can see they don't want it to end. They are all making

:29:53. > :29:59.their way to the stadium. Many of them have walked from town, they

:30:00. > :30:03.don't want this to be over. Above us, the helicopter is flying. The

:30:04. > :30:12.bus is now just leaving our vision and going into the underpass. The

:30:13. > :30:18.players are on top of the bus, the teams who have worked with them, and

:30:19. > :30:24.the crowds are just following them. The end of the journey, but not,

:30:25. > :30:29.they say, the end. Because this will go on. They said it was a party to

:30:30. > :30:34.which everyone was invited and clearly we have all turned out to

:30:35. > :30:40.welcome them home. And the fun goes on down at the stadium now, just

:30:41. > :30:46.down the road. Even if they haven't got tickets, everybody heading that

:30:47. > :30:54.way. Not long to go now. In a few minutes we will see the bus entering

:30:55. > :30:59.the Cardiff City Stadium. Some amazing scenes. Who would have

:31:00. > :31:03.guessed when you left for Dinard and spent five weeks at their training

:31:04. > :31:08.base that they would leave as heroes and come so close to winning the

:31:09. > :31:11.whole thing. Apparently Gareth Bale new, didn't he? He didn't put

:31:12. > :31:21.anything until After the Final Whistle. The majority thought that

:31:22. > :31:25.with that group they could get to a quarterfinal. That in itself would

:31:26. > :31:29.have been an achievement. Similar scenes to these would have been

:31:30. > :31:43.seen. Time to speak to James Collins. 49 caps now. I thought it

:31:44. > :31:53.was 50 to be honest. But we have big games ahead so hopefully I can hit

:31:54. > :31:58.50. You want 50, no thought in your mind of not retiring, but you know

:31:59. > :32:07.what I mean. I have never thought of retiring. I want to get to 50 caps,

:32:08. > :32:16.it would be a huge achievement. It's been an unbelievable journey.

:32:17. > :32:22.James Collins, he certainly enjoyed himself after the semifinal,

:32:23. > :32:29.pictured walking out of the team hotel in Lyon with a pint glass the

:32:30. > :32:34.morning after the night before. The stewards are ready. Fans are waiting

:32:35. > :32:38.patiently here. Some arrived a few hours ago to get a decent vantage

:32:39. > :32:45.point of the players. Throughout the day we have seen cars with flags

:32:46. > :32:51.around the city centre. We can head back to the bus and try again with

:32:52. > :32:57.James Collins. It's a special team and a special squad, to be part of

:32:58. > :33:02.it is to be part of something special. We have had a lot of dark

:33:03. > :33:07.days with Wales. Hardly any fans, so this is great to enjoy this. Your

:33:08. > :33:12.club manager Slaven Bilic was full of praise when you qualified. I have

:33:13. > :33:16.spoke to the boss, he has managed internationals so he knows what it

:33:17. > :33:21.means to us. He's delighted for us. To have one of his players do this

:33:22. > :33:24.with the national team is great. He has been spot on. See you next

:33:25. > :33:37.season in a Wales shirt. 100%. Some real noise here, the helicopter

:33:38. > :33:46.in the sky giving some great pictures. We now know that the bus

:33:47. > :33:52.is not too far. We can head back to the bus. Sam Vokes. We were in a bit

:33:53. > :33:58.of a bubble but coming back, you see what it means to the people here.

:33:59. > :34:01.Did you have any inkling what was happening back in Wales? You get

:34:02. > :34:05.messages and see photos, but until you get here and see the streets

:34:06. > :34:10.lined with people, it's amazing. Great to see the nation come

:34:11. > :34:16.together. So many children as well. Do you think you have inspired these

:34:17. > :34:20.kids, girls and boys, to start playing football with their friends?

:34:21. > :34:25.Of course. That's a massive thing. The next generation coming through.

:34:26. > :34:30.We have inspired these kids and they could go on to bigger things. That

:34:31. > :34:34.stadium on the 5th of September when you face Moldova, it will be rammed

:34:35. > :34:40.once again. Of course. We have seen in past campaigns when we haven't

:34:41. > :34:46.had fans in the ground, but seeing this today, I'm sure they will be

:34:47. > :34:51.there to watch us. It's not just this, 33,000 fans are waiting for

:34:52. > :34:56.you in your home, Cardiff City Stadium. It's amazing. The lads

:34:57. > :35:00.can't wait to get in there and see what it's like. It's a brilliant

:35:01. > :35:05.day. We have seen some interesting videos in the last few weeks. The

:35:06. > :35:09.most interesting recently is a half naked Haka from the boys. Any

:35:10. > :35:14.similar antics this evening? It could be anything, you never know.

:35:15. > :35:19.It's been a fantastic trip and a great squad to be part of. Enjoy in

:35:20. > :35:27.this, something to savour for the rest of your life? Of course,

:35:28. > :35:32.special memories and moments. Is it starting to sink in what you have

:35:33. > :35:37.really achieved? It is now. When you are out there you are involved in

:35:38. > :35:41.the games. It's very con fined, but to come back and start to reflect

:35:42. > :35:45.and it has been a great trip. We have had a great trip with you as

:35:46. > :35:50.well. Our behalf of everyone, Diolch.

:35:51. > :35:57.# This is a BBC Wales special, bringing you coverage of homecoming

:35:58. > :36:04.of the Wales football team after the successes of euro 2016.

:36:05. > :36:08.Jonathan Ford, the chief executive of the FAW is talking to Rob

:36:09. > :36:12.Phillips. The fans have demonstrated it was

:36:13. > :36:17.all worth it. Unbelievable scenes in Cardiff. Tens of thousands of people

:36:18. > :36:21.on the street. A great party it will be. What a

:36:22. > :36:25.fantastic celebration of our success at the European Championships.

:36:26. > :36:29.How much pressure is there on you now to build on this?

:36:30. > :36:39.PROBLEM WITH SOUND.

:36:40. > :36:45.Well, we have lost Jonathan Ford there. Probably the cameras hit some

:36:46. > :36:52.branches. He did well to duck there! He will have a real onon his hands.

:36:53. > :37:00.Things have to be can tallised on this? Very much so. And kids need

:37:01. > :37:05.heroes. Maybe they have too many celebrity heroes but sporting heros

:37:06. > :37:10.are the best. If you switch on to the benefits of sport, the fitness,

:37:11. > :37:17.well being and the ethical values, the importance of working in a team.

:37:18. > :37:24.The values that we learn from that. This is what teamwork is about. Get

:37:25. > :37:28.out there kids, get into the park, kick aball around, you are our

:37:29. > :37:32.future. Can sport bring human nature

:37:33. > :37:36.together? Absolutely. We have seen how diverse and divided we are.

:37:37. > :37:43.Jonathan Ford is back on the bus. . The passion with the stadium and

:37:44. > :37:46.with other events, we will see how it goes.

:37:47. > :37:52.Do you have to play a game there before the Champions League final?

:37:53. > :37:55.We would like to play a game there and set the stadium up in a

:37:56. > :37:59.footballing environment. We will definitely do one match there. But

:38:00. > :38:03.it does not have to be a World Cup qualifier? No, it doesn't. It could

:38:04. > :38:07.be a friendly. Sum up your emotions sitting here on

:38:08. > :38:12.top of the bus in the lovely sunshine in the centre of Cardiff

:38:13. > :38:17.with all of these people around you? It made the hard work worthwhile. I

:38:18. > :38:24.will relax. Heading back to Paris to see the final. All of the games have

:38:25. > :38:28.been unbelievable. What a run. What a fantastic tournament, a fantastic

:38:29. > :38:32.year. Next year, world Champions League final! All the best.

:38:33. > :38:36.Thank you. There we go. The Cardiff City

:38:37. > :38:41.Stadium is bathed in summer sunshine.

:38:42. > :38:45.Any moment now that bus will make its journey there.

:38:46. > :38:50.You can see the fans there. They are waiting to greet their

:38:51. > :38:53.heroes. Carolyn, we were talking about the job that Jonathan Ford has

:38:54. > :38:58.on his hands to capitalise on the success. This is not a one-off?

:38:59. > :39:04.There has to be a legacy. In many way it is is the attitude that the

:39:05. > :39:08.team have shown that we can take something from, whatever era in

:39:09. > :39:13.life, politic ticks, meetafter, education. You look at the team, you

:39:14. > :39:17.see the belief, the organisation, the wreck nation of what the

:39:18. > :39:24.identity and the culture of theirs means to them. You were talking

:39:25. > :39:28.about the attitudes as well. Being in Dinard... Sorry, let's go

:39:29. > :39:32.back to the bus. We have been in a bubble for a few

:39:33. > :39:36.weeks. It is nice to celebrate properly with the fans. They have

:39:37. > :39:42.been fantastic all the way through. A special moment for us.

:39:43. > :39:47.We all mention the bubble in Dinard but social media kept you in touch.

:39:48. > :39:51.Did you have any idea you would get this reception? Thousands upon

:39:52. > :39:56.thousands of people lining the streets? No, I don't think any of us

:39:57. > :40:03.did, to be honest. God knows what would have happened if we had won

:40:04. > :40:07.it. The fannens have been amazing. I can't thank them enough for their

:40:08. > :40:11.support. When we were out in France it really helped. Being together as

:40:12. > :40:15.a team, as a nation, it has been extra special. To be home and to

:40:16. > :40:20.celebrate it is amazing. It is odd when five years ago less

:40:21. > :40:29.than 10,000 people were coming to watch Wales. I think if you could

:40:30. > :40:35.find tickets, it may be a problem now? Yeah, the manager, the back

:40:36. > :40:43.room guys, they have to take full credit for what they have done. It's

:40:44. > :40:46.a perfect blend. A great team. We have deserved, let's hope we can

:40:47. > :40:52.enjoy it. Talk us through that, it is not just

:40:53. > :40:57.the men on the pitch? No. The gaffer has done an amazing job to carry us

:40:58. > :41:01.through. It is a special group. Hopefully we can stay together for a

:41:02. > :41:06.few more groups. I'm glad you are being nice about

:41:07. > :41:11.Chris Coleman, he is standing behind you! It is a momentous night and

:41:12. > :41:17.lots of celebrating to be done. Yes. It's been a long time since

:41:18. > :41:21.identify been home. We have looked forward to the moment. We have

:41:22. > :41:24.worked hard to get to the finals of a major championship. We have done

:41:25. > :41:30.that. We were disappointed to lose in the

:41:31. > :41:37.end but yeah... What can I say. One word to describe this? Oh...

:41:38. > :41:42.Fantastic! Amazing. Enjoy the celebrations, you all

:41:43. > :41:49.deserve it. Johnny Williams. We saw the red

:41:50. > :41:54.carpet out on the pitch. Later on tonight a treat for you.

:41:55. > :41:58.We have seen the fans, the players and the presenters, Gethin Jones,

:41:59. > :42:03.what can we expect? It is a celebration going on behind us.

:42:04. > :42:09.Phenomenon alto see the red wail, as the players call it.

:42:10. > :42:14.It has probably been the slowest journey to the Cardiff City Stadium

:42:15. > :42:23.but they are milking the moments and so they should be. Tonight a

:42:24. > :42:28.concert, the Manic Street Preachers are performing. So one big party

:42:29. > :42:33.tonight, for sure. Ant great scenes, Gethin. The bus is

:42:34. > :42:36.slowly approaching the stadium. You have been a football fan for many

:42:37. > :42:41.years, this is special? It is incredible. What the boys have done

:42:42. > :42:44.is sensational. They have been brilliant on and off the pitch. I

:42:45. > :42:49.was lucky enough to be out in France. The way that they were, the

:42:50. > :42:53.relationship with the fans, it has been brilliant for the Welsh

:42:54. > :42:56.language, incredible for the younger generation of footballers and

:42:57. > :43:05.sportsmen who want to play for their country.

:43:06. > :43:10.We have seen the words, "Diolch" and "together we are stronger" it is

:43:11. > :43:15.more than just a buzzword it is a phrase? They have all bought into

:43:16. > :43:23.that. And Gareth Bale, he knows that. They

:43:24. > :43:29.have packed a punch. We can be incredibly proud of them.

:43:30. > :43:34.To see them out there, do this. And I tell you, we genuinely looked

:43:35. > :43:40.disappointed after losing in the semi-final. That shows how far we

:43:41. > :43:44.have come. And the police outriders are there?

:43:45. > :43:50.Am I late? Get on with it. Nice to see you.

:43:51. > :43:55.So, the police outriders have stopped. The coaches are now just

:43:56. > :44:04.metres away from the Cardiff City Stadium.

:44:05. > :44:16.We hear the fans chanting "Wales, Wales, don't take me home" on the

:44:17. > :44:20.pitch a giant red stripe and the Menorah of the show, the Wales

:44:21. > :44:25.football tale. One of the things that strikes me

:44:26. > :44:30.now, I wonder what the players think of this. They might have had an idea

:44:31. > :44:34.of what the support is like and their reaction was like here at home

:44:35. > :44:40.but this really now, it has brought it home to them with a vengeance

:44:41. > :44:44.hasn't it? Yes, and the crowds responding as they approach. I have

:44:45. > :44:48.a tear in my eye. It is really emotional to finally see them within

:44:49. > :44:50.touching distance and look at the reaction that they are getting. This

:44:51. > :45:13.is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. There are the police on horseback

:45:14. > :45:25.leading the way, clearing the route. The players are responding to the

:45:26. > :45:31.applause from the crowds. Many starved of success for years

:45:32. > :45:35.and years. Decades of despair. Years of near-misses but finally,

:45:36. > :45:38.the summer of 2016 will be remembered as the football

:45:39. > :45:42.fairytale. Ewan, you have been following the

:45:43. > :45:49.team for many weeks now. This means a lot? This comes down to the way

:45:50. > :45:54.that the FAW have been in touch with crowds at home as well.

:45:55. > :45:57.How they have punt the Reiches of Gareth Bale in the press conferences

:45:58. > :46:03.on the weekly basis and we have heard from the stars. That is the

:46:04. > :46:09.only way that the fans then can get to know the players. The way that

:46:10. > :46:15.they conduct themselves. We have been talking about role models, Neil

:46:16. > :46:20.Taylor and Chris Gunter, how they came out in one press conference,

:46:21. > :46:25.they are so eloquent. That in itself is something that people have seen

:46:26. > :46:29.over the last few weeks. The supporters are really getting in

:46:30. > :46:31.touch to respond to that, not just as footballers but to these menace

:46:32. > :46:50.individuals. -- But to these men as individuals.

:46:51. > :46:55.And there Aaron Ramsey is waving at the crowds. The coach is at a stand

:46:56. > :46:59.still at the moment. They are to head into the stadium.

:47:00. > :47:04.And the stadium is absolutely packed. Everybody with cameras

:47:05. > :47:07.phones. There will be a moment for the players to meet up with their

:47:08. > :47:13.families inside before tonight's concert. A special party that starts

:47:14. > :47:22.at 6.30pm live here on BBC One Wales.

:47:23. > :47:27.The Manic Street Preachers. One of the acts, and of course they

:47:28. > :47:31.sang the official anthem to the campaign.

:47:32. > :47:36.They did indeed. The players are starting to get off the bus. One by

:47:37. > :47:41.one, as they come out, etch 50 will get his own individual cheer.

:47:42. > :47:43.Doesn't that make your proud. We will pause for the Icelandic

:47:44. > :48:09.clap. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.

:48:10. > :48:16.Remarkable. The players and the fans, as one.

:48:17. > :48:19.United. Replicating the Icelandic

:48:20. > :48:23.celebration. We have seen the scenes after the Iceland team returned home

:48:24. > :48:28.after their successes during euro 2016.

:48:29. > :48:32.And these young men know how to communicate with the crowds. The

:48:33. > :48:35.likes of Gareth Bale, as I was saying, they are so comfortable in

:48:36. > :48:41.the press conferences. They know what to say. When Gareth Bale turns

:48:42. > :48:47.to the press and says "I don't need any more inspiration than this

:48:48. > :49:10.dragon on my chest", fantastic. Join in at home if you want to.

:49:11. > :49:16.# I just don't want to go home I wanna stay here

:49:17. > :49:24.# Please don't, please don't take me home.#

:49:25. > :49:31.That will be in my dreams. And most of the fans here now, of

:49:32. > :49:35.course, they were unable to get to France it is their first opportunity

:49:36. > :49:40.to say thank you to the players. Those who were in France, they were

:49:41. > :49:43.able to do that at the end of the tournament, the end of the

:49:44. > :49:47.semi-final. But this is their first opportunity for the fans at home to

:49:48. > :49:54.say thank you to the players. It is great. A remarkable effort

:49:55. > :50:01.from the fans. If you are a super fan and stayed

:50:02. > :50:08.for the entire duration, you would have drove 3,000 miles across France

:50:09. > :50:12.and spend ?4500,000. Life savings used up. Dairies

:50:13. > :50:14.cleared for the special moment. Now we wait for the players to leave the

:50:15. > :50:32.bus. George Williams, the youngest member

:50:33. > :50:36.of the squad walking off the bus. I bumped into him with his girlfriend

:50:37. > :50:41.in the centre of Paris on a day off. You would never have guessed he was

:50:42. > :50:47.a football star, on his own just enjoying Paris and that has the

:50:48. > :50:48.relaxed nature of this Wales setup. Chris Coleman, his smile says it

:50:49. > :51:17.all. The players making their way into

:51:18. > :51:20.the Cardiff City Stadium. The fans, some of them dispersing, someone

:51:21. > :51:27.team to go into the stadium and many have tickets for tonight's show,

:51:28. > :51:34.starting in around 40 minutes live on BBC One Wales. Quite a lot of the

:51:35. > :51:45.fans have walked the route with the bus comedy two buses which have come

:51:46. > :51:51.along. -- with the seam, the two buses.

:51:52. > :52:01.We were told about these fans possibly not able to make the trip

:52:02. > :52:08.to France. That bit at the end of the game, the special bit when the

:52:09. > :52:15.fans went ... The players went over to the fans. Those were the memories

:52:16. > :52:19.that will stay with many of the fans for years to come, especially after

:52:20. > :52:24.the disappointment of the semifinal, they will still remember those final

:52:25. > :52:36.scenes when the players for the final time in Paris said, Diolch,

:52:37. > :52:45.Merci, fantastic. It's been a fantastic time for all the people.

:52:46. > :52:47.The fans moving, getting to the stadium to find their seat. A

:52:48. > :53:04.remarkable day. Take us back to Dinard. I promise I

:53:05. > :53:10.will not interrupt you this time. Behind-the-scenes in the Wales camp.

:53:11. > :53:16.I think the word to use is professional, everything. To begin

:53:17. > :53:22.with, choosing Dinard as the spot, an idyllic quiet location. The

:53:23. > :53:28.transport was perfect, within ten minutes they could get on the bus to

:53:29. > :53:33.the airport and were able to fly very easily from city to city. We

:53:34. > :53:38.were driving and it took six hours to get to Bordeaux and they were in

:53:39. > :53:41.the air for 30 minutes. That was important. And after the loss

:53:42. > :53:48.against England they could come back and regroup in a quiet place.

:53:49. > :53:53.Generally the fans didn't go near Dinard. They were able to relax and

:53:54. > :54:01.recuperate and enjoyed their time. Choosing Dinard was especially

:54:02. > :54:06.perfect, but they have just been professional in everything they have

:54:07. > :54:11.done. They have dealt with the press as well, the setup in Dinard at the

:54:12. > :54:16.training centre. We had a press conference at 2:30pm every day, and

:54:17. > :54:21.we were given access to the players as well, that was great. We got to

:54:22. > :54:28.know them. If the media get to know them, the people at home do as well.

:54:29. > :54:33.Sometimes when the video of whales celebrating got out, they dealt with

:54:34. > :54:37.that really well. I was talking about Neil Taylor talking to the

:54:38. > :54:42.press, and he was so comfortable talking about it. They dealt with

:54:43. > :54:49.it, moved on, and all of a sudden he came out with a line, he said, I'm

:54:50. > :54:53.missing Beyonce! The media forgot about the video and were writing

:54:54. > :54:59.lines about Beyonce. The way they dealt with the press was very

:55:00. > :55:11.professional. The younger generation there. Sam Vokes talked about

:55:12. > :55:15.inspiring the next generation. I guess if Wales qualify for the World

:55:16. > :55:22.Cup in Russia, it will not be the same. We have waited so long for

:55:23. > :55:26.this one. We will just expect it to! That's partly true. I think the

:55:27. > :55:31.players and management realise that and they have made a point of

:55:32. > :55:34.enjoying this. In every press conference, Chris Coleman was saying

:55:35. > :55:39.to go out and enjoy the experience and I think that's what these

:55:40. > :55:45.players have been able to do, and it shows on the pitch and in the

:55:46. > :55:51.results. They have laptop every second. Inevitably the expectation

:55:52. > :55:57.will be higher now. They have moved up to 11th in the world, or whatever

:55:58. > :56:03.it is, which brings expectations. The sort of performances we produced

:56:04. > :56:07.in France set the benchmark. What they did against Belgium and Russia,

:56:08. > :56:11.that sets the standards for the teams to come and the players to

:56:12. > :56:15.continue with. If anything they need to take it on a step from there.

:56:16. > :56:19.There comes more challenges because the opposition will set up in a

:56:20. > :56:23.different way because they will know the threat of Aaron Ramsey, Gareth

:56:24. > :56:28.Bale. They are good challenges, these are the sorts of challenges

:56:29. > :56:33.you want. You want to feel that confidence. You do not want to feel

:56:34. > :56:38.last but one all last in the group. Now you expect to win the group, as

:56:39. > :56:42.we did here. Chris Coleman said before nearly every game that Wales

:56:43. > :56:48.were underdogs and were enjoying that tag. The pressure was off,

:56:49. > :56:53.let's go and win. Who was the main man of the tournament for you? Chris

:56:54. > :56:58.Coleman has been saying that Aaron Ramsey has been one of the players

:56:59. > :57:02.of the tournament for him. He really got things ticking. Who knows what

:57:03. > :57:07.would have happened against Portugal if Aaron Ramsey was there. You

:57:08. > :57:13.wonder how crucial that loss was. As you have said today, Joe Allen was

:57:14. > :57:18.the metronome, getting things ticking. Aaron Ramsey added to that

:57:19. > :57:23.and was also able to push forward and was a genuine attacking threat.

:57:24. > :57:29.If people have eyes on Aaron Ramsey, they don't have as many eyes on

:57:30. > :57:34.Gareth Bale and that opens up space. Thank you very much for your company

:57:35. > :57:38.this afternoon. It has been a remarkable after noon. There is live

:57:39. > :57:44.coverage of the special concert here at the Cardiff City Stadium at

:57:45. > :57:50.6:30pm on BBC One Wales. Because of that there is no Wales Today

:57:51. > :57:55.tonight, but there will be an extended news after the BBC One News

:57:56. > :57:58.at 10pm. The Wales team have achieved so much this summer,

:57:59. > :58:03.excited and delighted a proud nation. From all of us here, good

:58:04. > :58:46.evening. I don't think we ever thought we

:58:47. > :58:53.would see this in our lifetime. So proud and honoured, putting on the

:58:54. > :58:56.red shirt for Wales, to share it with all these fans today is

:58:57. > :59:00.incredible. There's Joe Ledley!