ANOTHER BRICK IN THE RED WALL #6
RHYS HARTLEY, 26
Hometown: Cardiff
Current Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Club You Support: Partizan Belgrade
First Wales away: Bologna, Italy, 1999. We lost 4-0 but Bobby Gould resigned, so it wasn’t all bad!
Wales away caps: 65 (incl. Euros)
Favourite Wales away trip: Where to start? The whole month of the Euros was just a dream. Every day felt like it couldn’t get better and then the next day was so much better. Even in between games, and travelling to random towns, the feeling was incredible. But that doesn’t count, right!? Every Azerbaijan trip has been incredible and exciting, with the last one probably topping it thanks to the drive around the country me and my mate, Nick, did. China was simply crazy and, as I spent around 3 weeks travelling has to be up there. Not to mention the Gôl charity drives we’ve done! Notice how I didn’t mention the result in any of those..
Favourite Wales away memory: Again, far too many to recall. Playing football with the kids on the square during the beer festival in Osijek provided hours of fun. I’ll never forget, being attacked by a busload of Welsh fans in a snowball fight in the arse end of nowhere in Armenia (I was only 7!), or the number of weird and wonderful things I’ve seen across the world – from Neil Dymock buying a sheepskin vest and trucker’s hat in an Azeri market to being chased down the street in the US for not paying a tip! However, the repetition of the Final Supper meal we had in Milan (before losing 4-0) before the Belgium game in Lille was pretty special. The same faces that were there through all the bad times, enjoying what we thought would be our last meal together in that perfect month. Looking back after the victory adds the extra sweet taste. Or was that the Grappa?
Favourite all time player: Andy Legg. Maybe not in a Wales shirt, but he’ll always be my favourite player of all time. When I was a kid, I’d ask the hairdresser for a “Leggy cut” and my Mam would have to explain. I couldn’t believe they didn’t know what I meant!
One essential Wales away item: Lucky shirt, ever since Bosnia!
Favourite band: The Clash or Super Furry Animals
Band we should be listening to: Dubioza Kolektiv - Punk/Ska/Rap band from Bosnia
One surprising fact about you: I’ve watched a football match in North Korea