Wales vs France, 1933: The story of Wales’ first overseas international

On Tuesday, Wales play their 728th international when they entertain North Macedonia in Cardiff. At stake is seeded place in the World Cup playoffs and, should they progress, the possibility of facing some of the best footballing nation’s the world has to offer. Incredibly, Wales have been playing international football for 149 years and yet the first 57 they only faced three other countries - England, Scotland and Ireland.

When writing about the history of Welsh international football, there is no getting away from the insular attitude of the national team before the Second World War. Since the first British Home Championships in 1884, Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland had seemingly little reason to face anything the rest of the world had to offer. After all, it was the common belief among the home nations’ executives that, in playing solely against each other, they were already competing against the very best. 

The Welsh XI in Paris, 1933

The home nations’ decision to decline the opportunity to play at the new FIFA World Cup upholds this narrative. In 1934, FA committee member Charles Sutcliffe would even brand the forthcoming tournament in Italy as ‘joke’ in comparison with the British championships. Despite this, England would face overseas opposition as early as 1908, initially favouring matches against central European nations Austria and Hungary before preferring the competition offered by France, Belgium and Luxembourg after the First World War. 

By 1929 Scotland would likewise open themselves up to the possibility of matches against sides from outside of the British Isles. The following decade would see the side face nine different nations during this time with England facing 15. Such numbers do little to forward the narrative of ‘isolationist’ home nations, but sports historians are in agreement that these fixtures were of generally ‘lower priority’. 

If England and Scotland were opening up to the growing world game, where were Wales? The interwar years are arguably the nation’s true golden age with six British Home Championships won outright during this period. Such domestic dominance surely would have merited the arranging of fixtures against European nations on the continent. Yet it was only a friendly tie against France in 1933 and another in 1939 that saw Cymru meet foreign opposition before World War Two. 

The first match against the French was arranged for 25 May 1933 at the end of the Football League season. Stead writes that Ted Robbins, secretary of the FAW, would struggle to raise a team for the clash, citing financial strain on the association, who had favoured success on the pitch over profit off it. Those selected would be required to fund their own travel to the South of England before crossing the channel to face the French. Furthermore, the reluctance once more of the English FA in allowing Welsh players to play for the national team threw the entire fixture in jeopardy. Only after a meeting in which the chairmen of the Welsh, English and French FA’s were present was the game finally agreed upon just six days before it was due to be played. 

The Welsh XI selected was reasonably strong. The inclusion of Arsenal pair Bob John and Charlie Jones certainly gave the side some star power, particularly after Gunners’ First Division triumph that season. Elsewhere in the side was a genuine mixture of the rest of the Football League with all four divisions represented in the team. France, on the other hand, was hardly the international football superpower it is today. The 1930s had seen Les Bleus record just seven victories to that point with 16 defeats. However, in the months prior to the visit of Wales, triumphs over neighbours Belgium and Spain had provided a much-needed confidence boost before the tie in Colombes.

The venue for the match was the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir. The ground had been the main arena for the 1924 Summer Olympics and was to host the future 1938 World Cup final. It was a ground well known to Welsh sporting fans, with the national rugby team playing matches there in the Five Nations since 1920. Prior to kick-off, Robbins had informed the British press that the French sporting public were keenly ‘looking forward to the visit of the Welsh team’ where a ‘wonderfully warm reception’ was awaiting the side. 

Captains Tom Griffiths and Marcel Langiller

The match itself was drawn 1-1 following a late French equaliser. Despite the narrow scoreline, reports from the time note that the result flattered France, who had their ‘acrobatic’ goalkeeper Robert Defosse to thank for keeping the Welsh out. The Daily Express would describe Wales’ play as ‘splendid’ with the Western Mail hailing the performance as ‘very open’ and ‘scientific’. It would be Cymru who took the lead following a fine strike from captain Tommy Griffiths. The Western Mail would describe the goal in fine detail,

“Soon after the second half began, Griffiths sent a magnificent low shot from the penalty line. Defosse fended it to the crossbar from whence it rebounded into goal.”

Around 20,000 spectators were in attendance to witness Wales’ first international on the continent. Had it not been for ‘weak’ and ‘erratic’ forward play, most reports are in agreement that Wales would have been worthy winners in Colombes. Most notably, these reports also state the differences in the British and European games. The physical nature of football in the United Kingdom was at odds with those in France who were quick to argue against Wales’ over-eager forward Tommy Bamford. Bamford would feel the ire of the Belgian referee and Defosse following his ‘comical’ charging of the keeper described as ‘fragile tissue paper’.

The undoubted success of the fixture meant Wales, at a footballing level, was opening itself up to the world game. Despite this, it would be six years before Cymru ventured across the channel again, once more to play against France. Poigniantly, this match, which ended 2-1 to the French was the last game either nation played before the onset of World War Two. The Western Mail would notably mention the ‘large number of Welsh fans present’, perhaps a precursor to the famous away support at Euro 2016.

Iconic Welsh support in France, 2016

Since 1933, Wales have gone on to face 79 different nations with varying levels of success. Tuesday’s match promises to be another page in the incredible story of a now proud footballing nation. Whatever happens in Cardiff, one thing is for certain, Wales will be just two games away for the World Cup and two games from history.

Notes:

 Phil Stead, Red Dragons: The Story of Welsh Football (Cardiff: Y Llolfa, 2015)

 Daily Mirror, 19 May 1933

 Daily Express, 26 May 1933

 Western Mail, 26 May 1933

 Western Mail, 22 May 1939