'Principality Stadium where Wales want to be' SAYS

Sam Vokes: 'Principality Stadium where Wales want to be'

Friday 12th October 2018

Wales striker Sam Vokes says Cardiff's Principality Stadium is "where we want to be" and hopes to play all home games there in the future.

Thursday's friendly against Spain saw Ryan Giggs' side return to the venue, formerly known as the Millennium Stadium, after a seven-year absence.

"It is a great ground, it is where we want to be," said Vokes, who scored in Wales' 4-1 defeat.

Wales' home games are usually played at Cardiff City Stadium.


More than 50,000 fans turned out to watch Wales at the Principality - 17,000 more than would fit inside Cardiff City Stadium.

"If you get the ground full there is nothing like it," said Burnley striker Vokes.

"That's where we want to be, that's the end goal. But we know we've put on some good performances in Cardiff as well.

"A full Principality is a great event for us."

Vokes added it was important for Wales to perform well "so the fans come back".

Thursday's game was Wales' first at the Principality Stadium - formerly known as the Millennium Stadium - since a 2-0 European Championship qualifying defeat by England in March 2011.

Their return to Welsh rugby's 74,500-capacity home had split opinion among followers of the national football team.

In the intervening seven years, fans have packed the smaller Cardiff City Stadium to create a fervent atmosphere, which has been an important factor in recent Welsh success.

Some were reluctant to leave the ground which Wales' players consider their home, though the Football Association of Wales sought to capitalise on Spain's allure by moving this friendly fixture while also insisting competitive matches would remain at the Cardiff City Stadium.

However, ex-Wales international Danny Gabbidon echoed Vokes' sentiments and said he too would like to see all home games move to the Principality.

Speaking on Ellis James' Feast of Football podcast, he said: "If I drive past the Principality it obviously brings back memories of playing there, and I just think that's where the national team should be."

Gabbidon, however, cautioned: "Obviously if you can't fill the stadium it's not worth it.

"When we were getting 70,000 back in the day the atmosphere was amazing, but I played there more often than not when they were struggling to get 20,000, and it was a very difficult place to play.

"I'm torn really, over the last few years it's been brilliant playing at Cardiff City Stadium, but there are lots of fans that can't get tickets."

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Shocking

No chance : any of the welsh clubs smaller grounds better to be full to the rafters and better atmosphere. Proven fact at the city :

Really!? It wasnt that long ago that senior members of the Wales squad were lauding the atmostphere and success of the CCS. Whats changed? Nothing. I'm positive Vokes does not speak for Bale, Rambo etc. Better to have a full and vibrant CCS than a half empty egg chasing bowl with a flat atmosphere.
Unless Wales get a long winning streak going they'll never fill the Principality. Been here done it and IMO it did not work out over the long term.
Perhaps if all tickets were capped at £20 they may fill it but what if we're playing Lithuania!??

The whole football experience yesterday was awful. You wouldn't have even known there was a football game on until the teams came out. There are over 100 screens throughout the ground not to mention the huge screens at the ends and all was shown throughout was "forthcoming events and constant advertising. Not even so much as showing the line ups, scorers, latest score or timekeeping. Shocking. The announcer was terrible, no Barry Horne band or music of any kind which led to a very flat atmosphere throughout that's before I even start on the £5:50 for a punt of pisswater. I for one will never watch another game of football at that stadium. An awful experience overall.

Vokes would like the millenium stadium as he is more like s rugby player that a footballer.

This is slightly misinterpreted I think it's more of a future thing if we became successful and a top 10 ranked team consistently for years to become which is a nice way to look at it but I think it would never happen, we would need another 9 players in the calibre of Bale and Ramsey for it to happen..

But I think this talk of the Principality from the supporters has really started something for the wrong reasons that this will become a talking point about where we play our games, why can't we just treat this as it is which was a World Class country in football coming here for a friendly, the more groans and talk makes it more like a debate that we would possibly move to the Principality stadium.

Another performance like last night and we'll be lucky to sell out the CCS. Another poor one on top of that and we'll be lucky to sell the liberty, within 3 games we'll be back at the racecourse.

The new found fans will soon disappear, it wasn't that long ago i had a row to myself in the Ninian

The problem will be when the crowds drop off as fast as the Giggs-(un)inspired performances!

The problem will be when the crowds drop off as fast as the Giggs-(un)inspired performances!

funny thing is if this was Warnock and Cardiff getting torn apart in a friendly against one of the best 4 or 5 clubs in Europe youd be level headed and one of the first on here saying calm down and be reasonable...but the mention of Giggs turns you into that bananas bloke..

The problem will be when the crowds drop off as fast as the Giggs-(un)inspired performances!

funny thing is if this was Warnock and Cardiff getting torn apart in a friendly against one of the best 4 or 5 clubs in Europe youd be level headed and one of the first on here saying calm down and be reasonable...but the mention of Giggs turns you into that bananas bloke..

You're not wrong tbh!

I guess it's all about perceptions and who we like as individuals. I simply don't like or rate Ryan Giggs but he may still prove me wrong in football terms and (unlike some out there) I'd admit it

We did get ripped apart by one one of Europe’s top clubs Manchester City,5-0 at home but Warnock and our fans said it was expected with the difference in class. Same as Wales’s loss against one of the best sides in the World,Spain?

Vokes likes it because he is more like a rugby player than a footballer