30 May 2014
BBC Cymru Wales and S4C will both show the Netherlands v Wales international football match live on Wednesday, 4 June (Kick off, 7.30pm). Live coverage of the game will also be available on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru.
The fixture in the Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam will be The Netherlands’ last outing before they head to Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where they are among the favourites to win the tournament.
For Wales, it is the ideal test as they prepare for the UEFA Championships qualifiers, with group matches against Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel, Cyprus and Belgium starting in the autumn.
The coverage is being produced for both S4C and BBC by the BBC Cymru Wales Sport.
The coverage begins at 7.00pm on S4C and the presentation team will be anchored by Gareth Roberts, with former Wales international Iwan Roberts and injured Wales defenders Ben Davies as studio guests and Nic Parri and Malcolm Allen in the commentary box.
The BBC Cymru Wales line-up will be anchored by Jason Mohammad, with former internationals Dean Saunders, Barry Horne and Rob Earnshaw as studio guests and Rob Phillips and Kevin Ratcliffe in the commentary box.
BBC Radio Wales’ commentary team will be Simon Davies and Ian Walsh, with John Hardy and Marc Lloyd Williams commentating for BBC Radio Cymru. The commentaries will also be available online.
It is something of a feather in the Wales’ cap to be invited by the Netherlands to play in this friendly. Nine days later on 13 June, Holland face holders Spain in their first group match in the 2014 World Cup, a match which is a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.
Chris Coleman’s men will hope to give the Dutch masters a stern test. Wales have never beaten the Netherlands in six previous attempts, but a good result would set them up nicely for the first Euro qualifying matches in September and October.
Another intriguing aspect is that the Oranje are managed by Louis van Gaal, who takes over as Manchester United manager after the World Cup, with Welsh legend Ryan Giggs as his assistant at old Trafford.
The Head of Sport for BBC Cymru Wales, Geoff Williams said: “This is a perfect taster ahead of Brazil and an opportunity for Wales to test themselves against Louis Van Gaal’s formidable squad. It is the ideal precursor to the World Cup and the BBC’s extensive tournament coverage featuring live commentaries and multi-platform output including scores, tables, video, blogs and analysis.”
S4C Content Commissioner Llion Iwan said, “We are delighted to be broadcasting this Wales football international free-to-air to viewers in Welsh. This is a friendly like no other, with both teams having to show a competitive edge in their final match before their next campaigns. Our coverage of this match, in partnership with the BBC Cymru Wales, reflects our commitment to show football at all levels in Wales. Welsh Premier League football is at the heart of S4C’s weekly schedule during the season.”
