123-523: Cool Cymru ( Welsh : Cŵl Cymru ) was a Welsh cultural movement in music and independent film in the 1990s and 2000s, led by the popularity of bands such as Catatonia , Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers . The term Cool Cymru ( Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales) derived as a Welsh alternative to Cool Britannia (itself a pun on the British patriotic song " Rule, Britannia! "). Cool Britannia described
246-681: A Welsh mother, Jackie. His paternal grandparents settled in Britain after the Second World War, during which his grandfather Giuseppe had served in the 12th Infantry Division Sassari , but had returned to live in Italy by the end of the 1950s. Calzaghe's father worked several jobs as a teenager in Italy, including as a barman, a chef, and a cleaner, before travelling Europe as a busker . He eventually arrived back in Britain to visit family in Bournemouth . It
369-557: A 3-year relationship with Katie Matthews. Calzaghe split up with his girlfriend of five years, Jo-Emma Larvin, in 2009, after participating in the seventh series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing series, partnering with Russian professional Kristina Rihanoff . Calzaghe and Rihanoff began a relationship soon thereafter. However, the couple announced the amicable breakup of their relationship in August 2013. Following an undercover investigation by
492-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
615-586: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
738-576: A boxing ring at the hands of Michael Smyth in the 1990 Welsh ABA Final, and against Romanian amateur Adrian Preda at the 1990 European Junior Championships in Prague . In September 1993 Calzaghe was signed up and made his professional debut at Cardiff Arms Park on the Lennox Lewis vs. Frank Bruno bill the following month, halting 23 fight veteran Paul Hanlon in one round. By September 1995, Calzaghe had won thirteen out of thirteen fights, including seven in
861-647: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
984-439: A dull fight that had a lot of holding and with the boxers' respective styles never gelling. This was followed by impressive wins against Omar Sheika (who was coming off a win over Glen Johnson ) by fifth-round stoppage, and a TKO over former WBC world champion and close friend Richie Woodhall in ten competitive rounds, in what turned out to be Woodhall's last fight. 2001 started with an impressive first-round-stoppage win over
1107-405: A fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered
1230-550: A fight with the non-American mandatory IBF challenger Robert Stieglitz of Germany, and with the opportunity to fight World Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in the summer if he won against Manfredo, Calzaghe chose to fight Manfredo and as a result had to relinquish the IBF super-middleweight championship. Both Calzaghe and Warren claimed that, "Stieglitz doesn't mean anything outside Germany." Stieglitz went on to fight Alejandro Berrio for
1353-538: A former opponent of both Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank. Calzaghe became the first boxer to stop Gimenez Ferreyra, something which Benn, Eubank and Roberto Durán had failed to do in the past. In 1999, Calzaghe started out by fighting his domestic rival, Robin Reid . Calzaghe was bitter that Reid had refused to face him whilst holding the WBC Championship in a unification bout and vowed to beat him, while Reid vowed to upset
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#17329384220021476-527: A landslide election and positioned itself near to political devolution for Wales and Scotland, and a PR campaign which involved association with the UK arts scene and social engagement with figures in the Britpop movement such as Noel Gallagher . Author Iain Ellis attributes some of the attitude behind Cool Cymru figures to the perception that Wales had, for much of the 1960s and 1970s, been 'perennial underachievers' of
1599-481: A late stage Collins withdrew because of injury, was stripped of his title, and then retired. After Collins retired, a fight against British boxing legend Chris Eubank was quickly set up for the vacant WBO title on 11 October 1997, in Sheffield . Calzaghe emerged victorious over the two-time WBO champion, knocking the granite chinned Eubank down in the opening seconds and claiming a unanimous points win. The judges scored
1722-1055: A lesser extent, Rhys Ifans and Huw Edwards ." Terry Morris book and exhibit was titled Cool Cymru, launched at the Wales Millennium Centre and opened by Charlotte Church . The series later became a three-part television documentary by Llanelli-based Tinopolis . Iain Ellis describes his interpretation of Welsh music developments of the era as forming two "poles": Self consciously Welsh Acts To Ellis, Super Furry Animals, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci , and Catatonia were "ambitious beyond their borders", yet "asserted national identity by integrating Welsh language songs into their repertoire". Neither eschewing nor celebrating Welsh Acts In contrast stood Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, and Mclusky, who "saw its identity more through musical genre than geography. Neither eschewing nor overtly celebrating their Welsh roots, these bands implicitly looked beyond their borders, indeed any borders." The Stereophonics' debut album, Word Gets Around ,
1845-399: A new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded,
1968-729: A positive impact on the acceptance of the Welsh language, adding that he wished to emulate that affect in his own career. Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It
2091-599: A professional sport in 1995 and Wales winning the bid to host the 1999 World Cup , the Welsh Rugby Union was able to finance redevelopment of the old National Stadium . The project was costed at £121 million and was partially funded by £46 million from the Millennium Commission , as such the new development was named the Millennium Stadium . The project was completed by June 1999 in time to host
2214-710: A rematch against Calzaghe in Braunschweig , Germany, in July 2005, marking Calzaghe's second defence on foreign soil. Calzaghe beat Veit by technical knockout in the sixth round. On 10 September 2005, Calzaghe fought the Kenya boxer Evans Ashira and won by a comfortable unanimous decision over the former Middleweight title challenger, despite breaking his left hand in the third round. Calzaghe fought on one-handed winning 120–108, 120–108, 120–107. His scheduled unification bout with IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff Lacy for 4 November 2005
2337-401: A rematch. Calzaghe badly bruised his hand during the fight and according to Calzaghe, he suffered a dose of food poisoning. Calzaghe finished the year with another points win against Australian Rick Thornberry, where he broke his hand in the third round after looking like overwhelming his opponent early. 2000 started with another points decision against fellow Briton David Starie , in what was
2460-537: A return to not only erstwhile rugby glory-days but also the pop-cultural success of 70s Welsh artists, particularly given the phenomenal success of (Tom) Jones’s retro-kitsch album Reload which also featured Cerys Matthews, James Dean Bradfield and the Stereophonics." A song detailed Wales' recent losses and suggested that the losses would be forgotten with victory over England, and was viewed by some commentators in England and Wales as antagonistic or jingoistic. However,
2583-523: A right hand, knocking him down. As the rounds went on, Calzaghe continued to push the pace and began to get his rhythm going by landing combinations at close range. Hopkins' key weapon was his right hand, but after a few rounds Calzaghe could see the right hands coming and easily blocked the shots whilst Hopkins gradually tired. According to CompuBox , Calzaghe landed more punches on Hopkins than any of his previous opponents. Calzaghe also outlanded Hopkins in both total punches and power punches in each round of
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#17329384220022706-509: A seventh-round knockout, followed by a points win over Egyptian-American Kabary Salem in Edinburgh in October, during which Calzaghe was briefly knocked down in the fourth round by a right hand. However, Calzaghe was not hurt, and he dominated the fight and knocked Salem down in the 12th round, winning comfortably on all three scorecards, 116–109, 117–109 and 118–107. Mario Veit worked his way to
2829-605: A severe cut over Calzaghe's left eye which would cause him problems for the duration of the bout. However, Calzaghe won the fight by clear decision to continue his undefeated run. On 27 November 2006, it was announced that Calzaghe had signed a contract to defend his WBO super-middleweight title against former star of The Contender Peter Manfredo Jr. of the United States on 7 April 2007, at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, to be shown on HBO . Because HBO did not want to cover
2952-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
3075-548: A then-controversial light of "excessive profanity, drug-taking and violence as the order of the day", and provoked the outraged response of Liberal Democrat MP David Alton who railed against the film as "sordid and squalid, plunging new depths of depravity." The Guardian in a 2004 review of Cool Cymru described a road map of the scene as a "proud nation of footballer Ryan Giggs, movie star Catherine Zeta-Jones , clothes designer Julien Macdonald , rappers Goldie Lookin Chain and, to
3198-442: A ubiquitous term for any part of British Culture. As such the term Cool Cymru gained popularity for the cultural figures and phenomena which were specifically Welsh or Welsh in origin. The term continues to be used by Welsh and British commentators long after the term Cool Britannia has fallen out of favour. Commentators have alluded to Cool Britannia and Cymru as a by-product of the widespread 1970s economic and social malaise seen in
3321-577: Is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2008. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes , including unified and lineal titles at super-middleweight , and the Ring magazine light-heavyweight title. Calzaghe is the longest reigning super middleweight world champion in boxing history, having held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title for over 10 years and defending it against 20 opponents (a record in
3444-402: Is a far better prospect, in fact he is my fighter for the new millennium." Calzaghe continued his winning ways in 1997, defeating Carlos Christie, the unbeaten Tyler Hughes and the 45–2 Luciano Torres. Meanwhile, Warren spent the summer of 1997 chasing a fight for Calzaghe with either WBC Champion Robin Reid or Irish WBO Champion Steve Collins . The fight with Collins was arranged, but at
3567-642: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Joe Calzaghe Joseph William Calzaghe CBE ( / k æ l ˈ z æ ɡ i / kal- ZA -gee ; born 23 March 1972)
3690-420: Is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for the creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as
3813-561: Is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of
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3936-494: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
4059-461: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
4182-659: The Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in the history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by
4305-750: The Chekhov tale August , and Llangefni born Huw Garmon who starred in the Oscar nominated Welsh language film Hedd Wyn . 1997 saw the release of House of America (about a dysfunctional family in a Welsh mining town), and that same year Newport -born director Julian Richards released Darklands (the "first home grown Welsh horror film"). The Kevin Allen -produced black comedy Twin Town , which holds cult status in Swansea and internationally, showed Wales' second city in
4428-525: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
4551-508: The Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of
4674-662: The Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to the people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into
4797-675: The Union , stuck with "old-fashioned crooners" like Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones while England was represented across the globe by Beatlemania , The Rolling Stones , and The Who . Ellis describes how "Scotland and Northern Ireland awoke to the call of punk, post-punk, and indie rock", from international names like Primal Scream , Average White Band , the Bay City Rollers in Scotland; and The Undertones and Van Morrison in Northern Ireland . He further states that Wales had, compared to
4920-618: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
5043-440: The Welsh flag after every win for Great Britain. Jackson would later acknowledge that he had become more aware of his identity due to Anti-Welsh sentiment during this period, stating "I felt the discrimination was because I was Welsh more than anything else." Jackson's success and open pride in being Welsh saw him idolized in Wales, and he became an early icon of Cool Cymru , with Jackson winning BBC Wales Sports Personality of
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5166-400: The "Cool Cymru" movement", yet he acknowledges it was the act's resonance with the "London-based Britpop movement and its attendant media" which helped its growth, thanks to their dissonance with the more standardised acts of the era such as Oasis . The group famously reached number 11 in the UK charts with Mwng in 2001, to much surprise given the presence of a full ten Welsh language songs on
5289-525: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
5412-467: The 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
5535-589: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
5658-522: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
5781-481: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
5904-508: The Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol ) is the label attached to the Welsh of
6027-655: The Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and
6150-539: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
6273-456: The IBF title and won every round despite a point being deducted in the 11th for an illegal behind the body punch. He also won the vacant The Ring and lineal titles, becoming the first super-middleweight to be recognized as world champion by The Ring magazine. On 14 October 2006, Calzaghe faced the rugged contender and future WBC super-middleweight champion Sakio Bika . Two points were deducted from Bika for head butts, one of which led to
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#17329384220026396-714: The United Kingdom, particularly affecting Wales following the closure of the South Wales Coalfield , and the Winter of Discontent . The South Wales Valleys had seen economic deprivation following the downturn, leading to high unemployment and social discontent. The 1980s however brought initial optimism, with the Big Bang , and this was cemented by the 1997 election of the New Labour class led by Tony Blair . The Labour Party won
6519-653: The WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles; which Calzaghe did after beating Kessler and had earlier done after beating Lacy. On 19 April 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas , Calzaghe defeated Bernard Hopkins to win The Ring Light Heavyweight Championship by a split decision in his first ever fight in the United States. Calzaghe did not get off to a good start. In the first round, Hopkins struck him with
6642-489: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
6765-673: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
6888-597: The Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak
7011-445: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
7134-426: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
7257-429: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
7380-421: The Year three times and being invited to present the Best British Group Award to fellow Welshmen, The Manic Street Preachers at the 1997 Brit Awards . In his first year, Graham Henry led Wales to a then record ten straight victories. A first ever win for the Welsh against South Africa and a close victory over England at Wembley . "Wales’s Five Nations victory against England – the event seeming to herald
7503-515: The album. Pooh Sticks lead singer Huw Williams, who helped raise the profiles of 60 ft Dolls and Catatonia, co-founded the Welsh Music Foundation, a now defunct Government supported organisation which in the Cool Cymru era was praised for raising the profile of Welsh music internationally and at home. The organisation is credited with individual successes such as the growth of Lostprophets and Mclusky , as well as bringing BBC Radio 1 on its first visit to Wales for Sound City in Cardiff. Amid
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#17329384220027626-403: The ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of
7749-477: The ball to Scott Gibbs who memorably broke through England's defensive line, ran around one defender, side-stepped another and crossed for one of the most celebrated tries in Welsh rugby history. Man of the match Neil Jenkins kicked the conversion to win the match by a single point. Gibbs's try has since become one of the most celebrated in Welsh history, being replayed at many events such as that year's Stereophonics concert at Morfa, Swansea . With rugby becoming
7872-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
7995-510: The contest 118–110, 118–109, and 116–111 in favour of Calzaghe. Eubank said of Calzaghe in a 2006 interview that: "Joe is the proper article, a true warrior." Calzaghe conceded that Eubank, even in his comeback, gave him the toughest fight of his life. His popularity grew alongside the wider cultural movement of Cool Cymru , and Calzaghe was symbolic of the new Welsh identity which was forming. In 1998, he defended his title against Branko Sobot (winning by technical knockout in 3 rounds). Sobot
8118-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
8241-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
8364-403: The division, shared with Sven Ottke ) before moving up to light-heavyweight. As his super-middleweight and light-heavyweight reigns overlapped, he retired with the longest continual time as world champion of any active boxer at the time. Calzaghe was the first boxer to unify three of the four major world titles ( World Boxing Association , World Boxing Council , and WBO) at super-middleweight, and
8487-405: The fight at very short notice as a replacement for the injured Thomas Tate , in Newcastle in December. With the win over Pudwill, Calzaghe successfully defended his WBO super-middleweight title for the 12th time. After the fight, Calzaghe said: "I'm one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. I want to be remembered as one of the best British boxers ever." Calzaghe's only fight of 2003
8610-420: The fight. American Judges Chuck Giampa (116–111) and Ted Gimza (115–112) scored the fight clearly for Calzaghe, while judge Adalaide Byrd (114–113) scored the fight narrowly for Hopkins. HBO's unofficial ringside judge Harold Lederman scored the bout 116–111 for Calzaghe. Hopkins was upset with the official decision and said that he was robbed of a clear points win. Hopkins said, "I just really feel like I took
8733-466: The fight. ... It wasn't my best night, but I know I won." "The first four rounds, and after that Calzaghe got in his groove, much like he did when he fought Mikkel Kessler, and from that point on it was Calzaghe. And Calzaghe didn't fight as good a fight as he could've fought, and he still won decisively," Emanuel Steward said at ringside. Calzaghe split with promoter Frank Warren in June 2008 and announced that he would promote his fights personally for
8856-419: The first round and two in the second, including quickfire victories over the highly experienced American duo of Frank Minton and Robert Curry, with only the fully fledged British Light Heavyweight Bobbie Joe Edwards lasting the distance. In October 1995, Calzaghe won the vacant British super-middleweight title, stopping the previously unbeaten Stephen Wilson in the eighth round. At the end of 1995, Calzaghe
8979-436: The first time, the construction of the Millennium Stadium , the redevelopment of Cardiff Bay , the establishment of Newport Riverfront Arts Centre , and the wider political and architectural construction which followed the 1997 Welsh devolution referendum . First Minister Rhodri Morgan was also a keen advocate for the Welsh arts. Wales in the 1990s was enjoying a particular period of international prominence. Its reputation
9102-485: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
9225-467: The growth of Welsh Language Music Day , Horizons Gorwelion , Sŵn Festival , Tafwyl , and the wider proliferation of contemporary independent Welsh musicians, the BBC has asked whether Cool Cymru is back. Huw Stephens addressed the idea in his BBC Radio 4 programme, Cymru Rising . Throughout the 1990s Colin Jackson became one of Great Britain's most successful athletes, but was also notable for waving
9348-432: The guy to school. I feel like I made him fight my fight, not his. I wanted him to run into my shots. I think I made him do that, and I think I made it look pretty easy. I think I controlled the pace, and I controlled the fight." He has also openly stated that he wanted a rematch with Calzaghe. Calzaghe said: "It was one of the toughest fights of my career. ... He is very clever. He was so awkward. It wasn't pretty, but I won
9471-463: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
9594-469: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
9717-496: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
9840-402: The least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead, the shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson ,
9963-501: The local school, Pentwynmawr Primary, along with his two sisters, Melissa and Sonia, and developed a keen interest in playing football. He joined Pentwynmawr F.C. at under-10s level, playing as a midfielder and scored consistently during his early years. At the age of eight, he was given a children's boxing toy that developed his interest in the sport and his father made a punching bag from an old carpet. He joined his first boxing club, Newbridge Amateur Boxing Club at ten years old and
10086-655: The material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This
10209-610: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
10332-592: The name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi , the Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic ,
10455-685: The new date. Calzaghe was put down in the first round. Two close rounds followed before Calzaghe took control of the fight. In the eighth round, Jones sustained a cut over an eye, nearly forcing a stoppage. All three judges' decisions were 118–109 for Calzaghe. On 5 February 2009, Joe Calzaghe announced his retirement from professional boxing. He finished his career with a record of 46 wins and no losses, and becoming one of only fifteen world champions (to date) to retire as an undefeated world champion . After his retirement, fellow boxer and friend, Ricky Hatton described him as "the best British fighter we've ever had." As of May 2023, BoxRec rates Calzaghe as
10578-404: The odds by defeating Calzaghe and becoming a world champion again. After four rounds of the fight, Calzaghe seemed in total control and on his way to a comfortable victory, but then Reid won the next couple of rounds and it became a highly competitive fight thereafter with around five close rounds by the end of the fight that could have been scored either way, or even. Reid was also docked a point by
10701-515: The opening ceremony of the World Cup and seven matches including the World Cup Final . The development also foreshadowed more redevelopment in Cardiff and Cardiff Bay. The development was a major part of Cardiff's urban renewal . The stadium has contributed between £100m-£135m to the city's economy every year since its construction. In 2021, Matthew Rhys spoke about his belief that Cool Cymru had
10824-613: The other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been
10947-464: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
11070-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
11193-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
11316-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
11439-405: The referee in the eighth round after a fifth warning for rabbit punches and low blows. It was arguably the closest that Calzaghe came to losing in his entire professional boxing career. After twelve rounds, the judges scored the fight for Calzaghe via a split decision (two judges scored it 116–111 for Calzaghe, while the other judge scored it 116–111 for Reid). Reid was never given the opportunity of
11562-701: The remainder of his career. The split caused Warren to launch a court case against Calzaghe, claiming that a verbal promise to promote the Roy Jones Jr. fight was broken and that Calzaghe owed him $ 1.4 million; Calzaghe in turn claimed that Warren owed him past fees. In March 2009 the High Court ruled that Warren had persuaded Calzaghe to sign contracts under duress when Calzaghe was hungry and dehydrated preparing for matches and that Warren's company Sports Network Limited owed Calzaghe $ 2.8 million in unpaid fees. On 8 July 2008, after Calzaghe's split from Frank Warren, it
11685-527: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
11808-558: The rest of the United Kingdom, "a largely barren rock history". This perceived inadequacy, Ellis argues, spurred the rebellious and unconventional direction of pioneers like Cerys Matthews and Richey Edwards . Wider political developments had taken to the fore in the 1990s, such as S4C taking a widened remit in the Broadcasting Act 1990 , commercial sponsorship of the National Eisteddfod of Wales reaching over £1 million for
11931-400: The revival of British art and culture in the 1990s centred on London (as celebrated in a 1996 Newsweek cover headlined "London Rules"), emphasised British culture and used British symbols such as The Union Jack . By 1998 many Welsh cultural figures were gaining prominence within the UK, at the same time the use of the term Cool Britannia had become maligned by some cultural commentators as
12054-476: The second greatest European boxer, pound for pound , of all time, behind Duilio Loi . Following his retirement from boxing, Calzaghe started his own boxing promotion company, Calzaghe Promotions, with his father Enzo Calzaghe . In an interview with GMTV , Calzaghe stated he is promoting the Beat Bullying campaign. He is said to have found the inspiration from being a victim of bullying himself when he
12177-661: The second-greatest European boxer of all time. In 2007, Calzaghe won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award , making him the first Welsh winner of this award since David Broome in 1960. Calzaghe was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014. He was nicknamed the "Pride of Wales" and the "Italian Dragon". Calzaghe was born in Hammersmith, London, to a Sardinian father, Enzo , and
12300-447: The song also received praise as showing the pride Wales was now displaying in the BBC's "year of Cool Cymru". The build-up to the match also featured Tom Jones and Max Boyce as well as traditional Welsh choirs. With a much fancied England aiming to complete a Grand Slam they looked by far the better team for much of the game, but only lead Wales by 6 points with 3 minutes left. With Wales' final attacking play, Scott Quinnell passed
12423-453: The sport quickly took priority for the young Calzaghe as he gave up playing football after two years. Calzaghe moved on to Oakdale Comprehensive School at 11, but was targeted by bullies as a teenager, becoming the target of regular verbal abuse that left him isolated. Although the culprits left him alone after a year, Calzaghe later admitted that he "never recovered from the abuse" and left school without sitting any of his GCSEs . Calzaghe
12546-408: The start of the fourth, and this time the referee stopped the proceedings. 2002 started with unanimous points wins against former IBF world champion Charles Brewer of the United States in Cardiff, followed by a shutout 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Jimenez (120–107 for Calzaghe on all three judges' scorecards), and then a quick second round TKO of American Tocker Pudwill, who took
12669-557: The stoppage premature because Manfredo did not appear hurt. HBO's ringside announcers declared that the stoppage was "way too quick." Trainer Emanuel Steward did contend that Calzaghe was clearly on his way to victory, but the stoppage was no fault of his own. In May 2007, Frank Warren released details to BBC 5 Live and on his website that Calzaghe had accepted Mogens Palle's offer of $ 5 million to fight undefeated WBA & WBC world champion Mikkel Kessler . The bout took place at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on 4 November. The fight
12792-586: The tough undefeated puncher Mark Delaney (21–0). Despite Delaney being a good fighter in his own right, Calzaghe's critics said that he had still not really been tested. Calzaghe said in reply that he could only beat whoever was out there and prepared to fight him. Calzaghe rounded off the year with victories over two experienced opponents in Warren Stowe and Pat Lawlor . In November 1996, Calzaghe moved to Frank Warren 's stable. Warren, who had managed Nigel Benn for his first twenty fights, declared: "Joe Calzaghe
12915-518: The unbeaten German No 1 contender Mario Veit (30–0), followed by a win against American contender Will McIntyre on the Mike Tyson – Brian Nielsen undercard in Copenhagen Denmark, marking his first defence outside Britain. Calzaghe dropped him in the third round with a ferocious left uppercut, although McIntyre managed to survive the count. But the end was near. Calzaghe dropped McIntyre again at
13038-518: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
13161-485: The vacant IBF title, losing in 3 rounds. Berrio in turn lost the title to Lucian Bute in his first defense. On 7 April 2007, Calzaghe met Peter Manfredo Jr. in front of 35,000 fans in Cardiff, Wales . Calzaghe was victorious on a third-round stoppage, unleashing a flurry of punches on the outclassed Manfredo, who threw nothing in return, thus drawing a stoppage from the referee. Manfredo and some American commentators called
13284-399: Was a late replacement for Syrian-American Tarick Salmaci , who pulled out after a row with his management. Sobot was knocked down in the third round. He beat the count but immediately came under renewed punishment from Calzaghe, forcing the referee to step in at 1:35 of the third round. Calzaghe then went on to defeat perennial contender Juan Carlos Gimenez Ferreyra (TKO after 9 rounds),
13407-624: Was a unification bout for the WBO, The Ring , WBA (Undisputed) and WBC super-middleweight titles. Calzaghe won by unanimous decision , surpassing the 20 defences made by Bernard Hopkins and Larry Holmes at middleweight and heavyweight respectively. Only former heavyweight champion Joe Louis (with 25 defences), former light heavyweight champion Dariusz Michalczewski (23 defences), former minimumweight champion Ricardo López (23 defences), and former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (23 defences) have made more title defences. Calzaghe
13530-583: Was also a focus of the era: "I don’t live to work, I work to live, I live at the weekend." Stereophonics - "Last of the Big Time Drinkers" Writer Griffin Kaye described Stereophonics as "proud, unapologetic Welshmen who serve as the anchormen of the Cool Cymru sound, helping carry the sound from one generation to the next." Ellis describes Gruff Rhys ' psychedelia driven art as "the heart and soul of
13653-807: Was born in Hammersmith Hospital in March 1972, before his father decided to move the family back to Sardinia at the end of the year, living in his grandfather's home in Bancali. However, his mother again pushed to return to Britain and the family lived with his maternal grandmother in Markham for three years before they moved into their own home on a council estate in Pentwynmawr, near the town of Newbridge , in Caerphilly County Borough , South Wales. He attended
13776-480: Was during this time that Calzaghe's parents met; his mother hailed from the mining town of Markham, Caerphilly . The couple married, and briefly moved to Sardinia, but returned shortly after when Calzaghe's mother became homesick. They settled in London, his father working two jobs in a factory and a bed and breakfast while his mother worked as a secretary in the offices of production company 20th Century Fox . Calzaghe
13899-443: Was frequently described as undisputed champion , but since he had relinquished the IBF title, others argued that this was not strictly accurate. Reuters called him the "Undisputed King" of the division, while David A Avila said he was "the true undisputed world champion. Forget about the IBF titleholder Alejandro Berrio . That's really Calzaghe's belt too." The WBA describes an "Undisputed Champion" as one who holds any two of
14022-472: Was heightened by the performances of sporting individuals such as Joe Calzaghe , Ryan Giggs , and Scott Gibbs , as well as the notorious headlines generated by figures like Howard Marks . Actors of prominence included Ioan Gruffudd , who appeared in Solomon & Gaenor (nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 72nd Academy Awards ), as well as Rhys Ifans and Anthony Hopkins who both appeared in
14145-564: Was in June against another former world champion, in the shape of American Byron Mitchell at the Cardiff International Arena . Calzaghe won by TKO in the second. Calzaghe suffered his first career knockdown in the second round, before rising to halt Mitchell in the very same round, thus becoming the first boxer to stop Mitchell. 2004 started out with a defence against Armenian contender Mger Mkrtchian in Cardiff where he won easily by
14268-481: Was initially canceled due to the break sustained to the metacarpal in his left hand. Warren successfully rescheduled it for 5 March 2006, and the match was won by an easy unanimous points decision over Lacy, who was a pre-fight favourite with the bookmakers and American pundits alike. Calzaghe dominated throughout the fight, with British fight fans chanting "easy" at the American during the last three rounds. Calzaghe gained
14391-489: Was officially announced that the 39-year-old, Roy Jones Jr. , and 36-year-old Joe Calzaghe had reached an agreement to fight for The Ring Light Heavyweight Championship in New York City at Madison Square Garden on 20 September 2008 on HBO PPV. Jones was on the comeback trail, and coming off a win over Félix Trinidad . After Calzaghe injured his right hand in training, the fight was postponed, with 8 November being set as
14514-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
14637-405: Was released in 1997, and the band drew attention when they became the first to sign for Richard Branson 's V2 Records . The album went on to receive acclaim, with its asking of potent questions for 1990s young people in Wales, including the line from Traffic: "Is anyone going anywhere? Everyone’s got to be somewhere." Stereophonics - " Traffic " Tackling the topic of youth unemployment
14760-594: Was the first person to be awarded the Freedom of Caerphilly County Borough , in 2009. Already an MBE , he was elevated to CBE in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 120 amateur contests, Calzaghe won four schoolboy ABA titles, followed by three consecutive senior British ABA titles (British Championships) between 1990 and 1993, which were won in three different weight categories, welterweight , light middleweight and middleweight . He reportedly had an amateur record of 110–10. Calzaghe received his last two defeats in
14883-549: Was the inaugural Ring champion in that weight class. Between 2006 and 2008, Calzaghe was ranked by The Ring as one of the world's top ten active boxers, pound for pound , reaching a peak ranking of third in January 2009. He retired in February 2009 with an undefeated record of 46 wins, and as a reigning world champion. As of 2022, BoxRec ranks Calzaghe as the twenty-fourth greatest fighter of all time, pound for pound, as well as
15006-675: Was voted Young Boxer of the Year by the Professional Boxing Association and the Boxing Writers' Club, with Barry McGuigan top tipping Calzaghe for 1996: "He punches ferociously, moves superbly and has the best of the European technique and US aggression." After beginning 1996 with two more quick knockouts over Guy Stanford and Anthony Brooks, he successfully defended his British title with an easier-than-expected fifth round stoppage of
15129-672: Was young, saying he got bullied because of his small stature. Calzaghe won the 2010 Soccer Aid , a British charity football match with the Rest of the World team beating England, and Joe scored the Rest of the World team's first goal. The game was tied after full-time but the Rest of the World won on penalties. In 2012, Calzaghe made a cameo appearance as himself in an episode of the UK TV comedy drama Stella . Calzaghe has three sons, two from an 11-year marriage to Mandy Davies from 1994 to 2005, and one from
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