GARETH BALE wasn’t the only Welsh winner when the Champions League finals came to Cardiff.
Bale celebrated winning the European Cup with his Real Madrid teammates on Saturday while the Burdon family from Talybont-on-Usk won our competition for tickets for a family of four to see the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final held at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, just two days before the men’s final at the Principality Stadium.
Mum Julie correctly identified that Lyon had won the competition last year and at the home of Cardiff City the family saw Lyon defend their title against fellow French side Paris St Germain in thrilling fashion, winning 7-6 on penalties.
Julie, dad Craig, daughters Esther and Jessica and their friend Georgina Jackson were among the 22,443 crowd – the second highest attendance ever for a Women’s Champions League final.
“It was really good and a really good atmosphere. The match was good even though there was no goals, it went to extra-time and there were still no scores so it went to penalties. It was a late one,” said Julie of the match that eventually finished at 10.30pm.
Daughter Esther, 14, attends Crickhowell High School where Jessica and her friend Georgina, both 12, are also pupils.
Jessica and Georgina, who is from Gilwern, had before the big match played in a Football Association of Wales organised tournament at Cardiff University’s playing fields.
Both girls play for Abergavenny Town Girls FC, who won two, drew one and lost one of their matches, on Thursday. Jessica previously played for Llangynidr’s mixed team before joining the town.
Julie said though she had been aware the Men’s Champions League Final was taking place in Cardiff it was only when the European Cup and the Women’s Champions League trophy arrived in Brecon, on a tour of Wales, that she realised the women’s final was being staged in the capital as well.
“I took the girls to see the trophies at Brecon Leisure Centre and they were giving flyers out advertising the final and then I saw the competition in the paper.”