Red tape fails to stop fans' trip

The charity visited young people from a children's home in Latvia in 2004

Football fans travelling 3,500 miles by road to a Wales match, visiting orphanages along the way, will depart as planned despite visa problems.

The 25 fans leave on Friday for a World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan on 6 June.

The trip, organised by Welsh football supporters' charity Gôl, includes visits to more than 20 orphanages in eight different countries.

The Azeri embassy in London said there had been technical problems but added visas would be issued on Friday.

Supporters remain concerned red tape could prevent their entry into Azerbaijan but they say nothing will stop them.

Gôl trustee Tim Hartley said: "We're definitely going anyway. I'm sure it will all be sorted out but it would be nice to start the journey on Friday being able to get into Azerbaijan."

The fans have had difficulties obtaining visas and say the problem appears to have stemmed from a rule change now requiring visitors to be formally "invited" to the country.

The charity said the trip to Baku had taken months of planning and organisers had received an "incredible" amount of support from people in Wales.

'Huge commitment'

Neil Dymock, Gôl trustee and BakuorBust project manager, said: "It will be great to see underprivileged children across Europe in their new Wales kits and playing a game of football.

Gôl visited the Rainman Centre in Vienna five years ago

"Gôl is helping to improve the image of travelling football supporters and the 25 Wales fans taking part have given a huge commitment both in terms of time and fundraising."

More than £10,000 has been raised so far, some of which will be used to help orphans along the route, with the rest helping good causes at future Wales away games.

The Azeri embassy in London said a new system for visas had been introduced in Azerbaijan which required an invitation for visitors to be approved by the ministry of foreign affairs.

"There has been a technical problem with visa issuance and the delay [that] occurred is not only the case for the UK but also for other countries," said the embassy.

"We are delighted to say that the visas will be issued for Welsh fans on Friday morning as they are leaving on that day.

"We hope that the match between the two national teams will be held in a friendly manner and the stronger side will win."

The first stop for the fans, on Monday, is the Rainman Centre in Vienna, Austria, which provides therapy for 25 autistic young people.

Refugee centre

The charity, which visited the centre in 2005, will be viewing an activity and relaxation room which its grant of 1,500 euros helped to build.

Gôl then heads to an orphanage in Slovakia where it gave a grant in 2007 to build a football pitch in the grounds. The children in the orphanage football team will be given a Wales kit.

Other visits will be made to orphanages in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan itself.

In Georgia, Gôl will spend a couple of days in Kutaisi, which is twinned with Newport, to hand over books, football gear and Newport County replica shirts.

The Wales fans will also play a friendly against a team of Georgia fans at a 20,000 capacity stadium in Kutaisi.

The fans, in nine vehicles, will finally reach Azerbaijan on 4 June where they will visit orphanages and a refugee centre, and play friendly football matches.

On the day of the Wales match, Gôl will visit an orphanage outside Baku which has benefited from a previous grant to help build a kitchen.

Gôl, which was registered as a charity last year, was set up in 2002 by a group of fans who wanted to make a difference to the local community in Baku while following the Wales football team.

Fans went to several orphanages in the city handing out gifts, and such visits have since become a regular feature of Wales away trips.