Will Vaulks, one of football’s good guys, has had his fair share of disappointment in recent years, for both club and country. More often than not, he has found himself on the outside of Robert Page’s Wales squad, rather than inside. That in itself must be hard to take, but there is an added layer of humiliation in that Wales and Cardiff both train at The Vale, so he would often be effectively relegated to the next set of pitches to his international team-mates.
That melting pot environment came to the fore again recently with Cardiff’s unlikely pursuit of Gareth Bale. What at first seemed like an absolute fantasy became more likely over time and then suddenly, briefly started to feel inevitable. It was shaping up as the ultimate marriage of convenience.
Bale, with both family and business interests in the city, needed somewhere to initially ply his trade for the first three months of the season, to keep him ticking over for the World Cup, which starts in November. Surely moving anywhere else would represent too much upheaval for such a short space of time and as Vaulks knows all too well, Cardiff and Wales are bedfellows.
READ MORE: Tan says Bale could still play for Cardiff in the future
Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, would occasionally fuel the fire by confirming his client’s next move would not be motivated by money, while Bale ruled out a move to Getafe but played his cards close to his chest with regard to his hometown club. Despite a strict budget, Cardiff seemed to put together a package to entice Bale that was not dismissed and appeared to be a consideration.
With his future seemingly in the balance, Bale was then spotted at The Vale and a frenzy ensued. A level of mass hysteria that I have not witnessed on social media before and I regrettably added to. But as the dust begins to settle and reports piece together what actually happened, it is worth reflecting on how Bale was won and lost.
According to The Athletic, Bale’s agency Stellar approached Los Angeles FC in the immediate aftermath of Wales defeating Ukraine to seal their place at the World Cup. LAFC is one of the newest franchises in MLS, established in 2018, but are already on its most successful teams and its owners include both comedian Will Ferrell and basketball legend Magic Johnson. Vincent Tan was also one of the original investors and once reportedly held a large stake in the club, which he has subsequently sold.
It sounds like the wheels have been in motion over there ever since and three weeks later, Bale is an LAFC player.
The way MLS teams are structured allows for three designated players who can exceed the imposed wage ceiling, which is how they have managed to afford and attract the likes of David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the past. Ironically, Bale will not be a designated player, so his salary will be capped at a range that would be theoretically achievable for Cardiff.
Cardiff and Wales share The Vale as a training base and Bale’s appearance there at the height of the speculation helped fan the flames of his homecoming.
Chances are that is where meetings and medicals took place, while his unveiling video was filmed outside Hensol Castle. You can’t help but feel that whole situation could have been handled more sensitively, given the circumstances, before Bale reportedly informed Cardiff of his decision in person.
Now the saga is over, it is hard to not be slightly demoralised by it all, but Bale signing was never going to be a guarantee of success. He turns 33 next month and while Bale’s class is undoubted, he would have found the Championship physically tough. Hull on a Saturday, Middlesbrough away the following Tuesday before Huddersfield away on the Saturday in September is a snapshot of the division’s unrelenting nature.
Bale would have likely had to pick and choose games in order to manage his body, creating a void in his absence and potentially undermining the manager. While it may have inspired the Cardiff dressing room, it also could have overpowered it at a time when Morison is starting from scratch and trying to create a more communal environment. He could have had the transformative effect of Craig Bellamy, but just as likely might have struggled like Robbie Fowler.
Let’s not kid ourselves and pretend otherwise though, it would have been fantastic. Seeing Bale in a Cardiff shirt, even only occasionally, would have given us all the feels. It would have been exciting, inspiring and lucrative for the club. It would have boosted ticket sales, merchandise and commercial revenue. It would have been the sort of once-in-a-generation signing that money can’t buy.
It's also fair to say that Bale moving to Los Angeles certainly benefits Wales. He will be playing less frequently in a less intense league, with a team who will be challenging for honours. There is a great deal of travelling in MLS, but the season winds down ahead of the World Cup and if getting him to Qatar in the best possible shape is the priority, and it certainly is for Bale, then he has made the right choice.
While Cardiff could certainly do with some of Bale’s cutting edge and stardust, they could probably do without the circus that would have ensued had he joined. An acceptance would have also been required that they were playing second fiddle to Wales, with a historic World Cup on the horizon. How sweet it would have been, but more than anything, I’m just glad it’s finally all over.
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