The Second Severn Crossing is not being renamed the Gareth Bale Bridge. It was, of course, an April Fool joke.
In our article, we said the bridge, which was renamed after the Prince of Wales in 2018, is to undergo a further name change in recognition of the footballer's contribution to Welsh sport.
Bale further cemented his legend as he almost single-handedly took his team to the World Cup play-off final with two stunning goals against Austria last week. The Real Madrid star was the subject of extraordinary attacks from the Spanish media and was even dubbed a "parasite" in the run-up to the crucial semi-final, but shook off this criticism to take Wales just one step from the Qatar World Cup and let it be known who he thought the real 'parasite' was.
His heroics saw Wales fans calling for Bale to be honoured with a statue in front of Cardiff Castle, while others suggested roads, bridges and railway stations should all be renamed in celebration of the Welsh captain. "We should rename the Severn Bridge after Gareth Bale - the true prince of Wales," one fan wrote on Twitter.
Read more: The story of Yma o Hyd and how Welsh football fans left singer Dafydd Iwan in tears
We said that in a surprise move, the UK Government has listened to fans' demands and announced today, April 1, that the motorway bridge will henceforth be known as the Gareth Bale Bridge, or Pont Gareth Bale. New signage has been installed on the bridge, with the previous signs bearing the name of the Prince of Wales now set to be scrapped.
There was uproar when the Second Severn Crossing was named after Prince Charles to mark his 70th birthday, with more than 38,000 people signing a petition opposing the decision. Many complained that the name was "forced on us with no consultation", with others slamming the move as "pathetic" and "insulting".
The initial renaming of the bridge - which was revealed to cost more than £215,000 - is still hugely unpopular among the Welsh public. But, nearly four years on, the government has acknowledged that it is time for a change, particularly with Charles set to be made King within the next few years.
A spokesperson said the bridge had "deeply divided opinion" when it was renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge and said that "with Charles set to become King, the current signage will also be out of date before too long, so it is definitely time for a change".
They added: "We have listened to the Welsh public and can think of nobody better to rename the bridge after than Gareth Bale, who is one step away from taking his country to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a phenomenal feat. After an exceptional career in which he has represented his country over 100 times, played at two European Championships, and won four UEFA Champions League titles, as well as countless individual accolades, he will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest British players to ever play the beautiful game."
The move has been welcomed by football fans across Wales, who have described it as a "fitting tribute" to their record goal scorer. Die-hard Wales and Swansea fan Alan Joseph travelled to both Euro 2016 and Euro 2020 to watch his beloved team play and said Bale is "by some distance" the best player to ever represent his country.
"I've always fancied myself as a bit of a player," he said. "But this guy is next-level, he is a legend, it's as simple as that. I don't really know what they were thinking naming the bridge after Prince Charles to be honest with you, what's he ever done for Wales?"
"Bale is a great choice," he added. "In my opinion, he is the real Prince of Wales with everything that he has done for this country. Some people might be against it, but they'll look silly when it comes to December and he's lifting the World Cup in Qatar!"
Red Wall regular Rob Halson agreed, saying: "When you think back to all the special moments he has given our country over the years, he is the obvious choice for an honour like this. That Euro 2016 campaign was probably the best time of my life and he was so integral to all of it.
"I thought the decision to name it the Prince of Wales Bridge was stupid, so I'm very glad to see it go. I signed the petition against it, but then I'm not a big fan of the Royal Family at all. Gareth is a top choice - in fact if we win the World Cup, I think we should just rename the country 'Bales'."
Fellow fan James Daniels said the renaming was "the best decision to be made in Wales for a long time," while Will Harrison added: "It's a fitting tribute, but why stop there? I want to live in a world where every one of those boys has something named after them. How about the Aaron Ramsey Aqueduct?"
Gareth Bale's representatives have been approached for comment.
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