One of my everlasting memories of watching Welsh rugby in the 1970s is stepping off the train at Cardiff to the sound of "Any spare tickets, any spares". Cockney accents were the first you'd hear, ticket touts down for the day from London. Then walking down Westgate Street and on every corner there was also someone looking for or selling tickets, the tickets selling for the biggest prices were always sold outside the Angel Hotel. Then there would be the swappers, "East for a West", "A stand for two fields".  Below is a selection of tickets for international and other matches through the ages. How many of these were sold on the black market I wonder ? 

For a closer view of each ticket please click on the image.

Scotland v Ireland at Partick

Wales v England at Swansea

Jehodia Hodges scored 3 tries in a 21 - 5 victory  (WRM-0239)

The All Black Invincibles at Stradey Park

Wales v England

3 - 3 draw at the Arms park  (WRM-0240)

Wales v Waratahs

press ticket - Wales lost 18 - 8  (WRM-0262)

First French victory over Wales   (WRM-0246)

11- 3 loss against the English   (WRM-0241)

Old Internationals ticket, a 13 - 8 win for Wales  (WRM-0255)

A dropped goal by Ronnie Boon helped Wales to this first win over England for 10 years  (WRM-0245)

Another great victory over the All Blacks

13 - 12   (WRM-0251)

The gates were closed 2 hours before kick off, the ground was full, the crowd rushed the gates and stormed into the ground.  (WRM-0259)

seats inside the ropes

v Ireland 1938 at Swansea

Elvet Jones, top try scorer on the 1938 Lions tour made his debut for wales in this 11-3 welsh victory

Dai's diary - One of my everlasting memories was of queuing to enter Twickenham in the England v Wales match of 1980. A member of Taibach RFC who I'd recently played against was standing just to the side of the queue looking down in the mouth, when I enquired as to what his problem was he showed me his ticket, a 'forgery' - poor lad, I don't think he ever did get to see that game !  

Wales v NZ Kiwis

last victory over the All Blacks in 1953,  13 - 8   (WRM-0252)

last international at St Helen's Swansea, postponed match played on 10th April  (WRM-0321)

v International XV - fund raising match for the Empire Games, held at the Arms Park one year later in 1958

v Ireland 1959

8 - 6 victory to Wales

Press messenger - this ticket will only admit a boy - v South Africa 1960, a day before the Arms Park was flooded (WRM-0258)

Press Box

Terry Price a Llanelli schoolboy makes his debut 

v New Zealand 1963

North Enclosure ticket 5/- (25p)

v England 1965

Stuart Watkins scores 2 tries in 14-3 victory (WRM-0242) 

first Australian victory over Wales,  international debut for Barry John (WRM-0237)

opening of the new Cardiff Arms Park, ticket for the NEW NORTH STAND (WRM-0254)

Start of the 1970s, first five nations match in the NEW NORTH ENCLOSURE - Gareth Edwards commented "The singing of the crowd was tremendous, it inspired every one of us. (WRM-0257)

Phil Bennett started it, Gareth Edwards finished it, the greatest try ever scored, this is on the half way line on that side of the field.  (WRM-0235)

Lions v Rest of the World. First official Lions match on British soil.    (WRM-0236)

This night time international against France opened the new floodlights at Cardiff Arms Park 

19,000 saw Wales' first victory over the Barbarians 31-10 (WRM-0238)

last international at the Arms Park (WRM-0244)

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