For me, the thing I about this campaign is that there have been a number of "I believe" moments throughout and that what has made it so special:
Andorra away: Bale's winner
I believed that we could still compete in the group.
Bosnia home:
I think of the work that the likes of scoop79, Baxter and others were doing to make that difference to get as many supporters to the CCS as possible. I think of the amount of injuries we had to cope with for this and the next game. I think of the heart & spirit that the players showed. I remember thinking at 80 minutes gone that even if we lose this, the crowd will appreciate the efforts of the player. After this game, only the most ardent interclub rivalry peeps would have denied that Chris Coleman had the dressing room. I have called #CallRob numerous times to talk about the national side and this was probably my most enthusiastic of all those calls. The boys did us proud and I had belief.
Cyprus away: As per Bosnia home, but this game we had to deal with a sending off also. Previously, we may have drawn this but not then. I believed.
Belgium away: This is where there was the biggest step change in believing that we could do some damage in this group.
Israel away: This was the biggest step change in believing that we could qualify. This was also the best football performance of the qualifiers.
Belgium home: Best Sporting occasion of my life -
youtu.be/F-DZWUBiZz4 - There's a Fire in my Heart. Only an Ard Nut could watch the above and not shed a tear. I am crying now! I believed that qualification was now a real prospect.
Cyprus away: At the end of this game, I believed strongly that we are a very good side as very good sides are able to win games such as this
And of course, once mathematically certain, there was another 'I believe' moment as our history was at the back of our minds throughout.
Key turning points: In the context of qualification (as distinct from being very competitive in the group), it had to be Israel away
Moments that at the time didn't seem significant: Whilst it was clear to me, and others, I am not convinced that the value of Macedonia/Belgium 2013 Double Header has been understood. We learnt so much about ourselves and it gave a terrific platform for these qualifications.
Unsung heroes: Those on Apostle who have pushed the small margins. And, I will never ever forget the role of a number of Cardiff fans in speaking out against Interclub rivalry at a time when a miniority of Cardiff fans were making some very nasty and personal remarks on Social Media about our manager.
I dont think this can be overestimated at all. we had 30k in there... I dont think that was possible without these guys. I actually recall Baxter going on about printing leaflets at his own expense to try and get people in the stadium. Passion like this really does make it all the better. I think they should take great pride in seeing a sold out stadium.