ENGLAND deliberately lost to Wales as part of a plan to boost the smaller country’s morale, it has emerged.

The Welsh ‘victory ’caused an upsurge in national pride for a country embattled by unemployment, inhospitable weather and the literary trend for terrible books about talking dragons.

However, excessive gloating by Wales fans caused English supporters to reveal that the team was not actually trying.

England fan Tom Logan said: “We agreed it was time we did something nice for the Welsh, apart from filming Doctor Who there.

“Every once in a while they should feel like they live in a proper country and not just a Tolkeinesque tourist attraction.

“When you think about all those miners, the tears streaming down their coal-smeared faces, you have to do something.”