AS Wales prepare to make their first appearance at the World Cup since 1958, Welsh language contemporary music magazine, Y Selar, has shown their support for grassroots football by becoming kit sponsors for an under 9s team in the Aberystwyth Junior League.

Cewri Ystwyth were formed as part of the Llanilar FC junior section over the summer and have been playing weekly in the league since September.

For the seven year olds in the team, this is the first chance they’ve had to play in a league, and indeed as part of a team, having missed two years of football due to the Covid pandemic. Y Selar say they’re glad to support Welsh football at the very grassroots level and wish the team well for the rest of the season and the years to come.

“We’re glad to support Cewri Ystwyth and hope to see them going from strength to strength over the coming years,” said Owain Schiavone, Y Selar chief editor.

“We’re very aware that this age group especially have missed a lot of footballing opportunities due to the pandemic - the first couple of years they should have been playing really. If we can help them catch up just that little but by sponsoring the kit then we’re only too happy to do so.

“We had agreed to sponsor the kit at the start of the season but there was a delay with the order. As it happens, the timing is very apt now as they played their first games in the kit on Saturday, two days before Wales played their first match in Qatar.”

The Wales football team has a close relationship with music - one only has to visit the Cardiff City Stadium on matchday to see and hear this. There has also been a wave of new Welsh singles released to support the Wales team at the World Cup over the last few weeks.

Y Selar are not the first music brand to sponsor a football team. Who can forget Scottish band Wet Wet Wet becoming shirt sponsors for their local club Clydebank FC and the famous DJ Fat Boy Slim sponsored his local club, Brighton & Hove Albion for a while.

There are also some Welsh examples with the Super Furry Animals sponsoring the Cardiff City shirt for their 1999 Welsh Cup campaign, and Goldie Lookin’ Chain becoming shirt sponsors for Newport FC at one point.

Gwynedd based Welsh language rockers Alffa, whom had the first Welsh track to hit a million streams on Spotify, decided to sponsor one of Llanrug FCs players in 2018, and record label, Recordiau Côsh, announced in 2021 that they were sponsoring Bethel Ledies’ team.

“We’re very grateful to Y Selar for the support and the kids love their new kit,” said one of the Cewri Ystwyth coaches, Gareth Hughes.

“Being so new to the game they’re still looking for their first win at the moment but are getting closer - hopefully the new kit will spur them on.”