Cwmbran Celtic FC has teamed up with Super Furry Animals, Mogwai, Panic Shack, and Loose Articles for new kits, and will be donating some of the proceeds to the Music Venue Trust.
The new partnership sees them introduce new designs for the 2026/27 kit, teaming with four of the UK’s most-loved independent bands. Last week, the Cwmbran Celtic’s Men’s first team debuted one of the new looks in their match against local rivals Cwmbran Town, where they won with a 3-0 victory.
Produced by the club’s new kit supplier, Tor Sports, the band collaborations will feature across the front of the men’s and women’s first-team kits for the coming season, and is designed to help give back to local venues.
Panic Shack and Super Furry Animals both have yellow and blue designs, while Mogwai and Loose Articles have gone for green and white striped prints.
With the aim of giving back to the spaces that make independent music possible, Cwmbran Celtic will donate 10 per cent of the profits from every shirt sold directly to Music Venue Trust. The move comes following the MVT revealing that over half of the UK’s grassroots venues operated without making any profit last year, surviving on average margins of just 2.5 per cent.
The remaining proceeds will go back towards the Cwmbran Celtic community, which includes six senior men’s and women’s teams, veterans, walking football, and a junior setup for boys and girls.
Speaking about the partnership, Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys shared: “Our 50 foot high inflatable bears have a long standing relationship with Cwmbran having been patched up there from many punctures over the last 30 years. The bears were very keen to repay the favour and this beautiful football kit was born.”
Toni Coe-Brooker, Campaigns & Communications at Music Venue Trust said: “This partnership perfectly captures what grassroots culture is all about. Whether it’s a football club or a music venue, these are the places where communities come together and futures begin.
“We’d like to thank Cwmbran Celtic, Super Furry Animals, Mogwai, Panic Shack and Loose Articles for supporting the grassroots music ecosystem and showing how much stronger our communities are when we back each other.”
Super Furry Animals and Panic Shack represent Welsh music on the kits, Mogwai are big Glasgow Celtic fans and reportedly :jumped at the chance to sponsor the club’s green and white hooped away shirts”, and Manchester’s Loose Articles bring a strong local tie as their drummer’s mother lives in Cwmbran.
The crossover comes thanks to Cwmbran Celtic’s Joint Commercial Managers, Matt Jarrett and Connor Cupples, and the former owns a record shop in Newport, while the latter promotes shows across the country.
“Both of us have put numerous gigs on in grassroots venues, and when we took on this role, it was obvious to us that there were massive similarities across the two endeavours,” said Jarrett.
“Both rely heavily on support from the local community to sell tickets, and on the people that give up their time to help keep them afloat. It seemed a no-brainer to approach people we had links with to get involved. Luckily for us, the bands all embraced the idea and gave it their blessing!”
Cupples added: “Grassroots football and grassroots music venues are fighting the same fight. They’re where it all starts, they run on passion and tight budgets, and when one disappears, a community loses something it can’t easily get back.
“To have four bands of this calibre on our shirts, and to send a share of every sale to Music Venue Trust, means this kit stands for far more than a season of football. It’s two grassroots worlds looking out for each other.”
Visit here to pre-order and to find out more information.
Super Furry Animals reunited earlier this year for their first live show in 10 years, having gone on hiatus in 2010 after forming and becoming key players in the ‘90s indie renaissance, and briefly reunited in 2015 and 2016.
