Join the FAW in celebrating black history through Welsh football on RedWall+ this Black History Month and beyond.
The FAW’s free streaming service, RedWall+, is proud to present a number of episodes and series, from documentaries to music videos, which celebrate the invaluable contributions and achievements of pioneering Black Cymru players and continuing black artists to shape Welsh culture.
The dragon on my shirt
The dragon on my shirt The series, written and presented by Darren Chetty, is a five-part documentary series exploring black and Asian footballers who have represented Cymru, as well as the work being done to make football in Wales more inclusive.
The series aims to drive change by tackling racism and amplifying the stories of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse Cymru players.
THE Dragon on my shirt begins with Eddie Parris, who in 1931 became the first black player to play football for Cymru. Darren speaks to those who have worked to research and commemorate Eddie, including historian Professor Martin Johnes and Professor Uzo Iwobi CBE, chief executive of Race Council Cymru, as well as local historian Liz McBride and Councilor Armand Watts.
The series features interviews with Cymru players George Berry, Wendy Reilly, Safia Middleton Patel, Robert Earnshaw, Nathan Blake and Neil Taylor. Each episode includes in-depth interviews with the players themselves, as well as images and photographs from the era and the players’ personal collections.
Alongside the five thought-provoking episodes, Darren poses questions to spark conversations in clubs, organizations and schools across the country. By engaging on these topics, we hope to foster dialogue, understanding and awareness, ultimately combating racism and promoting inclusion. A presentation to support these discussions can be found here.
Robert Earnshaw
Former Cymru star Robert Earnshaw also features in the series The Dragon On My Shirt. Celf cries Cymru and hosts his own FAW Coaching Masterclass on RedWall+.
The Celf Crys Cymru documentary sees Earnshaw take us on a journey back in time to discover the art of the Cymru shirt. We see how the kit has evolved from its beginnings to the present day. Meet the artist behind the newest jersey, former Cymru men’s and women’s international players also talk about their experience and love of the jersey and learn exactly what it means in terms of national identity.
Earnshaw takes you inside the mind of a striker in his Masterclass feature. Find out why they make the decisions they do, what they do when no one is watching, and how they always seem to be in the right place at the right time.
Carnival
Carnival celebrates Butetown Carnival, one of Wales’ oldest and boldest celebrations of cultural diversity, bringing together individuals from all backgrounds to enjoy the vibrancy of the nation’s capital.
One of the main organizers of the Carnival, Keith Murrell, today takes us to meet budding artists in Wales and discuss how Welsh football over the last decade has contributed to a sense of cultural diversity across the country.
Performers featured at the Carnival include Unify Creatives who have their own feature on RedWall+ as part of the Wales on the World Stage series. Unify Creative are a duo of Welsh artists, Yusf Ismail and Shawqi Hasson, who stand out for their bold and powerful street art. They are talking about representing Wales at the World Cup in Qatar with the support of Wales Arts International.
Musical artist Threat of juice also features in Carnival. Juice shares how she teamed up with the FAW ahead of Cymru’s key FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 qualifiers against Greece and Slovenia, to release an exclusive track, “FOR HER’.
The track focuses on Cymru’s ‘For Us, For Them, For Her’ message, focusing on inspiring a future generation of footballers, recognizing former Cymru internationals who led the way as well as the goals and goals of the team players. You can watch the “FOR HER” music video on RedWall+.
Wales on the world stage
Wales on the World Stage is a series that follows different artists celebrating and showcasing Welsh culture. The functionality of the series Unify creation, Sage Todz, LemfreckAnd Mace the Great.
In this series the Welsh rapper Sage Todz discusses representing Wales at the World Cup in Qatar with support from Wales Arts International.
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup play-off final against Ukraine, the FAW have teamed up with the Welsh artist to release an exclusive track ‘O HYD’. The track begins with a passionate sample of Yma O Hyd by legendary folk artist Dafydd Iwan, before segueing into the thrilling rap of Sage Todz. THE ‘O HYD’ The music video can also be viewed on RedWall+.
Like Sage Todz, Welsh rap artist, producer and writer Lemfreck and Welsh grime and hip hop artist Mace the Great also talk about what it was like to represent Wales and Welsh culture at the World Cup in Qatar in Wales on the world stage series.
My club: Cardiff Warriors
This My club functionality follows Cardiff Bay Warriorsa community-led team in the heart of the city centre, made up of young men from Somaliland who recently became champions of the British Somali Champions League.
Meet them after they’re victorious, follow them through their celebrations and understand the importance of football to a community in this My Club documentary.
You can download the RedWall+ app or stream all this content for free right now at redwallplus.wales
