A new era for the Novira Cymru Premier will begin this season with the launch of its first official anthem, ‘Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae’.
The song is performed by Y Canol Cae, an artistic identity of songwriter Ifan Pritchard, the lead singer of award-winning Welsh language band Gwilym.
The anthem has been commissioned by the FAW to mark its 150th anniversary and celebrate the enduring values that have shaped Welsh football for generations. The collaboration creates an anthem that looks confidently to the future while paying tribute to the past, celebrating Welsh football and Welsh culture in equal measure.
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Music
Performed bilingually in Welsh and English, the song reflects the unity and inclusivity at the heart of the game in Wales. It will be played at every Novira Cymru Premier fixture ahead of kick-off, creating a shared matchday experience that connects clubs, players and supporters across Wales.
The song is available to stream now on all major music platforms, allowing supporters to take the anthem of Welsh domestic football wherever they go.
Few phrases are more closely associated with Welsh football than “Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae,” which translates as “The best play is team play.” For generations, the motto has represented the values of football in Wales: unity, teamwork and collective endeavour.
While the words have become synonymous with the FAW, the phrase originated within Welsh domestic football during the 1920s, when it was adopted by Pontyclun Football Club as an expression of the importance of playing together. Thomas Edgar Russell, the club’sgoalkeeper and secretary at that time, was the person responsible for introducing it. Russell then became an influential figure at the FAW, holding the role of President between 1967 and 1972.
As the FAW celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1951, the decision was made for the motto tobecome part of the FAW crest, which in turn saw it used on Cymru National Team shirts. Now, as the FAW celebrates its 150th anniversary, the motto returns in a new form.
By making ‘Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae’ the official anthem of the Novira Cymru Premier, the FAW is reconnecting the phrase with its domestic football roots. Every weekend, clubs across the league will walk onto the pitch to music inspired by the values that have shaped football in Wales for more than a century.
The anthem reflects the unique role the Novira Cymru Premier plays within Welsh football. From community clubs developing the next generation of players to the league’s biggest stages, every part of the game contributes to the success of football in Wales. The message is as relevant today as it has ever been, Welsh football is strongest when everyone plays together.
Y Canol Cae is the pseudonym of Ifan Pritchard, lead singer of award-winning Welsh-language band Gwilym, meaning that the anthem brings together one of Wales’ most celebrated contemporary musical acts with one of Welsh football’s most enduring traditions.
Since forming in 2017, Gwilym have become one of the country’s most successful Welsh-language bands, winning multiple Y Selar Awards, including Band of the Year, while helping introduce Welsh-language music to a new generation of listeners. Their debut album, Sugno Gola, also became one of the first Welsh-language albums to surpass 100,000 streams on Spotify. Pritchard is also a TV music composer and producer and community support member at global recording business AWAL.
Jack Sharp, Head of Domestic Leagues, said: “The Novira Cymru Premier has always been about bringing communities together through football, so it felt fitting that our official anthem should be inspired by one of the most iconic phrases in Welsh football history.
“Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae has its roots in the domestic game, and that makes it the perfect anthem for our league. Every week, players, clubs, volunteers and supporters come together to make Welsh football what it is, and this song celebrates that collective spirit.
“Launching the anthem during the FAW’s 150th anniversary year allows us to honour our history while creating a new tradition for the future. We hope supporters across Wales will embrace it as the soundtrack to the Novira Cymru Premier and enjoy hearing it at grounds across the country before every match.”
Ifan Pritchard said: “It was a real privilege to be asked to write and perform a song inspired by a phrase that means so much to Welsh football. From the beginning, it was important that the anthem was performed in both Welsh and English, reflecting the communities, cultures and people that make football in Wales so special. Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae is more than a motto, it’s a message about people coming together, supporting each other and achieving something bigger as a team.
“As someone who grew up in Wales, it’s special to know the song will be heard at grounds across the country every weekend. Football and music both have an incredible ability to bring people together, and I hope supporters enjoy singing along and making it part of the matchday experience.
“To release the anthem during the FAW’s 150th anniversary year makes it even more meaningful. It’s a celebration of where Welsh football has come from, while looking ahead to an exciting future for the domestic game.”
Launching during the FAW’s landmark 150th anniversary year, the anthem also reflects the Association’s continued commitment to celebrating the identity of Welsh football. From grassroots clubs to the domestic leagues and the Cymru national teams, the spirit of “Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae” continues to unite everyone involved in the game.
As the opening notes echo around Novira Cymru Premier grounds this season, and supporters listen across streaming platforms, they will hear more than a new anthem. They will hear a celebration of Welsh football’s history, its communities and the enduring belief that has defined the game in Wales for generations.
For 150 years, the Football Association of Wales has brought people together through football. This season, every kick-off in the Novira Cymru Premier will begin with a reminder that the game’s greatest strength has always been the same. Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae.
