Every thread tells a story – and behind every face featured in The Thread That Leads Us Home is a unique connection to Cymru. Now, meet the supporters who helped bring the campaign to life.
The launch of the new Cymru SUDU Home Kit introduced The Thread That Leads Us Home, a campaign inspired by the enduring connections between people, places and traditions.
The new shirt takes inspiration from the rich history of Welsh textiles and craftsmanship, with its contemporary tapestry pattern rooted in designs that have formed part of Welsh culture for generations. Working alongside St Fagans National Museum of History, the campaign brought that heritage to life across some of the museum’s most recognisable historic settings.
But the story of the shirt is about more than the places, patterns and objects that inspired it. At its heart are the people who wear it and the individual journeys that connect supporters to Cymru.
From following the national team across the world to childhood memories of playing football in Wales, each supporter featured in the campaign has their own relationship with the red shirt.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with the heritage that inspired the new home kit, meet the fans who helped bring The Thread That Leads Us Home to life.
Howard Davies
A lifelong Cymru supporter, Howard Davies is a familiar face on Wales Away trips and has built countless friendships through following the national team.
For Howard, coming together to support Cymru feels like being part of a family. Even when weeks or months pass between matches, the connections formed through following Cymru remain.
“My Cymru story began when I was about in secondary school with friends,” said Howard. “We would catch a train from the Rhondda to watch Wales play in the Home Nations, which took place every year, and my love for Welsh football followed on from there.
“To me, the red shirt represents a Welsh word called ‘perthyn’, which means belonging, and we come together when Wales play, like a like a family. We may not meet for weeks or months, but once we come together, it’s as if we’ve always been together.
“When I put the Cymru shirt on, you just feel pride, and unfortunately, I was never good enough myself to wear the shirt on the playing field, but second best thing is to watch Wales playing and wearing that shirt.”
Jess Davies
Jess Davies’ connection with Welsh football stretches back to her childhood, when she represented Penrhyncoch and played in the Ian Rush and Urdd competitions.
Jess regularly follows both the men’s and women’s national teams with friends, valuing the sense of community that comes with being part of The Red Wall. For her, the red shirt represents hiraeth – a feeling of home, belonging and shared identity.
Whether she’s in the stands at Cardiff City Stadium or meeting another Welsh supporter elsewhere in the world, Jess feels there is an instant connection that comes with Cymru.
“My Cymru story began when I was a child because I was captain for my local girls’ football team, Penrhyncoch. Seeing the women’s team grow just really inspired me and made me feel like, ‘it’s so cool and I wish I saw that as a young girl’.
“There’s a group of us who go along together to watch the men and women’s teams. It just feels so lush to have that sense of community, and you feel like you’re part of something.
“To me, the red shirt represents ‘hiraeth’. It’s that sense of home and that sense of being part of something. I think unless you’re Welsh, you really can’t fully understand and describe it.
“I think if you go anywhere in the world and if you meet a Welsh person, you instantly have that connection. When you see a Welsh shirt, it’s the same thing. You don’t even have to say a word. But if you clock it and you clock the badge, you’re like, ‘you’re one of us and we’re a team’.”
Dr Penny Miles
Dr Penny Miles has played an important role in helping to grow the supporter culture surrounding the Cymru Women’s National Team.
In 2019, she co-founded Y Wal Goch y Menywod, helping to create a community and atmosphere for supporters following Cymru Women both at home and away.
Her own Cymru story has evolved over the years, from watching the men’s team for the first time at Cardiff Arms Park to becoming a regular presence on away trips with the women’s team.
“It all started for me in the 1990 World Cup when I got into football and then started to watch Wales with my dad and brother at the Arms Park,’ said Penny. “The atmosphere was brilliant and I saw a couple of brilliant wins there when we beat Germany and Brazil, so those stuck in my mind, but it wasn’t until 2016 that we got to celebrate a tournament.
“I’d probably say I’ve got two Cymru stories because I’d say I’ve got my Cymru story with the men’s team, but then in 2017, the Cymru story started with the women’s team. I very much got into that just because in 2017 there wasn’t much coverage of the women’s national team.
“I think you had this solidarity with the women’s team. There was that kind of feminist sympathy around trying to help push the team forward, trying to get more fans into the stadium, trying to get people to come and watch Jess Fishlock, who is just a phenomenal player.
“That story’s taken an unexpected route because I set up a fan group, Y Wal Goch y Menywod. I’ve tried to get other fans along, home and away, so I think my Cymru story now is probably Wales Women’s Away, which I love. Come along and join us!”
Alan March
Alan March has followed Cymru across the world for almost four decades.
From his first Wales Away trip in 1988 to becoming a familiar face within Y Wal Goch, Alan’s journey has taken him to countless countries, stadiums and unforgettable moments supporting the national team.
Through it all, the pride of being part of The Red Wall has remained constant.
“I started watching Cymru in the early 80s, but my Cymru story really started in 1988 when I went to the Netherlands to watch Cymru in Amsterdam,” said Alan.
“I fell in love with the whole experience, particularly going away, and I’ve subsequently been away 98 times with Wales since 1988.
“For me, the red shirt really does represent Cymru, but it also represents the whole thing around the football community of Wales. When I put on the shirt I think it’s about feeling proud to be part of that community.
“The best thing about being part of Y Wal Goch has got to be the trips. It really is about the places you visit, the people you travel with, and the people that you meet on that journey. I think I’ve always felt included within Y Wal Goch, and as I’ve got older, I still feel as included as ever.”
Rosheen Khan
Rosheen Khan’s connection to Cymru was shaped from an early age, watching with her dad and sisters, before growing through her own journey in football as a referee and coach.
From family memories around the red shirt to watching Cymru together in the stands, football has remained a constant connection between Rosheen and her family.
For her, pulling on the Cymru shirt represents home, belonging and pride in being part of Y Wal Goch.
“My Cymru story began when I was a little girl watching Wales play on the telly with my dad and my sisters,” said Rosheen. “It carried on when my sister and I became referees, and then we became coaches.
“When I put on the Cymru shirt, I feel a part of a wider community. I feel Welsh, and I feel proud to be Welsh because it’s something that every Welsh person has in common.
“The best thing about being part of Y Wal Goch is coming together. Whether that be in the stadium, whether that be Wales away, watching Wales with my dad and my sisters, it’s just the one thing that everyone has in common. That’s the thing that I find the most magical.”
Ben Ellis
Musician Ben Ellis’ Cymru story began 10 years ago, when the Cymru’s heroics at UEFA EURO 2016 first introduced him to The Red Wall.
As a Welsh artist, Ben sees the same ability to bring people together in both Welsh music and football, with the red shirt representing pride, identity and a strong sense of belonging.
Ben spends much of his time away from home on the road with his band, but wherever music takes him, Wales is never far away. That feeling of always being tied back to your roots is something he feels is reflected in the new Cymru home shirt.
“My Cymru story began when I was properly invested in Welsh football at EURO 2016. I was introduced to The Red Wall, and it’s just the coolest thing to be a part of,” said Ben.
“The red shirt represents so much pride to me because being Welsh is such an amazing thing. I’m a musician specifically, and Welsh artists and Welsh music really brings people together, and I think that’s the same when it comes to the football.
“I spend a lot of time away from home, and I think Wales always stays with you really. Whenever you’re away, I think after a lot of time, if you’ve been away for a while, you always feel that call to come back. I think I can always see myself being here, and I think that that’s kind of really defined in this kit.”
Ibrahim Ali
Ibrahim Ali’s Cymru story began in 2002, when he witnessed Craig Bellamy’s historic winning goal against Italy at the then-Millennium Stadium.
From then, following the national team became a constant, and he quickly found a strong sense of belonging in The Red Wall.
Ibrahim now lives abroad, but Wales is always home and the place he continues to feel drawn back to.
“My Cymru story began when my dad took me to my first Wales game in 2002 against Italy and we won. After that, I started watching all the games with friends from school and I couldn’t miss a game then,” said Ibrahim.
“The red shirt means a lot to me. Obviously being a massive football fan, I feel like I’ve preferred international football from a younger age over club football. I felt like I was more part of the Welsh fanbase than any club side.
“When I put on the shirt, I feel part of The Red Wall. I feel like there’s a lot of inclusivity as well, which is not there with some other nations, so it means a lot to me. The matchday is the best part of it for me, getting to sing the national anthem, singing the chants, and no matter what, we support the team.”
Roopa Vyas
Roopa Vyas has always been a football fan, but Cymru’s unforgettable run to the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2016 strengthened her connection with the national team.
For Roopa, supporting Cymru is about more than what happens on the pitch. It is about standing in The Red Wall, the shared experiences and the sense of connection that comes from being part of something bigger.
“My Cymru story began when I was quite young and just a growing passion for being Welsh,” said Roopa. “I’ve been a football fan for as long as I can remember, but I think it was EURO 2016 that really sparked that enthusiasm and the passion to go and watch Wales play, so I started going with my brother. We support different clubs, but then we come together to watch Wales.
“Red is my club and my country, which brings everything together for me. But it’s the Welsh dragon for me, that’s what the red shirt represents and it’s just so vibrant and everyone associates Wales with red. I think there’s a beauty of being Welsh, connecting with people and sharing that passion for our country beyond just on the pitch.
“I think it’s so special being part of The Red Wall and sharing that with so many people from all walks of life and completely different backgrounds. Everyone’s got a story in the stands, everyone’s welcome and we all come together, especially when that anthem is sung in the stadium.”
