A brand new documentary series, exploring Black and Asian heritage footballers who have represented Cymru, and the work being done to make football in Wales more inclusive, is now available to watch on RedWall+.
The Dragon on My Shirt is written and presented by Darren Chetty co-editor of Welsh (Plural) published in 2022 by Repeater Books. The series features interviews with Cymru players George Berry, Wendy Reilly, Safia Middleton Patel, Robert Earnshaw, Nathan Blake and Neil Taylor.
Commenting on the series, Chetty said: “As a life-long Wales fan with a diverse family background spanning three continents, working on The Dragon on My Shirt was a dream come true.
“In Welsh (Plural) I wrote about how football can be both unifying and divisive. It was a fantastic experience to explore this further with people in The Dragon on My Shirt, including players that I’ve watched and cheered on from the terraces.
“This series is another step in acknowledging Wales’ diverse histories, in championing changemakers , and in reflecting on the challenges that remain.”
Rob Earnshaw is features in episode three of The Dragon on My Shirt, and said: “It’s been such a privilege to be a part of this series. It uses sport as a vehicle to examine race, equality, society and culture in Wales, and importantly, it looks forward, not just back.
“Working with Darren, talking about my career and experiences, and learning about other people’s experiences has been such a pleasure as well as truly inspiring.”
Speaking about the new RedWall+ series, Jason Webber, the FAW’s Senior Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Integrity Manager, added: “At the FAW we want to celebrate the history of Welsh football and the amazing stories of players who blazed a trail. This series allows us to explore the stories of some of our Black and Asian players who have proudly worn the Dragon on their shirt and represented their country.
“Through the telling of these stories we hope to help tackle racism in football and inspire more people from ethnically diverse backgrounds to engage in Welsh football and go on to represent Wales.”
The Dragon On My Shirt begins with Eddie Parris, who in 1931 became the first Black player ever to play football for Cymru. Darren speaks to the people who have been working to research and memorialise 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 councillor Armand Watts.
Each episode includes in-depth interviews with the players themselves, as well as footage and photographs from the era and the players’ personal collections.
This series was funded by The Anti-Racist Wales Fund provided by the Welsh Government.
You can watch the series via the link below on your web browser or download the RedWall+ app for your device by clicking here.
The Dragon On My Shirt
Watch the full series on RedWall+
