Star guests for celebration to mark 15 years of Spirit of 58

Welsh football fan culture is to be celebrated at an event to mark 15 years of Spirit of 58 – the brand which changed Welsh football culture.

Taking place at The Volley in Shoreditcht, London, the event promoted by Spirit of 58 and Welsh football magazine Alternative Wales will include a pop-up shop, live music and DJs and a series of Welsh football focused panels including ‘The Cult of Wales Away’, Welsh Football and Fashion’ and a discussion on covering the Wales football teams in the media with some of the biggest names in the game.

Guests featuring on panels throughout the day include comedian, podcast host and Welsh football fanatic Elis James (Fantasy Football, BBC Radio 5 Live, The Socially Distant Sports Bar), former Wales and Cardiff City legend and current pundit Danny Gabbidon (BBC Sport, Sky Sports), DJ and presenter Katie Owen (Feast of Football, BBC Radio) and film director and broadcaster Jonny Owen (TalkSport, Don’t Take Me Home).

Other guests include author Tony Rivers (‘Soul Crew’, ‘Magnetic: CP Company, Boneville, Stone Island. An Anthology’), Welsh sports journalist Dafydd Pritchard (BBC Sport), fashion designer Ioan Bowen-Pickett (Cambrensis) and musician and Gwilym frontman Ifan Pritchard with a solo acoustic set.

The event is a free ticketed event and takes place in East London’s premier football bar, The Volley, a minute’s walk from Old Street Station.

One of the organisers, Welsh journalist and editor, Sean Griffiths, said: “”Welsh football has been through a golden era in the last decade and Spirit of 58 has set the aesthetic of that golden era off the pitch.

“Spirit of 58 founder Tim Williams got in touch with me and asked if I knew anywhere suitable to host a pop-up shop in London to mark 15 years of the brand and I thought maybe we could turn it into something bigger.

“I got in touch with Ryan from Alternative Wales and we started reaching out to people we’d like to appear on panels at the event. The response was fantastic. Pretty much everyone said yes and tickets have been flying out since announcing the event.

“I think it’s testament to the Welsh football fan community that we’ve got the likes of Elis James, Jonny Owen and Danny Gabbidon taking time out of their busy schedules and giving up a Sunday to come and celebrate Welsh football with us. And of course, it says a lot about the esteem Tim and Spirit of 58 is held in, in Welsh football circles.”

Sean added: “Don’t miss your chance to celebrate Spirit of 58 and Welsh football fan culture with the community in London, pick-up some Spirit of 58 gear for Wales’ upcoming World Cup Qualifiers and enjoy Welsh football stories with some of Wales’ most notable fans.”

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SPIRIT OF 58
Launched by lifelong Wales football fan Tim Williams in 2010 when he printed up 200 t-shirts to try and sell at a Wales away game, Spirit of 58 has become the go-to outfitter for Wales fans through a golden football era. Best known for the iconic red, green and yellow bucket hat which has lit up Wales games from Euro 2016 to World Cup Qatar 2022, Spirit of 58 has set the Welsh football fan aesthetic for the last 15-years with a series of hats, scarves, t-shirts and more celebrating the history and culture of Welsh football.

ALTERNATIVE WALES
Alternative Wales is an independent Welsh football magazine and media platform that covers everything Welsh football – from the national teams to the domestic leagues, and the brilliant, unapologetically unique fan culture that surrounds it.

Through its print publication, podcast, and lively online presence, it gives a platform to fan voices, celebrates Welsh identity, and backs grassroots football with pride. It’s all about community, culture, and standing up for what makes Welsh football different.