FAW bans team shirts sponsored by Yes Cymru

Martin Shipton

The Football Association of Wales has banned players at a fifth tier club from wearing shirts supplied by its sponsor because they promote the pro-Welsh independence campaign group Yes Cymru.

Pontrhydfendegaid FC – known for short as Y Bont FC – plays in the Aberystwyth League.

For the coming season the club has agreed a sponsorship deal with Yes Cymru’s Aberystwyth’s branch.

But the FAW has stepped in and said the shirts must not be worn by players because political advertising is banned.

Richard King of Yes Cymru, who brokered the deal with the club, said: “This is very unfortunate. I can see where the FAW is coming from, but while Yes Cymru supports an independent Wales, we are not affiliated to a particular political party. We have quite a few students from Aberystwyth University in the branch who support the club, and it seemed a good idea to sponsor the shirts.”

Richard Jones, who has been associated with the club as a player and “every other capacity” for 52 years is now its chairman. He said: “This is sad. I’m sorry for Richard King, who is a very nice guy, and for Yes Cymru. The shirts cost £1,700. But we don’t want to waste all that money.

“We’ll be putting a sticker over the “Yes” in Yes Cymru until this is sorted out. We hope we can change the FAW’s mind.

“The students from Aberystwyth University are great and love the shirts. Actually Richard said this row is likely to win the club more publicity than it would have got if the shirts hadn’t been banned.”

We asked the FAW to comment, but received no response.

Y Bont FC is based at Pontrhydfendigaid in Ceredigion – a quite remote village close to Strata Florida, the ruined abbey where a number of early Welsh princes as well as Wales’ great medieval poet Dafydd ap Gwilym are buried.

The club plays in the Aberystwyth League Division One, where it is one of the league’s most successful clubs.

It played its first competitive match in 1947, entering the Second Division of the Aberystwyth League. They were winners of this league at their first attempt.

The club took voluntary relegation back to the Aberystwyth League ahead of the 2026–27 season

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