Newport County team up with La Liga side for unique collaboration

Newport County is going global with the launch of a new away kit – a unique collaboration with Basque giants Athletic Club Bilbao.

The red and white Athletic-inspired kit will celebrate the historical ties of friendship, humanity and generosity with the La Liga club that stretches back nearly 100 years.

The kit concept and collaboration were created by Neal Heard, Newport County’s creative director and owner of Lover’s F.C, who was also behind last season’s popular one-off Skindred kit.

It was during the Spanish Civil War of 1937 that around 4,000 Basque children were evacuated from Bilbao to Britain, fleeing the devastation and bombing of the Basque region.

The plea for aid saw 56 of these children taken in and housed at Cambria House in Caerleon, a stone’s throw from Newport’s current home at Rodney Parade.

It was here they came under the care and protection of the local community, including most prominently Maria Fernandez, a Bilbao native who had settled in Wales and who played a key role in caring for and fostering a sense of safety and community for the children.

Football also played a significant part in the children’s integration. The formation of a local Newport team, which became known as Basque Boys FC, was so good it gained recognition and toured across Wales and was also referred to as the ‘Basque Unbeatables’. Some of the team members even went on to become professional footballers in Spain in later life.

Many of the Children of ’37 have remained in Newport and have brought up their own families in the area as firmly part of the local community.

And the act of kindness has not been forgotten by the Basque club who will be promoting the shirt and the link with special events at their stadium throughout the year, including a potential collaboration between the Welsh and Basque governments.

Johana Ruiz-Olabuenaga, head of Athletic Club’s Social Area, said: “Newport County’s initiative is wonderful and goes beyond football. It is related to two fundamental aspects for Athletic Club – identity and memory.

“The Basque people were indebted to the Welsh people for their hospitality in times of war. This red and white shirt is a tribute to the ‘Basque Children of ’37’ and strengthens the ties between Euskal Herria and Cymru.”

A Newport County delegation, featuring a descendant of the children who remained in the Newport area after the war, will also hand deliver a shirt to Athletic for their club museum, while future events are also planned within the collaboration initiative.

The shirt will also feature the names of all the children and protagonists who played a part in the story. The flags of both nations along with slogans in Cymraeg, Eskaudi and English are all found throughout the shirt’s design detail.

Newport County chairman, Huw Jenkins, added: “This collaboration in recognition of the ‘Basque Children of ’37 epitomises the naturally caring nature of the people of Newport and, in this case, Caerleon, in particular.

“Football is more than just a game; it’s about the club serving the community and recognising the good in people, many of whom form part of our growing fanbase. I think this new away kit helps to recognise and highlight that.

“And as a proud Welsh nation ourselves, we share many characteristics with the Basque Country and its traditions, and we are delighted to collaborate and build links with such a great club as Athletic Club.’’

The new away kit is now available to purchase in the club shop in Friars Walk and online HERE

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