Tribute to Mike Peters to take place during Wales game

Welsh music icon Mike Peters will be remembered with a minute’s applause during the Wales v Liechtenstein match.

The celebration of the life of the charismatic frontman of legendary 80s rock band The Alarm will be held during the 68th minute of the game at the Cardiff City Stadium. The 68th minute was chosen as a tribute to the band’s most famous song 68 Guns.

Mike, a tireless global advocate for blood cancer patients passed away in April at the age of 66 following a 30-year battle with the disease.

Ahead of the game against Liechtenstein the singer was featured in artwork created by design agency Visually Speaking, who create all the FAW’s striking matchday posters.

Mike Peters and The Alarm recorded Cymru’s official song for EURO 2020 – ‘The Red Wall of Cymru’ – that saw him sing the song with members of The Red Wall at locations across the country.

Peters was a passionate fan of Welsh football and has performed live in the stadium ahead of Men’s National Team matches.

Born in Prestatyn, North Wales, Peters never forgot his roots, often performing in support of Welsh causes and championing the community spirit of his homeland.

Reacting at the time to the sad news of his passing, Ian Gwyn Hughes, the FAW’s Head of Public Relations & Culture, said: “Being brought up in the same part of the world I always looked up to Mike Peters and The Alarm and felt proud of his achievements. But of course there was also his huge passion for the country and football.

“I remember meeting for the first time and asking him to play in a celebrity match ahead of a Premier Cup Final between Wrexham and Cardiff City at the Racecourse alongside the likes of Joey Jones, Mickey Thomas and Dai Davies. He was just so passionate and genuine.

“He was a natural choice to compose and sing the EURO 2020 song, The Red Wall of Cymru, a song he described as a story of real people coming together. He travelled the length and breadth of the country meeting members of the Red Wall in eleven different locations.

“Often seen at the side of the pitch at the Cardiff City stadium before matches, Mike was humble, always positive and smiling. He will not only be remembered for his music but also as just a proper, genuine football fan who made a huge contribution to the culture of The Red Wall. Our sympathies to his family”

Diagnosed with lymphoma in 1995 and later with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, Peters refused to let his illness silence him. Instead, he turned his fight into a mission to help others.

Alongside his wife Jules, he co-founded Love Hope Strength, a music-driven cancer charity that revolutionized awareness and action around stem cell donation. Through its innovative ‘Get On The List’ campaigns — often hosted at rock concerts and even atop mountains — the charity has added over 250,000 people to the global stem cell registry and helped secure thousands of potential life-saving matches for patients worldwide.

Last April, just before embarking on a 50-date US tour, he was diagnosed with Richter’s Syndrome, an aggressive form of lymphoma, and despite extensive treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, including a clinical trial and innovative CAR-T therapy, doctors were unable to prevent the cancer progressing.

Peters’ journey was one of resilience. He continued to tour and record music through multiple relapses, undergoing experimental treatments while using his platform to raise awareness and funds to help others affected by cancer.

His passion for life and belief in the healing power of music inspired countless fans and fellow musicians.