A rap star has agreed to sponsor a British football team. The club will therefore display his name on their new jersey.
Ed Sheeran is no longer the only music star to promote himself on the jersey of a football club. Since 2021, the English singer has sponsored the Ipswich Town club, which plays in the Championship (English second division), to promote his tour in particular. From now on, it is a legendary American rapper who imitates the initiative of his counterpart, to support another British club. He will display his name on the away jersey and even on the tracksuits of this team.
American rapper 50 Cent agreed to provide financial aid to a club that badly needed it, in exchange putting his name but also that of his group, G-Unit, on the equipment. It is an amateur club from Cardiff, AFC Rumney, and more precisely its U-14 women’s team (under 14), which will have the honor of displaying the name of the famous artist. Richie Brown, the manager of the club in question, explained to the BBC that the father of one of the players was working with the rapper on a tour and that he asked him to sponsor the team on this occasion. The rapper agreed to help this small amateur team.
50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, is a music star, a leading figure in American rap in the 2000s. He has more than 70 million albums sold and global successes such as the titles “In Da Club” or “Candy Shop”. He also won a Grammy Award and has collaborated with Eminem and Dr. Dre among others. He is also a producer and actor.
AFC club manager Rumney explains that parents are even more enthusiastic than their children about this sponsorship: “I’m sure more of them than the players know who he is because of their age, but “The enthusiasm around the team and the whole club is truly incredible and it’s all thanks to him.”
Richie Brown wanted to thank the rapper: “We are very grateful for everything he is doing for us right now. We appreciate the support he is giving us. […] It’s huge for amateur football teams to have people and businesses supporting us to get better things.”
And the story may not end there. AFC manager Rumney compares this sponsorship with the investment of the famous actor Ryan Reynolds at another Welsh club, Wrexham AFC: “I’m sure the Wrexham community is absolutely delighted with what Ryan Reynolds has done, and I hope 50 Cent will have the same kind of impact on us here.” There is no question yet of producing a series like in the case of Ryan Reynolds (“Welcome to Wrexham”, available on Disney+), but it is already a great story for a small Welsh club and its players, which also highlights the financing difficulties of amateur clubs.