LaLiga sponsors club with world's longest name

Published on: 13 September 2023

LaLiga has announced a one-year shirt sponsorship deal with Welsh village team Clwb Pêl Droed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Football Club, with the league's "LL" logo to be displayed on the club's home and away shirts for 2023-24.

The team -- based on the island of Anglesey and known as CPD Llanfairpwll FC for short -- play in Division One of the North Wales Coast West League, in the fifth tier of Welsh football.

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The players will wear the new shirts for the first time on Saturday, as they face local rivals Holyhead Town FC.

As part of the partnership, the village also received a new "Welcome to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch" sign, with the five 'lls' in its name changed to match LaLiga's new logo.

CPD Llanfairpwll FC will celebrate the club's 125th anniversary in 2024.

They are second bottom of North Wales Coast West League Division One, having won one and lost two of their three games so far this season.

"We've got a great group here who are really committed to bringing success to the club," CPD Llanfairpwll FC Manager Gwydaf Hughes said. "I know the lads can't wait to wear the new kit with pride."

"We're already watching a lot more Spanish football this season," top goalscorer Marquis Holland said. "[We] look forward to learning something off the likes of [Robert] Lewandowski, [Antoine] Griezmann and [Jude] Bellingham."

The long form of the village's name, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, is believed to have originated in the 19th century as an attempt to attract tourism and publicity.

Welsh football has drawn unprecedented levels of international attention since the purchase of Wrexham -- who play in the English football league system -- by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2020.

LaLiga has sought to develop its links with grassroots football in the UK in recent years, sponsoring the Bloomsbury Football League in north London, and running summer camps in England featuring UEFA Pro-licensed Spanish coaches.

The new kits are expected to be available for purchase by fans in the next few months, and the league are planning a series of events with the club over the course of the 2023-24 season.

Source: espn.co.uk

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