LAST month football bloggers The Twelfth Man launched an appeal on Twitter asking Welsh football clubs to donate shirts for charity - and have been overwhelmed by the response.

Since kicking off the appeal on February 16, 82 teams from around Wales - including Championship side Cardiff City, Cymru Premier’s Barry Town and Pen-y-Bont, among others, have got involved.

The Twelfth Man, run by Louis Moore and Lewis Jones, started life as a blog but has now branched out, with its own six-a-side football team and plans to launch a clothing brand.

South Wales Argus: Away shirt

Away shirt

Merythr Town fan Mr Moore said: “I had a feeling it would take off but I didn’t think so many would get involved so quickly. I didn’t expect it to reach the level it’s at so far and I’m not sure my wife did either.

“I’m like a kid on Christmas at the moment. I love collecting shirts and you can’t imagine how exciting it is getting a different delivery each day and not knowing what the kit’s going to look like.”

Mr Moore will be writing team profiles for every club that gets involved in an attempt to raise the profile of Welsh football while supporting some worthy causes along the way.

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Donated shirts will be auctioned off and clubs will choose which charity they wish to see the profits donated. Any unsold shirts will be donated to the homeless.

Mr Moore continued: “It would be a travesty if lockdown ended and people just kept watching their TV on a Saturday when they could be watching their local side.

“If I’m honest I don’t know that much about the clubs around us. It’s been good to educate ourselves and to get more people to take notice, maybe even start following that club if they see a kit they like.”

Mr Jones added: “It would be nice to raise the profile of Welsh football. You never see anything about grassroots football in Wales and there’s a lot of really great sides here who don’t get the credit they deserve.”

Last year Mr Jones took up the role of chairman at Aberbargoed Town, and after a “chaotic” first year in charge he is hopeful that more people will go and support their local football team.

South Wales Argus: Aberbargoed Town

Aberbargoed Town

He said: “If you’re from a town or village with its own club you should really go and make an effort to see them even if it’s only once or twice a season.

“You have these massive clubs in Wales but really the heart and soul is your local club and they need your support more than anyone.

“In Aberbargoed there are three teams in a village of 1000 people. It doesn’t bother me who they go to watch but just to support somebody local would be great.”

To find out more about the appeal visit their twitter here. https://twitter.com/twelfthmanfooty