US rock band Wheatus has become the shirt sponsor of Nunnery Wood U13s Phoenix, a youth football team based in Worcester. The unlikely partnership grew out of a friendship between the team's coach, Graham, and the band after he and his son Bertie, both fans, met members of Wheatus at a gig in Gloucester.
Graham has followed the New York band since their self-titled debut album came out in 2000. After winning tickets to meet the group at Gloucester Guildhall in 2023, he took Bertie, then nine, along to a meet and greet arranged by the band. Graham stayed in touch with bassist Matthew, and when he suggested the sponsorship, the band agreed.
Frontman Brendan B Brown said the decision needed little thought. He described the fans as more like family and said the band wanted to help remove financial barriers that could keep young people from playing sport. "Just knowing that a little bit of funding is out there making it possible for a bunch of kids to get on the pitch, that's really enough for me," he said.
Brown said the new kits looked "rad and totally awesome" and suggested the team could earn a private acoustic performance in the locker room if they continued to do well. Bertie said that would be "really cool".
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing