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Yard Act sponsor Kesgrave Kestrels girls' football team

Contributed Girls wearing Kesgrave Kestrels shirts with Yard Act sponsorContributed
Kesgrave Kestrels say they cannot thank the band enough for their support

The logo of Leeds band Yard Act will appear on the shirts of a girls' football team in Suffolk after the group offered to be their sponsor.

The four-piece, whose debut album The Overload reached number two in the UK charts, are backing Kesgrave Kestrels Under 9s Girls Blues.

Frontman James Smith and bassist Ryan Needham met two of the players at Latitude Festival.

Smith said he was "very proud" to support the team.

Speaking to Gemma Cairney on BBC Radio 6 Music, Smith said: "We're very proud to be the official sponsors for that under 9s girls' football team.

"I've seen the shirt, I'm yet to see the girls playing in the shirt, but I'm very excited and I wish them all the best this coming season.

"I'm sure they're going to be top of the league and we can make some bank from it when they do."

Jamie Macmillan Ryan Needham and James Smith of Yard Act with two children at Latitude Festival, pretending to be meerkatsJamie Macmillan
Matilda (wearing a homemade Ipswich Town-Yard Act shirt) and Connie met Ryan and James at Latitude, and pretended to be meerkats
Contributed Two Kesgrave Kestrels shirts sponsored by Yard ActContributed
Yard Act supplied kits for the outfield players and the goalkeeper

Kesgrave Kestrels said the band were in contact the day after the meeting at Latitude Festival.

Yard Act, who announced that their second album Where's My Utopia would be released in March, are the latest in a long line of musicians to strike up a partnership with a football team.

Rapper 50 Cent recently revealed he was sponsoring a girls' team in Wales, and locally Ed Sheeran has sponsored Ipswich Town Football Club, as well as a girls' team in his hometown of Framlingham.

Tom Vale, manager of Kesgrave Kestrels Under 9s Girls Blues, said: "We've seen the power of musician sponsors on Suffolk clubs, so the alignment of the Kesgrave Kestrels Under 9s Girls Blues with the Mercury nominated Yard Act feels like the perfect combination.

"Everyone involved from the players and parents to the coaches can't thank the band enough for their support."

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