Mastercard is sponsoring a Welsh team with the longest name in football, in a move to back grassroots football and highlight its Click to Pay offering to local businesses.
This season, Mastercard will become the official shirt sponsor of North Wales Coast West Division One side CPD Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch FC, having signed a three-year deal with the non-league side. The 126-year-old team with 58 letters plays in the fifth tier of the Welsh league.
Mastercard says the sponsorship should strengthen its connection with the local community. In February, Mastercard chose the village, alongside seven of Europe’s longest-named places, to become pioneers of Click to Pay, a one-click payment technology removing the need to enter personal details, such as long card numbers, when shopping online.
“Football clubs are the beating heart of communities across the country, and we’re proud to announce this long-term partnership, cementing our links with Llanfairpwll,” said Simon Forbes, division president, UK and Ireland, at Mastercard. “This expanded collaboration reflects our commitment to backing grassroots football and local businesses and driving forward technology that helps support everyday transactions across small towns and villages as well as global cities.”
Click to Pay is designed to reduce the time at checkout and boost security by removing the need to share card numbers and personal details with retailers. The technology, which is rolling out across the continent, is part of Mastercard’s plan to end manual card entry by 2030.
To mark the team sponsorship and the launch of Click to Pay, Mastercard will host an event at the club’s first home game of the season vs Llangoed for residents and local businesses. Visitors to the Maes Eilian ground on Bank Holiday Monday 25 August, will be able to sign up for the Click to Pay technology with partner the Co-op, and receive exclusive club merchandise. There will also be free matchday food, Co-op pies courtesy of a Mastercard ‘Click to Pay’ pie van.
Investing in the local game
“Click to Pay is designed to make life easier for everyone – from fans buying tickets and merchandise to local businesses processing transactions quickly and securely,” added Forbes. “We’re looking forward to cheering on Llanfairpwll FC this season and showing residents and local retailers a simpler, faster and more secure way to pay online.”
North Wales has emerged as an unlikely hotspot for football investment in recent years. Since 2021, Wrexham AFC has had Hollywood owners with a documentary series, Welcome to Wrexham, created to follow the fortunes of the club. This season, the club will play in the Championship, having become the first club in Football League history to win three consecutive promotions.
“You only have to look down the road at Wrexham to see how football partnerships can inspire success on the pitch and a huge feel-good factor off it,” explained Llanfairpwll FC chairman, Samantha Jones-Smith.
“This isn’t just another sponsorship deal for our club – it’s a collaboration that builds on the strong relationship Mastercard has forged with the Llanfairpwll community throughout the year. They’re not just putting their name on our shirts; they’re investing in our future, our facilities, and most importantly, our supporters. We’re looking forward to celebrating before our first home game of the season and getting the opportunity to try out the technology as we kick off with Click to Pay together.”
