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Why Newport County Supports Directors’ Box

If there’s one club across the 92 that understands the importance of community, it’s Newport County and thats why they support Directors Box.

If there is one club across the 92 that understands the importance of community, it’s Newport County.

In 1989, after slipping out of the Football League, the club filed for bankruptcy and went out of business. They were expelled from the league in what was the darkest day in their history.

 

In June 1989, just a few months later, 400 supporters rallied together to help reform the club. The task that lay ahead of those supporters, however, was mammoth. They were initially re-appointed to the Hellenic League and were now forced to play their home games in Gloucestershire, earning themselves the nickname ‘The Exiles’.

 

The club’s astonishing journey back up the leagues was completed when they defeated Wrexham 2-0 in the National League Play-Off Final in 2013, returning to the Football League after a nearly 25-year exodus. Ten years later, the club looks healthier than ever, with the fans and local community playing a huge part in this.

 

Volunteers

 

Newport is, and always has been, a working-class city with working-class values. Locals believe in looking out for one another and supporting each other through tough times. A rising tide raises all ships, and Newport, as a city, has always gone up and down together, enthusiastically championing local success and helping lift one another up when they have fallen.

 

One area where this has been embodied over the years is through the club’s volunteers. Newport has, in the last decade, relied on the goodwill of its supporters to help it steady the ship. The spirit of those fans who helped reform the club is still alive and well and can be witnessed at Rodney Parade every match day.

 

Take Nic, the club’s photographer who enthusiastically drives the media team up and down the country every week gives her time to attend training sessions, and proudly shares photos of fans every match day, asking for nothing in return. You could also look at Alfie, the lifelong Newport fan who creates graphics for the club and saw his dreams realised when they were shared far and wide for the Man United game. Newport is in his blood, with his mother helping to organise the away travel and volunteering in the club shop.

 

The club’s beating heart and day-to-day mechanics are in the capable hands of these people, who are very much their unsung heroes. To the locals of Newport and its volunteers, the club means everything and the club understands the values of community care and giving back.

 

Local Talent and Grassroots Football

 

While teams further up the football pyramid rely on vast scouting networks that cross continents, teams in League Two, for the most part, do not have that luxury. Newport is a club focused on local talent, building strong relationships with many of the Cymru Premier sides in the local area and supporting grassroots teams.

 

This has reaped huge rewards, with Will Evans, the man who pulled them level against Manchester United in the FA Cup and has already bagged more than 20 goals this campaign, joining the club from Bala Town in 2022. Evans has been a constant threat for the Exiles this season and has established himself as one of the best players in the division.

 

Will has grabbed the headlines this year, but he is not the only player to have been plucked from the Welsh leagues. Nathan Wood, who signed in June 2023, played for Bridgend’s team, Penybont, before entering the football league. Wood has had a hugely positive impact on the club on and off the pitch, with the Wales Under-18 star being a big advocate for men’s mental health on his social media channels.

 

Newport has fostered a culture that supports local football talent and the Welsh leagues. This is also evident through its Academy, which supports local boys and girls looking to enter the game and become the next Will Evans or Nathan Wood.

 

County in the Community

 

One of Newport’s biggest contributions to its community is through the County in the Community program. This was established in 2013 and earned charity status two years later.

 

The charity uses the power of football to help people throughout the community across different areas of life. For many people in Newport, it has been able to provide a life-changing, positive experience and is something that we at Director’s Box believe perfectly embodies the spirit of what Newport County as a club is all about.

 

A Perfect Match

 

So why are Newport County supporting Director’s Box? It’s clear that we both share a lot of values. We believe in helping communities through the power of football, in supporting our local communities, and in fostering the next generation of football talent through grassroots football and organisations.