The Prince of Wales has long been an Aston Villa supporter. William made a surprise appearance at Villa Park on Thursday night to witness his beloved Aston Villa take on Bosnian team Zrinjski Mostar in the Europa Cup.
The Prince of Wales witnessed a stressful encounter, but was finally delighted when Aston Villa scored a last-minute goal during injury time, giving them a 1-0 victory. Eagle-eyed audience members noticed the royal in the crowd, and his visit to the club comes just after he and the Princess of Wales traveled to Cardiff to mark the start of Black History Month and the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush to the UK.
When William and Kate arrived in Cardiff for their first engagement, a visit to the Grange Pavilion, where the future King quipped, ‘Who’s pinching my bottom?’ to a group of old men and women, they were greeted warmly.
William and Kate met with members of the Windrush Cymru Elders, an organization founded in 2017 to enhance understanding of ethnic minority elders’ concerns and needs while also commemorating the Windrush generation’s contributions.
The pair learned about the seniors’ lived experiences and how the Windrush Generation has benefited the Welsh community.
William and Kate were also introduced to members of the Ethnic Minority Youth Forum, a group of 11 to 25-year-olds who want to be a change agent for young people from minority ethnic groups in Wales.
The royals spoke with young people from the Somali community, which is concentrated in Cardiff’s Grangetown neighbourhood. They learned about community programs undertaken by members of Wales Somaliland Youth Links and Cardiff Bay Warriors FC, ranging from football to youth unemployment.
William has always been a supporter of Aston Villa, as he stated to Gary Lineker: “A long time ago at school, I got into football big time.” I was looking for a club. All of my pals at school were either Manchester United or Chelsea supporters, and I didn’t want to support the same old teams. I wanted a mid-table team that could provide me with more emotional rollercoaster rides.
“Aston Villa has always had a fantastic history.” I have Aston Villa supporters among my friends, and one of the first FA Cup games I attended was Bolton v Aston Villa in 2000. Unfortunately, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea.”
“I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was sat with all the Brummie fans and had a great time,” the monarch added. It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie, and I truly felt that there was something there with which I could connect.”
Prince George, the Prince’s little son, appears to be following in his father’s footsteps, as he has accompanied his father to multiple matches.
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