When the news hit that world-famous rapper and general life-enjoyer Snoop Dogg had bought a minority stake in Swansea City last July, the Welsh football ecosystem did not really know how to react.

Snoop Dogg was the surprise model as Swansea launched their home kit for the 2025-26 season, with fellow American celebrity Martha Stewart joining him a few weeks later.

Add in Real Madrid legend and Ballon D’Or winner Luka Modric, and Swansea City have the most eclectic ownership group in world football.

Snoop has well in excess of 100 million followers and, before Swansea’s 1-1 draw with Preston North End on Tuesday 24^th April, he was most recently the US Winter Olympic Team’s unofficial coach, present at all their most successful moments in skating, hockey, and others.

No doubt, the rapper’s introduction to the Swansea fans brought attention – and people – to the Swansea.com Stadium at a level not seen since the club were last in the Premier League in 2018.

Eyes, however, are now on a return – with the involvement of Snoop part of a longer-term plan that Swansea chief executive Tom Gorringe says has “no limits.”

Brought on board by the club’s US owners Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen in July, Snoop’s minority stake didn’t mean a large injection of cash.

But it did mean a huge boost to its ability to sell itself.

“The reality is that if we operated within our natural resources we couldn’t compete financially,” says Gorringe, speaking just after helping show Snoop around the club’s training base on Monday afternoon where he met players and staff.

“PSR (profit and sustainability rules) is our biggest constraint. We’re up against sides with parachute payments, and we have one of the lowest turnovers.

“We have to think of new ways to generate income. We are an underdog and part of the attraction for him is the difference he can make with the pull he naturally has.”

As one of the most famous people on the planet, Snoop’s following outstrips even that of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac – the Hollywood owners of Wrexham.

Beyond growing the brand and the wider fan base, which Gorringe admits “takes time,” there have already been tangible benefits.

Income has seen tie-ins, including clothing collaborations with Snoop’s own publishing label, the iconic Death Row Records that was once the home of Dr Dre and Tupac Shakur.

“By December, our retail business surpassed last year’s revenue,” says Gorringe, who has previously suggested that sponsorship deals for next year are set to be bigger than any previous agreement.

The appeal of having a celebrity owner is nothing new. Following Wrexham’s duo, there have been the likes of Tom Brady at Birmingham City – and now Birmingham Phoenix cricket in The Hundred – Michael B Jordan at Bournemouth, and Lebron James at Liverpool.

Brady is much more involved in Birmingham – as documented in the hagiographic documentary Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues – than the others on that list. It remains to be seen how hands on Snoop will get at Swansea.

He is clearly into sport, as the aforementioned Winter Olympics appearances show, but the time it has taken for him to actually attend a game, points to this being more of a gimmick than a genuine partnership with Cravatt and Cohen.

Unlike at Wrexham, Snoop has no formal role, no decision-making power, just contributions and offers to help in the ways he can.

“There’s a definite excitement about being part of things and he was really engaged in it all – but it’s clear he’s aware there’s a responsibility,” adds Gorringe.

“He wants to learn more about the city and the community because he sees that as an important role.

“It would be easy for this to be done as a PR stunt but understanding the city is the heart of who we are and who he is.”

For be fair to the multi-millionaire, Snoop did buy his own tickets for the Preston match, with the proceeds going directly to community groups associated with the club.

Overall, though, it really was a surreal scene at Swansea vs Preston.

The visiting manager Paul Heckingbottom noted “the smell of weed in the tunnel” as the Swansea fans serenaded their new hero with chants of “Snoop Dogg’s barmy army.”

Fans had been lining up outside the stadium five hours before kick-off to get a glimpse of Snoop, who signed autographs and posed for photographs in the kind of sunshine that will have made the Californian feel at home.

Inside the ground, he had arranged for every single seat to have a Snoop and Swansea-branded towel inspired by those waved by supporters of his beloved American football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Preston had only brought around 200 fans for what was a sell-out. With tickets in the away end sold to Swansea supporters, this was a record number of home fans at a game in this stadium.

Yet the away fans were loudest during a first half in which their team led to puncture the party atmosphere.

“Snoop Dogg, what’s the score?” sang Preston’s travelling contingent, before later chanting: “Where’s your towel gone?”

Sat in the directors’ box in a long Swansea puffer coat, which would not have looked out of place on the slopes of the Winter Olympics in northern Italy, this was Snoop’s first experience of football’s tribal fan culture.

Fortunately for him, he got to sample the soaring high of an injury-time equaliser as well, as substitute Liam Cullen headed the Swans level in the 95th minute.

“After the game, he [Snoop] came to the dressing room, spoke with the players,” said Swansea head coach Vitor Matos.

“He’s someone that likes to be involved. He was involved not only with us, but as well with the [US] Olympic team. He really loves sports.

“It’s good for him to be involved. I’m happy that we have someone like him who loves the club, loves the city, wants to be here.”

---

If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.

Our podcast is back for the new season and our co-founder Alex Cuthbert is in charge! You can find all the episodes here or the video versions on our YouTube channel.

You can also keep track of our pieces and videos on our socials at @Sportin_Wales on X or Sportin Wales on Instagram and Facebook.