A ZINE celebrating Welsh football and the culture that surrounds it launched this week.

Cardiff resident and City fan Ryan March came up with the idea for Alternative Wales on the way home from the Euro 2016 clash versus Northern Ireland as a way of capturing everything it means to be a Welsh football fan.

A zine is essentially an independent magazine usually focused on a particular issue or subculture. Some may be familiar with them through football, with many team’s fan groups producing their own.

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Issue one features the personal stories of dozens of Welsh football fans and launched Monday, March 8, with the first batch of 200 selling out within hours of release.

A delighted Mr March said: “It’s been overwhelming the number of people that have taken to it but I’m also not really surprised because there is so many people who connect with the content.

“I didn’t want it to be just a diary of my thoughts. I wanted it to be a collection of stories, opinions and ideas. Everyone’s got a story to tell and it’s nice to give people a place to have their voice heard.”

The zine goes beyond the 90-minutes of match action to consider the culture, music and politics that surround the beautiful game.

Mr March has been in bands for much of his life and hopes this project can provide a spotlight for up-and-coming and Welsh-language artists.

He said: “Football and music cross over more than people realise however in the wider sense of football culture I think the music scene has gone a bit stale, it’s the same bands and same laddy rock.

“There are bands and artists I think football fans would really like, they just don’t have the exposure.”

On politics Mr March said: “For me, Welsh football is a platform for change. Football is so important in achieving societal change, it can lead the way.

“I know not all Welsh football fans will support independence however there is a large group who are interested in it and it’s a great way of growing that conversation.”

Mr March added that he hopes to one day expand the project by introducing podcasts, gigs and a Welsh-language edition.