'A proper, genuine football fan': FAW pays tribute to Mike Peters

Mike Peters and The Alarm recorded Wales’s official song for EURO 2020 – ‘The Red Wall of Cymru’ – which saw him perform alongside members of The Red Wall at locations across the country.

Mike, who was born in Prestatyn and lived in Dyserth, was a passionate fan of Welsh football and performed live in the stadium ahead of Men’s National Team matches.

Ian Gwyn Hughes, the FAW’s Head of Public Relations and Culture, said: “Being brought up in the same part of the world, I always looked up to Mike Peters and The Alarm and felt proud of his achievements but of course, there was also his huge passion for the country and football.

"I remember meeting for the first time and asking him to play in a celebrity match ahead of a Premier Cup Final between Wrexham and Cardiff City at the Racecourse alongside the likes of Joey Jones, Mickey Thomas and Dai Davies. He was just so passionate and genuine.

"He was a natural choice to compose and sing the EURO 2020 song, The Red Wall of Cymru, a song he described as a story of real people coming together. He travelled the length and breadth of the country meeting members of the Red Wall in eleven different locations.

“Often seen at the side of the pitch at the Cardiff City stadium before matches, Mike was humble, always positive and smiling.

"He will not only be remembered for his music but also as just a proper, genuine football fan who made a huge contribution to the culture of The Red Wall.

"Our sympathies to his family”

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A voice of defiance and hope both on and off the stage, Mike first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm, whose powerful anthems like ‘68 Guns’ and ‘Strength’ helped define a generation of alternative rock. Known for their rallying cries and heartfelt lyrics, The Alarm garnered a devoted international following, with Mike’s raw vocals and commanding stage presence at the heart of it all.

During a music career that spanned five decades, Mike performed with some of music’s greatest artists and bands including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and U2.

Mike died in the early hours of April 29 from blood cancer. He leaves his wife Jules, 58, and two sons, Dylan, 20, and Evan, 18.

The rocker was first diagnosed with blood cancer chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) more than 30 years ago, aged 36. 

Over the years Mike underwent numerous drug treatments and rounds of chemotherapy and tried experimental therapy to keep his cancer at bay.

Most recently, he underwent Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy (CAR-T) at The Christie in Manchester in an attempt to cure his Richter's syndrome, a rare and aggressive blood cancer.

In March, Mike revealed that although CAR-T hadn't officially been able to cure him, it had "helped".

During his lifetime, Mike, along with Jules, tirelessly raised awareness and funds for cancer research and care. The couple staged huge fundraising events and concerts such as The Gathering, Snowdon Rocks and Zip World Rocks - just to name a small few.

The couple co-founded Love Hope Strength, a cancer charity to encourage action around stem cell donation.

Through its Get On The List campaigns, often publicised at rock concerts, the charity has added more than 250,000 people to stem cell registers worldwide.