Snoop Dogg: Rap and Swansea City legend – the story behind the unlikely football connection

It certainly has been done.

Since he’s responsible for selling 35 million records worldwide, Snoop Dogg can now add record ticket sales to his resume.

The club has opened up sections of the away end due to a spike in interest, meaning that not only have ‘tickets sold’ signs gone up for the visit of Preston North End, the match is also set to see more Swansea fans in the ground than ever before.

It is a short-term blow for a club that lost its way after relegation from the Premier League in 2018.

However, all eyes are now on his return – with Snoop involved as part of a long-term plan that Swansea chief executive Tom Goring says has “no limits”.

Brought in by American club owners Brett Cravat and Jason Cohen in July, Snoop’s minority stake did not mean a major cash injection.

But it meant a big boost to her ability to sell herself.

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

“The Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) are our biggest hurdle. We are up against teams with umbrella payments and have one of the lowest turnovers.

“We have to think of new ways to generate income. We are an underdog team and part of their appeal is the difference we can make with the traction we naturally have.”

That draw includes more than 100 million social media followers – more than the Wrexham ownership combined – which Swansea are already looking to make the most of.

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

The income has seen engagements, including a clothing collaboration with Snoop’s publishing company, the iconic Death Row Records label that was once home to Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur.

“By December, our retail business had surpassed last year’s revenue,” says Goering, who had previously suggested that next year’s sponsorship deals were set to be bigger and better than any previous agreement.