Matchweek 11
the week in which COP26 swallowed Glasgow, Spurs had a dramatic rollercoaster draw and I've been left reflecting on the alignment of values
It has been a busy week for the citizens of Glasgow, as people from all over the world descended onto our moderately-sized city to partake in COP26, the annual climate conferance. Much has been said, but the stark lack of any real action and change following those words has left many people feeling like it’s all very performative. One of the main things that have shifted is the increase in conversations around climate and sustainability that has made its way into the sport and football realm in recent years. Unfortunately there’s still a lot to be left to wish for in terms of continous coverage and normalisation around these issues, as it’s still something that mainly pops up concurrent with big events like this one.
There are initiatives that aim to make a lasting imprint on the game however, and I’ve been fortunate to be part of one of them. PARK have just released their carbon negative footballs, which are the first of their kind and really beautiful as well. They’re a social enterprise as well, and for every football or pair of goalkeeper gloves that you buy, you give a ball or a pair of gloves away to a kid in need of them, through different organisations (read more here). I got to have a few very interesting conversations with people on the streets of Glasgow, as they were reflecting on the impact that football has on the environment (watch here).
Tottenham Hotspur might be ‘the greenest club in the Premier League’, but their managerial management style is very unsustainable. Almost two years, to the day, of Mauricio Pochettino (the OG, the one who got away) being let go, it’s been announced that Antonio Conte is the new head coach of Tottenham, after the very swift dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo (who was to be honest never really going to make it in the club, that much feels pretty clear, especially with the gift of hindsight). People barely have time to ask me how I feel about a new manager before he’s away, and when they do ask me, I have very little to say. The club is tugging at my heartstrings at the minute and to protect myself I’ve shut down to a level of lukewarm, at best.
I do have a Conte-connoisseur in my household, however, as my roommate and avid Juve-fan Abelo remembers their days with the Italian coach strongly. He’s sitting next to me on the couch, jumping up and down as he exclaims: “you can already see the signs of Conte’s influence, he likes a very defensive line-up with speed and pressure down the wings.”
(that’s promising, right? I’d say that’s rather typical Spurs style, reminiscent of the good old days with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose on the wings, gosh how I loved to see them sprint up and down)
(but what are they doing now?! Completely failing to get out of their own box, playing the ball short and across, as opposed to forward)
“Look, look! That’s typical Conte, having the defenders play short passes back to the goalkeeper, even when they’re under pressure”
(sigh, this is going to be … interesting. Why do I have the feeling that the match-up of Antonio Conte and Tottenham is bound to be one hell of a ride, where I’ll end up with my heart in my throat for most of the time)
***** CHALLENGE *****
When it comes to sustainability in the football space, there’s a lot of different factors to take into account, ranging from the way that football clubs travel to games and how international competitions are set up, to the maintanance of the grass pitches, material used for kits and the way things operate in the stadium.
A lot of these things feel really daunting and out of the everyday-fans’ control, which it in many ways is, but an area in which we as fans do have control is where we choose to spend our money. Buying football kits and other merchandise is a big part of the football fandom culture, and I can get lost for hours browsing around different kit designs. This means that I’ve racked up quite a few shirts by now, and reflecting on this got me thinking. I’ve tried to keep a minimalistic approach to my consumption for a few years now, and a small wardrobe (mainly consisting of second hand finds) has several pros, like a smaller environmental footprint and taking up way less physcial space. The one area that has always gotten a pass is my clothing rack with football shirts, as I get enjoyment simply by looking at them and I do think that we are allowed a measure of indulgement in the things that we love. However, with all the environmental chat front and center in the football space, I’ve realised that I can no longer justify not aligning my personal values with my actions.
So, I’m going to challenge myself to not buy any football shirts, for a whole year (!!!). Gulp.
This might not sound so bad at first, as I don’t really buy that many shirts, but upon reflection I think it’s going to be tougher than I’m expecting. I fear it’s going to be all fine and dandy until I stumble upon one of those mouthwatering creations (like the latest Venezia FC collection, I mean … I want them all!), or I find myself, in a moment of boredom, down a rabbit hole of gorgeous vintage shirts from which we all know how hard it can be to find a way out.
I want to challenge anyone that feels called to join in :) and I will of course update you all on the process (because I’m sure it, like Tottenham’s season, will be a rollercoaster).