Cultured Football #74
The Other Final. Branding on Football Shirts. Re-defining Roles
This week’s Cultured Football will refrain from making any jokes about Neil Warnock being appointed as Caretaker Prime Minister of the UK. Our focus, has not been swayed by politics nor has it been by Wimbledon (the tournament, not the club). Instead we soldier on in bringing you the best articles we come across.
The Other Final
By Karan Tejwani for The Set Pieces
Twenty years ago, Brazil met Germany in the final of the World Cup. Some 4,600 kilometers away, two other national teams lined up for another final albeit one that did not receive a fraction of the attention. It ended up with all players dancing on the pitch so, arguably, it was our loss.
7 minute read
How football shirts chart the rise and fall of tech giants
By Ravi Hiranand and Leo Schwartz for Rest of World
“Sponsoring a football club — proper football, that is — is more than just a business transaction. It’s about using the world’s most watched sport to promote your brand.” Some of these work, others not so much.
5 minute read
Forget traditional soccer positions: Inside a new approach that redefines roles
By Gab Marcotti for ESPN
On paper - and in the manner that the game has traditionally been seen - Trent Alexander Arnold and Aaron Wan Bissaka are both right backs. Yet, when you look at how they play, they interpret the roles completely differently. That is what Antonio Gagliardi has been doing and his analysis could provide the next big evolutionary step.
5 minute read
Something Else We Loved This Week
Dan Leydon is a brilliant graphic artist who is all the time exploring new ideas and styles in the manner with which he works. He’s also constantly looking to transform this work into product which is what he’s done with Subculture, an 80 page art book looking at football and fashion.
As per the book’s blurb: “‘Subculture’ collects a series of flamboyant football fans created between 2019 and 2021. The collection is used as a lens through which the author examines fashion, consumerism, identity, diversity and football culture.”
Subculture can be found here.
Last Week’s Most Read: The rise of Dorking Wanderers – from the very bottom to the top of the non-league pyramid
By Jack Patmore for Backpage Football
Formed in 1999 by a disillusioned Wimbledon supporter, Dorking Wanderers have enjoyed a meteoric rise through the amateur and semi-pro leagues. They will start next season in the National League, the highest division outside of league football. What. A. Story.