Journal

Whenever a big tournament rolls around, brands will slap a crest on something and call it a statement. They’ll announce: “We’re football fans now”. Course you are, lads. Of course you are. 

More people were rescued from rooftops than arrested as Arsenal celebrated their first league title in 22 years. What unfolded in North London was a reminder of football’s unique ability to bring people together. Friends of Futsol, Gift JR Gwambe and Rudi Minto de Wijs, collective take on the unity of celebration.  

Our starting point was simple enough: what do we actually want to wear? Not just on matchday. Not just when it feels like an occasion worth dressing for. But in the day-to-day living of a football-flecked life. What do we actually need?  

Our path to biodynamic grower Alfie Nickerson didn’t begin in the perfumed fields of Norfolk but under the jaundiced lights of a seven-a-side pitch in W10, where people pay to run themselves into the astroturf for no glory and scant reward save the small salvation of a cold pint at full-time. Our founder Nico was there every Monday night. Alfie was too.

For our new collection, we went on a pilgrimage back to the origins of the game, delving deep into the rugged beauty of British folklore, and the heart of ancient traditions - the sun, the ball, and the sacred grounds of common worship where the roots of football and folklore intertwine.

Rudi Minto de Wijs is a curator and writer whose work spans contemporary art, music, and community projects that champion inclusivity and celebrate diasporic culture. He is currently Head of Curation at Jumbi Peckham. Based in Margate, he landed there almost by accident after coming for a day trip.