Very few things are as satisfying as your favorite football team winning a championship - or even a game. Beyond simply the winning goal being captured on the screen, what matters most is often the community that has been built leading up to the win, the thorough analysis of the impactful goals, or the daily rituals that make up the season for you and your family members. 

With this brief, we want to highlight the camaraderie and the joy that football fandom creates. We want to capture the fanfare and the joy associated with being a Football Fan - capital Fs, since it is a title worn proudly. 

For your chance to score £1000 and have your work shared on NationalWorld’s website and social media channels, get your camera out and show us the best that football has to offer in video form; the rituals, the anticipation, the community and camaraderie.   

Need some inspiration? Let’s kick off with a few ideas….

Place

Where do you watch the match? Try to capture that feeling when you meet the crew at your favorite pub or bar, or head to your Grandparents’ where you can enjoy the game with their ‘unique’ commentary and an endless supply of tea and biscuits.  

What are bastions near your home that represent your local team? What is your Football team altar at home made up of? A jersey, a specific player card, some team colors? Is your home decked out throughout the season? What’s on display? 

‍

The dizzying highs…

When it comes to celebration, this is where we want to capture the highest of highs. How does your team’s joy affect your mood? How will you frame the thrill of a last-minute goal, the smug pleasure of correctly predicting who the next substitute will be, the collective outpouring of ecstatic joy when finally, finally, finally, the ref comes through in your favor?   

‍

…the tragic lows… 

Grief is the price we pay for love, and the sting of dreams dashed on the pitch is the price we pay for hope. Again, go beyond the head-in-hands cliches – how will your photo encompass dread, disbelief, and heartbreak?   

‍

…and everything in between.

Its not all high highs and low lows. The silverlining can just be friends made along the way, or a goal that will be imprinted on your memory at your local pub, it is the friendly competition made amongst fans, the chants, the cheers.  It is often about what happens beyond the match, and that is what we want to challenge you to capture. National World is an expert at capturing what is on the field, now we want you to contribute about what’s happening off the field. 

‍

Anticipation

What pre-match rituals mean the most to you? The walk (or drive, or bus ride) to the stadium? Bagging ‘your’ table at the pub? Does superstition dictate that you have to wear the same ancient football shirt – or the same lucky pants! – for every big match? Do you go all out on glitter and face paint? Do you get your hair and nails done in your team colors? Show us how your squad gets match fit. 

‍

The diversity of the fans 

Stock imagery and other visual media invariably depicts football fans as white. Not only white, but also straight, young, and male. We all know that the fandom is made up of a lot more than that! Show us a society of football lovers from every corner of every community, inclusive of diverse gender, race, sexuality, and age.   

‍

Ready to get the ball rolling? 

Of course you are. This is where you bring out your inner videographer and start capturing great vertical videos outlining your love of the game! You have until December 6th to submit. 

‍