We all talk endlessly about stylish football, but what about stylish fans? For his new book, Over Land and Sea, British photographer Will Robson-Scott travelled around the world, across Africa, Asia and Europe, to find fans whose devotion to their clubs goes way, way beyond a knock-off scarf bought on match day. Some were effortlessly cool (looking at you, Japan's Toon Army), while some were terrifyingly devoted (as you’ll see...).
We asked Robson-Scott, whose previous work includes Crack&Shine, a book about London’s graffiti scene, and a book and short film for the musician King Krule, to tell us.
ESQUIRE: This is a such a great book. How did it come about?
WILL ROBSON-SCOTT: The basic idea was to try to tell the story of what modern day football fandom looks and feels like, set against the backdrop of some of the most famous or infamous derby days across the world. We travelled to Buenos Aires for Boca Juniors vs River Plate, Rome for Roma vs Lazio, Mexico City for Club American vs Guadalajara and Joburg for Orlando Pirates vs Mamelodi Sundowns, plus a number of other cities.
Alongside the more adrenaline-fuelled candid imagery of match day we also wanted to capture more quiet, intimate images shot in the fans’ houses, places of work or favourite watering holes. We worked with fans on the ground to find the most obsessive and eccentric while also leaving it up to luck and just finding people on the street to shoot. The book is a celebration of the most important cog in the football world: the fan.
ESQ: What was the farthest flung place you went to?
WRS: Buenos Aires was pole position for the longest flight I think, Tokyo in runner-up position. Feels like a bit of a travel fever dream looking back on it. Soweto, Rome, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Mexico, Tokyo, Newcastle, Glasgow and various jaunts round London town. Each city had its own bespoke football identity usually mirroring the history of the clubs and the societal norms and abnormalities, but the one constant was dedicated, die hard, bonkers football fans.
ESQ: Which country or city would you say had the most stylish football fans?
WRS: Orlando Pirates of Soweto in South Africa. Soweto itself is a fascinating place with such a rich political history. The people of Johannesburg seem effortlessly stylish, in the most organic, hodgepodge DIY style. But Orlando Pirates fans, aka Buccaneers, take it to another level. It’s pageantry, runway and voodoo all mixed into one. People become alter egos: one character called "Gunman" becomes a swashbuckling pirate on match day with eye patch, (fake) gun and makeshift coffin for their sworn nemeses the Kaiser Chiefs; another, "Mkhovu", whites his face and wears a white jumpsuit becoming a ghost and performs a ritual before the game to ward off evil spirits. It’s otherworldly.
Outside of the most performative, thousand of fans have makarapas, which are construction hard hats that have been hand-cut and melted into a Mad Max style accessory. The other uniform is the mass audio racket of thousands of vuvuzelas.
ESQ: Were people generally happy to have their picture taken?
WRS: Everywhere we went the fans were very warm and welcoming… until match day. Predominantly it was a lot more edgy and lots of fans grew suspicious of a camera. In Rome there is an unwritten rule - no cameras - and I felt the wrath of that. Similarly in Glasgow and even Tokyo, sections of the fan base are not camera-friendly. As a photographer it can be a nightmare, but as a football fan it’s amazing that in a world of omnipresent documentation some things are still sacred, kind of.
ESQ: What has doing the book taught you about the nature of football fandom?
WRS: That fans matter, they are the life and breath of football; the powers that be need to remember that. They live and breathe it, emotionally and financially. It will be interesting to see what happens at the World Cup because without the true, over-land-and-sea fans, who will do pretty much anything and travel any distance to make it to a match, there is potential for the atmosphere to be watered down, and that the last thing you want.
ESQ: Who do you support? I feel like it’s Arsenal.
WRS: I am an Arsenal fan and to the annoyance of many, (North) London is red.
Over Land and Sea by Will Robson-Scott is out now
