Growing up in north London, Roman Manfredi has been an Arsenal fan since they were ten years old. Looking back, they have fond memories of a childhood spent pitchside, among raucous crowds. “We didn’t have seats back then and we were packed in so it was quite an ordeal coming out unscathed when a goal was scored,” the artist remembers, with a laugh.
Between Manfredi’s first match-day memories in the late 1980s and now, the football world has changed significantly. “It was very much a working-class audience back then,” they recall. “Very different from the corporate leisure industry that football has become today.” Tellingly, Arsenal Stadium, which Manfredi frequented as a child, has since been replaced by Emirates Stadium – a venue which bears the name of a corporate sponsor, rather than a football club.
Interestingly, Manfredi’s latest project recaptures some of that collective spirit they recall from their earliest contact with the beautiful game. Fair Play, a new environmental portrait project and multi-media installation, centres on Clapton Community Football Club (CCFC) – East London’s fan-owned and fan-run football club known for its anti-fascist ethos. “As soon as I got to the Old Spotted Dog, CCFC’s home ground, and saw all the political banners and witnessed the singing and chanting I knew I wanted to work with the club,” Manfredi says. “It was a perfect fit.
Created as part of 70:15:40 Project UK – an award initiated to address the underrepresentation of women, trans and non-binary people working in photography and videography in the UK – the body of work examines football as a way of exploring topics of gender inequality. Specifically, the project focuses on uplifting the women and non-binary development and reserves teams at the club. Shot in black and white, on Manfredi’s trusty Hasselblad 500, the artist has created a series of portraits of CCFC’s female and non-binary players – some in the club’s official team colours, posing on the pitch or in front of stands bearing a “football for Palestine banner”, others in casual sports kit with tattoos snaking up and down their arms.
“You never really hear the combination of community football and women’s politics and I really liked that angle. I was curious as to what was actually happening at a grassroots level,” says Mandredi. “In these desperate times regarding the displacement of communities through gentrification, particularly in the East End where this club is situated, this club has been a breath of fresh air. The fostering of community through football has been fantastic to witness.”
What is going on in football is reflective of what is going on in the rest of society – Roman Manfredi
However, as well as positively representing the female and non-binary players embracing the beautiful game at a grassroots level, the project also ruminates on the systemic issues facing marginalised genders in football. From Manfredi’s perspective, we can’t talk about the rising popularity and visibility of women’s football without mentioning the aftermath of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which exposed the misogyny experienced by members of the winning Spanish team. “I could not forget the vile sexism and misogyny that played out when Spain won the Women’s World Cup last year – it brought to the surface [misogyny] festering beneath it,” Manfredi explains. “Of course, what is going on in football is reflective of what is going on in the rest of society.”
Fittingly, then, Fair Play doesn’t just focus on the players pushing forward gender equity – it also highlights the coaches who are helping behind the scenes. In particular, one image shows Ellie Guedalla and Julie Leaf: the co-founders and coaches of Clapton Community FC Open Access team and training, a programme for women and non-binary people of all ages, targeting beginners and those returning to the game or who have been marginalised from football.
Guedalla also works as CCFC’s club welfare officer and, from her own perspective as a survivor, is passionate about safeguarding young players from gendered abuse in all its forms. “Ellie is open about how the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her football coach as a young player affected her,” says Manfredi. “She is speaking out about her experience in order to make changes in women’s football – for Ellie, community football is all about empowering women and creating safety for women and girls globally.”
What makes Fair Play so powerful is that it doesn’t just stop at the representation of its subjects – it also invites viewers to set a change or make an intention that can radiate outwards into the wider world. As well as portraits, the project includes “I Pledge…” forms produced by young women and girls from Young Hackney, which were then given to male members of CCFF to fill out. From promises to speak up against harassment or to call out male friends for inappropriate behaviour, some of these original pledges are featured on a notice board in the installation – with Manfredi inviting visitors to add their own pledge.
While these promises are small when we look at the grander picture of gendered violence and abuse, they are a starting point to encourage individuals to examine their role in patriarchy and reclaim their power to help dismantle systems of oppression. “I wanted to inspire people to make an intention,” Manfredi explains. “A small gesture can go a long way and shows support. I would especially like men of all ages to take this on board and take some action.”
Fair Play is on display at The Handbag Factory, London from November 22 to December 3, as part of 70:15:40
