Football will always belong to the streets. The Santan Cup...football in it's purest form
Football will always belong to the streets. The Santan Cup...football in it's purest form
The Santan Cup takes over England HQ + why street football is the most influential force in football culture.
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From Streatham to St. George’s Park. The 7th edition of the Santan Cup presents a seismic evolution from it’s inception. As Santan Dave’s latest kick about ft. his mates took over England’s training ground. Featuring New Balance, Stone Island, Top Baller 1v1s, Footballer Fit’s arrivals and an SE Dons victory. Street Football’s the winner.
The build-up to this year’s Santan Cup felt extra special. Teased on advertising boards around the Camp Nou a few weeks prior. Spotify, a Santan Cup partner, utilised their assets with Barcelona for the streets. One of the few occasions I’ve actually seen LED boards cause more than just ‘awareness’. Thanks to the cultural capital Dave holds within football and music culture. Whilst also highlighting the significance of the tournament for the street football calendar.
In recent years the Santan Cup has gone global. All the way from Miami to Rio De Janeiro ft Adriano Imperador. The arenas may change but street footballers are omnipresent. The likes of Spotify, New Balance and Stone Island were prominent this year. Despite heavy brand presence it was still football in it’s rawest and purest form. Teams from Rising Ballers, SE Dons and Top Baller all featuring. Tap in to the SE Dons coverage below.
The Basement Cup and P17 Tournament are other street football events making waves. Both with their unique offerings. The Basement Cup brings streetwear brands to street football culture. Whilst Iwobi’s P17 Tournament brings Premier League ballers back to where it started. Street football the common denominator.
The Santan Cup demonstrates the convergence of music and football. Whilst The Basement Cup highlights the convergence between streetwear and fashion. Music and streetwear may come across as new entrants in the world of football. Yet the two have always co-existed for street footballers. Making street football the most authentic arena for these worlds to come together.
Growing up my fashion and music interests were dictated by my football obsession. T90 astros on feet at all times. Because you never knew when you were going to get a call up. Football kits for non-uniform day because I always had to rep YANITED. The music I listened to had to get me gassed on match day. The inclusion of a football bar would call for a reload.
The above quote from last year’s coverage of The Basement Cup sums it up perfectly. Football’s accessibility is what makes it the street’s game. I started off doing kick ups with balloons I’d see at birthdays. This evolved into that plastic shoot ball. One I used to kick around the house and break things with. My first pair of boots were some dusty Sondico’s. But it didn’t matter. All I needed were feet to start kicking a ball around. The accessories and facilities involved were a plus.
This accessibility meant everyone could play. Regardless of where you grew up or the challenges you faced.
We’re often told football is the biggest force for cultural influence. But I think there’s another question to ask. Does it hold this influence over people in all mediums? I believe street football culture is where football’s influence is strongest.
There’s an influx of high-end fashion brands entering football. Looking to capitalise on the influence of elite athletes. This makes sense as the aesthetic aligns with the clothes you see on ballers’ IG feeds. It also gives ballers a platform to express themselves. Whether that’s Cole Palmer appearing in campaigns for Burberry. Or Jude Bellingham appearing at fashion week with LV.
However, none of these collaborations between high-end fashion and football compel me. Are we at a point of saturation with these? It feels like when big corps invest in streetwear brands (Supreme selling to VF Corp). Here today, gone tomorrow. High-end’s inaccessibility is at polar opposites with the accessibility of football.
Whereas The Santan Cup represents the people’s game. Dave putting together a team with his close friends to take on his peers. I entered tournaments all summer and had the same experience. We relate to this. Street football tournaments authentically align with core football audiences.
As a result, there’s a long-term play for brands entering this space. They are engaging an audience that will always be there and connect with what’s going on. New Balance and Stone Island have a long-standing relationship with Dave. They’ll see greater impact supporting the tournament compared to brands who throw money at football.
Long live the Santan Cup.
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