Exploring football, culture and the ‘rabbit hole’ when they’re combined

This time it’s Mamelodi Sundowns, the champions of South Africa and very nearly the champions of the African continent. Ronwen Williams, Aubrey Modiba and Siyabonga Mabena are the day’s subjects, but before it’s been Ousmane Dembele and Nuno Mendes and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry and Manuel Neuer.

Pete is the Creative Director at SoccerBible, and it’s his job to bring football and culture together on camera. A quick look through his Instagram is proof that he’s pretty good at what he does.

The job has taken him around the world, from close to home in Europe to South America and the USA. This one, in Johannesburg, is in collaboration with adidas as part of their Road To Glory pack launch ahead of the intercontinental showpiece this month… The iconic Predator, as well as the F50 and Copa are on show, but it’s as much about the people in them, and what they’re about, than the boots themselves.

How football and culture combines

“I love stories of people,” Pete told 3 Added Minutes. “And what we’re doing right now is shooting lots of players in a very considered kind of way - there’s a real art direction to it, and I love how you see different cultures even in this environment. How a Parisian team might act and feel, how a team in Germany might, and then you go to South Africa and there’s a flare that comes out… Chatting to the players, how in touch they are with their emotions and how they articulate themselves - everyone looks at someone like Jules Koundé as being like a culture king, but there are so many others with depth to them, and stories. That’s what I love to see the most.

“I think the audience has changed now, with football fans, there’s now a real hunger to see them express who they are, and the game has got closer to the NBA was like 15 years ago or so… The players are more reflective of the next generation. It feels like there’s been a big shift culturally.”

Ronwen Williams is a household name in his home country, but globally he gained recognition with his penalty-saving heroics at the African Cup of Nations. He went viral for saving four in one shootout against Cape Verde last year, and ended up nominated for the Yashin Trophy to top things off.

This month he’s headed State-side with his Masandawana teammates, and he’s relishing the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the sport’s most elite athletes – both on the field and in the studio.

“It’s amazing,” he said after leaving set. “But that’s what you get when you play in these major tournaments, and it’s what we’re striving for now as a country. We didn’t have this before. The ceiling has lifted higher, we need to dream bigger now – because we have done well, and we’re pushing. I know what all of this will do for the youth of our country, we don’t have to just dream about local success now, we can dream bigger. We’ll be playing in the Club World Cup, and doing it with a team from South Africa. The goalposts have shifted, and our mentality have shifted. There’s so much more to come.”

This shoot took place in the bowels of adidas’ huge store at the heart of Sandton City, but Pete was by no means constrained to that space. He ventured out, into the energetic hubbub of Soweto, the famous South Western Township, in his quest for football culture context. South Africa, obviously, is different to France, to Germany, to wherever comes next.

What does football culture mean to you?

He went on to say, “It differs by club, of course. With one club it can be like a military operation, in terms of the stuff that’s going on, and how efficient you have to be with time. You’re on the clock to get stuff done - sometimes in minutes. In South Africa, for instance, we have a little bit more leeway, and bit more flexibility - and it’ll probably show in the content. It’s that little bit more expression, and I think it’s a good example to follow…

“I’m deeply passionate about football and creativity, and I love to see what happens when you put them together. Similarly with like, cultural exploration. So it’s about being able to express myself, and see it come out of the other end as I dreamt it… That’s credit to the team that we’ve got. We have our small team, and then rider crews in the countries we go to, and when you meet people who are plugged in to the local culture that there’s an opportunity. It gives you the chance to go down the rabbit hole of ‘What does football culture mean to you?’ It’s always beautifully weird and wonderful. I just love where football can unexpectedly take you, and to be able to merge it all together.”

This summer sees all of it combine in the biggest Club World Cup we’ve ever seen, with nations from six different continents coming together in 11 different stadiums across the US. From Seattle to Miami, and Pasadena to Philadelphia. In a nation that prides itself on sport as a product, the results could be absolutely fascinating.

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