Editorial
GRASSROOTS GAMECHANGERS: Victoria Park Vixens & Nike Air Max Plus TNPO
21 June 2024Ahead of the launch of Nike’s latest hybrid sneaker, the Air Max Plus TNPO, UrlfreezeShops visited East London women’s football club Victoria Park Vixens to learn more about their inclusive attitude to modern football.
Grassroots women’s football is having a boom in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2019 in a bid to unite women who were interested in playing football in London, but didn’t have the network to organise matches, Morgan Brennan’s Instagram callout quickly snowballed into a fully-fledged club, Victoria Park Vixens. Initially starting with five people, the team has expanded in size, offering a home to women in the English capital who are looking for a space to hone their skills, socialise, and most importantly, have fun playing the beautiful game. “I had just moved to London from Australia, and I was finding it quite difficult to make friends outside of work, and to meet women who wanted to play football, as I really missed playing back home,” Morgan reflected when asked about the origins of the Vixens, “so I basically just put out an Instagram story to see if anyone wanted to play. Scarlett wanted to play, and we had already followed one another, but everyone else was just a random person who saw the post and wanted to get involved. So, it just grew from there, really.”
From this impromptu beginning, the Vixens have gone from strength to strength, reflecting a game-changing attitude to the sport that places emphasis on community, passion and enjoyment over winning and competition, although naturally an element of competitiveness remains, with the team closing in on winning their 11s league. Creating a space where women and non-binary people can take part in the sport, that has had a long history of being closed off or reserved for men, teams like the Vixens are breaking down barriers and opening up the sport to anyone who wants to play. Commenting on this openness, Lili said, “everyone is so supportive of each other. It’s not about being the best or winning all the time. It’s about coming together to play football. That takes a lot of the pressure off. Football can cause people to get very competitive and want to win all the time, whereas this is more social. There’s no pressure to be the best, it’s more fun and casual.”
Centred around a shared attitude and a sense of community, the Vixens are contributing to spotlighting women’s football in a specific way, one that celebrates the pure enjoyment and energy that can be felt from a shared experience. “When people used to think of girls playing football, they’d have thought you’d have to be professional, whereas the reality is that there are so many girls who just want to have fun and play football casually in their spare time,” says original Vixens teammate Scarlett, “Grassroots clubs, like Vixens, are just so important for people who don’t want to take it super seriously, but just want to have fun, enjoy the sport and enjoy the game.”
It’s this sense of passion that propels the club forward as they enter their fifth year of being. A lot has changed in women’s football since 2019, with the Lionesses winning the UEFA European Women’s Championship in 2022 bringing a lot more attention to the game. “The Euros in 2022 definitely had a massive impact on the women’s game. The Lionesses winning the tournament was amazing. Since then, women’s football has been given a platform and a space to step up,” Vixens player Holly commented. “It's created an influx of people wanting to join at all levels. Even in my friendship group outside of football, people are considering coming for a kick about, when they would have never considered it before.” With this shared passion, Victoria Park Vixens are putting their own distinctive stamp on the sport, offering their personal version of the game that champions inclusivity, joy, and unbridled dedication to a wider community that continues to grow day by day. “The one thing that has brought us together is playing football, and perhaps we wouldn’t have all met otherwise. We have different jobs and are from different parts of London, Europe and the world,” says Morgan, while reflecting on the past few years playing for the team, “it’s amazing that we’ve all found this common thing that we’re obsessed with, and we see each other so often, even more than our loved ones. That shared love of the game is really inspiring for us to keep coming together and playing every year.”
Release information
NIKE AIR MAX PLUS TNPO W
BLACK & WHITE
HF0074-001
06/28/2024
Release information
NIKE AIR MAX PLUS TNPO
WOLF GREY, BLACK & METALLIC SILVER
HM6850-001
06/28/2024
writerChris Owen
|photographerSophie Robson
|stylistLucy Davis
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