It’s different every time but as a whole it’s been one of the most amazing things I’ve done. Getting to travel the world and look football for work is an amazing privilege and one that we (the Derby Days team) never take for granted. It’s a great way to see the world and I’ve found that by going to a city and talking to people about their football teams, and in particular their derby, you really get a sense of the place that goes beyond any normal tourist experience. The way people feel about their club and their rivals can give you a great insight into the places you visit.
What has been your favourite derby?
I’ve enjoyed them all in different ways but a few stands out. The Revierderby between Schalke04 and Borussia Dortmund was special because there was a real discrepancy between the size of the towns and the clubs that they are home to. Gelsenkirchen and Dortmund are small cities, and ones that really don’t have a lot going on. Despite that, the two teams have enormous fan-bases and mean everything to the people there. They are the way in which those cities are brought to the attention of the world and the people there feel immense pride that, despite their size, they have something that is the envy of the world.
That said, the one that really stands out is the episode on Belgrade. I’d never seen anything quite like the derby between Partizan and Red Star before and as a visceral experience it was one of the best of my life.
We were able to film from pitch-side and at first it was pretty intimidating as the flares rained down on to the pitch, flying past my ears. Once I overcame the initial shock though it was totally exhilarating. The support is incredible and you really get a sense that you’re part of something special. The roar from the crowd when Partizan scored their 90th minute winner will stay with me for a long time and the celebrations at the end of the game, when the players came over to the fans, were just incredible.
I’d never seen fans and players so connected, and it really felt like they had something which has been lost in football elsewhere. They might not be challenging in Europe any more, but if what you want from football is to feel like your part of something, to feel connected to something bigger than yourself, even just to feel as though you’re really alive, then in many ways the fans of Partizan and Red Star are arguably luckier than those of Bayern, Real and Barca.
What does it feel like to be part of the biggest independent football channel in Europe?
Having been at Copa90 since day 1 it’s been amazing looking the subscriber numbers going up and seeing our videos get more and more views. I guess none of us really knew how successful it was going to be at the outset and it’s incredibly rewarding to see people responding to what we’re doing in such a positive way.
It also feels as though we have tapped into something quite important. We all feel very passionate about presenting football stories from the perspective of the fans. We’re not Sky, we’re not Match of the Day, we don’t have rights to show the games or big budgets to make our shows but what we do all have is experience of being fans. I like to think that we are connecting people in sharing a love of the game away from the huge amounts of cash that have shaped everyone’s experience of football over the last twenty years. We’re about a love of the game, a love of the feelings that the game evokes and a love of the people that support it.
I think that there’s a bit of a backlash starting against a certain type of very expensive, sanitised football experience and people are looking for something real, looking for to feel something. In essence that’s what we love at Copa90 and it has been a great pleasure finding that out.
What does it feel like racking in thousands of views for your videos?
Whilst it’s not all about the number of views that any given video gets, I can’t pretend it’s not exciting knowing that hundreds of thousands, and in some case millions, of people have looked something you’ve made. When I was at film school making shorts I never could have dreamed that I’d be directing documentaries about something I love that would be looked by that many people. It’s a very nice experience and one that makes me very proud.
What’s your favourite football team and why?
I’ve always been a Blackburn Rovers supporter but living in London I don’t get that much time to see them. I’m also a bit disillusioned by the way that the club’s been run over the last few years since it was taken over by the Venky’s.
In doing the Derby Days episode in Germany I became pretty smitten with Schalke 04. I think they (and Dortmund, to be fair) are a shining example of how a club should go about dealing with its fans. They are treated like equals, consulted about issues such as ticket pricing and are welcomed into the club, even having their own supporters HQ with offices and bar on the outskirts of the stadium. It’s also great to see what they mean to the people of Gelsenkirchen and how proud the people of that city are of their team. The stadium is fantastic and when we went to see Schalke play Braunschweig the support all the way through the game was phenomenal.
Who is your favourite player of all time?
That’s a tough question. Alan Shearer was my hero growing up but I’ve always loved players that have a touch of magic about them. Dennis Bergkamp stands out as probably the best player of my lifetime, Matt Le Tissier was like a less successful, lazy English version and I loved him for that. I also love that he stayed with Southampton his whole career. In recent times I’ve really enjoyed looking Dimitar Berbatov. He has a similar laid-back genius vibe.
Favourite goal and why?
For sheer quality it would have to be Bergkamp’s goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. To do something that good at that moment in the game is just incredible. Also, his goal against Newcastle when he flicked the ball one way and spins the other way round the defender was just silly.
