So here we are in 2023. Plenty of sport ahead of us …although possibly not quite the summer festival of sport on London’s doorsteps of the last two years. Our men’s cricket and rugby teams, women’s football and netball among many others will all be on the search for international glory this year…but sadly away from these shores.
Instead, this year London will see other sports take the stage - British athletes will be competing in Diamond League Athletics and Pro League hockey, while my sporting long weekend will definitely be to the Cycling World Championships in Scotland in August.
If cricket’s your thing, we also have a men’s Ashes to enjoy in London at Lord’s and the Oval. Even if you didn’t manage to secure a ticket, there’s still a chance to get close to the action. In fact, Gunnersbury Park is hosting a full Festival of Cricket in July – created by good friends Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Test supremo Brendon McCullum.
Rather than structured access to an elite match day on the hallowed turf of Lord’s or the Oval, this event is a more informal affair. Fans will be able to get closer than they could watching from the stands – meeting the pros, watching them bat from behind the nets, maybe even bowling at them. Then having the chance to lift a rather famous trophy or two in the process!
The event has been developed in partnership with Brand Events, whose previous creations include globally successful Top Gear Live show, as well as the CarFest family festivals. Inspired by Chris Evans, Carfest has created a softer, less exclusive route into a love of cars. Cricket Festival CEO Karina Murtagh says: “Our aim here is to create an accessible route into experiencing the sport. We’re looking to celebrate cricket and inspire people from all backgrounds to love cricket as much as we do.” You won’t need a ticket to Lord’s to feel a genuine fan this summer.
No matter how easy it is to watch the action, physical events like this have a very powerful role to play in building communities of fans. There’s nothing new about this. While 28.4m people watched George Foreman and Muhammad Ali square up in the legendary Rumble in the Jungle on TV in 1974, thousands still chose to watch close-circuit coverage on the cinema instead. My Grandad was a boxer, and my Dad Martin was a regular at these close-circuit events. He told me, ‘They were at the Hammersmith Odeon (or whatever it was called then!). The doors opened early for a bout starting around 2am, as at that time pubs closed at 10:30pm. Bars in the cinema were open, though – it was classed as a club for the night. By the time we had gone through a few test transmissions with the signal being lost, and screen going blank a few times, the noise had raised a few notches. The fight atmosphere was as good as any stadium. When Ali did his famous ‘shuffle’, it took the roof off. They were great nights.’
Later this year there’s a chance for us all to experience a night like that. Immersive event business Rematch has reinvented the Rumble in the Jungle Rematch for a live audience to ‘rumble like it’s 1974’ – giving spectators the chance to relive both the event and the culture around it. Even the afterparty! If you can’t quite imagine how that might work, take a look at the award-winning ‘Wimbledon Rematch’ of the Borg vs Wimbledon Final created by the same team a couple of years ago.
Physical events of this nature give an added layer of proximity, a recognition that ‘being a fan’ is also about belonging. Next month sees the very first Pod Live! – a week-long celebration of sports podcasts in King’s Place, Kings Cross, featuring live events and recordings from the likes of BBC’s Fighting Talk, The Race Formula 1 podcast, The Cycling Podcast and Mortal Kombat.
As Sports Podcast Group managing director Dylan Pugh told me, “when it comes to podcasting, the attraction for creators is that in theory, it can all be done remotely from the comfort of your own home. What we’ve seen, however, is that once a podcast community develops online and through the airwaves, there’s a real clamouring to come together in person and share in that fandom.
“This is particularly true of podcasts, which can feel incredibly personal,” he continues. “Often it’s almost like you’re dropping in on a conversation between friends that is being piped directly into your ears. As a result, the communities that have built up around these podcasts are incredibly tight-knit. We’re delighted that Pod Live can be that destination for different podcast communities even when the sports they focus on aren’t ‘in-season.’ Live action is point-in-time, but fandom is permanent.”
Whether it’s my Dad’s Rumble in 1974 or its second coming in 2023, Jos Buttler in Gunnersbury Park or the stars of a new podcast era in King’s Cross, physical community matters in fanship. London in 2023 will see a new breed of live events created to support and amplify that. Sign me up.
