'To say that these men paid their shillings to watch twenty-two 

hirelings kick a ball is merely to say that a violin is wood 

and catgut, that Hamlet is so much paper and ink.'

J.B. Priestley, ‘The Good Companions’, 1928

 

 

Every four years 16 European nations compete for the Henri Delaunay (European Championship) trophy. During the summer of 2012, photographer George Nelson set out to visit a number of London venues (bars, restaurants, clubs, churches) screening Euro 2012 matches. His aim was to ‘follow’ every team with its London residing supporters and capture each experience in pictures.

 

There were only two self-imposed restrictions. One was a minimum of one venue to each participating nation and the second was the omission of England supporters, bringing down the number of locations to 15. The latter was a conceptual choice, as the gathering of immigrant collectives lay at the hub of this venture. The Euro 12 project also serves as a demonstration of the London’s uniquely diverse make-up, locates several subtleties in cultural variation, yet more than hints at a universality in our relationship with ‘the beautiful game’.

 

From this vast palette, George settled on a single location in which to centre his book and the first Tatum Special publication. ‘COME SUNDAY’ hones in on the Italian Euro 12 experience, when for three successive Sundays Italian supporters gathered at C’asa Italiana – a penalty kick away from their Basilica-style church, St Peter’s - as Clerkenwell reclaimed it’s 'Little Italy' status.