Football fans in Birmingham got the chance to design custom shirts before watching Aston Villa’s Champions League match. Art of Football and TOCA Social teamed up for a fan-focused event blending fashion and football culture.
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00:00Football culture is about more than just the game, it's about identity, passion and community.
00:10That's exactly what's happening here at Toka Social, where fans have been arriving early
00:15to design their own custom shirts before the big match kicks off.
00:18The energy is building and the atmosphere is buzzing, with people coming together to
00:23celebrate the sport in a way that goes beyond just watching it on a screen.
00:27It's not just about supporting a team, it's about wearing your colours, making a statement
00:32and feeling part of something bigger.
00:35For many fans, a football shirt isn't just a piece of clothing, it's a symbol of loyalty
00:39and pride.
00:40So, what is it about events like this that make them so appealing to football supporters?
00:47I think what made me come was the fact that the villas aren't, first of all, but I think
00:50the environment here at Toka is very fun, very welcoming, but it's got a hype to it
00:56as well.
00:57It's got a big atmosphere, I can imagine with a lot of people watching a big game like this,
01:00it's going to be amazing.
01:02I came because I got an email from Art of Football and I bought some stuff off there
01:06before and I really like their shirts and stuff and I probably weren't going to get
01:11a ticket to the match tonight, so I thought this would be a great way to have a fun night
01:15in Birmingham and meet some other people and get a t-shirt out of it, so yeah.
01:20Yeah, so we accidentally found this online when we were looking for where to watch the
01:25game and yeah, I think it definitely makes it more exciting because, see, there's the
01:29social aspect and there was a lot on offer here, to be fair.
01:34For a lot of people, football isn't just about what happened on the pitch, it's about the
01:37whole matchday experience.
01:39The build-up, the rituals and sharing it all with other fans.
01:43Events like this give supporters a new way to connect beyond the usual pub or sofa setting,
01:49offering something interactive before kick-off.
01:52T-shirt fans can design a shirt that represents their club in their own style, making matchday
01:57even more personal.
01:58It's a reflection of how football has evolved beyond just the game itself.
02:03Fans want to engage with it in different ways, whether that's through fashion, music or social
02:07events such as this one.
02:09And tonight it's clear that football culture is just as much about creativity as it is
02:14about competition.
02:15So how important is fashion to football culture?
02:19Yeah, I think 100% it's important what you wear.
02:23Obviously showing support for your team by what you wear.
02:25I think to me, I mean, Villa, obviously it's quite iconic.
02:28We've got a lot of current and blue, but the specific styles that I go for, I love a lot
02:32of the women's kit that's come out recently.
02:34I've got one of their first team jumpers.
02:37And I think for me, it's like a bit of personality shines through, put a scrunch in my hair usually.
02:43It's that bit of personalised, but still very much showing that I'm a Villa fan.
02:48I think being like a female fan, that's hugely important to me because it kind of shows a
02:51bit of femininity within what is usually presented as quite a masculine world.
02:55So it's really important to me.