England x Goal Click: Felicia Pennant

From Lancashire to London, and Southampton to Sheffield, fans share their footballing story and what supporting England both home and away means to them.    
 
Felicia Pennant, founder of SEASON zine and editor-in-chief of Soccer Bible, merges her love of fashion with her support of England.
 
One of one
 
My name is Felicia Pennant, I’m 32, and based in London. I am a fashion and football creative storyteller and the founder of SEASON zine. I am also the editor-in-chief of Soccer Bible and have a Dazed Digital ‘Good Sports’ column. I am a Central Saint Martins Fashion History and Theory graduate, and an NCTJ-qualified journalist, who does many things! I won the PPA New Talent 30 under 30 Award 2019 and was named on the Football Black List 2019.
 
Football is everything. I usually listen to talkSPORT Live and BBC Five Live – I’ve been on the latter previewing Chelsea games sporadically this past season. I am always reading and listening to what is going on in the football world, thinking about stories and topics that we can cover in various ways on different channels. I immerse myself in football content by following different creators, collectors, and platforms within the sport.

Counter culture with SEASON Zine
 
SEASON zine started in 2016. Our mission is to counter the male-dominated modern football culture. I was obsessed with football and really engaged with it, but I realised there were very few women or people of colour represented.
 
By starting SEASON, I was able to combine my two main interests of football and fashion and explore that intersection. I wanted to challenge the status quo and champion the stories of women and those underrepresented in football communities.
 
We created a space for women and people in marginalised communities in football, men doing great things to support these groups and those making waves in football and fashion to shine. I see SEASON zine as a platform, a space of discovery, a place where people can question things, and be honest and authentic.
 
It means so much to me to be a part of this community that I have created and I have met some of my best friends through SEASON. I love it when people reach out with questions or ideas.
 
At SEASON zine, we aim to share our experiences, thoughts, and opinions in a way that is not throwaway or transient. We take care to not get lost in the digital age by ensuring we continue to go to print. As we produce printed issues with original football stickers, every issue represents the current moment and is meant to be something collectable, precious, and something of value.
 
We want to make football, especially the women’s game, more accessible. While the structural changes and new sponsorships have been great for the elite players, when you drill down into the grassroots teams, there is still a long way to go in terms of inclusivity. The way football is marketed and spoken about is not intersectional enough and I do not think you would always feel represented as a young girl of colour.
 
I also want to ensure that women in general, and Black women like me more specifically, people of colour and marginalised communities are not thought to be a monolith. There still needs to be diversity of thought and diversity of storytelling, which I try to highlight with SEASON.

Immersing myself
 
In 2002, when the World Cup was in Japan and South Korea, I remember being shepherded into our assembly hall at primary school to watch the England games. Later on, I went to boarding school and when England was in a tournament, much was made of the games across campus in a way that did not happen for other sports.
 
And then I got into Chelsea and we had players like Frank Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole playing for England so I got more locked in. It was a shift from club to country for me. When those players were playing for England it got me more interested.
 
I also started to discover more about the Lionesses and what they were achieving in relative silence, as their coverage really only flared up around tournaments. From there, I immersed myself and I have had the pleasure of interviewing Lucy Bronze, Lauren James and more.
 
Football and fashion
 
The way I support England feels authentic to me. I have multiple England jerseys, both new and upcycled ones. I have enough to wear a different one at every match of the tournament and I also have England corsets by Hattie Crowther. I am definitely a person that likes to stand out and be ‘one of one’.
 
I have been in two England jersey campaigns with Nike, one in 2018 around the men’s World Cup and one around the 2022 Women’s EUROs. I chose to take part in these because they felt authentic. I also did a white shirt project with Nike and Tottenham Textiles in 2018 where we got to design our own England kit.
 
Sometimes when I do not want to wear a full jersey, but still want to show support, I pop my Georgina Hunt England scrunchie in my hair and I am ready to go.
 
I also love my Martine Rose ‘Lost Lionesses’ England jersey because of the women it spotlights and it is reversible so I have two shirts in one. She signed one side just like a player would and I am a fangirl. England colours are white, red and blue which are easy to style with black – the colour I wear the most.
 
For EURO 2024, I’m putting together a watch party for one of the group stage games. I’m also going to explore other watch events or get-togethers that are happening with friends or around town. I have spent a lot of time in the past organising events throughout a tournament, and it takes a lot of energy. I want to fully enjoy the moment this time because I am a fan first and foremost.

Jude has style
 
I am intrigued by Jude Bellingham. His rise at such a young age, and how assured he is at Real Madrid as a person of colour are inspiring. He speaks so well and he seems mature beyond his years. He is confident with the credentials to back it up.
 
I love that Jude has style and that there is potential for him to do things beyond football while maintaining his high standard on the pitch.
 
Knowing without playing
 
I’ve been on a wild rollercoaster ride with Chelsea since 2004. I love my club, but I do not necessarily agree with every decision they make. As a club, we have been through more than most with some unforgettable trophy highs.
 
My journey with SEASON has been cathartic. SEASON exists in response to the racism, sexism, homophobia and all the other issues I was seeing – and thinking that actions speak louder than words. In this journey, I try to lead by example and pass the mic where possible.
 
I do not play football and have no interest in playing it. I do not want the bruises or to be muddy or dirty but, I will happily watch a game, and then rave about it off the pitch.
 
I have also noticed that people think that if a woman likes football, she must play football. Not me. Women can like football and be knowledgeable about it without playing.

Southgate is a Virgo
 
Supporting the team is important. You get behind your country and you want them to succeed. It is exciting to support people who try their best and perform on a huge stage.
 
I back anyone in football that is fulfilling their potential by playing at a high level, inspiring people, and making people think differently about the world.
 
The England team is at a place now where they are at the top of their game and they are going into this tournament to win. I’m excited to see what this team achieves and how they handle the pressure.
 
Gareth Southgate is very pragmatic as a manager and is going about things the right way. It is interesting because he is very Virgo, and I am a Virgo so I completely understand. He does everything based on logic and data. He is objective where he needs to be and is big on loyalty, so I rate that.
 
Coming to my own conclusions
 
Tournaments are special because there is a set amount of games for the team to win the title, and there is hope every time that we could be witnessing history. I want to watch it for myself and come to my own conclusions about the squad, the manager’s decisions, or the match - History was my best subject, and I am also a journalist, so I always assess my sources.
 
What makes this team special is when you see them on a winning streak like during the 2020 EUROs, because it makes everyone believe and get invested. To get to the final, at home against Italy, it felt like it was written in the stars and you get hooked.
 
And then the match turns out the way it did with the racism that followed. As a Black person, we all feel these things when they happen - especially when it is young men who are just trying to represent their country.
 
I watched that match at Prince of Peckham because I wanted to be in an inclusive space in a pub that was run by a person of colour. We had done a MKRLAB workshop with Hattie Crowther that day and the atmosphere was already charged, so I wanted to be in a safe welcoming space where everyone could watch the match no matter who they were or what their interests were.
 
It is not easy to win a trophy. It is not easy to do anything worth having so this makes watching the team special. Watching teaches young people the value of hard work, determination, teamwork and overcoming adversity together. It teaches you how to express yourself and be creative when you can, and ultimately to listen to instructions and get results. All of these things are skills that we see play out on the pitch.