Football can be a force for good – on and off the pitch | Huck
Huck
Huck Docs

Football can be a force for good – on and off the pitch

In partnership with EA Sports FIFA 22 — In Common Goal, we’re following the stories of Stonewall FC and Fans Supporting Foodbanks – two organisations using the beautiful game to transform the communities they represent for the better.

Modern football is unrecognisable from its humble origins. But, amid the change and rampant commercialisation, one thing has stayed true: the fans. 

The beautiful game has always been bigger than the pitch that it’s played on. As a unifying force, a connector of people, it is unrivalled. It can engage and leverage communities all over the world, uniting them under a singular banner. 

In Common Goal, an editorial series created in partnership with EA Sports, FIFA 22 and Playstation, we’re spotlighting two organisations who are doing just this. 

In London, there’s Stonewall FC, the country’s most successful LGBTQ+ football club, who are working to ensure that football remains inclusive for everyone – regardless of who they are. 

In Liverpool, we spotlight Fans Supporting Foodbanks, a joint initiative between supporters of local rivals Liverpool and Everton FC which sees them unite to tackle food poverty in the city that they share. 

While both groups differ in their activism, their overarching ideologies remain entangled. It’s about using football as an incredible force for good. 

Watch the film above. 

Look out for more from our Common Goal series, produced in collaboration with EA Sports FIFA 22. 

Are you ready? FIFA 22 is available now. 

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. 


You might like

Members Only
Protester holding a handwritten sign reading "Water for Humans NOT AI!" at an outdoor demonstration in an urban setting.

The people fighting back against an AI future

  • The Huck Long Read
  • The Huck Long Read
  • Ginnia Cheng
  • 10 min read
Woman in cycling gear standing on a gravel track with her mountain bike on the ground, overlooking open hillside under cloudy skies.

The femme bikepacking group making meaningful adventures

Sisters in the Wild — With expeditions across Wales, Slovenia, Mongolia, Vietnam and beyond, the group are providing space for FLINTA cyclists to ride and connect with nature.

  • Huck 84: It Starts With Us
  • Sunny Sunday
© Darren Vargas

The lasting community legacy of a legendary Californian boxing gym

Moretón — Since opening in the ’80s, the Coachella Valley Boxing Club has trained multiple world champions, while providing a vital hub for local youth. In his new photobook, Darren Vargas documents its tight-knit, Chicano-led community, while also weaving a deeply personal story.

  • Sport
  • Jack Dennison-Thompson

In Portugal, a DIY longboarding festival is keeping surfing’s radical roots alive

Gliding Barnacles — Set in Figueira da Foz, the five day get together was born out of the local scene’s desire to protect the local environment and their coastal breaks. Ellie Howard traces its growth and all round celebration of creativity.

  • Sport
  • Ellie Howard
Members Only

How the Home Counties took over UK rap

  • The Huck Long Read
  • Music
  • Fred Garratt-Stanley
  • 9 min read

Signs of solidarity as London marks three years of genocide in Palestine

Never forget — 250,000 people gathered on Saturday as Israeli attacks have continued in Gaza and the West Bank. Daisy Schofield photographed the diverse people and placards in attendance.

  • Activism
  • Daisy Schofield
You've read articles this month Thanks for reading

Join Club Huck — it's free!

Valued Huck reader, thank you for engaging with our journalism and taking an interest in our dispatches from the sharp edge of culture, sport, music and rebellion.

We want to offer you the chance to join Club Huck [it's free!] where you will receive exclusive newsletters, including personal takes on the state of pop culture and media from columnist Emma Garland, culture recommendations, interviews and dispatches straight to your inbox.

You'll also get priority access to Huck events, merch discounts, and more fun surprises.

Already part of the club? Enter your email above and we'll get you logged in.