Celebrating the soul and spirit that spreads from northern quarters, SoccerBible Magazine Issue 7 is here. Guts, gravy and a spirit like no other. The Presidential election is old news, there's only one recommendation we'd make: Vote pies.
In travelling the leagues and the generations, we eat pricey pie with Jose Mourinho, talk vinyl with Juan Mata and get cozy with David Silva. As well as that, Jordan Henderson crosses the north-south divide and Jamie Vardy explains just how far £30 will get you from Halifax. Issue 7, it's alright up 'ere. Pick up your copy now.
José Mourinho ― The much talked about one. A football career that has taken interpreted twists and turns and packed a consistent level of trivia and turbulence at the very top of the game, his education came from the finest northern spirit the game has ever produced: Sir Bobby Robson. Crossing the north-south divide, Manchester is where he now calls home. Unique moments with a man who has seen so much and a man who now embraces the Mancunian way.
Juan Mata & David Silva ― Two players who stand front and centre for their respective clubs though rivals all the same, Juan Mata and David Silva are so close but so far. Two Spaniards who share a rich Valencian history now share similar postcodes in Manchester’s city centre. Life has gone full circle. We get two takes on a journey that has crossed paths and landed a matter of miles apart.
Jamie Vardy ― He’ll bite your legs with a crunching tackle and ruffle the back of the net with a thirty yard bullet. Jamie Vardy was a player everyone wanted a piece of last season. A Premier League winner that wove his way to the very top, there’s no football scene he hasn’t experienced. He’s seen the beaten changing room and the DIY levels of the lower leagues, all the while clinging on to every inch of the person he was 10 years ago. We get to the heart of his Northern heroics, rust 'n all.
Nolito ― Settling in the heart of Manchester, Nolito joined the blue side of the city and opted to dive in with both feet in getting to grips with his fresh surroundings. Grabbing the experiences of living in Manchester, we sat down with a man who is taken by the twee of English pubs while explaining the fundamental importance of a Sunday lunch. He’s got quite the story.
Roberto Firmino ― There’s one question that we ask ourselves as we sit down with Roberto Firmino; has there been a better Brazilian player in the Premier League since Juninho? A big character with plenty of swag though a charming edge, there's a case to be made. Merseyside living with a lot of love and infectious positivity too, we go through the motions.
Romario and Ronaldo ― Super Leeds lads. Strong Yorkshire accents, local pride and a story that wins on every level. Romario and Ronaldo Vieira are brothers both making waves at Leeds United. Named after Brazilian heroes, they landed in England as youngsters and have been raised broad and brimming with talent. While we ran around the park pretending to be R9 and wishing we could tuck away goal after goal like Romario, these lads carry the names with pride.
Capeless Crusaders ― No matter what league, what country or what reason. Football mascots are an institution that run through the game and are quite literally formed in all shapes and sizes going. Picking out those capeless crusaders that dance along the touch line risking dignity in disguise, what’s not to love?
Julio Arca ― Remember the name? Julio Arca travelled thousands of miles from Buenos Aires to Sunderland at the turn of the Millennium. 16 years on and very much set up home, he’s in love with the North East and still lives a life with football at its core. Now playing for South Shields, he’s a playmaker that mastered the top flight and now parties on non-league pitches. Pure affection for the game.
Berwick Rangers ― A club that stand out dancing between two territories. The most northern ‘English’ team and the only one to play in the Scottish leagues, their identity is an entirely bespoke proposition. An English captain among a squad full of Scots with a delightful dynamic. The Scots would call them Geordie’s, the Geordie’s would call them Scots. We like their meeting in the middle.
Crossing The Divide ― To appreciate the appetite of football that blossoms in the North we couldn’t ignore the South. Boarding a coach at Fratton Park we travel from coast to coast and land in Blackpool. On board with the Portsmouth fans it’s a showing of the support that washes English shores. Committed, cultured and above all champions in their own right.
Northern Soul ― Football shirts come and go but a select few stand the test of time. Every team has once waltzed with a wondrous number that defies convention. We go back to the inspired movement fuelled by the sounds of Northern Soul for this shoot. A threaded treat that jives through the eyes. You’ll want one of these, no matter who you support.
The Magnificent Seven ― Illustrated icons from further field. Celebrating seven players that have settled, acclimatised and caused a stir in the north, we’ve picked out a select crowd for this piece. A rogue squadron that’d bring back sweet memories with a creative swell. None of them are from northern quarters, but their names are synonymous.
Pick yours up your copy of SoccerBible Magazine Issue 7 here.
