VANGUARD: The Creative Soccer Community | Systems of Play

Founded by Chris and Matt Dent, the duo behind creative agency Dent Studio, Soho Warriors and independent football brand FNL, Systems of Play is a new concept store in London's Hackney that's bringing together football's more creative corners under one roof. Independent labels from across the globe sit alongside carefully selected vintage jerseys, publications and products, with a space designed to host the people and communities behind them.

It's the latest chapter in a journey that's taken the pair from Sunday League football to building an international network of creatives, designers and independent football communities. And now, they've given that network somewhere to call home. We caught up with Chris and Matt to talk about the thinking behind Systems of Play, creating a space for football's independent scene and why the future of the game might just be more interesting than its past.

SoccerBible: First off, how did Systems of Play come about, and what made you want to commit to opening a physical store?

Matt Dent: I think we've finally come to a point where we can do something like this. We could have opened a shop in the past, but it wouldn't have looked like it does today. We've been involved in this space since around 2010, when football and fashion were really starting to cross over. We've spent 16 years watching that develop, while running a community, building an agency and working with brands. Now we can take everything we like, everything we've learned and everything we think represents the right direction for football culture and put it into one physical space.

Chris Dent: We've always thought about having this studio-store concept, with a shop at the front of the studio. But I don't think we always knew exactly what the shop would be. As we developed the idea, we realised there was this global, independent, creative football scene that we'd been part of for years. We've got to know all these communities and brands around the world, and it made sense to create a physical space that celebrates and represents them.

How would you describe Systems of Play to someone walking through the door for the first time?

MD: It's as much about the future of football as it is about the past.  That doesn't mean you have to focus entirely on one or the other. It's not just future-looking sportswear, and it's not just nostalgia. It's about how we can push football forward, sometimes using nostalgia or vintage pieces, but without relying on that feeling entirely. We want people to experience something different. To see brands they've never come across before alongside familiar vintage pieces. Just a real mix of football and how we see it.

CD: I think it's a football shop viewed through a creative lens. There are so many people doing interesting things around the world, but we didn't feel there was a physical space bringing all of that together. You can have a brand from New York sitting alongside something from Seoul, Turkey or Tokyo, as well as a carefully selected collection of vintage football shirts.  Even with the vintage pieces, everything is hand-picked. It's more about the design of the jersey than the club, its rarity or how much it's worth.

What did you feel was missing from the football culture scene, and what can Systems of Play bring to it?

MD: The biggest thing is probably the community element. Everyone talks about community now, but I feel like we're in a position to talk about it because we've actually spent years building one. Over the last 16 years, we've met so many people through football. Systems of Play gives those people a real-life space where we can bring everything together and actually do things.  We've done small pop-ups and events in the past, sometimes with very little money, just trying to make something happen. Now we've got a permanent space that can properly represent the people and brands we work with.

CD: It's about creating opportunities for them. That might simply mean stocking someone's products, but it could also mean inviting them to take over the space for an event, exhibition or launch. And it doesn't always have to involve selling something. It could be a screening, a talk or just an opportunity to highlight someone doing something interesting.  It's about visibility. That visibility exists online to a certain extent, but there's something interesting about bringing it into a physical space. Somewhere people can visit, see the products, discover the stories and understand what's happening in different parts of the world.

You've also got your own independent brand, FNL, which sits within the Systems of Play world. Tell us a little about that…

MD: FNL came from years of playing football together and wanting to create something that reflected how we actually dress when we play. You turn up to football and everyone's wearing something different – old jerseys, new jerseys, rugby socks. It's all a bit of a mishmash. We wanted to explore how we could refine that, bringing together performance and design in a way that felt natural to us.

CD: We'd been making Soho Warriors merchandise for years, but that was always connected to the club. FNL is something independent, something anyone can wear. It's very much an on-pitch and off-pitch brand. Our first collection is performance-focused, while the second will explore more of the lifestyle side. It's experimental, and that's what makes it exciting.

When it comes to stocking the store, what makes a brand right for Systems of Play?

MD: A lot of the time, it comes down to things we genuinely like. Products we think look good, feel interesting and come from the right place.  We've seen a lot of brands come and go over the years, and we know who's been around for a long time. But that doesn't mean a new brand or artist can't be part of the store. It's more about whether something feels genuine or whether someone is jumping on a trend.

We'd much rather stock something because we believe in the story and the people behind it than simply because we think it's going to sell well.  We often talk about this idea of "local to global", because representing London is just as important to us as representing the rest of the world. We've built this international network over the years, and we want the store to reflect that.

Football and fashion have been crossing over for years, but nostalgia still dominates so much of the conversation. Where do you see things heading?

CD: We feel like nostalgia can only take things so far. We've seen so many reworkings of football shirts, and then reworkings of those reworkings, that you start to wonder where it goes next.  At some point, things have to move forward. That's not to say we're against nostalgia. Obviously, we've got vintage shirts in the store, and there's still a place for that history. But we don't think the future of football culture can rely entirely on looking backwards. We want to showcase communities and independent brands around the world that are doing things differently, or at least approaching football in their own way.  

MD: Interestingly, we've actually sold more products from independent football brands and FNL than we have vintage shirts so far. I think a big part of that is because people can't find these things anywhere else.  If you want a particular vintage jersey, there are plenty of places you can look. But a small independent football brand from another part of the world? You might never have come across it before.  That's where we think things get interesting.  

Ultimately, what do you want people to take away from visiting Systems of Play?

MD: Discovery is probably the best word for it. We want people to come in and discover new things, but also to see that football can be presented and experienced in different ways.  Nobody owns football. We all have the right to interpret it in our own way, and that's what we're trying to do with Systems of Play. You can come in and see something that represents football culture in London, but you can also discover what's happening in Tokyo, Seoul, New York or Montreal. Hopefully, the events we host will build on that and give people even more opportunities to get involved. We want people to feel like they're part of something, rather than just walking into a shop, buying something and leaving.

Finally, looking ahead, what's the ambition for Systems of Play? Where would you like to see it in five years?

MD: I think the most important thing is staying consistent with what we're doing. We want to continue building the store, hosting events, creating opportunities and giving people reasons to come back. There's definitely an exciting possibility of Systems of Play eventually becoming its own bigger space, separate from the studio.

CD: We love the idea of something on the scale of Dover Street Market, where you've got different areas and experiences all under one roof.  Six months ago, just getting this space open felt like a massive achievement. Now people are coming in, discovering the products and coming back regularly. There's so much potential in terms of who we could collaborate with, what we could host and how Systems of Play could develop as a brand beyond the shop itself.  But the main thing is doing it well. We don't want to get too carried away.

Ultimately, you want to be around nice people doing good things. We've met so many people around the world through football, and what connects them is that genuine passion for what they're creating. That's what we love about this whole scene, and it's what we want Systems of Play to continue celebrating.

You can visit Systems of Play now at Unit 9, Cassia Building, Gorsuch Place, Off Hackney Road, London, E2 8HY