Hackney Wick continue to do things their own unique way, and for the coming season it’s seen a two-fold partnership, both in terms of their new sponsor and the design of their new home and away shirts for 22/23.
The usual saying when a team unveils their new kits would be that they are primed and ready, but under the circumstances it feels more appropriate to say that Hackney Wick FC are Netflixed and ready for next season. That’s because not only have they released their new kits, designed by London menswear brand LABRUM, they’ve also announced a new sponsor in the form of Top Boy, the critically acclaimed crime drama series from Netflix.
The sponsorship of Hackney Wick FC, which was founded by former gang member Bobby Kasanga in 2015, will see a unique collaboration uniting Top Boy to a football club at the heart of the local community, and Hackney-based designer Foday Dumbuya.
Hackney Wick FC is the borough’s first ever semi-professional football team with male and female teams from age eight up. The club’s ethos is based on community engagement, uniting the local diverse groups as well as battling peer pressure and tackling gang influences. These challenges are echoed in Top Boy, which is predominantly filmed in and around east London and follows drug and gang crime on the fictional Summerhouse estate.
So the Top Boy sponsored Hackney Wick FC home and away shirts from LABRUM feel like they come with that extra bit of added connectivity. The designs include a zig-zag motif, inspired by traditional African art, to represent community and different cultures interweaving. The shirts contain the Top Boy logo on the chest and LABRUM's logo on the right sleeve. The logo for Hackney Wick FC’s charity, Grassroots For Good is featured in the left sleeve.
Bobby Kasanga (Founder of Hackney Wick FC) said: “Top Boy touches on the real life issues that the local people of Hackney are going through and represents the marginalised communities I came from. As a show it has also created opportunities for young people in the community affected by gang crime or violence. Our club has worked hard to become a semi-professional team working with youngsters, and has been awarded for our on-going community work in the borough. I'm thrilled our efforts are not going unnoticed and I hope our collaboration with Top Boy provides a positive message of hope and opportunity to the young people of Hackney.”
Foday Dumbuya (Creative Director & Founder of LABRUM) said:"Sport has a unique ability to unite communities in a shared goal - to win together. The work that Bobby has done for grassroots football by building Hackney Wick FC really resonates with me. Joining with Top Boy on this project was a real privilege; even more so to have the support from cast members from Hackney. Actors like Hope and Araloyin are so inspirational for the youth players and the community, they embody the mantra that anything is possible if we come together and support one another.
“When I was designing the kit I wanted to include a bold graphic that incorporated the rich diversity of Hackney and LABRUM's celebration of West African heritage. The zig zag is synonymous here. I hope the players will wear the kit with pride."
Filming for season 3 of Top Boy will begin in Summer 2022 in the UK.
