EURO 2024 is finally here, but before you nestle down in a pub and tuck into a pint, London-based designer Hattie Crowther wants to remind us how fan loyalty can turn toxic amidst defeat.

Hattie Crowther is flipping the script on fashion with her latest collection, Fuck the Fans, which tackles the contentious issue of fan behaviour in football heads on. Inspired by the appalling abuse suffered by England’s young Black players after the EURO 2020 final against Italy, her designs serve as a powerful commentary on the darker facets of sports fandom, proving how much a fan’s choices matter.

 

Unveiled just in time for EURO 2024, Fuck the Fans has found a compelling home within the walls of North London’s OOF Gallery as part of their exhibition, Tops Off: A Century of Football Shirt Art, housed at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Repurposing England tops from the early noughties right up until now, the kits have been transformed into sleek, pop-art-inspired graphic shirts, adorned with iconic images of players who have endured abuse, and their responses to it.

One standout piece features a white and crimson graphic of David Beckham’s memorable reaction to foul-mouthed abuse aimed at his family following England’s defeat to Portugal at EURO 2000, to which he responded with a middle finger. Other notable designs include celebratory moments from Bukayo Saka, Jaden Sancho and Marcus Rashford, who were the main victims of abuse after their penalty misses in the final against Italy.

Beyond fashion, Hattie’s collection serves a deeper purpose: to remind us that our choices as fans matter, as they shape the game on and off the field. Tops Off: A Century of Football Shirt Art is on until 28th September at The Tottenham Hotspur stadium and there’s no entrance fee! To buy one of Hattie’s shirts from Fuck the Fans visit here.