Philosophy and Football

The PFFC Story

Geoff Andrews, Filippo Ricci

• Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• eBook ISBN:
  9781801502641
• Year: 2022

Philosophy and Football: The PFFC Story is the extraordinary account of how a team of friends kicking a ball about in Regent's Park was transformed by European travel in the shadow of Brexit. Playing in shirts adorned with the words of Camus, Shankly and Cantona among others, Philosophy Football FC created its own philosophy in opposition to modern football. Its occasional players travelled from London to take part in tournaments in unique venues such as a national football stadium in Rome, a Spanish bullring in Bilbao and Taksim Square in Istanbul. Practising its 'slow foot' philosophy, it exported the idea of a revolutionary and more complex three-sided football. Inspired by European culture, PFFC was transformed from a team that regularly lost heavily to winning three consecutive London league championships. Over 25 years PFFC attracted players from 24 countries and six continents. Its story illustrates the power of football to reach people from all walks of life: to travel, play, eat, drink, win and lose together.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Prologue by Filippo Ricci
• 1. In Search of Philosophical Football
• 2. An Italian Earthquake
• 3. All Roads Lead to Rome
• 4. Prague, Pordenone and Parisot
• 5. A Winning Formula: Football Meets Philosophy
• 6. Half-Time Team Talk
• 7. From Hackney Marshes to Maida Vale
• 8. Playing Pasolini
• 9. Slow Foot
• 10. Three-Sided Football
• 11. Jumpers for Goalposts in Taksim Square
• Epilogue: Football Comes Home
• The cities we visited in our Tours
• The nationalities of our players
• The pitches we played on in London
• Acknowledgements