"Match of the Day"
Match of the Day: Fraser MacDonald, Catrin Jeans and Twenty-Four Hour Football
On Friday 26 August 2011 the Dundee art gallery Generator Projects hosted Twenty- Four Hour Football, an event that saw around 160 participants play a game of 5 a side that really did go on all day and all night. They notched up hundreds of goals that finally decided who would win the coveted prize of a bronze cast Adidas Samba. I caught up with the event’s creators Fraser MacDonald and Catrin Jeans for some post match analysis:
What was the genesis of Twenty-Four Hour Football? Can any one person be credited with having had “the idea”?
Blue Team Captain Fraser: I came up with the idea six years ago while playing football
around the art college in Dundee in 2nd year...
Red Team Captain Catrin: and I made it actually happen.
Were there any challenges or difficulties in realising this project?
F: The challenge was negotiating an art gallery willing to be converted into a football
pitch, with scores written directly onto its walls, and marks from the ball and players
taking the place of exhibited objects.
C: There were quite a few formalities in keeping Generator Projects open for 24hours
and providing support for our players but ultimately these didn’t prove to be too
difficult. The most challenging element was getting people from outside the artworld
participating in this performance, and I think we managed to achieve that.
Who played a blinder? Did anyone surprise you with their skills?
F: The kids that came along from Menziehill. It’s difficult to get teenagers involved in an
environment like that with adults they don’t know, especially after you tell them it’s art.
C: It is hard to pick out one or two individuals when we had over 160 participants
demonstrating such commitment to the performance. I was amazed at the continual
respect and enthusiasm for the game. For the majority of the twenty-four hours the
match went at full force and if it started to lull it would just take one pair of fresh legs
to pick up the pace. There was a determination amongst the participants to keep the
performance going and I don’t think this can just be attributed to only a couple of
individuals.
Who deserves credit for making it happen? Name-check as many collaborators as you like.
F: I’d like to thank Gary and the Sportsfans, who organised five a side when I was in
1st year at art college in 2004, on the pitch I first filmed a game on. And my team: me,
Nelson, Dave, Mutty, Moff, Scott.
C: Thanks has to be given to our players who were there for the full twenty-four hours
and those who subbed, those who commentated, the Generator committee, DVAA,
Fraser’s Fruit and Veg for their delicious satsumas and Clarkes 24hr Bakery for our
(cold) half-time pies...
F: also the camera that we streamed the match live on, he was the 12th man.
Was anyone converted to the cause of football by participating in this event?
F: I’ve heard a lot of people say it was the most fun they’ve had in an art gallery, or at
an art event. And I’ve watched a few games of football since with people who said they
never normally would. In the context of the 24hr event I see watching a professional
game as a similar fascination to wanting to know the process an artist employs while
working in their studio, and I view it as research.
C: On the Friday night, when I was initially managing the substitutions, a local artist
asked me if I could sub him straight on and straight off again, because he wanted to
participate but be saved from the embarrassment of having to play football. After a
minute or two I was ready to blow my whistle but noticed that he was shaking his head
at me, signing that he wanted to continue to play. He has since expressed how much
he enjoyed the game. Through the nature of gallery environment (much smaller than
a 5-a-side pitch, and with a sponge ball to keep noise levels down) the differences in
footballing skills became more even - making it much less intimidating for newbies to
football to join in with the game.
On the flip side I think you have to ask has anyone converted to the cause of art by
participating in this event. We had participants playing who had never stepped in an art
gallery before and only came along because they fancied a kick about.
What were the highlights?
C: I am sure Fraser will no doubt mention scoring the first goal, being on the winning
team and getting the closest guess of full time goals.
F: Scoring the opening goal, subbying off first and a queue of people waiting to come on
Will a DVD be available?
F: Yes, in a documentary style
C: ... and a Twenty-Four Hour Football match-programme will be produced. If anybody
wants an online copy they can email twentyfourhourfootball@gmail.com
Do you consider Twenty-Four Hour Football to have been a success?
F: Yes, events such as Twenty-Four Hour Football need people to see the worth in it
and I think this was accomplished. The performance was supported much better than
we could have hoped for. Through hosting it over 24hrs I feel we provided a service to
a certain extent, one in which participants could attend comfortably and play a game
of footie within the parameters of their normal day. I became aware of this when a
lad came it for 3 hrs at 1am after saying he was bored on the internet and fancied a
kickabout.
C: Yeah, for sure. We achieved what we set out to do - engage people in a
physical performance whilst having a good laugh.