T-SHIRT: GAFFER
Following the launch of his long-awaited sophomore album Adolescence, Unknown T – the man who walks for Louis Vuitton – was chosen by GAFFER to wear the new and exclusive Hackney Wick FC 2021/22 home jersey.
Designed by GAFFER, the clean white jersey enhances and emphasises the club's spirit and its ties to the community in London. Both sides of the shirt feature a grey, nearly faded map of Hackney in addition to the borough's geographic coordinates on the back.
The jersey pays tribute to the historic landmarks that give the team, the people, and the borough its unique identity as one of the leading grassroots football teams in the UK. The limited-edition Hackney Wick FC 21/22 Jersey launched on 05/08/21, selling out within the first hour!
Homerton’s very own Unknown T has been putting on for Hackney ever since he burst onto the scene with his debut single ‘Homerton B’ peaking at 48 in the official UK charts, also becoming the first UK drill song to be BRIT certified silver back in 2019.
Football is at risk of losing youth in the city. The game is facing a continued battle against prevailing societal issues, rising costs and young people in London are continuing to struggle with a lack of space and a place to play the game they love.
Between spells in prison, Bobby played for several non-league clubs from Ashford to Fisher Athletic, and during his time in the semi-pro game, he noticed that in his home at the time – the borough of Hackney – there was not a single club that played above the seventh tier. So, once he left prison, he had a new goal to work towards; build a football club.
In January 2015, Bobby established Hackney Wick FC. Within the space of just four seasons and thanks to Bobby’s undying hunger, desire, and enthusiasm, the first team are playing competitively in the Middlesex Senior League, the ‘Wickers’ also have a successful women’s team and now over 300 junior members play in the iconic Hackney Wick strip. Last season, the team played in the FA Cup for the very first time too.
This is a club that was set up to challenge the supremacy of crime and to give a substantial and attainable alternative to gang culture. By becoming the beating heart of the community, the club aims to mend the dislocation between the youth and community by giving them a positive example and a road to a brighter future.
In order to become a member of the team, everyone who joins the club has to guarantee to do a minimum of two hours a month of voluntary work in Hackney. It’s a small token that has made a monumental impact.
Several different layers of Hackney Wick FC; the way they continue to break boundaries, and the way they strip away stigmas are reflected in the decision to collaborate with Unknown T. His different personalities, and the positive changes he has made for culture within music and in particular drill, make him synonymous with the topic of positive change.
The jersey’s contemporary monochrome design is supported by two community sponsor logos to either sleeve. Grassroots For Good, a charity that aims to create positive environmental and social impact through football, adorns the left-hand sleeve. While It's Black-Owned, an online platform supporting Black entrepreneurs who have started a business against all odds, takes pride of place on the jersey’s right-hand sleeve.
T-SHIRT: GAFFER / SHOES: DIOR B22
You can now purchase the 'GAFFER X HACKNEY WICK FC - 21/22 LIMITED EDITION JERSEY' by heading to the online store on our website.
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