Tate was crowned the winner of the second iteration of the OOF Cup this weekend. The art world five-a-side football competition (hosted by OOF magazine and gallery) took place at the N17 Arena, a ground that forms part of the Tottenham Hotspur stadium complex in north London, and saw teams from ten leading UK galleries and art institutions (including this publication) compete to win a trophy designed by Mark Wallinger.
The tournament was divided into a group stage and two semi-finals before a deciding final. Group A included teams from Frieze, White Cube, The Royal Academy of Art, The arts journal And Momart (the tournament sponsor); group B consisted of Stephen Friedman, Castor, Pilar Corrias, Victoria Miro and Tate.
Playing in a tight and fast five-a-side in windy but sunny conditions, the day started frantically and aggressively with The arts journalThe side succumbed to a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Royal Academy before Stephen Friedman beat Castor 2-0, Momart drew with Frieze 1-1 and Pilar Corrias lost 3-1 to Victoria Mira.
The art journalmuseums editor Tom Seymour tackling a member of the White Cube team Photo by David Owens © OOF Ltd.
Quickly, the standout teams established their dominance: Tate, White Cube, Frieze and Victoria Miro were stubborn opponents and all went undefeated throughout the group stages. Pilar Corrias and Castor managed a handful of wins and draws between them, but unfortunately The arts journal lost all four games.
The group stages were not without drama. Three spectators were hit in the head and Frieze and Momart players were injured. A player of The arts journal was the only one sent off for a wild tackle on Momart, while a player from the Frieze team was reprimanded by the referee for a “childish” waste of time after scoring and then throwing the ball out of bounds (that same player would go on to be the tournament’s top scorer, with seven goals to his name).
The top two teams from each group progressed from the group stages, leading to two electric, tense and highly competitive semi-finals. Frieze managed to beat a valiant Victoria Miro side in the first semi-final 5-0, while Tate was just scratched by White Cube in a 1-0 win. The scene was set: the final would be played between Frieze and Tate.
It was the toughest match of the day, with the score remaining 0-0 until the final two minutes when Tate finally broke the deadlock. Frieze fought back valiantly, creating multiple chances, but was unable to equalise. Tate had a bigger squad of substitutes to choose from, and former Tottenham Hotspur captain Ledley King was heard saying Frieze were the best team on the day, but the results don’t lie: Tate emerged as the winner deserved of the OOF Cup 2023. .
Tottenham Hotspurs legend Ledley King presents the trophy to the winners Photo by David Owens © OOF Ltd.
King presented the trophy to the team in front of a delighted crowd of spectators in the shadow of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This year, Tate emerged as Art World Champion, but rumors of a much larger 2024 edition of the tournament promise an even higher level of competition.
