Sun, sea and slide tackles: San Sebastian’s football scene

It’s 10am on Saturday June 24, and I’m on the Bahia de La Concha in San Sebastian. Still digesting last night’s dinner, I take the daily pilgrimage along the sandy beach with my girlfriend and her family. Before long – much to their dismay – I find myself being drawn by a football match taking place on the sand.

The game is an annual fixture that takes place between two teams – the San Sebastian Solteros, wearing blue and the Casados, in yellow. (The team names translate directly to the ‘Singles’ and the ‘Marrieds.’) 

I take out my camera and start shooting the players in action. I am drawn particularly to the player’s reactions, routines and team talks. As half-time hits, I capture them cool off, glug from beach taps and form circles as they formulate heated plans for the second half.

Eventually, I turn my camera to the fans and the random passersby who have started watching the game. They’re entranced. I’m not sure if it’s the tribe mentality, the magnetism of athleticism, or the time it allows people to switch off and reflect, but somehow the match has managed to draw generations of people together. And that’s the beauty of football.

See more of Elliot Wilcox’s work on his official website.

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