The People’s Cup: How The FA and Nigel VMU Reimagined the Game Through Art

The People’s Cup: How The FA and Nigel VMU Reimagined the Game Through Art
Fans Signing VMU's FA Cup sculpture Credit Ashmond Kwesy / Stefan Alveranga-Foster

An FA Cup collaboration with artist Nigel VMU brings football back to the community through large-scale sculpture, interactive design, and fan-led storytelling.

From South London — Crystal Palace, to be exact — to the blue side of Manchester, football communities were recently brought together in an unexpected way: through sculpture, design, and the stories of local fans. The occasion? Cup Culture — a cultural initiative from The Football Association in collaboration with artist and designer Nigel VMU.

Held across two clubs — Crystal Palace and Manchester City — the project set out to explore what the FA Cup can represent beyond the pitch. At its core, Cup Culture asked: what happens when you hand football heritage over to the people who live it every day?

The People’s Cup: How The FA and Nigel VMU Reimagined the Game Through Art
Nigel VMU with his FA Cup Sculptures
Credit Ashmond Kwesy / Stefan Alveranga-Foster
Design: VMU Studio Production: Something Made Lab

Two Cities, Two Sculptures

At the centre of the project were two striking six-foot-tall replicas of the FA Cup trophy, created by Nigel VMU in his bold, sculptural style. Each piece was placed in its club’s local community hub and was made open to interaction — quite literally. Fans were invited to write their own messages of support, pride, and encouragement directly onto the surfaces.

Later, the sculptures travelled to Wembley, where they stood in the players’ tunnel on match day — not just as symbols of ambition, but as carriers of community spirit. The messages from fans, written by hand in Manchester and South London, moved with the teams into football’s biggest moment.

Fans playing Foosball
Credit Ashmond Kwesy / Stefan Alveranga-Foster
Design: VMU Studio Production: Something Made Lab

More Than a Display

VMU’s contribution extended beyond the two trophies. In both locations, he also designed custom foosball tables, finished in Manchester City and Crystal Palace colours, with miniature players in full club kits and branded pitches. These weren’t for show — they were playable, inviting fans of all ages to engage, connect, and have fun.

Visitors to the installations were also given limited-edition FA Cup community medals — not awarded for winning, but for taking part. The medals became tokens of belonging, reminders that football lives as much in the stands and streets as it does on the scoreboard.

Everything was created with purpose: not just to observe, but to touch, play, and participate. The emphasis was on football as a lived, local experience — one shaped by the people who follow it week in, week out.

The People’s Cup: How The FA and Nigel VMU Reimagined the Game Through Art
Fan signing VMU’s The FA Cup
Credit Ashmond Kwesy / Stefan Alveranga-Foster
Design: VMU Studio Production: Something Made Lab

Rethinking Football’s Role

Cup Culture is part of a broader shift in how football is being understood — particularly by younger fans. No longer just a Saturday ritual, the game increasingly overlaps with music, fashion, art, and digital culture. Projects like this recognise that shift and look for new ways to involve those who may not see themselves in traditional fan narratives.

The project’s impact was multi-layered. It bridged generations, creating space for younger and older fans to share stories and experiences. It gave supporters a tangible connection to Wembley — both emotionally, through the personal messages carried into the stadium, and physically, via the sculptures themselves. It also expanded the reach of the FA Cup, engaging new audiences — particularly Gen Z and creative communities — who may connect more naturally with design, art, and culture than with traditional football narratives. And finally, it delivered visually powerful, emotionally resonant content that travelled far beyond the local hubs, sparking national conversation and encouraging digital sharing.

A Living Cup

In the end, VMU’s work wasn’t just about producing objects. It was about building connections. The sculptures, games, and medals were designed to involve people — to reflect back to them a game they already know, but in new and unexpected ways. Cup Culture didn’t just bring the FA Cup to local communities. It gave those communities the chance to leave their mark on it.

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