3 Sided Football Match in Haggerston Park

SUNDAY 2 MAY Haggerston Park, London E2

As the election becomes set for a three way ‘photo finish’ teams representing the three main political parties will compete to win a 3-sided football match played on a hexagonal pitch at 3pm on Sunday 2 May in Haggerston Park, London E2.

Representing the Labour Party are Philosophy Football FC; Conservative Futures and the University of the Arts form the Conservative team; while the liberal leaning graphic designers play for the Liberal Democrats.

With 3 teams, 2 referees and the side conceding the least goals winning the match, this promises to be a very different angle on the beautiful game.

The match is organised by the Whitechapel Gallery’s new writer-in-residence, Sally O’Reilly. She wants the game to echo the alliances, competition and connivances of the political machine.

Geoff Andrews, Manager of Philosophy Football FC, said: ‘The General Election has turned into a three-sided affair and so a three-sided football match seemed apt. We can expect some sharp tactics from Mandelson and co though nothing to compare with what will be on display at Haggerston Park.’


• Origins of 3 Sided Football. Devised by artist Asger Jorn (1914–1973), his idea for 3 sided football was for it to deconstruct the confrontational, bi-polar nature of party politics. So instead of winning by scoring goals, a team wins by conceding the fewest goals.
• 5 Rules of 3 Sided Football as proposed by Philosophy Football FC:
o SCORING : A team does not count the goals it scores, only the goals it concedes. The winner is the team that concedes the fewest goals.
o THROW-INS / CORNERS : On the hexagonal pitch, each team has two sides of the six-sided pitch: the side with the goal (the 'backside') and the side opposite to your goal (the 'frontside'). If the ball goes out on one of your two sides, you get the throw-in / goal-kick. If it went out off a player, the throw-in or corner goes to the team whose own goal is nearest to where the ball went out.
o REFEREES : There will be two referees.
o LENGTH OF TIME : Ideally, teams will play until people get bored, start to wander off, fall asleep etc: however, three thirty minute 'halves' with teams rotating goals should work well.
o NO OFFSIDES : There will be rolling subs, rush goalies etc.