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Sports Team
Sports Team in 2022 on stage at the festival Piknik i Parken in Oslo
Background information
Origin	Cambridge, England
Genres	Alternative rock indie rock post-punk
Years active	2016 (2016)–present
Labels	Island Bright Antenna Nice Swan
Members	Alex Rice Oli Dewdney Al Greenwood Rob Knaggs Ben Mack Henry Young
Website	sportsteamband.com

Sports Team is an English alternative rock band based in London. The band consists of lead vocalist Alex Rice, rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rob Knaggs, lead guitarist Henry Young, bassist Oli Dewdney, drummer Al Greenwood, and keyboardist Ben Mack. According to The Guardian, their songs "romanticise Middle England" and idiosyncrasies like Wetherspoons, flip phones, the M5, and fishing.

History

The group met while studying at the University of Cambridge, aside from Dewdney, who studied at the University of Bristol. The band performed in their early days at the Portland Arms, a pub in the north of Cambridge. The band's members continued to work their day jobs until they became better known. Henry Young was a sports reporter for CNN.

In December 2024, Sports Team were robbed at gunpoint in Vallejo, California on the first day of their US tour, losing their passports, stage equipment and personal belongings.

Releases

Their debut EP Winter Nets was released in January 2018 on Nice Swan Records, and their second EP Keep Walking! was released in 2019.

Their debut album Deep Down Happy was released on 5 June 2020 on Island Records and Bright Antenna Records. The lead single Here's The Thing was released on 17 February 2020. The album received four out of five stars from NME, and was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2020.

Sports Team released a limited edition B-sides and rarities vinyl on 28 May 2021 called Plant Test, which they announced on their Instagram. It was made only available at independent retailers in the UK.

On 28 March 2022, the band announced their second album, Gulp!, alongside lead single "R Entertainment". Gulp was released on 23 September 2022, and received four out of five stars from NME.

On 18 July 2024, the band announced their third album Boys These Days as well as releasing the first single "I'm in Love (Subaru)" and headlining their first show in London in two years at Omeara.

Critical reception

After releasing their debut EP Winter Nets, the band performed a show in September 2018 at Scala in London, which the band's lyricist Knaggs described as when the group started "being in a band nearly every single day".

Following the Scala show, the band went on to play at both Electric Ballroom and O2 Forum Kentish Town in 2019 with sell-out shows. The band's preference for surprise shows at venues like The Nag's Head in Camberwell led to DIY describing the shows as harking "back to the heady days of The Libertines".

Style

The band have been described as holding unusual engagements with their fans, from their annual trips to Margate by coach where "fans, bands and booze collide for unscripted antics", and for taking "whole venues to the pub with them" after a show.

However, this has been balanced with media commentary on the band's Cambridge educations, at a time when bands like Idles and Fontaines D.C. have pushed working class lyrics. Alex Rice notably drew criticism for disparaging London musicians in The Guardian for being Goldsmiths graduates who he dubbed "Gucci" magicians, in reference to HMLTD, who he declared were "one of the worst bands ever". Clash stated in 2019 that "Sports Team can't quite shake off their entitlement".

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

References

1. Sports Team – Lander, retrieved 11 June 2020
2. Sports Team – Stanton, retrieved 11 June 2020
3. Sports Team – M5, retrieved 11 June 2020
4. Sports Team – Fishing, retrieved 11 June 2020
5. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (27 December 2019). "Sports Team: the indie stars romanticising middle England". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
6. Rogers, Lewis (15 March 2019). "Sports Team // Preview & Interview". Bristol In Stereo. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
7. ^ Young, Henry (5 June 2020). "Ditching the day job: From the sports desk to UK band Sports Team". CNN. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
8. Young, Henry. "Pep Guardiola: 'No title bigger than continuing Johan Cruyff's legacy'". CNN. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
9. Savage, Mark (4 December 2024). "British band Sports Team robbed at gunpoint on US tour". BBC.
10. "Sports Team". Fred Perry. 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
11. "Sports Team have announced their long-awaited debut album, 'Deep Down Happy'". Dork. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
12. O'Connor, Roisin (4 June 2020). "Sports Team review, Deep Down Happy: Full of charm and unpredictability". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
13. Manno, Lizzie (18 February 2020). "Sports Team Announce Debut Album Deep Down Happy, Share Lead Single "Here's The Thing"". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
14. Richards, Will (3 June 2020). "Sports Team – 'Deep Down Happy' review: A flag in the ground from a band dedicated to extremes". NME. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
15. "Sports Team: What to do when your album release goes to shit". NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
16. "The 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize 'Albums of the Year'". 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
17. "Sports Team announce limited edition B-sides and rarities vinyl". DIYMag. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
18. Jones, Damian (29 March 2022). "Sports Team announce new album 'Gulp' and share 'R Entertainment'". NME. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
19. Shutler, Ali (23 September 2022). "Sports Team - 'Gulp!' review: cocksure anthems see off 'difficult second album' trope". NME. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
20. Jones, Damian (18 July 2024). "Sports Team announce third album Boys These Days with Bryan Ferry-inspired new single, 'I'm In Love (Subaru)'". NME. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
21. ^ "Place Your Bets: Sports Team". diymag.com. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
22. "The explosion of Fontaines D.C. and why not every backlash is Irish begrudgery". JOE.ie. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
23. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (27 December 2019). "Sports Team: the indie stars romanticising middle England". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
24. "First World Problems: Sports Team Stumble At London's Kentish Town Forum". Clash Magazine. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
25. "Sports Team | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
26. Peak chart positions in Scotland:
    • Deep Down Happy: "12 June 2020 - 18 June 2020 Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 Scottish Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
    • Gulp!: "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100: 30 September 2022 – 6 October 2022". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
27. "Deep Down Happy by Sports Team". Apple Music. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
28. "Sports Team announce new album 'Gulp' and share 'R Entertainment'". NME. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
29. "Sports Team Announce New LP Boys These Days, Share "I'm in Love (Subaru)"". Flood Magazine. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
30. "Winter Nets - EP by Sports Team". Apple Music. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
31. "Keep Walking! - EP by Sports Team". Apple Music. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
32. "Alternative Airplay - Week of March 25, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
33. "Adult Alternative Airplay - Week of May 27, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved 23 May 2023.

External links

• Official website

• 2016 establishments in England
• Bright Antenna Records artists
• English alternative rock groups
• English indie rock groups
• English post-punk music groups
• Island Records artists
• Musical groups established in 2016
• British musical sextets