Liverpool are entering into the world of digital collectable art as they launch their first official NFT collection. The LFC Heroes Club collection will feature illustrations of 24 of the male squad, bringing their “individual and superhero characteristics to life”.
Sotheby’s auction house has partnered with the football club to help create the project, which will be available to purchase during a three-day online sale from 30 March to 1 April. The digital collection will have two categories – the Legendary and Hero Edition.
Liverpool, as a club, have always meant more. Or at least that’s what fans like to tell ourselves. And it’s what the club rather like to tell us, too, creating slick videos that lean into the sentiment in an effort to strengthen those feelings of attachment between supporter and club.
None of which is done with altruistic intentions, of course. Because every casual fan that becomes a dedicated follower that becomes a rabid supporter is also a potential source of income for the club, increasing shirt sales and hospitality tickets sold and leading to more lucrative commercial partnerships.
More fans, more followers, more supporters equals more sales, more revenue, and more brand value. It’s the ugly side of the beautiful game, and to look too closely at that side of things risks a shattering of the illusions that help one to stay a fan, a follower, a supporter.
Look too closely, and you can begin to see that you don’t really matter to the club in the same way the way the club matters to you. Look too closely, and it becomes clear you’re nothing more than a data point on a spreadsheet, a customer whose only worth is to be separated from your Pounds or Dollars or Euros.
During the online auction, they will go under the hammer, with bidding starting at 75 pounds.
The Hero Edition is a limited series that will see the players demonstrating various personality traits and poses. Fans will have the opportunity to own a unique randomly generated Hero Edition NFT, with the exact image revealed once the sale ends to mirror the anticipation created when opening a pack of football cards. These will be priced at $75 (£56).
Half of the proceeds from Liverpool’s Legendary collection auction will go towards the LFC Foundation and other charitable and community projects. An additional 10 per cent from the club’s limited-edition Hero sale and 10 per cent of all future resale royalties will also go to the LFC Foundation.
