In "Music meets Football", we speak to some of our artists about their love of the beautiful game and the teams they support. Our latest feature is with Gavin Foord & Aki (aka Bear Like) from Southampton dance music collective FooR.
The duo, who make up one half of the collective alongside fellow members Tyrone and Jon Doe (CLSM), are fans of hometown side Saints. Since the release of their 2018 album Friends of FooR charted in the Top 10 of the Official UK Dance Charts, FooR have made waves across the UK bassline scene and beyond.
The group’s latest single ‘Oh No’ saw them link up with Essex singer-songwriter Wavysof for the third time following 2023’s smash-hit ‘Nights Of Our Lives’ and ‘Holding You’. Released in August, you can listen to ‘Oh No’ on Oh When the Saints – our unofficial Southampton FC playlist.
Sport Playlists: Tell us about how you became a fan of Southampton, and what are your earliest memories of attending a game?
Gavin: I went to the first game of the Season vs Tottenham in 1991, Alan Shearer scored & the ball got stuck in the stanchion. Gary Lineker & Gazza were playing for Spurs, after that i was hooked
Aki: I actually first supported Liverpool when growing up, then my Uncle took me to The Dell to watch Saints vs Liverpool in 1988. Saints won 4-2 so I jumped ship haha!
SP: Who were your footballing heroes growing up – whether that be Saints players or otherwise?
Gav & Aki: Matt Le Tissier – Le God, When we were growing up Le Tissier produced so many golden moments, go watch the youtube compilation of his best goals, we were both there for that goal against Newcastle
SP: Did you ever have any aspirations about becoming a professional footballer when you were a child? If so, how far did they go towards becoming a reality?
Aki: I played for Southampton Schoolboys (Academy) until I was 16, then I played at non-league level for AFC Totton before injuring my ankle, which forced me into early retirement.
SP: What’s the best moment been in your time supporting Southampton?
Gav & Aki: Coming up from League One and getting back-to-back promotions to the Premier League, then establishing ourselves as a top flight side again for a few seasons with that side featuring the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana, and Dušan Tadić.
SP: Is the love of football and Saints something the rest of the FooR collective share, and if so, is it something you’ve bonded over?
Gav & Aki: We all follow Southampton closely & go to as many games as we can.
SP: What are your thoughts on how the 2024/25 season has gone so far on the club’s return to the Premier League?
Gav & Aki: The gap between the Championship & Premier League is getting bigger & bigger making much harder for promoted teams, it’s been a tough start but hopefully we can turn things around
SP What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
Gav & Aki: We would just be happy to win a few games at this point!
SP: Who are your favourite players in the current Saints squad, and why?
Gav & Aki: Flynn Downes is the boy – he’s a really important part of the team and one of the main reasons we got promoted. Of course Tyler Dibling as well.
SP: How important has the crossover between music and football been in your life?
Gav & Aki: It only seems to be in recent years that we are seeing crossovers between music & football. We have a made a version of ‘Oh When The Saints’ which they play in the stadium before games
SP: What song do you associate with a cherished footballing memory, and why?
Gav & Aki: Has to be ‘Three Lions’ during Euro 96. It was one of our favourite ever national tournaments.
SP: If you had to pick one FooR track for Saints to walk out to before kick-off at St Mary’s, which one would it be, and why?
Gav & Aki: Other than our previously mentioned version of ‘Oh When The Saints’, which is the obvious answer, then it’d have to be ‘Black Bandana’. It’s a great track to intimidate the opposition.
SP: You released your latest single ‘Oh No’ in the summer. What was it like collaborating with Wavysof again (following 2023’s ‘Night Of Our Lives’), and what’s the reaction been like for the track?
Gav: Wavysof is one of our favourite vocallists to work with, we love her voice & songwriting. The reaction to ‘Oh No’ has been the biggest we have ever had for a song this early into the release. We would love to do more songs with her.
SP: What’s coming up next for FooR?
Gav: We have a really exciting album project coming up early 2025 & for the past year we have been working on our own new genre, which we will be launching really soon.
