SEASON meets: Lotte Wubben-Moy on creativity, legacy, and smashing Spurs
Words Felicia Pennant
Wearing a Britney Spears-style headset and Arsenal training gear, Lotte Wubben-Moy is trying to remember her first North London Derby. ‘I don't think I'd be able to give you a date. But it would have probably been spent at my auntie's, just off Upper Street in Islington. She had season tickets to all the Emirates games,’ the half English, half Dutch 23-year-old admits eventually. ‘It's basically being among the sea of red and white, feeling that collective unity and motivation to smash Tottenham. In most of my experiences, we've been able to do that.’
Since September 2020, when Wubben-Moy signed from North Carolina Tar Heels (where teammate, World Cup-winning USWNT winger, and SEASON zine issue 08 cover star Tobin Heath also went to college), Arsenal Women are unbeaten against Spurs in all competitions with five wins and a draw. There’s absolutely no doubt that the diehard-fan-turned-professional-defender is determined to win again in the next installment at the Emirates – the fourth time the women’s team will play at the men’s stadium this season. In fact, previous manager Joe Montemurro remarked that he wouldn’t be surprised if she went to sleep at the Spurs stadium ahead of the game back in March 2021. The rivalry seems fiercer in recent years, with less between the two sides in terms of results, so having the men’s and women’s North London Derby at the same ground weeks apart is massive. Ever bigger now that a traffic-stopping new Arsenal Women x adidas by Stella McCartney animal print training top will get its first outing on Saturday as well. The full limited-edition 10-piece women’s collection is adidas by Stella McCartney’s first collaboration with a women’s football team and it drops on 28 March.
Lotte Wubben-Moy wearing the Arsenal Women x Adidas x Stella McCartney animal print collection.
‘When I was six, seven, eight, nine, 10 years old in London, I would have relished the opportunity to watch a game at the Emirates,’ Wubben-Moy adds, very aware that football is becoming inaccessible to the capital’s youth with fewer opportunities to play at any level with academies and grounds moving further out. ‘We obviously don’t play in London but if we’re able to attract fans who might not be able to get out to Borehamwood, that’s our job done being able to serve that inner-city community.’ Surprisingly, there wasn’t a footballer that Wubben-Moy says she wanted to emulate as a youngster and while the Gunners’ playing identity is undeniably stylish, it can be a ‘double-edged sword. We’re not direct but we play really aesthetically pleasing football. That sometimes means we're not going to play that massive route A long ball, there are moments when you do just have to get it over their backline and spin them, but we know our strengths.’ The league table doesn’t lie: leaders Arsenal Women are on track for their first league title since 2018/19 so it’s working.
As another landmark weekend in the Barclays FA Women's Super League plays out, everything has come full-circle for Wubben-Moy and it feels like a legacy-building moment. ‘I don't think I've always fitted in with the football crowd just because of my upbringing. My dad's in the furniture industry and my mum's in the fashion industry so I'd like to think that I'm [part of] a new generation of footballers that are going to stand for something. They're not just going to be completely football-focused, but well minded, because, at the end of the day, we're humans first. For her, that means being a living, kicking example of what can be achieved, and imparting her invaluable experiences in England and the US to the girls of Hackney Laces during kickabouts in her spare time.
“ I thought it was so cool that they were creating this space where young girls could play football with zero pressure, and have support off the pitch [with] zero weight on how good they are.”
Where the creative side of Wubben-Moy really comes out is in the thoughtful blog The Lotte little things that she writes. Filled with diary-like musings on life, football, even tea, through her inquisitive creative eyes, she’s put it on hiatus to focus on football but promises something is coming soon. The footballer has also started to playfully draw over her Instagram images too – words, birds, people, and more. Why? ‘You can make sure that the message that you send is fully yours and fully under your narrative and rhetoric,’ Wubben-Moy replies. ‘It’s not conventional but it’s nice and it makes it more exciting to share that photo. All too often you can get caught up in the monotonous cycle of posting and [that] doesn't inspire me.’
Against the Zoom clock, I ask Wubben-Moy our burning questions and the Londoner fires back honest truths and witty insights then grants us some extra time. ‘You know what’s mad?’ she asks about halfway through. ‘My sister bought me the very first SEASON zine.’ Another full-circle moment.
SEASON zine issue 06 cover star Leah Williamson and issue 07 cover star Nikita Parris.
Felicia Pennant: Tell us your standout moment this season so far?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: We've always struggled away at Manchester City and this season we got a draw there which should arguably have been a win. That’s a pretty big moment for us as a team, to break down that barrier, and hopefully, it will be an important point in our campaign to win in the league this season. [Ed note: This interview happened before her Champions League equaliser at the Emirates.]
Felicia Pennant: Which Dutch words do you say to Dutch teammates (Miedema!) on the pitch?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: “Leuke meid” is like “nice girl”, “you did well” or “that was good”…“Gezellig” means “cosy”, “nice call” and you can use that to describe either a person, feeling or moment. I'm actually learning Spanish as well.
Felicia Pennant: What do you learn working with Hackney Laces?
“It’s mad energy, you get a perspective that you wouldn’t get being a professional footballer. Knowing that this isn’t everyone’s reality, and you’re living only a very, very small percentage of the world’s reality. What can you then do to impact the people around you so that they understand to push for more representation in these spaces? I seriously view it as a privilege and they motivate me. ”
Felicia Pennant: Your top East London tip?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: Follow the canals. It connects multiple neighbourhoods in East London from Hackney Wick, Tower Hamlets, London fields and up along to Islington. It pretty much takes me from my house to the Emirates and it's cool to know that you can go 10 minutes and be in a whole different part of London, exploring other things.
Felicia Pennant: Inside your bag you always have…
Lotte Wubben-Moy: This little leather wallet and there's always a notebook in there [and] some lip seal because who needs dry lips? There's always hand cream and a pen. My phone isn't always in there.
Felicia Pennant: How do you take your coffee?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: With oat milk – it's usually an oat milk flat white.
Lotte Wubben-Moy training .
Felicia Pennant: At UNC, you got a major degree in sports and exercise science and a minor in art history – which artwork resonates with you at the moment?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: I went to see the Francis Bacon [exhibition at] the Royal Academy, and I think a lot of his work, in general, is pretty sick. He can speak through imagery and he's doing things that others don't do.
The coolest thing about art is that it can carry so much weight in one moment, inspire you in the next, and tell a story in a way that maybe words wouldn't be able to do.
Felicia Pennant: Describe your style?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: Minimalism with the occasional burst of colour. I prefer black, white and neutral tones but then I love orange and a bit of red. [Ed’s note: Arsenal and Dutch colours.]
Felicia Pennant: And the rings on your fingers?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: I am a silver person. One says May, which is my middle name. That's the old Arsenal crest, this one is a star. Gold does not fit with me.
Felicia Pennant: Do you wear football jerseys off the pitch?
“I do. My partner Tao and I have probably got about 50 shirts between us. His are slightly more baggy on me but I kind of like the ones that can drape over your knees and you’ve got jeans on underneath. I love a vintage shirt.”
Felicia Pennant: What is the best football jersey of all time?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: [Without hesitation] It's got to be the gold Sega Arsenal shirt.
Felicia Pennant: Which Fleetwood Mac song have you rinsed the most and why?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: Dreams because it can be in the background but also turned up to the max and you can vibe into it. Some mornings, in the car, it's got to be on in the background when you just chill, but other [times] you want to sing out.
Felicia Pennant: Which fictional character do you most relate to and why?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: Have you ever seen Spirited Away? The main character in that – I think her name is Haku. I love the story but it’s the curiosity, exploration, and freedom she has within that. She shares her vulnerabilities and I think that's becoming more prevalent in society.
Felicia Pennant: Who is your ideal dinner guest and what would you cook for them?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: Football speaking, Ian Wright. I would probably cook tacos because it’s such a fun food to serve. There are so many different [components] but you can also appeal to the vegan, the veggie, and have chicken and meat as well.
Felicia Pennant: Finally, do you SEASON? If so what with?
Lotte Wubben-Moy: That's a sick question. Seasoning is one of the most important parts of cooking. I'm quite heavy-handed on the salt and I like salt that has thicker grains. Cinnamon can go both ways: savoury but I think it works best sweet. Aleppo [chilli] flakes and I like za'atar as well.
Images courtesy of Arsenal FC