How Aufside turned an empty ground into a community

Football usually starts with a ball.

Aufside started with people.

In a city running out of open spaces, Aufside became one, a place where anyone could show up, play, and stay. No trials. No labels. Just the game, repeated every day.

This isn’t a story about winning.

It’s a story about showing up.

MORE THAN FOOTBALL

WHERE THE

GAME BEGINS

Aufside began without plans or promises.

Just a ground and a few players.

Games happened daily. Sundays grew louder. Slowly, faces became familiar. The ground remembered everyone who returned.

Here, skill matters less than presence.

If you come back, you belong.

Before you see Aufside, you hear it.

A whistle.

Running feet.

Shouts, laughter, breath.

MOMENTS BETWEEN

THE WHISTLES

The ground before the first game feels quiet, almost patient.

Laces are tied twice. Water bottles are passed around.

A few deep breaths before the whistle.

During play, competition fades.

Someone falls. Someone helps them up.

After the game, legs are tired and smiles come easy.

No one is in a hurry to leave.

These images aren’t about one match.

They’re about choosing to come back.

WHAT THE GAME LEAVES BEHIND

Aufside builds more than players.

Daily games create routine.

Sundays build teamwork.

Skill doesn’t decide worth.

Presence does.

The impact isn’t on the scoreboard.

It’s in who returns tomorrow.

MORE THAN A

SCORELINE

Aufside isn’t trying to create stars.

It’s creating space

to play,

to belong,

to breathe.

Sometimes, that’s more than enough.

THE GAME CONTINUES

At Aufside, it was never about the scoreboard or counting players. It started with just five of us, and today, we are a community of more than 40 people

But the real story isn't the growth. It’s the life each person brings to the grass.

We’ve learned that showing up matters more than playing perfectly. Every messy kick and every shared laugh reminds us that belonging is the goal, not the score.

The ground is ready for the next game. More importantly, the people who make this place home are ready, too.