Football was born in England in 1863. Since then the game has captivated billions — but what happens away from the cameras, behind the results and the headlines, is a different story altogether. Sol Campbell lived that story for two decades at the highest level. In an exclusive conversation with Lara Palmer, the former Tottenham and Arsenal defender talks about career, family, design, and what fair play really means.
Lara Palmer: If your father were alive today, what would you tell him?
Sol Campbell: My father came from Jamaica in the 1960s. Life wasn’t easy for him or my mother adjusting to England. I wish he could see where things stand now — twenty years of football, a design business with studios in London and New York, a wonderful family. He’d probably just say, That’s OK, son. I think he’d be proud. LP: Your wife is both your life partner and your business partner. How does that dynamic work? SC: She studied at Parsons in New York and Chelsea College of Art in London. She’s been running her own practice for about twenty years. I’ve always had a natural feel for space — whether things fit, how a property can be transformed. We rarely clash because I know when to step back and let her creative instincts lead. Criticism has its place, but too much of it damages things. Being positive is almost always the better answer. We show a new outdoor furniture range in Belgravia and at the 200 Lex Design Center in New York. Our concept is simple: you walk in with nothing but yourself, and we handle the rest. LP: Is there a childhood moment that still shapes you? SC: Leaving London at around twelve to join the FA’s National School of Excellence in Lilleshall. I remember the doubt — why leave the city? But that decision changed everything. I met the right people, understood my body properly, played internationally for the first time. If I’d stayed comfortable in London, I’m not sure I’d have become the player I became. LP: What does fair play mean to you personally? SC: It means competing on natural terms. Training hard, looking after your body, using the best available technology — and then letting ability speak. No shortcuts, no enhancement, no rule-bending. Just doing it properly. That’s fair play.