Three shows about football at the Edinburgh Festival 2024…

Off The Bench | theSpace @ Niddry St | 12-17 Aug
I reckon there’ll be fans of Fringe theatre who are also fans of football, so you’ll enjoy this section, but so, I’m sure, will everyone else, as these are not just for those sporty types. This first one – the work of an all-female creative outfit – is about three female footie types who play for their local team and it looks at their individual stories, but also explores the wider topic of women’s representation in sport. Info and tickets here.

The Ghost Of White Hart Lane | Underbelly Bristo Square | 31 Jul-26 Aug (pictured)
A new work about John White, a star footballer of the 1960s who rose from humble beginnings just outside Edinburgh to play for Spurs and Scotland before his tragic accidental death at the age of 27. The play – which, despite the sad subject matter, is peppered with humour – was commissioned by John’s son Rob, who was five months old when his father passed and whose story also features. Info and tickets here.

Fan/Girl | Summerhall | 1-26 Aug
This one jumped out at me because creator Bryony Byrne found herself wondering why all the girls she knew stopped playing football in their teens and I happen to have a daughter who also did that. The show steps back to the last century, where ten year old Bryony is pretending to be Eric Cantona, and offers “an absurd and tongue-in-cheek ride through British adolescence set against a backdrop of 90s football and pop”. Info and tickets here.