The card lads of German football

Introducing Rakewell, Apollo’s wandering eye on the art world. Look out for regular posts taking a rakish perspective on art and museum stories

Rakewell has been dreaming of the resumption of football – when not dreaming of that champagne they dole out at the poshest art fairs, that is. So he was tickled to see the efforts to which the fans of one German football club, Borussia Mönchengladbach, have gone to get back into their home stadium, Borussia-Park.

At the last count, and with matches likely to return behind closed doors in May, more than 8,000 fanatical followers of the foals (as the team is known) had invested £16.50 each for a cardboard cut-out of their face to be installed in the stands.

A stationery crowd? A bunch of posters? Perhaps, but Rakewell has heard talk that the card men (and women) of Mönchengladbach are bound to raise the spirits – and perhaps the performance ­– of the home team when they do take to the pitch. Either way, it will still outdo the atmosphere at the Arsenal.

Could the art world learn something from these paper fans? Well, if social distancing measures force art fairs to restrict numbers in the autumn, the serious collectors could go along in person while Rakewell trades in his VIP card for, erm, his VIP cardboard.

Got a story for Rakewell? Get in touch at rakewell@apollomag.com or via @Rakewelltweets.