DUBLIN—Amidst rows of battered tables and chairs, some which look as though they've survived a few rough terms at a British state school, the world's best Kick Off 2 players are preparing to compete. The venue—nestled in the heart of Dublin and a stone's throw from the infamous Temple Bar district—is the former Williams and Woods chocolate factory, a grubby graffiti-covered building that's home to the city's burgeoning creative community.

Glamorous it is not, but there's a sense that this event belongs here. The gutted interior, with its peeling walls and windows that haven't been cleaned in years, give the building an artistic vibe, a feeling that what's created here might stand the test of time. This is not the kind of building that is concerned with trivial matters like fashions and trends—and I suspect that's exactly how the players like it.

After all, Kick Off 2 is hardly fashionable. Released in 1990 for the Amiga and Atari ST, the classic football game was a strong competitor to the Sensible Soccer series. Both were played from a birds-eye view, and both used just a single button to pass, shoot, and tackle. Misdirection and razor-sharp movements, as opposed to any intimate knowledge of skill moves or speciality shots, were the key to success.

And yet, despite the game's age and simplicity compared to modern counterparts like FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer, every year the world's best players gather to compete in the Kick Off 2 World Cup. The first was held in 2001, hosted at the Dartford, England offices of Anco, the now-defunct publisher that released the game back in 1990. It was organised by the Kick Off Association (KOA), a collective of elite players and enthusiastic fans that continue to run the annual tournament.

"This is the first year I've actually competed, but I've been a member of the Kick Off Association for 15 years. It's a new experience for me," smiles Pedro Quaresma, a Dublin-based Portuguese who is a key member of the KOA's organising committee.



"In terms of the general organisation I was part of the very first [World Cup]," Pedro continues. "But local players take care of the regional logistics, so in England the English players take care of it. The 2002 event in Athens was taken care of by Greek players. This is the first event we've had in Ireland, so it's the first time for me organising it so directly."

Dublin, Pedro explains, had to earn the right to host the 2015 World Cup, much like how countries bid for the real thing.

"Each year bids are placed for different locations to be the host and the community votes on which place is the most appropriate for everyone. Basically, when we prepare a bid we first suggest a date for the tournament and a venue within the area we represent—in this case Dublin. Overall plans like hotels, the final competition format, and stuff like that are then put forward. Other people from other places will do the same. This year we had to beat a bid from Sweden, which was also a strong candidate."

Previous locations have included Rome, Milan, Copenhagen, Cologne, and the aforementioned Athens. These events have taken place in everything from town halls and conference rooms to hotels and barns. The tournament is a far cry from the stadiums, energy drink sponsorships, and throngs of cosplayers typically associated with modern e-sports, which is dominated by the likes of StarCraft II, DoTA 2, and League of Legends. In the world of Kick Off 2, every individual, as opposed to the sole elite competitor, is considered an essential cog in the machine.

Anyone is eligible to play, so long as they're prepared to pay the €50 (£35 or ~$52.50) entrance fee and cover their own expenses for the duration of the trip. Depending on your background, that may or may not be a significant amount of money, but for the players and organisers of the tournament, it's a small price to pay.

There aren't many KOA members based in Ireland, which forced Pedro to "go ballistic" on his credit card in order to secure enough Amiga 500s and CRT televisions to run the game. The result is a charming fusion of grey and beige, some consoles and screens considerably older and more war torn than others.

Listing image by John Robertson