Is this the Tube map mash-up to end all Tube map mash-ups? London Underground and the Football Association have joined forces to put together an Underground map showing famous footballers and managers.
The project came about as both the FA and the Underground are 150 years old this year.
All 367 tube, Overground and DLR stations on the genuine map have been rechristened. Many are man-marked for a particular reason. David Beckham, for example, represents Leytonstone, the place of his birth. Upton Park, close to West Ham, garners club legend Bobby Moore. Current Arsenal star Jack Wilshere is the face of Arsenal station.
Meanwhile, each line links together footballers with particular connections. The Metropolitan joins managers such as Alf Ramsay and Roy Hodgson, for example, while the Jubilee marks FA Cup heroes. Even the Emirates Airline is represented, its two stations showing the first international captains of Scotland and England. A smart choice, given the use of any current player on these stations might have fallen foul of sponsorship wrangles with Emirates.
All endlessly captivating. One gripe, though. A common joy with such mash-ups is pondering the interchange — the individuals who span the categories of multiple lines. This map doesn't always find the right people, though. Liverpool Street is represented by Ian Rush, as a 'goalscorer' (Central Line). You can see what they did there with the Liverpool bit, but the choice also means Rush sits on the Metropolitan Line representing top managers line (he only ever managed Chester City, and for a short, indifferent spell). It also puts him on the Circle Line, which indicates 'giants of the World Cup'. That's not Rush. Not in this universe, alas.
Surprisingly, we don't think anyone's concocted a map of football players before, though an unofficial mash-up does plot football stadia.
Reader comments
Spotted any clever or unlikely connection on the map? Let us know in the comments and we'll round them up in this section.
The map will shortly be available for purchase from TfL's shop.
View the full map in PDF format here.
Browse our directory of alternative tube maps.