Football Stories
A heated election season, new and uncertain times for football with an ever-increasing sense of urgency within football to deliver positive change. What moments in football history are we looking to highlight in the coming month which might provide us with historical mirrors to the present?
In this article:
COVER Image
Football match Juventus-Slavia Prague in 1932 (Source: Letem světem vol. 6, issue 40 / National Library of the Czech Republic – n. 54 B 1734).
Football People
Between 8-22 October, Football Makes History founding partner Fare Network champions grassroots football activism that advances inclusion in all shapes and forms. We will highlight the lives of pioneers in football who have broken ceilings and changed perspectives to allow for more inclusion in the game and combat racism and hate.
Some of our highlights
As before, we pay close attention to stories – large and small – that connect football to social and cultural developments on the continent. Some highlight you can except in October:
- In October 1925, Jack Leslie would have been the first Black player for England, but he was sent away once the staff had seen his skin colour. Only in October 1978 does Viv Anderson make his debut as a Black pioneer in England.
- In October 1927, the first finals of the Mitropa Cup – Europe’s first international club tournament – were concluded between Sparta Prague and Rapid Wien.
- In October 1966, following a tragic landslide in the Welsh town of Aberfan, a charity football match was organised to raise relief money. TV personalities teamed up against an International XI.
Tell us what you consider an important moment in football history to mark in October, and why.
Pass the ball around
Our campaign’s content is almost entirely produced by educators. Each day we aim to deliver interesting mini-stories from football’s rich history. These will be posted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The content is aimed to support the educational objectives of the Football Makes History project. If you are reading this and have suggestions or ideas for the months ahead, we are most happy to receive those! Help our team tell the stories that matter.
RELATED STORIES You may also be interested in
Ernest Wilmowski: A problem of identity
October in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, we provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
Anne Frank House enters the football field to tackle anti-semitism
Football Makes History partners Anne Frank House and Fare Network work with Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund to combat anti-semitic chants in the stadiums.
Football speaking out in perspective
Football represents a large cultural space in society. It is not isolated from political developments. How have football players used this space to achieve their social goals?
Football Highlights
September in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, we provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
August in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, the team of Football Makes History will provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
July in football history
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, the team of Football Makes History will provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
September in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, we provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
August in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, the team of Football Makes History will provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
July in football history
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, the team of Football Makes History will provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
LATEST POST You may also be interested in
Nationalism, War, and Football: teaching foreign policies through football
A dynamic activity with a mini football match to show students the relationship between foreign policy and football.
Seen from the Valley
Football in India arose from the presence of British troops, but the game that could unite, was later eclipsed by cricket. A local story from India.
The Birth of a Club: looking at local football to learn about the past
What if you could teach history through the lens of your local club? This is a ready-to-use lesson plan for history and citizenship educators to help address local social, political and economic history of the early 20th century as well everyday life in that period.
Ballon d’Or at the presidential palace
On this day, 11th October, in 2005, football star George Weah ran for the office of president of Liberia.
Learning history in 100 football life stories
Over 100 life stories have been collected. Together they present a story of the people of Europe in the last 150 years. Time to connect the dots.
The Incredible Life of a French Footballer
Today, 29 September, is the day on which French female football pioneer Carmen Pomiès was born in 1900 and passed away in 1982.
