March in Football

What moments in football history have we highlighted in the last month? How do they provide us with historical mirrors to the present?

In this article:

• Exploring Football History in the past and present
• Highlights to cherish
• Pass the ball around
• Photo Gallery

Exploring Football History in the past and present

In March we posted stories about different people and their connection to history, as well as the present! From a story about a boycott of a World Cup, to an educational practice which we helped to transfer from Germany to Israel. But the main focus in March was on the history, present and future of women’s football!

Highlights to cherish

In March we continued our #onthisday social media campaign with 40 entries, playing close attention to stories – large and small – that connect football to social and cultural developments on the continent. With these posts, we always ask a question:

• On 3 March 2017 French-Polish icon Raymond Kopa passed away. His official surname was Kopaszewski and his paternal grandparents came from Poland. How can 20th century history be traced through the migration stories of footballers and their families?

• On 16 March 1945 Italian footballer Vittorio Staccione died in Mauthausen. Because of his antifascist beliefs, his name was often erased from the starting line-up lists, instead an X was put in place of his name. Would you oppose a regime your whole life?
• On 23 March 1895, a football game was played as women were claiming equality in a patriarchal society. Chris Rowe took us around the story of the game.
• On 25 March 2016 the Republic of Ireland’s shirts bore an inscription commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising. FIFA fined the Irish FA for breaching rules around political symbols. Do political symbols belong in international football?
• On 26 March 1993, Tofiq Bahramov died. He was a Soviet footballer and referee from Azerbaijan, known as the “Russian linesman” for the English goal in the 1966 World Cup Final. How did renaming the national stadium in Baku in his honor help to regain his nationality?

These were just some of the highlights! Explore more of our March stories on our social media. Miss something? Why not tell us.

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! Join us! Help our team tell the stories that matter.