New York, 30th November 2020
Nathan Pazler
Today we live in a world where globalisation is omnipresent. Sport, history and politics are important sectors that build many nations. We are convinced that the study of these three areas is crucial to understand the world in which we live.
This is why Joshua Brau and Maxime Valy, two of the most reputed French football aficionados have decided to create the Football Museum, an Instagram account named@foot.ballmuseum and based on the history of football. Their aim is to develop the football culture of our followers through the study of significant events. Football is a very popular sport all over the world, but its culture is sometimes forgotten. And they strongly believe it is essential to know the past in order to understand the present.
Joshua Brau & Maxime Valy – getty 2020
Since the beginning of the page, two of us have been developing and creating content for the Instagram account. We both studied political science and completed a master's degree in Brussels. Our academic background can be an advantage to understand the world we are living in and has helped us to do research.
We like to explore different fields on our page and we use all possible means in Instagram to do so. Stories are for iconic and beautiful photos, IGTV is for short documentaries on a very specific topic (mainly political issues) and the post are the essence of the page. Indeed, with two or three posts per week, we choose a match, a player, a team or a game and we develop the subject in description to inform our followers. Here are two examples;
True Pioneers of Women football
In 1914, the Great War began. The British empire was a key force in the conflict and needed its factories to produce arms. A city like Coventry were key to the national factory and started to produce many arms. With thousands of men leaving to fight, it was the women who were working in the factories.
Women were already working in the factories before the WWI, but when the war broke out it really increased the amount of opportunities for women. They went from domestic services to factory work that gave to them a far more sense of community. It was a really hard work, it was not what the women
were used to doing. Many of those women left their family to work in the cities, they were living in accommodations among many others women.
Then slowly, they’ve created football teams and started playing against each other. Then as they began to gain popularity, there were bigger games against teams from other cities.
In 1917, a businessman took it a step further and formed the city’s first women’s team. Crowds came to watch the first game and it was such a success that soon other factories set up their own ladies teams. Between 1917 and 1918 the ladies teams has played many matched and tournaments across the city.
The Coventry teams are pioneers in women’s football. In a time where women didn’t have the right to vote, football became a way to emancipate themselves and go beyond the moral and physical restrictions of the time.
In 1918, after four long years of war, the war finally ended. The women left their factory jobs and many teams were disbanded, but some continued to play. Nationally, women’s football was growing in popularity with some games attracting crowds of over 20 000 spectators, but many were still not happy with women’s new found freedoms. The Football Association led the way in discrediting the women’s game and in 1921 it dealt a devastating blow. The FA were kicking women’s football out.
The ban last for 50 years, but the fact that women were no longer able to play football is probably part of a wider movement and things didn’t go back to what they were before the war.
West Germany - East Germany: 1974 World Cup
More than a symbol, a celebration or a possible match of reconciliation, this last match in Group 1 of the 1974 World Cup between the Democratic Republic of Germany (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is above all the match of fear.
This match occurred in a Cold War context. The two teams were representing two different part of the world. In a certain way, this match was an indirect confrontation between the USA and USSR.
This is the first time since the division of Germany that West Germany and East
Germany have met on a football pitch (and it will also be the last). It is 7 p.m. on 22 June 1974, when the German anthem gives way to the Deutschland über Alles, sung by the audience as a prayer. Even the
sharpshooters, posted on the roof of the stadium, have laid down their weapons to live the moment... But the team that will leave the pitch under the applause 1h30 later, will be the other Germany's team. The GDR
emerged victorious from this fratricidal duel, winning by the smallest of margins thanks to a splendid but murderous counter-attack by Sparwasser, who appeared like the devil in the 77th minute between Berti Vogts and Franz Beckenbaueur, who was stunned.
History remembers this match as one of the most political match ever in football history. At the end, East Germany won the match, but got eliminated in the next round. On the other hand, West Germany won the 74 World Cup, its second title.
Development:
Football museum is growing rapidly. Our goal is to continue to grow and create a real brand. Indeed, we have started the process of registering and creating the "Football Museum" brand.
The short term objective is to launch a website based on the content of the Instagram page and to develop an online shop where we could sell clothes around this theme of football history. We want to make durable and high quality clothing with original designs. In addition to the online shop, we want to continue the Instagram account in order to reach a maximum of potential customers all over the world.
Finally, an essential aspect of the business would be to donate a percentage of each sale to an NGO working on personal development through football. We are very sensitive to this cause and believe that children can better express themselves through sport. Having an impact is the most important thing for us, and we hope that this feeling can be shared with others.
Instagram: @foot.ballmuseum
Contact: footballmuseum5@gmail.com