© Ron Davis / National Museums Liverpool
Exhibition Review – May Redfern donned her football boots and visited Only A Game? An exhibition hosted by World Museum Liverpool - extended until April 26 2009.
Only a Game? a lively football exhibition with a European focus, is showing at World Museum Liverpool, giving visitors the chance to get close to over 50 years worth of football related artefacts, including the ball which famously crossed the line in the 1966 World Cup Final, which still represents ‘English football’s finest hour’.
The exhibition also explores football’s social role, in terms of its capacity to bring people together. The exhibition’s patron, French ex-international defender Lilian Thuram, encapsulates this idea at the beginning of the displays: “I am not defined by a geographic area, but by a feeling. Europe is an extraordinary idea”.
The exhibition features over 50 years worth of football related artefacts © Ron Davis / National Museums Liverpool
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) was set up in 1954 and the exhibition begins with a timeline, broken down by decade, which compares key milestones of modern European history with what was happening on the pitch at the same time. Cases filled with memorabilia inevitably include key pieces from both the official Everton collection and the Liverpool FC museum.
Moving down the timeline is like walking down a football player’s tunnel and at the end, the exhibition opens up to reveal various sections where visitors can really get involved.
A long glass case tells UEFA’s story and reveals some of the major trophies. In front of the case are two screens, which can be held on either side like a searchlight, revealing information as they pan over each object. The case includes the draw balls seen on television complete with paper inserts, a signed shirt from referee Pierluigi Collina, as well as bottles from the anti-doping unit.
© Ron Davis / National Museums Liverpool
(Above) ‘Lifeblood’ - a series of portraits of players from amateur leagues in Brussels and Liverpool is also on show at the exhibition.
A quiz then invites visitors to utilise their knowledge of European football and there is a chance to vote on the preferred type of club owner: the businessman, fan’s chairman, mysterious stranger or local figure.
In contrast to the big money side of the game, ‘Lifeblood’ - a series of portraits of players from amateur leagues in Brussels and Liverpool - serves as a reminder that the grass roots game is as essential to the future of the game as the professional clubs.
Meanwhile, a cinema and library zone is set out rather like a large living room, with stools designed to resemble leather footballs. There are plenty of earphones for listening to music while watching recordings of matches on screen, plus various books and magazines to browse through – including the UEFA champion league statistics and technical reports.
Only A Game? is running until Sunday March 1 2009. © Ron Davis / National Museums Liverpool
However, for those people not quite in the mood for this level of detail, there is a final display that allows visitors to become DJs, mixing favourite football clips with a selection of music tracks.
Only A Game? is an engaging exhibition, which covers some big themes in a lively and interactive way. Everything is designed on a large scale, making it an easy space in which to move around.
It is likely to be a success with most football fans, and for those with perhaps less enthusiasm for the game, there is still plenty on offer with a chance for everyone to get involved at some level.
Admission to the exhibition is free. Not all of the UEFA trophies are displayed at the same time. To check before visiting, call 0151 478 4393 or see the website www.onlyagame.info
