16 July 2008

Only a Game? UEFA football exhibition comes to Liverpool

Europe’s love affair with the beautiful game will be explored in an entertaining new exhibition at World Museum Liverpool.

Running from 11 October 2008 till 1 March 2009, Only a Game? will look at the human face of football in Europe from the classic era of the 1950’s to the modern age of global superstars.
The exhibition features rare objects from legendary matches, top European trophies and memorabilia from star players.

Michel Platini, President of UEFA and three times European Footballer of the Year, said: “I am delighted that UEFA is bringing this exciting exhibition to Liverpool during its Capital of Culture celebrations, a city that loves its football and plays such a big role in Europe’s fascination with the game.”

Lilian Thuram, official patron of the exhibition and winner of both the World Cup and European Championship with France, said: “Football brings people together across Europe. It speaks a simple language that everyone understands.  Only a Game? shines a light on all the actors that play a role: fans, school kids, amateurs, as well as the professional players.”

Looking at European culture through the lens of football, Only a Game? highlights the parallels, positive and negative, between the two. Solidarity, success, participation, celebration, racism and integration will all be examined in this thought-provoking exhibition. The City of Liverpool has played a central role in this story.

Liverpool player Steven Gerrard said: "There is no city in Europe where football means more than it does to the people of Liverpool. So I think it is great that we are having a European football exhibition as part of Liverpool 08."

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), said: “As the Northwest is the birthplace of football it is only fitting that this exciting exhibition should come to the region.

"People in Liverpool are passionate about football and football makes a significant contribution to our regional economy, so I am delighted that NWDA has been able to work with Uefa, National Museums Liverpool and the Football Museum on bringing Only A Game? to the city."

Bryan Gray, Chair of the Liverpool Culture Company, added: “Sport is part of Liverpool’s heritage and football has helped to shape this city of culture, so it should be no surprise to see it feature so prominently in the Capital of Culture programme. We are delighted to welcome Only a Game? to the European Capital of Culture; I can think of nowhere more fitting for this thought provoking exhibition.”

Highlights include:
• Player memorabilia from the National Football Museum - shirts, medals and trophies of great European players such as Phil Neal, George Best, Ferenc Puskas, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore, Stanley Matthews and Petr Cech
• A display of UEFA trophies, including the Champions League trophy and UEFA Cup
• A set of giant football figures telling the evocative personal stories of players including Kevin Keegan, Bernd Trautmann and Johann Cruyff
• Key items from the Everton Collection and from Liverpool FC Museum
• Memory Zone where visitors can mix their own football highlights into a video clip and set it to a soundtrack
• Interactive multimedia football quiz
• Portrait gallery of grassroots footballers from Liverpool and across Europe

Notes for Editors

- Only a Game? is a collaborative project between UEFA, the National Football Museum, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and National Museums Liverpool and is UEFA’s contribution to Liverpool 08
- Only a Game? was designed and produced by Album, www.insidealbum.com
- Only a Game? will link with the National Football Museum’s European Hall of Fame awards night at ACC Liverpool on 8 October

World Museum Liverpool William Brown Street, Liverpool Admission FREE
Open 10am-5pm every day Information 0151 478 4393
Website www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk