Soccer

Although this is a mainly American community, I take myself the freedom of starting a very European (and South American) topic: European Football or Soccer (as you call in America, and I've chosen as title).

What better start for a Soccer thread than with an item devoted to the present (2010-2011)European Champion: Futbol Club Barcelona.

It's a cover issued for the FCB Centennial Philathelic Exhibition, that took place on the FCB Museum premises, lasted for ten days and many postal and philatelic items were issued.
The stamp is the one issued by the Spanish PO for the club centennial with a design of the painter Antoni Tàpies. The cover illustration shows the team that won FCB first Euopean championship in 05/20/1992 at the old Wembley Stadium and the handstamp shows the different European cups won by the team and bears the text in Catalan "Sempre a Europa" (always in Europe), as the team has never failed to be in the European competitions.





Need I to say that I'm from Barcelona and a proud supporter of Futbol Club Barcelona?

The first philatelic item related to FC Barcelona was this handstamp used to commemorate the opening of the FCB stadium, The "Camp Nou" (New Stadium, in Catalan).
No mention to the club is made in the postmamark, as it was badly regarded by Franco's regime (for being a symbol of Catalonia). But, somewhat, our fathers managed to make the relation clear, as you can see in the covers shown below. They also organised an Sportive Philatelic Exhibition. The opening day 09/24 is the date when we celerate the holiday of one of the two Barcelona's Saints Patronesses, la Verge de la Mercè (Mercè's Virgin), which is a bank holiday in Barcelona.

Matthias Sindelar, who many considered the best Austrian footballer
of the 20th Century was part of the 1930's Wunderteam.
Austria was one of the favourites going into the 1934 FIFA World Cup
but finished 4th.
Now the Austrian national team is so bad that they can't even
qualify for the World Cup.

Cursus - While it is certainly true that soccer is far less popular in the USA than it is in the rest of the world, today many American children do play "the beautiful game" for their schools and in youth leagues. I myself had the pleasure of coaching kids on an Optimist Club team back in the late 1970s.

Here is an image of a stamp depicting a soccer player and Tokyo stadium, designed and engraved by Albert Decaris, and issued by Mali on June 12, 1964 for the 18th Olympic Games, Scott No. 61.

- nethryk

Cover and postmark issued for the presentation of the FCB Stamps Exhibition on the 1998 Barcelona Stamp Show. Both cover and postmark bear the FCB Centennial logo, while in the stamp you can see a goal.

Here is an image of a semi-postal stamp depicting soccer players designed by Finnish graphic artist and sculptor Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985), engraved by Birger Ekholm, and issued by Finland on February 15, 1952 for the 15th Olympic Games held in Helsinki, Scott No. B111, Facit No. 409.

- nethryk

Nethryk, since I had previously seen Birger Ekholm's name only on
Danish stamps I thought he was Danish.
But then I saw you mentioning him on the Engraver's thread
and realized he was actually a Finn.
Nice football stamp btw.


FC Tirol Innsbruck won the Austrian football championship in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
But still went bankrupt in 2002. No wonder the national team is lousy.

lithograving - Thanks. I would agree that the team of Tapio Wirkkala and Birger Ekholm really scored on that one.

Here is an image of another stamp depicting soccer players, designed by Pierre Forget, engraved by Jean Miermont, and issued by the People's Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) on July 15, 1966 to celebrate Congo's gold medal (1965) in the first All-Africa games, Scott No. 148.

- nethryk

1994 Brazil World champions

Soccer players and emblem, lithographed, and issued by Maldives on July 31, 1974, Scott No. 516, plus the official emblem of the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Munich, Germany, June 13 - July 7.

- nethryk

United States 1994 World Championship

West Germany and Chile in 1974 World Cup, lithographed, and issued by Grenada on September 3, 1974, Scott No. 553.

- nethryk

My Dutch in laws say no one plays like the Italians..but the Dutch are no slouches either !!

FC Barcelona 100 Aniv. FDC:

France World cup '98