The National WW1 Museum and Memorial's - The Beautiful Game Exhibition is now on. If you are in Kansas City during the World Cup, then why not pay a visit! More information @ www.theworldwar.org/exhibitions/...

The Beautiful Game

Open April 2, 2026: Journey through the story of football's impact on WWI and explore the poignant influence of “the beautiful game” on people living during wartime.

theworldwar.org

Wonderful to reunite with Phil Martin, peerless football historian. At @footycon.bsky.social, he casually left on my seat a signed (!) copy of Peter Craigmyle's hard-to-find 1949 book, "A Lifetime of Soccer", one of the oldest #referee biographies. Phil, you have my unending gratitude. #footycon 💙📚

It was also great to finally meet Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of "Your Show", the biography of deceased #referee Uriah Rennie. His presentation on his new book "About to Fall Apart" was emotional and mesmerising. He was kind enough to sign a copy for me. Only cost me this t-shirt😉 #footycon 💙📚

Had a wonderful time last week at @footycon.bsky.social #footycon #footycon26 One thing hardly ever mentioned is the generosity of the presenter, who tend to be very willing to share their research. Some go even farther, like @dralexanderjackson.bsky.social, who kindly gave me a copy of his book ⤵️

It's me!! Loved presenting this year at footycon, thank you for having me 🥹

FootyCon@footycon.bsky.social · 2mo ago

But we finish this short panel with Sian Allpress discussing her PhD research on @SpursOfficial and their heritage assets.

It’s a wrap! #FootyCon26 draws to a close, so hats off to @garyjames.bsky.social @whuhistorian.bsky.social and all the team at @footycon.bsky.social for an enlightening couple of days at Fulham FC. Great to put some names to faces, too!

Was a pleasure to chat and looks like the it has legs for further development

FootyCon@footycon.bsky.social · 2mo ago

After lunch and a brief excursion across to the Press conference room, we’re back with @markaorton.bsky.social talking to @garyjames.bsky.social about football and how the Yugoslav wars keeps shaping international football

Up next, we have @outsidewrite.bsky.social discussing a century of football rebelling against the evils of fascism across the world from Europe to South America between 1922-2022

Our final session of #footycon26 is underway and we start with Malcolm Dowden tells us about the famous Welsh rugby historian WJT Collins

Malcolm Dowden on ‘Dromio’, the Welsh rugby journalist and historian #footycon #footycon26

Christian Schröder is on next, with a paper on pillarisation: separate religions and migrant communities founding separate leagues in pre-war Germany #footycon #footycon26

To round out this penultimate session of #Footycon26, we have Christian Schröder discussing confessional and migrant football communities in Germany

On next in the second room are Kieran Manchip and Philip Richardson, presenting on actual football archaeology in Anwoth and Dumfries, with focus on Reverend Rutherford #footycon #footycon26

Returning to the other room, where recurring speaker George Kioussis presents on gift-giving among sports officials, focusing on football #footycon #footycon26

Richard Mills and @dralexanderjackson.bsky.social in a double-header about early encounters between European football and Latin American football, focusing on Yugoslavia in 1930 and #referees in the 1950s #footycon #footycon26

Chris Lepkowski speaking on TV deals throughout the ages, focusing on the 1980s #footycon #footycon26

I have to miss out on Phil Martin’s presentation, but I simply cannot afford to miss the performance of Ashley Hickson-Lovence on Emmanuel Sala. He’s also speaking on his book “Your Show”, about the late #referee Uriah Rennie.

#footycon stalwart Walter Hunt delves into the commentary style, and how it changed over the years, of Kenneth Wolstenhome. #footycon26

We’ve moved to the @fulhamfc.com press room, where @garyjames.bsky.social interviews Mark Orton on football and the Yugoslav diaspora, and how this still shapes international football #footycon #footycon26

Up next, we have @gollnerphilipp.bsky.social focusing on Ivica Osim, the last coach of the Yugoslav team and how his story deserves so much more attention than it currently gets from the international football history community

Philipp Gollner is up next, speaking about Sarajevo as a battleground and background for nationalism and football, through the person of Ivica Osim #footycon #footycon26

After lunch and a brief excursion across to the Press conference room, we’re back with @markaorton.bsky.social talking to @garyjames.bsky.social about football and how the Yugoslav wars keeps shaping international football

But our final presentation in markers 3 before lunch on day 2 of #Footycon26 is Stuart Gibbs, winner of last years Richard Cox prize with the @BritSportHisSoc being interviewed by Dil Porter about Lily Flexmore, an interesting character in women’s football history.

But our final presentation in markers 2 before lunch on day 2 of #Footycon26 is Walter Hunt, winner of our best paper prize in … discussing the commentary of legendary commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme. Walter is also a new author, so check out his book on Amazon

We follow this up with another paper in Markers 3 with Phil Martin telling us about the initial formation meeting of the FA

We go from models of football ownership to discussing how we discuss death in football as Ashley Hickson-Lovence who’s current work discusses how he fictionalises element of the death of Emiliano Sala

Up next in markers 3 is David King, discussing why he believes Barnes FC is an important player (no pun intended) in the formation of association football in its formative years of the 1860s.

Up next in markers 3 is David King, discussing why he believes Barnes FC is an important player (no pun intended) in the formation of association football in its formative years of the 1860s.

Following this in markers 2, Peter Wolstencroft (with Andy Coleman) talking about the excellent models of ownerships in football using Peters & Waterman’s model from 1982 and bringing it into a more modern context.

Having enjoyed their hospitality last night, we’re now in for David King’s paper on Barnes FC’s place in the history of association football #footycon #footycon26