Academics from across the world celebrated the Football Association's 150th anniversary with a special event organised by UCLan.The Football 150 Conference, offered lectures and seminars covering all aspects of the nation's favourite sport.
Over three days the conference explored the historical, sociological, artistic and all other aspects of men and women's football in all its varieties, and aimed to reflect on the history of the FA whilst developing a blueprint for the future of the game and its study.
Professor John Hughson, Director of the International Football Institute at UCLan, said: "It was fantastic to have academics from Australia, America, Brazil, Italy, Germany and a whole host of other countries attend as it's been the first comprehensive football conference to have taken place. The variety of areas covered means it has attracted major researchers within the football and sports world."
The conference, held in partnership with the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University and the National Football Museum in Manchester, was organised by Dr Jane Clayton from SSTO's International Football Institute. Dr Clayton and six fellow UCLan academics also presented their work, while the FREE Project was another notable contributor to the event.
The opening address was given by Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's Director of Football Development. Keynote speeches were given by Karen Espelund of UEFA's executive committee and former general secretary of the Norwegian FA, David Goldblatt, author of 'The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football', along with Tony Mason, author of the ground-breaking 'Association Football and English Society'. The conference also hosted the Arab Football Forum 2013.
Professor Hughson added: "I’m delighted how well it went and the feedback has been fantastic. An historian from New York told me its the best conference he's ever been to. That's praise indeed."
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