Seeing the news that Donald Trump is presenting the WC winners with World Cup Rings, brings to mind that in 1934 Benito Mussolini had his own trophy (Coppa Del Duce) made to present to the winners. Il Duce clearly missed a trick by not working with FIFA to sell limited edition copies though...

Contemporary collecting/documenting the pain update A shattered England wonderbawls in agony and heartache as a kanning by Messi kills the dream and sends England out

Current mood... Back in the 1900s the mail had many deliveries per day. So a postcard was one of the quickest ways to share your thoughts on why England went too early defending a lead and why Mainoo was taken if he wasn't going to be played... (NFM Collections)

England next played Argentina in 1953 during a tour of South America. These are from an album the AFA presented to the FA. 1st was a Buenos Aires XI van FA Xi. Billy Wright leads the FA side out while referee Arthur Ellis meets President Peron. Yes, we brought our own ref!

Going to bump this big interview with Dan Burn from the end of the season. What a special person he is - so glad he has been able to show the country what he’s all about over the last few weeks. It’s free to read.

Lets go back to the beginning - at least for official matches between #England and #Argentina. Here is the programme for the first in 1951 - a 2-1 win for England thanks to a late Jackie Milburn goal. This belonged to referee Richard Maddison, who officiated in Argentina in 1949 and 1950.

The early years of Alexander Watson Hutton, the Edinburgh man who became the 'father of Argentine football' www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...

OTD in 1930, the first FIFA World Cup began in Uruguay. In this article from the archives, Richard Mills explores how football fixtures created meaningful ties between Yugoslavia and its African and Asian allies.

Museum collecting and old fashioned print deadlines

@refbooks.bsky.social - for you!

Ahead of tonight's game between Belgium and Egypt, here here is preview of The Pharaohs in the official tournament programme for the 1934 FIFA Men's World Cup - they were the first African country to participate in the final tournament. (Courtesy of the Priory Collection)

@gedboy58.bsky.social - thought you might like this cartoon. From Nat Whittaker's scrapbook in @nfmofficial.bsky.social collections.

A few snapshoots for @refbooks.bsky.social from referee Nat Whittaker's scrapbook - part of @nfmofficial.bsky.social collections. For those who don't know, Nat was also the Secretary of the Southern League and the 1907 FA Cup final referee.

Venue of Lionesses' first home game honoured. Full story - www.englandfootball.com/articles/202... #sportshistory

As found in the Nottingham Football Post, 2 April 1910 - issues with adults getting over involved in kids football is nothing new!

Was sad to read recently of the death of artist Glen Baxter. I grew up with a copy of the Collected Blurtings of Baxter, so it was special to recognize one of his works when we took a loan from the Players Foundation a few years ago. A small slice of his surrealist humour.

To accompany Sheffield Theatres production of The Ladies Football Club, they and Sheffield Homes of Football have arranged a series of talks - I'll be chatting about women's football during the First world War on Saturday at 5pm at the Crucible www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/extra-time-b...

Loving today's documentation task. Loving it ..

Something for @refbooks.bsky.social - a pre-printed postcard that Arthur Ellis had produced to help him respond to (presumably) the many enquiries he got. This one has been used to say thanks for being congratulated on getting the 1952 FA Cup referee appointment.

Scanned a few things last week, including magazine build up to the 1935 FA Cup. Personal favourite is the photo of George Shaw (WBA) who 'can knit a pull-over a good deal better than most women' with his wife and their wee baby in the tub.

What would Sir Jim Ratcliffe make of all this I wonder? (From NFM Collection)

Another page from the 1934 World Cup programme - this time showing trophies and awards. It includes the Coppa Del Duce, commissioned by dictator Benito Mussolini as an additional prize for the winners, and much larger than the Jules Rimet trophy.(Priory Collection)

Another highlight from the 1934 World Cup programme - a cool but somewhat challenging infographic on the qualifiers. Courtesy of the Priory Collection.

One @refbooks.bsky.social - guide to the match officials from the 1934 FIFA World Cup programme. (Courtesy of the Priory Collection) Includes the first African referee at a World Cup.

Some extra gloss for #Macclesfield + their amazing win - Crystal Palace were the last non-League team to knock out the Cup holders (Wolves) in 1909 Then the FL only had 2 divisions. Palace were in the 1st Division of the Southern League - a bit like the 3rd Division. They also had cup form - 1/2

Little research snippet from today's work - a letter to the Liverpool Daily Post (3 November 1920) by a disabled ex-serviceman, describing the lack of consideration given to him and other veterans after the Merseyside derby. May interest @footballandwar.bsky.social

@drpetewatson.bsky.social - perhaps Manning and Co were missing a trick...

Going through some research and reminded myself that I came across an artistic depiction of a Black British soldier in the 4th Manchester Regiment in April 1916. If anyone would like it and the source info, would be happy to share it. Please share with anyone who might like it. #BlackHistoryMonth

With it being #Railway200 this weekend, here is a potted look at what @nfmofficial.bsky.social has in its collections related to football and the railways (plus the odd bit from my own research) All aboard! 🧵🚆

It's not a glamorous job, but someone has to feed the unicorns. Behind the scenes as the NFM prepares for the launch of our new book

Final part of the Clarice Vizard story here. Really pleased to hear the pieces have proved popular so far on the Playing Pasts website.

Visit the new @fusmuswarwick.bsky.social Home and Away: Football in the British Army Exhibition that is supported by the Army FA and @footballandwar.bsky.social There are also three supporting monthly talks and you can sign up for them @ fusiliermuseumwarwick.com/explore/what...

New on @playingpasts.bsky.social Part 4 of @dralexanderjackson.bsky.social's series The Manageress: The life and times of Clarice Vizard Link👉 bit.ly/4lEHA4G Pt 1 👉 bit.ly/41hy6VD Pt 2 👉 bit.ly/4orjqxg Pt 3 👉 bit.ly/46R0ykV #Football @bssh.bsky.social @nfmofficial.bsky.social #WomenInSport

Something for @sszy.bsky.social, if you are still interested in the origins of "soccer" as a word! The Oxford Review has been digitized by the BNA. It covered the last university news during term time. This is the first mention of "Soccer" on the 7 March 1888.

As ever, the best finds come when searching for something else. As a big fan of Roy Ullyett cartoons, I not only enjoyed this one, but also Roy's response when Birmingham City fans got upset by it! 🧵 @garyjames.bsky.social may be able to confirm whether City fans still hold this view....

Latest instalment in the Clarice Vizard story up now thanks to @playingpasts.bsky.social 😊 May be of special interested if you are interested in football and politics and their overlaps in 1930s elections (I know, that doesn't sound niche at all...😆)

Fighting the heat the only way I know...

Part 2 of "The Manageress" is up now - here is the football part of the story! With thanks to @dagenhaminvince.bsky.social for their help with piecing together the history of Bolton Ladies.

How a change of approach helped Newcastle cast off their chokers tag in the 1910 FA Cup final #NUFC Read: theblizzard.co.uk/smash-and-th...

Read of my favourite museum labels today at the wonderful Pete McKee exhibition at Weston Park Museum in Sheffield. (It's funny and uses a piece of slang that we were using as kids into the 1990s) Pete's artworks explore his life story, with football appearing at regular intervals

Very much looking forward to this! Elsie Cook, the godmother of Scottish women's football, has written her autobiography and it will be launched next week. tombrown.online/2025/07/28/a...

Really chuffed to see @playingpasts.bsky.social post the first part of some exciting research about a pioneering female manager.

So, I was trying my best to write new text for work to celebrate the #Lionesses win, popped on BBCRadio3 to help, and didn't realize they were doing a Celebratory Mixtape, until the orchestral version of Sweet Caroline. Now I'm in bits and I've still got text to write!

All the papers are in the bag - themes of the days are Queens (X2), Roar (X2), Revenge, Golden, LionYESses, Trips to the Palace, and the Hann(ah)of God. Only the Daily Mail doesn't give the whole page over to England's win.

Contemporary collecting for the #WEUROS final - all the Sunday editions for the build up. A mixed bag in terms of front pages, with a poor show from the Daily Mail, who are the only paper not to have a picture of any of the players on the front or back pages.

My boss (and her family) made these for the work Bake Off

Looking forward to some contemporary newspaper collecting tomorrow..

If you fancy some pre-match reading, here is a blog about the #Lionesses and tonight's opposition nationalfootballmuseum.com/stories/a-sh...

Just finished a blog on the rivalry between England and Italy in women's football and now ready for a rest! Should be out next week, but here is bit of the unused research - a lovely spread from the programme for the 1985 Mundialito, with lots of great photos of the Azzurri.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am shattered after last night's game! Now that #England face #Italy, our latest Collections Blog is particularly timely! nationalfootballmuseum.com/stories/just...