FOR its fans, football was summed up perfectly by Liverpool’s famous Scottish manager Bill Shankly, who said it was much more important than life or death.
Unconvinced, its detractors see it as no thing more than 22 people kicking a wee, round ball up and down a field.
Despite their disdain, there is no denying the impact the game has had on culture and communities and a new festival is setting out to demonstrate its influence with a free month-long celebration at venues across Glasgow.
During April it will be possible to see football on the big screen everywhere from the Centre for Contemporary Arts to Grier’s Bar in Easterhouse.
In addition, libraries and arts centres across the city will be hosting the UK premiere of a series of artists’ videos capturing the diversity of the beautiful game, from the Afghan women’s football team to fan pubs in Berlin.
Goal! Tor! But! is being presented by the Alliance Française and Goethe Institut in Glasgow in tandem with the Scottish Football Museum, right. The name of the festival comes from the words used to celebrate a goal in each of the languages of the countries involved (tor is German and but is French).
WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS?
The festival kicks off with a series of video installations popping up at over ten libraries and arts centres across the city, from Parkhead to Pollokshaws.
As well as the Afghan women’s football team and the fan pubs in Berlin there are installations about a filmmaker attempting to become a goalkeeper in the Spanish Regional League with hilarious results, and children playing in the dust in the heart of the Chilean countryside.
The installations also feature a Belgian railway track where two groups of immigrants play a match.
These short films show how artists have been inspired to portray football in a series of unique ways. Originally commissioned by the Goethe Institut in South America for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, this is the first time that the installations have been seen in the UK.
WHAT ELSE?
Glasgow cinemas will also be showcasing football on the big screen, with free screenings of classic and new movies. Scottish artist Douglas Gordon’s hypnotic biopic of Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait is at The Glad Cafe on April 20, while everyone’s favourite story of lovelorn teen footballers Gregory’s Girl screens at Grier’s Bar in Easterhouse on April 25.
From Europe, highlights include A Life for Football (Landauer – der Präsident) at the Goethe Institut on April 21 and the CCA on April 26, which is a fascinating portrait of Bayern Munich’s Jewish president Kurt Landauer in 1930s Germany.
There will also be a look at maverick Dutch coach Thomas Rongen’s attempt to help American Samoa – who once lost 31-0 to Australia – qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Next Goal Wins (Grier’s Bar, April 18).
Looking for Eric by director Ken Loach is on at Grier’s
Bar on April 11 and describes how a dope-smoking football fan is visited by an apparition of French footballer Eric Cantona who gives him a pep talk on how to win back his wife.
ANY MORE?
Goal! Tor! But! will culminate in an informal two-day free symposium on April 27 and 28 at The Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park.
The full programme for the free football festival can be found at www.goaltorbut.com.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here