THE ball Geoff Hurst slammed into the German net three times in 1966 is just one of the highlights in a treasure trove of European football being exhibited at World Museum Liverpool. The Champions League trophy sits alongside the UEFA Cup, the national team European Cup and the former European Cup Winner’s Cup. The neckbrace that helped legendary Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann’s recover from a broken back after the 1956 FA Cup final is on display. Cabinets nearby show off Everton’s first ever European trophy, the Barcelona Cup, and a record struck to celebrate Liverpool’s European triumphs of the 1980s. And these are just a tiny sample of the quirky and iconic items on show at UEFA’s Only A Game? exhibition. What grabs the imagination is the sheer amount of interactive displays that plunge visitors into the emotions of football. Liverpool FC legend Phil Thompson was at the launch yesterday. He said: “UEFA are trying to come up with something that captures football’s magic. “The exhibition shows how the game has grown – we now have the likes of The Champions League and how money has become more and more important. “But this exhibition is saying its not about money, it’s the raw emotion that still makes the game so special. “And there are so many amazing things here from the Platini and Best photographs to The Kop mural.” Vice president Senes Erizk added: “It’s not just for football fans, but anyone who’s curious about the role of sport in today’s society.” The exhibition explores this idea by leading the visitor down a corridor lined by colourful snaps of young footballers. Under each photograph you are asked whether you think they are from Liverpool or Brussels – the city where this exhibition was first staged. It is not an easy task and the photographer Henk Cortier cryptically suggests this is because of the parallels that exist between the people of the two cities. The Northwest Regional Development Agency, National Football Museum and National Museums Liverpool (NML) have all been involved in putting on the show. NML chair and Culture Company boss Phil Redmond said: “When we got the Capital of Culture we wanted Liverpool to give something for everyone across the entire culture spectrum. This proves it.” His point is made when stepping between two display cabinets you can see Eric Cantona’s Spitting Image puppet or Liverpool and Everton player Arthur Berry’s Olympic Golds from London 1908 and Stockholm 1912. History and entertainment sit side by side. Perhaps a quote from Queen Elizabeth II which greets the visitor near the entrance sums up the fascinating mixture: “Football’s a difficult business and aren’t they prima donnas?” The exhibition runs until March. | 
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