Interview with Rony J. Almeida: Football Historian and Collector
Christopher KL Lau
Football is the world's most popular game with a rich history throughout the world. One of those who have taken on themselves to preserve the storied heritage of the game is Rony J. Almeida, the famed soccer historian and collector has made it a goal to seek out unique and memorable football items from all around the world to share with the fans across the world.
For Almeida, it was a chance discovery with his father of some winners medals from the first 1930 World cup which cultivated Almeida's love of numismatics (the study of coins), history and collecting historical football items. Amazingly, Almeida's father had rescued the FIFA World Cup winner's gold medal awarded to Jose Nasazzi, the team captain of Uruguay in 1930, from the scrap heap and from being lost forever.
From his home base of Uruguay, Almeida has followed his heart and passion for the beautiful game to carefully and lovingly curate one of the world's greatest football collections with artefacts and memorabilia which dates back to the first World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930.
Almeida's collection is a treasure trove of items from some of the first international football tournaments including the inaugural FIFA World Cup, held in 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay. These items include boots, shirts and medals and much more.
Asian Football History is Made
Almeida has recently also struck gold and recently announced the discovery of China's oldest surviving ball. This has been deemed by experts to be the most valuable item of Chinese footballing heritage ever to have been recovered.
After thorough research, Almeida was able to trace the ball's history. The eight-panel leather ball was originally played with at the Hong Kong inter-scholar football championship in the early 1900's by young Chinese players who sowed the seeds for the development of soccer in China.
The ball was treasured thereafter by a member of the Spanish community in Shanghai until the outbreak of World War Two, when he fled to Barcelona.
Back in 1937, he carried the ball to Spain along with a Chinese football flag from ca.1912, which is the earliest emblem of Chinese footballing pride known to exist.
Last but not least, he also brought with him the oldest photo of a Chinese football team showing Tang Fuxian, the first great football player from China.
Tang Fuxian
Tang Fuxian is one of the Greatest Players in Chinese Football History. Known as the "Far East Football King", he was the first national Captain in the history of Chinese football team, and the first player to score a goal for the Chinese national team in 1913. Tang Fuxian also captained China's triple-winning football team at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Far East Asian Games.
The c.1912 Flag is a two-sided white and blue silk panel, embroidered emblem with player and leather football with letters R and C to form initials ROC, for what is believed to stand for "REPUBLIC OF CHINA", there is a gold ribbon throughout. The club flag measures 68 cm by 94 cm. This is the earliest sports emblem of Chinese footballing pride.
The eight-panel leather ball used during the 1908-1909 championship season is the oldest surviving ball to have been used in all of China and Asia for an official football tournament.
The photograph shows the St. Joseph football team, winner of the 1908-1909 season. It is inscribed and dated on the back Hong Kong 1909 and measures 22.5 cm by 28.5 cm.
The oldest items of Chinese football heritage are currently on display in Almeida's world-renowned soccer collection.
In an exclusive interview, Almeida, spoke of his love for football and what has inspired him to build such an incredible collection over the years.
When did you first become interested in collecting football memorabilia? What sparked this interest?
My interest in football memorabilia dates back from the early 70's, thanks to my father, who was a keen numismatist with a passionate interest for coins and medals. I was still a very young boy, going with him on his weekly search for old coins to the very few antique shops in Montevideo.
One morning of June 1973, my father was shown the usual paper bag with scrap metal that was ready for the day's foundry. At first glance, among broken pieces, rings and all sorts of gold, he managed to read the letters FIFA and Nasazzi inscribed on a rectangular shaped medal. Without hesitation, he immediately grabbed three medals from inside the paper bag, he had them weighed, and paid a bit more than their metal value for them.
I still remember my father's smiling face as we walked home with the three medals. He knew he had the first ever FIFA World Cup winner's gold medal awarded to Jose Nasazzi, the team captain of Uruguay in 1930. He had rescued a masterpiece of footballing history.
You now have an incredible collection of historical items, some of which date back to the World Cup in Uruguay. How did you manage to find and keep these items?
The finding of the 1930 World Cup medal was the start of a longtime collecting tradition. Being based primarily out of Montevideo allowed me to have unrivalled access to the descendants of the multiple world champions from the 1930 and 1950 World Cups.
A football museum was created with the inaugural World Cup as the core exhibition; the endeavour was highly successful and immediately attracted interest wherever it was exhibited. In 2001 it was declared of national interest by the President of Uruguay. The proposed museum, however, received no support from the government or any of the big corporations in Uruguay's football industry.
As it happens with the region's top players which are lured by top wages abroad, the majority of the items in the museum ended up in European and Middle Eastern collections.
Which item is considered the most valuable in the collection and which item means the most to you?
I have a varied assortment of items in the collection. From gold medals of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games to a Mexico '86 world cup jersey worn by Maradona, as well as Rimet trophy official replicas and World Cup winner's gold medals that are considered World Cup masterpieces by FIFA.
After nearly thirty-five years in the trade of football memorabilia, with a few published works and a proposed new museum in the near future, I can say I have my fair share of masterpieces.
To me, every item tells a story that remembers a feat and therefore bears a significant value in terms of traditions and cultural identity. It is however, a matter of perspectives. In Europe, only a World Cup title or a Champions League trophy would be meaningful to collectors. Meanwhile, in most of our planet, a local trophy won by young local players against British or European visitors, would mean much more than a world trophy.
As for their monetary value, there are no strict parameters, much less a rule of thumb to assign a determined value to history. Football memorabilia can reach staggering amounts. Just to give you an example, the 2006 World Cup final football fetched US $2.4 million in Qatar.
You are now in possession of China's oldest surviving ball. Aside from the monetary value, how satisfying is it to you to have this ball and to be able to physically touch such a historical item?
I am truly satisfied to be the keeper of China's oldest surviving ball, and to have it among other football treasures. This is the earliest sports emblem of Chinese footballing pride. This is a true time capsule that remembers and honors the young Chinese players who sowed the seeds for the development of football in China.
Who are the people who are interested in your items and who visit your museum? Do they come from all types of different backgrounds?
Football, as well as its footballing heritage, are universal and appeal to our societies without distinction.
On this regard, I will quote the Hong Kong Government news agency when they promoted a football exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of History (HKMH) in 2006: "Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is a global phenomenon that has no boundaries in race or geography." Dr. Joseph Ting Sun-Pao, Senior Curator from the HKMH at the time, was also quoted: "The Hong Kong people are passionate about the game of football."
However, in spite of Hong Kongers' passion for football, sale offers for these historical football items were repeatedly neglected or simply ignored, in at least two occasions, by both the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Hong Kong Football Association. Now, these relics are set to go to the mainland for a bid ten times greater than their original asking price.
Why is it important to preserve these historical football items?
Preserving these football relics is a basic need, just as it is done in Britain and Europe, where their football associations and top league clubs built museums to enshrine their footballing culture and foster a shared notion of identity. This is still a pending assignment within China's rapidly expanding football sector.
Do you think there are still many valuable items which are still undiscovered and which item would you really like to find to add to your collection?
Yes, of course, there is always room for new treasures to be discovered. While the main part of the collection focuses on the World Cup, I have done research and collected items from distant places and cultures, such as Ecuador, the United States, and now China.
At this moment, I am doing research on some magnificent findings from the Chinese football team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a work that spans 44 matches in Southeast Asia and Europe, and includes an outstanding silver trophy given in Singapore to the Chinese Olympians. This is the next trophy that I would really like to add to my collection.
Football is the world's most popular game and it is passionate people like Almeida who are working hard to preserve the legacy and history of the game globally.
Rony Almeida has also written a book about the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay which can be seen here.
Where the Legend Began
fifamuseum.com - A World Cup mistake unnoticed for 86 years! 15 Aug 2016
References:
footballshirtculture.com© Soccerphile.com
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