Day 1: Balls, and why they matter…
As any serious World Cup devotee will doubtless agree, the action on the pitch is but a small (albeit integral) part of the overall World Cup flavour. The trimmings and accoutrements of the tournament play a significant role in how highly the competition is remembered in our collective affections. From the patterns on the grass of a particular pitch, to the way the nets bulge when receiving a 30 yard screamer, and on to the lameness (or otherwise) of the official mascot, such ‘side issues’ become matters of great import to the World Cup nerd.
Of all the attendant bits and pieces that make the tournament the glorious spectacle it (occasionally) is, none is as fundamentally important as the humble ball itself. As designers of the official World Cup ball, Adidas have ruled the roost since 1970, when their iconic "Telstar" was born 1:
The "Telstar" is probably most commonly associated with the great Brazilian team of 1970, and it was also the first official ‘Buckminster’ football. What’s that, you may be crying? Soccerballworld.com has the answer:
Early footballs were sewn up with laces. These days, footballs are made from synthetic leather patches sewn together in a design based on the 'Buckminster Ball' or known as the Buckyball. The American architect Richard Buckminster Fuller came up with the design when he was trying to find a way for constructing buildings using a minimum of materials.
The shape is a series of hexagons, pentagons and triangles, which can be fitted together to make a round surface. The modern soccer ball is essentially a Buckminster Ball consisting of 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal surfaces. When they are sewn together and inflated they make a near perfect sphere. The black spots on the ball helped players to perceive any swerve on the ball.
A superb, innovative design, and a much loved one. Look again at Brazil’s glorious fourth goal in the 1970 final (scored with aplomb by Carlos Alberto) and you’ll see the "Bucky Ball" at its best. Would Pele’s beautiful lay off pass look quite as magical without those black hexagons allowing us to see the ball bobbling and turning? I think not.
The Telstar (Durlast) was back again in Germany in 1974, before it gave way to the design that has the biggest place in my heart: the inimitable "Tango":
Over to Soccerballworld again for more:
Soccer ball design experienced another revolution in 1978 with the introduction of the Adidas Tango. Adidas had created what would become a ‘football design classic’. Twenty panels with ‘triads’ created the impression of 12 identical circles. For the following five FIFA World Cup tournaments, the Match Ball design was based on this design. Tango featured improved weather resistance qualities, and took its inspiration from the deep passion, emotion and elegance of Argentina.
Well I don’t know about the "deep passion, emotion and elegance of Argentina" because this is surely one of the most ‘German’ balls ever created…but (of course) that is no bad thing. Regardless, the Tango’s design ensured that one could follow every slight swerve, turn, and movement of the ball with ease, and its iconic status was sealed by its association both with Maradonna’s…er…slightly controversial "Hand of God" goal in 1986, plus (of course) his majestic, moment of utter genius later in that same game. That Tango (football nerds) was, of course, the "Tango Azteca" and featured an…em…'Aztec' design on the balls 'triads' (to use a technical term):
This was my Tango. The one my mum bought for me, the one I booted repeatedly against the wall in our avenue till the leather scuffed, and the one that met a fate normally reserved for the injudicious family cat. While on our annual holiday in Castegregory, Co. Kerry I foolishly left it perilously close to the rear wheels of my Da’s car. One quick bit of reversing later (by my Ma…damn her!) and a sickening pop/bang was heard. Cue tears, tantrums, and a miserable boy wandering through a caravan park with a deflated synthetic leather object. One of the great traumas of my life…
By the time it came to the 1998 World Cup, it was a case of "Last Tango in Paris" (ho, ho) with a formerly great design being monkeyed around with pitilessly to produce this multi-coloured abomination:
A sad end for a marvellous object…although one could almost look back fondly at the France 98 version when, four years later, Addidas unveiled the utterly charmless "Ferenova":
Call me an old Tango-fixated purist if you like, but the Ferenova never looked like anything other than a cheap, plain white ball with a giant Shuriken-shaped Addidas sticker or two on it. Nil Pois for the design boys on that occasion.
I’ll hold off judgement on the new ball (the "Teamgeist") until I see it in action a few times, but I can’t say I like what I've seen so far…a plain white sphere with a few plastic footprints thrown in. Still, we’ll have to see how it passes the swerve and bobble test before delivering the final verdict.
Update: Well, I must admit it looked pretty sweet as it bent away, away, away and into the far corner for Torsten Frings' outrageous screamer from miles out.
[tags]Temgeist, Tango, Ferenova, Telstar, Adidas, World Cup Ball, World Cup, Buckminster Fuller[/tags]
- I am indebted to soccerballworld.com for images and historical info [back]
June 9, 2006
2 responses to Day 1: Balls, and why they matter…
Just a quick question, is that my Tango?
Also, was reading a book about the amazing Buckminster Fuller just the other day. Never for one second thought his house designs were behind the glorious 1970 ball. How bizarre!
Just moved your comment down here to its natural home, Buckram.
The Tango pictured actually belongs to former Man Utd ‘star’ Arthur Albiston, who has the biggest collection of vintage footballs in Northern Europe. He does occasionally take them out to boot them against the garage door (for old time’s sake) which explains the superficial scuffing you see in the picture.
As for ‘Bucky’…well, he had his finger in a lot of unexpected pies.