|
 Commemorative
tickets are now on sale at the National Soccer Hall of Fame
(Call (607) 432-3351 ext. 207) for the exclusive Special Screening of
'The Game of Their Lives'
at the Oneonta Theater on Thursday, April 14th at 7:00pm and for the
reception at the Hall of Fame that follows. Expected celebrity guests
include
Walter Bahr
and
John 'Clarkie' Souza
of the 1950 U.S. World Cup team and Geoffrey Douglas, author of
the book upon which the movie is based. The film tells the
compelling story of a group of part-time soccer players from the
United States who defeated mighty England, the universally
recognized giants of the game, 1-0 in the
1950 World Cup.
“This is a
big one-time event,” Director of Operations
Kathryn Dailey
stated. “Everyone, soccer fan, movie fan, or big event fan will
want to be here. The Oneonta Theatre has graciously offered the
auditorium free of change and will donate all proceeds to the
Hall of Fame.” Admission for the special screening (Rated PG)
and the reception at the Hall of Fame following the showing is
$7.00 for adults and $5.00 for senior citizens and for children 12 and
under.
The 1950 U.S. World Cup team, for the most part, was a
collection of stars from the American Soccer League on the East
Coast and the St. Louis League. All were part-time players who
held a variety of jobs, from mail carrier to schoolteacher,
funeral home staff to dishwasher. Their win on a
Joe
Gaetjens’
header was totally unexpected and many newspapers, particularly
those in England, refused to publish the initial score line,
believing it to be in error. When the news finally made it to
press, the story had little impact in the United States and was
a black-bordered front-page story in the British Isles.
The
entire starting line-up was inducted into the Hall of Fame in
1976. Many historians of the game consider it to be among the
most unlikely upsets in
World
Cup history. Every subsequent
David defeats Goliath World Cup result has been measured in
comparison to this U.S. victory.
Geoffrey
Douglas, a member of the faculty at the University of
Massachusetts Lowell, wrote the book of the same title upon
which the movie is based. “This is a classic underdog story, of
ordinary men scaling to exceptional heights,” Huckel said.
“These players were among the very best in their respective
leagues and their playing ability has not been well recognized.
Players like
John 'Clarkie' Souza
and
Walter Bahr
were perennial All-Stars in the American Soccer League.
Goalkeeper
Frank Borghi
and right fullback
Harry
Keough
were also regulars on any St. Louis area All Star team from the
late 40's through much of the 50's. Several were offered the
opportunity to play overseas, but almost all refused, preferring
the stability of their regular jobs in the States. It is also
important to note that, typical of the great melting pot that
characterizes the United States, while the names of the players
reflect many ethnic backgrounds, all but three were born in
America!"
Visit the official
website of the movie ...
www.gameoftheirlivesmovie.com
About the National Soccer Hall
of Fame and Museum
 Located in
Oneonta, NY, the National Soccer Hall of Fame opened a 30,000
square foot, state-of-the-art museum in 1999. The Hall of Fame
tells the story of soccer in
America through artifacts, photographs, and video clips. The new
Hall features an extensive interactive, youth oriented Kicks
Zone where visitors have fun kicking,
heading and playing computer trivia stations and video
soccer games. The VideoWall portrays some of the greatest
moments and the greatest goals in history as well as live soccer
action with World Cup, MLS, and U.S. Soccer matches. Unique and
rare artifacts on exhibit range from the world’s oldest soccer
ball to the FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy won by the USA in
1999,
Pelé's and Mia Hamm’s uniforms, Kristine Lilly’s golden
shoes, NASL championship rings, the original MLS championship
trophy, MLS gallery - it’s all at the National Soccer Hall of
Fame. In addition to the interactive Museum, the National Soccer
Hall of Fame complex boasts the
Kicks
Zone Store,
a research library, four world-class soccer fields and
office/meeting facilities. The Hall plans to add a stadium, an
indoor soccer arena and housing facilities in the future.
The mission of
the National Soccer Hall of Fame is to celebrate the history,
honor the heroes, inspire the youth and preserve the legacy of
soccer in the United States.
The National
Soccer Hall of Fame is open every day of the year, except
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Admission is $9.00 for
adults, $8.00 for students, $6.50 for children 6 or older and
senior citizens. Children 5 and under are free.
|
