World Cup '74 Portrait #70 (Doug Utjesenovic: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The subject of the latest drawing in the project is ‘Doug’ Utjesenovic, a sticker of whom appeared in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ album (he failed to make the cut of the reduced six-man representation for Australia in its Panini counterpart) & who was included in the official Australian squad for the tournament, where he was subsequently selected to play in all three of Australia’s matches, the defeats to both East & West Germany & the draw with Chile that resulted in their elimination at the conclusion of the first phase.

A little light Wikipedia research into another of the 1974 World Cup’s previously personally unheard-ofs reveals our hero’s first name to be in fact Dragan, which complements the Slavic surname rather more appropriately, not least when considering his place of birth as being Belgrade in the then-Yugoslavia, rendering him another of the ‘Socceroos’ squad to have become Australian rather than being a native.

Note, in this instance, the classic mid-1970s' shirt collar design, so evocative as it is of that period of football fashion, another of those details that contribute to the delight of engaging in this particular project.

World Cup '74 Portrait #69 (Rudi Krol: Holland)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest subject to be randomly chosen for the drawing project proved to be Rudi or Ruud Krol, who was selected to appear in both the FKS & Panini ‘World Cup ‘74’ sticker albums, for inclusion in the official Holland squad for the Finals, & subsequently played throughout the tournament, in all of the Dutch team’s seven matches on their way to the final itself, scoring twice from his defensive position (although the ‘Total Football’ of Holland allowed for much fluidity of movement), once for his country against Argentina in a 4 – 0 win, & once against them, an own goal for Bulgaria (of no consequence, as the Dutch won 4 – 1).

Given the profile enjoyed by Holland during the 1974 World Cup, which event they illuminated, a number of the players’ names registered at the time & stuck in the memory, including that of Ruud Krol, who is thus one of the relatively few familiar names from the time.

Recently-acquired Vinyl LP of the Day #2 (Wire 'Chairs Missing')

Celebrating another recent addition to the vinyl collection in the form of what has proved to be one of the enduring post-punk classics, Wire’s second album ‘Chairs Missing’.

In keeping with the philosophy intended to generate the current hunt for items to collect, this LP, as such, is one never personally owned previously, although I did have a selection of its contents as included within the band’s ‘On Returning’ compilation LP.

To describe the experience of hearing the vinyl LP as nothing short of a revelation feels like something of an understatement, such is the difference, positively, compared to the familiar CD & mp3 versions (some of the tracks, indeed, are virtually unrecognizable from their compressed formats) – electric music with such a buzz & edge of palpable energy requires the physicality of vinyl to properly communicate itself & the range of its subtleties, & no substitutes should be accepted in future, unless very reluctantly under circumstances of no alternative.

And of course, there’s also the consideration of the artwork, at the correct 12” square scale to do it proper justice as, again, physical entity.

World Cup '74 Portrait #68 (Ronnie Hellström: Sweden)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

It’s quite a sobering consideration that what will follow apparently constitutes the blog’s 800^th post, over the course of its current eight & a half years' life, but at least such a milestone is represented by a drawing of one of the very few players’ names that actually registered at the time of my exposure to the televised coverage of the 1974 World Cup, the legendary Ronnie Hellström, Sweden’s goalkeeper throughout all six of their matches at the tournament & who also was selected for inclusion in both the FKS & Panini collectors’ sticker albums prior to the event.

Previously, Hellström, an archetypal stylistic ‘Mr 70s’ with his moustache & expansive sideburns, had appeared in a match at Mexico 1970 & would go on to play at Argentina 1978: a true World Cup icon, appropriately celebrated. 

World Cup '74 Portrait #67 (Enrique Wolff: Argentina)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s randomly-chosen subject represents Enrique Wolff, who was selected to appear in both the FKS- & Panini-published sticker albums previewing the 1974 World Cup & the Argentina squad for the tournament itself.

Another drawing of Wolff featured as part of the World Cup ’74 project in its earlier aborted incarnation, with details of his playing record in the finals, here.

Recently-acquired Vinyl LP of the Day #1 (John Cooper Clarke 'Snap, Crackle (&) Bop')

Given that this blog is all about the art, & design, & has oft featured our enduring love of music as essential accompaniment &, indeed, in its own right, & is also undeniably prone to nostalgia, today marks the introduction of another little featurette within, intended to celebrate the occasional acquisition of good old vinyl LPs to supplement the collection (once considerable, then greatly reduced, now again expanding gently), beginning with a recent purchase, for a mere £10 winning bid on ebay, in the perfect form of  the 1980 limited edition release of John Cooper Clarke’s ‘Snap, Crackle (&) Bop’, including as it did & does a book of the man’s poetry - appropriating the interior design of the old ‘Yellow Pages’ telephone directory  for its own, & lavishly illustrated with fine photographs of our hero in various poses & locations - which was slipped inside & contained within the fully-functioning cardboard breast pocket of the jacket represented upon the record sleeve’s ingenious design (a bona fide classic of the art form).

I desired this object, or these objects-as-set, profoundly, at the time, but was too slow off the mark & thus missed out, having to make do, alas, with the ordinary release of the album which had neither book or even pocket (& why would it need the latter without the former, indeed?).

As a schoolfriend, the legendary Mario Magri, did actually own a copy of the limited edition, I was able to enjoy it vicariously, but obviously this really wasn’t the same thing or experience at all: only now, some 34 years later (indeed: blimey), has a copy finally come in to my possession, to be a treasured feature of the record collection. It remains a wonderful album, & the whole package serves as suitable portal to a particular period of the past, personally & culturally.

Note too, the details of the artist & title represented in the form of badges pinned to the jacket pocket, a nice coincidence considering the recent promotion of the football club badge collection.

World Cup '74 Portrait #66 (Joachim Fritsche: East Germany)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest subject to be featured in the drawing project represents Joachim Fritsche, or rather the sticker of the player as he appeared in the FKS-published ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ collectors’ album.

The particularly high-contrast, washed-out aspect of the photocopy of the original sticker that provides the immediate point of visual reference from which the drawing is processed aids the ‘ghostly’ appearance of the image, appropriate to the previously-unknown nature of the subject, which, although Fritsche was selected as a member of the East Germany squad for the 1974 World Cup, is hardly unsurprising as he subsequently played no part in any of his country’s matches in the tournament.

In the interests of a little ‘Ostalgie’, some light Wikipedia research into Joachim Fritsche has unearthed a delightful photograph of our hero in domestic football action, seen here on the left of the image, for Lokomotive Leipzig against Dynamo Dresden, those two romantic East German names of European club competitions of yore.

World Cup '74 Portrait #65 (Branko Buljevic: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s randomly-chosen subject is one Branko Buljevic, a sticker representing whom appeared in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ album, which comparatively recently proved my introduction to the name, & who was selected as a member of the Australia squad for the ’74 World Cup, where he subsequently appeared in all three of the so-called Socceroos’ first phase group matches, at which point they exited the tournament.

In common with a number of his squadmates, & as his name might suggest, Buljevic’s origins lay outside Australia, having been born in Split, Croatia (then itself part of the federal republic of Yugoslavia).

World Cup '74 Portrait #64 (Bo Larsson: Sweden)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The random choice of subject today is Bo Larsson, who after being selected for inclusion in the Sweden squads as represented in both the FKS & Panini 1974 World Cup collectors’ sticker albums, & the actual official one for the finals, played in all five of the Swedes’ matches, & indeed captained the team, up to the point he was withdrawn during that fifth game, the memorable 2 – 4 second phase defeat to West Germany that resulted in Sweden’s elimination, thereafter missing their final ‘dead’ game against Yugoslavia.

A true World Cup stalwart, Bo Larsson also played in each of Sweden’s three matches at both the 1970 & 1978 World Cups, although his is but another of the mostly ‘unknown’ names of which I was unaware until embarking on this project.

World Cup'74 Portrait #63 (Roland Grip: Sweden)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest subject to be drawn out of the tin & then with the pencils represents Roland Grip, stickers of whom appeared in both the FKS & Panini World Cup 1974 collectors’ albums, & who was subsequently chosen as a member of the Sweden squad for the finals, going on to make three appearances in the tournament, in the Swedes’ consecutive matches against Holland (as a late substitute) & Uruguay in the first group phase & then Poland at the outset of the second.

Previously, Grip had gained World Cup experience at Mexico 1970, playing in all three of Sweden’s matches there/then.

In other football matters, congratulations to the mighty & our beloved Atlético Madrid for winning the Champions’ League Final within the regulation 90 minutes – what happened thereafter was a farce & a travesty, though sadly all too typical of the historical manner in which the European Cup has been won by the most unpleasant & cynical of clubs, with but a few noble exceptions.

Badge of the Day #97 (Carl Zeiss Jena)

Picking up the threads of a recently dominant but now becalmed feature here at TOoT, we present the latest addition to our collection in the form of an historic crest representing Carl Zeiss Jena of, at the time of the badge’s obvious vintage, the then-East Germany (the previously-named ‘Motor Jena’ having being ‘re-founded’ under the company-sponsored identity in 1966, although they had also borne the ‘Carl Zeiss’ prefix twice before during their history): as ever, such an object is hauntologically rich, & can’t help but inspire a little ‘Ostalgie’ in those so inclined.

One recalls Carl Zeiss Jena being a name that came to attention early in one’s football-following days, via their domestic successes & profile frequent entrants in the European club competitions & subsequently appearing in the final of the Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1981, losing 2- 1 to Dinamo Tblisi (another of the continent’s instantly-attractive names), eliminating Wales’s Newport County at the quarter-final stage (much to the satisfaction of this Wrexham supporter, under the circumstances not in the least seduced by the possibility of the minnows progressing, particularly beyond the stage Wrexham had once achieved themselves), with research revealing that they had previously overcome AS Roma, remarkably overturning a 0 – 3 first leg deficit to prevail 4 – 0 in the return (one of very few instances of such comebacks in the history of the European club competitions), & then the holders Valencia, before going on to beat Benfica in the semi-finals, something of an epic campaign & a tribute to the team’s qualities in achieving their place in the final: the badge will serve as suitable tribute, & to the enduring romance of the name.



World Cup '74 Portrait #62 (Guy Francois: Haiti)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s randomly-chosen subject is Guy Francois, who was selected to appear in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ stamp album &, subsequently, the Haiti squad for the tournament, during which he then played in the first two of his country’s three matches, the defeats to Italy & Poland.



World Cup '74 Portrait #61 (Mario Galindo: Chile)

graphite & putty eraser/30x20cm

The latest subject to be featured in the project, after the process of random drawing-out, is Mario Galindo who, after being represented in both the FKS & Panini 1974 World Cup preview albums, was included in the official Chile squad for the Finals but subsequently not selected to make an appearance in any of the Chileans’ three matches in the tournament itself.

World Cup '74 Portrait #60 (Dimitar Penev: Bulgaria)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s randomly-chosen subject represents Dimitar Penev, a sticker of whom appeared in both the FKS & Panini collectors’ albums previewing the 1974 World Cup, & who was subsequently selected as a member of the Bulgaria squad for the Finals, where he appeared in all three of his country’s First Round matches (after which they suffered elimination), as, indeed, he had previously done in both the 1966 & 1970 World Cups (where the same unsuccessful fate had befallen Bulgaria: indeed, it was not until the 1994 tournament, when Penev was now their manager, that the Bulgarians won a match at a World Cup & advanced beyond the opening phase, going all the way, in fact, to the semi-finals on that occasion).

World Cup '74 Portrait #59 (Uli Hoeness: West Germany)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The randomly-chosen subject of this latest drawing is the recently-in-the-news (having been convicted of tax evasion on a grand scale, & jailed as a consequence) Uli Hoeness, who, back in the day our project represents, was selected for inclusion in both the FKS & Panini World Cup 1974 sticker albums &, subsequently, the West Germany squad for the tournament itself, at which he appeared in all 7 of his ultimately victorious country’s matches (once as a substitute), scoring once (the 89^th-minute penalty kick that effectively secured the 4 – 2 win over Sweden, a detail of which I was unaware until researching facts, but more generally a game amongst the relatively few that I recall actually seeing live on television, as an exciting end-to-end spectacle).

World Cup '74 Portrait #58 (Rafael González: Chile)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s random choice of subject proved to be Rafael González, who was represented in photo sticker form as a member of the Chile squad in both the FKS & Panini 1974 World Cup collectors’ albums, & subsequently included in the final Chilean selection for the tournament, although he didn’t actually get on to the pitch during any of his country’s three First Round matches, after which Chile were eliminated.

World Cup '74 Portrait #57 (Piet Keizer: Holland)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The subject of this latest addition to the portrait collection is elaborately-coiffed Piet Keizer (a hairstyle that must surely be filed under ‘sculptural’), who was selected to appear in both the FKS & Panini ‘World Cup ‘74’ collectors’ albums, & also the official Dutch squad for the Finals, where he made but one appearance – the goalless first round draw with Sweden, the match featuring a performance of the iconic ‘Cruyff turn’ -  of Holland’s seven in the tournament during their progress to the final itself.

One of the charming features of the source images from which the drawings are processed is, of course, the period hairstyles they represent, with sideburns a plentiful accessory to, as is clearly observable from the progress of proceedings so far, with the promise/guarantee of much more to come, footballers serving as but a microcosm of the wider society & its fashions of the time.



World Cup '74 Portrait #56 (Mario Leandré: Haiti)

 

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

 

The latest subject to emerge from the  drawing project (a double meaning here, referring to both the randomly-choosing from a tin of images as well as the obvious evidence of the subsequent physical activity) proved to be & indeed is ‘Mario’ Leandré, as the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ collectors’ stamp album features him, although official records state his full forename(s) as being Joseph-Marion, who was among those selected for the official Haiti squad for the tournament &, coincidentally along with his brother Fritz, appeared as a substitute in the Haitians’ third & final match, a 1 – 4 defeat to Argentina that, at least in terms of scoreline, was a marginal improvement on the preceding 0 – 7 loss to Poland.

However, today of any is a day to never mind the drawing – the mighty Atlético Madrid have this evening become the champions of La Liga, their typically hard-earned 1 – 1 draw in the effective play-off at Barcelona finally, gloriously, having enabled them to do so. Congratulations & celebrations are well in order: we’re wearing our shirt (the short-sleeved ‘centenary’ one) in honour.



World Cup '74 Portrait #55 (Walter Olivera: Uruguay)

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s randomly-chosen subject (as analogous to the traditional manner of the purchasing of packs of stickers) is Walter Olivera, who was selected for inclusion in both the Panini & FKS World Cup 1974 sticker album collections, but not, ultimately, as a member of the Uruguay squad for the Finals (being thus something of an ironic choice, for the first Uruguayan to be featured in the Project): his entry in the FKS album informs that Olivera appeared in the opening fixture of Uruguay’s qualifying campaign, against Colombia, & had also played for the national team against their neighbours & rivals Argentina, but otherwise little seems available to retrieve on the details of the player’s international career.

Olivera, then, appears as one of those particular ‘ghosts’ of the ’74 World Cup, a non-participant in the actual events yet related to, & part of the tournament’s history, via at least some aspects of memorabilia, a tangible presence courtesy of the image-objects of the stickers photographically representing him in the albums - however unknown he might have been at the time of my televisual experience of the 1974 World Cup, with obvious reason, & had remained since, until the acquisition of the publications - & now, in the context of the drawing project, very much a part of proceedings & ’memories’.

 



World Cup '74 Portrait #54 (Jimmy Mackay: Australia)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

This latest drawing represents an image of Jimmy Mackay, who was chosen for selection as a member of the Australia squad as featured in the FKS-published ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ collectors’ stamp album (from which original source came the image, enlarged as a monochrome photocopy, that served as the visual reference for the processing of the drawing) & honoured as one of his country's streamlined six-man cohort in the Panini 'Munchen '74' album.
Subsequently, & in the real world, our portrait subject was also chosen as a squad member for the tournament itself, where he went on to appear in all three of the Australians' matches (although he was in fact Scottish-born, this 'prior nationality' being common to a number of those immigrants representing Australia at the ’74 World Cup: see also Peter Wilson – English - & Manfred Schaefer – German - as depicted earlier), eliminated as they were at the conclusion of the first round group stage.

In common with the vast majority of those who played at the 1974 World Cup Finals, Mackay is another of whom I had no recollection (as, indeed, applies to any of Australia’s matches, which obviously passed by televisually unseen at the time), making his appearance, relatively recently, only via the medium of the sticker/album, although his image now of course enjoys equal billing amongst those featured in the drawing project. He passed away, aged 54, in 1998.



World Cup '74 Portrait #53 (Roque Avallay: Argentina)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Continuing with the project of drawings based upon the original source material of stickers from the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ & Panini ’München 74’ album collections, today’s randomly-chosen portrait subject is Roque Avallay, who featured as a contender in both of the albums but was not subsequently chosen for the official Argentina squad for the tournament, to which he thus enjoys a suitably ‘ghostly’ relationship, &, until coming into possession of the sticker albums, had remained unsurprisingly unknown to me even allowing for my relatively few recollections of what was the first (televised) football in which I took an interest but which has of course proved a seminal event.

For further drawings of Roque Avallay, as featured earlier in previous false-start incarnations of the World Cup '74 portrait project, please see here, here & here.

World Cup '74 Portrait #52 (Valdomiro: Brazil)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

 

World Cup '74 Portrait #51 (Bernd Bransch: East Germany)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

 

World Cup '74 Portrait #50 (Manfred Schaefer: Australia)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm



World Cup Portrait #49 (Claude Barthélemy: Haiti)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm



World Cup '74 Portrait #48 (Angel Bargas: Argentina)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

 

World Cup '74 Portrait #47 (Voin Voinov: Bulgaria)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser/30x21cm



World Cup '74 Portrait #46 (Wolfgang Seguin: East Germany)



graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #45 (Guillermo Paez: Chile)



graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #44 (Danny McGrain: Scotland)



graphite & putty eraser/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #43 (Miguel Brindisi: Argentina)



graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #42 (Ove Kindvall: Sweden)



graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #41 (Stanislav Karasi: Yugoslavia)



graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm