prev
Preview
Metadata Image
AssetID : 37279854
Headline : Calendar Captures The Universal Sadness Of Lost Footballs
Caption : IN PHOTO: Copenhagen Street by @Mellowdoubt

If you’ve ever risked submersion when using a big stick to fish out a football from a pond, or felt the hopelessness that is watching your Euro '96 ball loop into the miserable next-door neighbour’s garden, then you’ll appreciate the 2020 Lost Footballs calendar.

Set up by 43-year-old Matthew Lutz, the calendar captures the universal sadness of discarded, burst or irretrievable footballs.

Matthew had the idea while out walking his dog one morning. “I noticed this football sitting lost in the park behind our house," he told BBC Three.

"I took a photo and posted it on Twitter. Loads of people responded to tell me how sad they thought it looked.”

“My brother is a sports journalist. He retweeted the image and it picked up from there. Within two or three days, we had 500-600 followers and people suddenly started sending photographs to me."

Unlike last year's calendar when owner Matthew chose his favourite 12 pictures to feature, this year some of the winning photos were picked by some well known names among the sporting industry including Guy Mowbray, Sid Lowe, Paul Hawksbee and Max Rushden.

Places lost footballs were found this year include outside Durham Castle, on Filey Beach and even on the tracks of London's busy Kings Cross St Pancras International station.

Proceeds from the calendar will be going to The Sporting Memories Foundation who help tackle dementia, depression and loneliness through the power of sports reminiscence.

"We really love the work the charity do and knowing how much our images have engaged with our social media audience we hoped a calendar might do the same in terms of a physical gift.' explains Matthew.

"Everyone who has seen it has an opinion on which is their favourite or how the ball got there – and this is similar to some of the work Sporting Memories does with the people they support, particularly those affected by dementia."

To purchase the calendar head over to www.stadiumhoppers.co.uk. To follow Matthew visit @lostfootballs on Twitter and Instagram.
PersonInImage :