ABSTRACT
Existing literature indicates that certain historical periods of Hungarian football have generated noteworthy international attention (Molnar, 2006a, 2007). In particular, the post-World War II years have enjoyed considerable interest due to the outstanding international performance of the Hungarian national team. While the era of ‘Magic Magyars’ has been well covered (Taylor & Jamrich, 1998), other phases of Hungarian football have remained relatively underinvestigated (Molnar, 2006a; 2007). Revisiting the early stages of the development of Hungarian football still has its merits and is relevant in providing a lucid picture of its more recent stages and status, and the intricate socio-cultural processes that have been shaping the nature and social role of ‘the beautiful game’ many Hungarians still love dearly.
