Magyar Posta is issuing a special souvenir sheet to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the foundation of the Hungarian Football Federation. Forty thousand copies of the black numbered perforated souvenir sheets and 4,000 copies of the red numbered imperforated souvenir sheets designed by the graphic artist Orsolya Kara were produced by the banknote printing company Pénzjegynyomda Zrt.
The Hungarian Football Federation (abbreviated in Hungarian as MLSZ) is a sports organisation dedicated to association football which operates in Hungary on a non-profit basis, serving as a national sports federation that coordinates the activities of legal entities and individuals involved in football, supporting their work, and governing the sport based on the principle of self-governance. (Source: Wikipedia)
The organisation, formerly known as the Hungarian Footballers’ Association, was founded on 19 January 1901, 125 years ago, by the representatives of domestic clubs, when they met in Budapest in a private room at the Prince István Hotel located at Akadémia Street 1. It should be pointed out that, in Hungary, footballers did not organise themselves as part of a broad sports organisation, but rather consciously sought to establish an entirely independent football association. This made the launch of the MLSZ in 1901 a new, pioneering departure in continental Europe. The founding clubs were as follows: BAK, BEAC, BSC, BTC, Budai Ganzgyár, Ganz Vagongyár, "33" FC, MAC, MFC, MUE, Műegyetemi FC, Postás, and FTC. This era was still the dawn of association football, and the MLSZ was only the ninth football association on the European continent. In other parts of the world, official national football associations were few and far between, only operating in one or two countries during this period.
The commemorative souvenir sheet features the Hungarian national team’s official jersey, which is based on the national colours and has deep red as its primary hue with white and green trimmings – the colours of the Hungarian flag. The MLSZ’s 125th-anniversary logo appears on the chest area of the jersey. The commemorative first day cover features a graphic design referencing the Ferenc Puskás Stadium, home of the Hungarian national football team. The logo of the jubilee year appears in the imprint of the postmark on the commemorative first day cover.
