Most cultures have had their traditional ball games. Over 2,500 years ago, the Chinese played Tsu-Chu (meaning kicking the ball), while the Romans were crazy about handball. The first mention of organised games in Great Britain appeared in Descriptio Nobilissimi Civitatis Londoniae by William Fitzstephen. Learn more at ilondon.
London has played a major role in shaping football rules and popularising the game. The city continues to do it even today.
History of football
Team ball games were first played in London in 1174-1183. They were also popular during the 14th-16th centuries. Then the word football was first mentioned in English and in 1409, it was outlawed by King Henry IV. Those early games were rough and unorganised, with no restrictions on the participants. The games were chaotic and injury-prone because of a lack of rules.
Richard Mulcaster, a headmaster of St Paul’s School, is credited with turning grassroots football into an organised sport in the 16th century. In 1581, he described his version of football, which involved smaller teams, referees, positions and even a coach. In the same year, boys at London’s Merchant Taylors’ School were encouraged to play football in two teams and even with a referee.
19th-century changes
The real changes in football began to take place in the late 19th century when people began to attend church less and looked for new ways to spend their leisure time. It was a time of great changes, as people moved to the metropolis, worked hard and then looked for places to relax. Football clubs started to form after the formation of the London Football Association. Some of these teams are still popular in the 21st century.
Schools and universities played a major role in the development of football. Thus, Harrow, Eton and Cambridge made the first attempts to codify the rules. Each of them developed their own systems, which included certain restrictions or the possibility of playing with hands.
Establishment of football rules
Of course, such a popular game couldn’t remain chaotic, so people needed established provisions concerning the number of players, the game duration, certain field dimensions, goals and an agreed size of the ball. When those aspects were set the game began to develop even faster.
Modern football was first codified in 1863 in London and began to spread around the world. This event was associated with Londoner Ebenezer Cobb Morley, who was one of the founders of the world-oldest London Football Association. Interestingly, before the first meeting of the Football Association on October 26, 1863, in the Freemasons’ Tavern on Great Queen Street in London, there were no general rules for playing football.
One of the main decisions was the separation of football and rugby. It was decided to ban playing with hands and goals had to be scored with feet. All of those adopted rules were printed in the London Rules document.
Over the years, the metropolis formed a whole football culture and established the Football League in 1888. Such football clubs as Chelsea and Arsenal quickly became British symbols. It is worth noting that London can also boast of legendary sports venues, including Wembley Stadium and The Emirates Stadium. In addition, the city has a strong football fan base.
So, in modern times, London is considered the centre of football life with an interesting historical past. The passion for the game has made football and the local players very popular. Football has come a long way and has become one of the main games not only in London but also around the world.