Football Case

The modern game of football, as we know it, is in essence an invention of the 19th century. The game was developed with particular aims in mind: specifically, teamwork, discipline and respectability, which defined both the way the game is organized and played. The modern game belongs to the era of the industrial revolution, and the intervening time.

Its origins are believed to lie in ancient times: it is widely accepted that both the Romans and Greeks - although it was never an ancient Olympic sport - played a game very similar to what today might be identified as 'football'. However, this game was very violent and was viewed almost as a test of bravery. Actions such as hacking, punching, and generally assaulting the opponent were accepted as part and parcel of the game.

There are indications that the game existed in Britain in the 12th century. Here the game was a crude street game. The ball would be kicked and chased by groups of youngsters egged on by their parents. This form of the game often involved two hundred or more participants, always male. This type of football was entirely based within rural communities, and was often played on important days of the year, such as Shrove Tuesday and local festival days. Sport of all kinds, particularly football, were essentially local rather than national. It was often played to rules set by local participants.

In a worldwide perspective, some believe that an early version of the game, played with the bladder of a pig, existed in China as long ago as 2500 BC. Here the ball is believed to have been kicked between poles as high as thirty feet, and might have served a military purpose, for example, the training of warriors. By AD 50, the Chinese had named this game 'tsu chu' and early records compare the ball and square goal to Yin and Yang, the ancient symbols of harmony. Matches were frequently played to mark important dates of the calendar. There is evidence that football might also have existed in Italy, particularly in the city-state of Florence

As far as England is concerned, it is known that in the time of Oliver Cromwell, the Puritans - the dominant religious movement of the age - banned the game because it was considered unruly and ungodly. It was also banned, as were other forms of entertainment, from being played on a Sunday. Nevertheless, despite the efforts of authorities, it continued to exist in a rough form until the advent of industrialization, around the year 1750.

From this time onwards, at an ever-increasing pace, British society underwent a dramatic and fundamental change. The focus of work changed from rural to urban. As the years progressed, more and more people left the countryside to live in the expanding towns and cities across the country. Though people left their roots behind, they did take with them aspects of their culture, one of which was sport, and in particular football.

A problem emerged at this time. The middle classes, the driving and decision-making force of this society, found that they needed a particular type of workforce. They did not need one dominated by nature, that is, by the seasons and other recurring breaks, but a society that was disciplined, compliant, and highly organized, chiefly dominated by the clock. The traditional form of football, which these migrants had brought with them, could not be tolerated, because it promoted unruliness and shoddy discipline. It needed to conform to the new way of thinking.

It quickly became obvious to the middle classes that a ban was impossible, since it had failed previously, so it was concluded that it had to be controlled and organized. From universities and public schools of the country, many individuals emerged who were to change the face of the game, because a great number of these establishments had already accepted football as a sport many years earlier.

During the Victorian age, the society that witnessed the introduction of the modern game was superficially religious. In 1851 a religious census was conducted nationwide, which revealed that many of the working class did not attend church regularly. In an effort to rectify this situation, the church, especially the Church of England, adopted a radical new idea. In towns and cities throughout the kingdom, they sought to attract the working class, particularly the young, to non-religious activities.

The most prominent activity was sport, and football in particular. Men entering the church from universities and public schools were the driving force in forming the modern game of football. In the expanding residential estates of England, particularly in the north and the Midlands, but also not surprisingly in London, many clubs that are today still in existence were formed. Aston Villa, for example, was an association originally linked to a chapel at Aston Cross, Birmingham, whilst Birmingham City owe their origins to St Andrews Church, Bordesley, where the ground still carries that name to this day. Many others, including such footballing giants as Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic, can trace their origins to a similar religious source. The church became, in this way, a vital part in the development of the game. Alongside this movement, there were also individuals who sought to boost the morale of their workforce. These factory-owning industrialists saw the game as a means of disciplining their workforce. Teams such as West Ham United can trace their beginnings to factories. In this particular case, the local Hammer works, a large engineering complex, and the connection is present today, their nickname being the Hammers.

The many new teams that sprang up initially were not organized into any sort of league or fixture structure, and were not controlled by a common set of rules. The northern clubs mainly followed the Sheffield code, while many of the southern and midlands clubs adopted what became