| The Irish Football Association (IFA) is | | | | Oliver Cromwell playing the game at |
| the organising body for the sport of | | | | Cambridge in the early 1600s. |
| football (soccer) in Northern Ireland. | | | | So whilst they clearly did not invent |
| It should not be confused with the | | | | the game our Victorian forefathers did |
| Football Association of Ireland (FAI), | | | | bring a uniform set of rules to the |
| which is the organising body in the | | | | sport and a degree of organisation |
| Republic of Ireland. | | | | previously lacking. |
| The IFA was formed in 1880 by football | | | | A desire for consistency among the many |
| clubs in the Belfast area as the | | | | public schools playing the game |
| organising body for the sport across all | | | | culminated in a coming together of the |
| of Ireland. A meeting was called by | | | | codes in October 1863 at London's |
| Cliftonville FC of other football clubs | | | | Freemasons Tavern. |
| who followed the rules set out by the | | | | A further meeting was called for early |
| Scottish Football Association (SFA) on | | | | December during which a set of rules |
| November 18 of that year to form the | | | | based on Harrow School's understanding |
| IFA. | | | | of the game was adopted and the Football |
| The first decision they took was to form | | | | Association formed. An annual general |
| an annual challenge cup competition | | | | meeting was also set for the last week |
| similar to the FA Cup and Scottish Cup | | | | in September thus establishing the |
| competitions called the Irish Cup. Two | | | | beginning of the traditional football |
| years later the Irish national side | | | | season. |
| played their first international against | | | | There were some notable dissenters |
| England, getting beaten 13-0. | | | | however, Blackheath School chief among |
| Upon the partition of Ireland in 1921 | | | | them, who decided to pursue their own |
| the FAI was set up to regulate the game | | | | version of the code which we now know as |
| in the Irish Free State (now the | | | | Rugby Union. |
| Republic). Those behind the FAI believed | | | | Around a month later the very first game |
| that soccer should be regulated by a | | | | played under the new "Football |
| federation based in Ireland's capital | | | | Association" rules took place in |
| Dublin. The IFA's supporters argued that | | | | Battersea Park, London between a |
| the federation should be based where the | | | | Secretary's XI and a side chosen by the |
| game was mainly played - Ulster and its | | | | President of the F.A., a Mr. Charles |
| principal city Belfast. Both federations | | | | Alcock. |
| claimed to represent the whole of the | | | | However these rules were still a long |
| island and both competed as Ireland and | | | | way removed from the game we know today. |
| both picked players from the two rival | | | | Granted stipulations such as pitch size, |
| leagues - which also split at this time. | | | | goals, throw-ins etc. were in place but |
| Interventions by FIFA effectively | | | | other staples like duration of play and |
| favoured the FAI by giving them de jure | | | | the number of players on each side were |
| organising rights over the 26 counties | | | | still very much as the discretion of the |
| of the Republic. From the 1950s onwards | | | | two captains. |
| the IFA was no longer to claim it was | | | | Incidentally, it should be noted that |
| the federation for the whole of Ireland. | | | | not all clubs adhered to every rule - |
| The IFA regulated the game in the North, | | | | regional variations still thrived - but |
| and all results obtained by the Irish | | | | they followed enough of them to keep the |
| national side and records in the Irish | | | | spirit of the 'new' game alive. |
| Football League and the cup competition | | | | The first international (England v. |
| stood as Northern Irish records. | | | | Scotland) followed in 1872, as did the |
| Therefore in essence the IFA as Northern | | | | inaugural F.A. Cup, while the Football |
| Ireland's organising body is a direct | | | | League wasn't introduced until 1889 |
| continuation of the IFA as the | | | | fulfilling the growing clamour for a |
| organising body across all of Ireland. | | | | regular fixture list to be established. |
| Along with the other "home nations" | | | | In between times the Welsh FA and Irish |
| associations (the FA, the SFA and the | | | | FA's both emerged to help develop the |
| Football Association of Wales) the IFA | | | | game via the International Football |
| sits on the International Football | | | | Board. In fact, the influence of the |
| Association Board which is responsible | | | | four 'home' associations is still |
| for the laws of the game. The IFA | | | | recognised to this day with a seat each |
| continues to have responsibility for the | | | | on this rule making executive alongside |
| running of the Northern Ireland national | | | | four from the world governing body, FIFA |
| football team. | | | | (founded some years later in 1904). |
| In 1986, a second cup competition was | | | | The game wasn't just a male preserve, |
| introduced, the Irish Football League | | | | however. The first recorded game between |
| Cup. | | | | members of the fairer sex took place in |
| From ancient China's 'tsu chu' to the | | | | 1895 and such was the popularity of this |
| Italian 'harpastum' to other variations | | | | particular strain of the sport that |
| practised by the Aztecs, Egyptians, | | | | fairly soon crowds approaching 50,000 |
| Greeks, Japanese and Scandinavians it is | | | | were not at all uncommon for games |
| clear that putting boot to leather has | | | | between women. Principal among these was |
| been with us since time immemorial. | | | | Dick Kerr's XI, a Preston based outfit |
| Closer to home we had the village wide | | | | who played mainly for charity and at one |
| mob-style games, some still played | | | | point crossed the Atlantic for a few |
| today, although these proved to be | | | | exhibition games in the United States. |
| little more than public brawls which | | | | Unfortunately the English FA of the time |
| invoked royal and government censure. | | | | grew increasingly uncomfortable with the |
| Indeed, as long ago as 1314, Edward III | | | | rise and rise of the ladies game duly |
| ordered 'footballers' to take up archery | | | | banning it in 1921 from being played on |
| instead, a much more genteel pastime. | | | | league grounds, effectively destroying |
| As the years passed attitudes changed | | | | it for generations |
| with records showing luminaries such as | | | | |