| While association football is occasionally | | | | rules allowing the use of hands on the ball. |
| referred to as soccer in some parts of the | | | | They eventually developed their own game that |
| world, one thing about the game that can be | | | | became what is now known as Rugby. However, |
| agreed on is that it is arguably the most | | | | the remaining eleven clubs finally codified |
| popular sport in the world. Most cultures | | | | an acceptable series of rules and with them |
| have produced some sort of ball kicking game | | | | formed the Football Association (FA). By 1870 |
| so there were a few precursors to the game | | | | the Sheffield Football Association had joined |
| developed into football. Most scholars | | | | in and football was once again a similar and |
| believe that the Roman game of harpastum was | | | | familiar game for everyone. The mid 1800's |
| a very early form of what became football on | | | | saw such an explosion of football popularity |
| the British Isles. The game evolved through | | | | that one country alone could not contain it |
| the Middle Ages with various regions having | | | | all. 1886 saw the formation of the |
| different rules and guidelines. It was | | | | International Football Association Board |
| inevitable that this collective love of sport | | | | comprising the national associations from |
| would eventually merge. The true birth of the | | | | Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Still football |
| game we play today came in 1848 with the | | | | spread. The twentieth century had barely |
| Cambridge Rules developed by Trinity College. | | | | begun when the Fedration Internationale de |
| While representatives of six major schools | | | | Football Association (FIFA) in Paris was |
| worked on this, the Cambridge Rules were not | | | | started in 1904 and declared they would |
| universally accepted. Too many people liked | | | | uphold the rules and regulations of the FA. |
| football and wanted to play themselves and | | | | Football is now played professionally in just |
| they considered this set of regulations to be | | | | about every country in the world. As well as |
| too "school-boyish" for the average amateur | | | | the millions that make it to the stadium to |
| player. In the years that followed the | | | | watch the game, there are billions who make |
| Cambridge codification, many football clubs | | | | sure to have a television at hand on game day |
| sprang up across the land that had nothing to | | | | to watch their favorite teams compete. FIFA |
| do with "university" football. These | | | | surveys have concluded that at least two |
| non-professional clubs tended to play their | | | | hundred fifty million people regularly play |
| own games and adhere to their own rules. | | | | amateur football. With just a few easy to |
| However, the school chaps preferred a more | | | | understand rules and simple basic pieces of |
| consistent game and a number of former | | | | equipment, football has made it easy for |
| student players developed the Sheffield | | | | almost everyone to indulge their passion for |
| Football Club in order to bring some order to | | | | a game of "footy" on the playing field. Even |
| the game. By 1863 the growing spread of | | | | the amateur leagues maintain a championship |
| diverse forms of football required another | | | | level of commitment to the game and a |
| gathering of major influences. Meeting in | | | | universal appeal that can transcend the |
| London, they once more attempted to keep the | | | | boundaries of both language and nationality. |
| game from fragmenting any further. This group | | | | |
| not completely successful even at that. The | | | | Watch Live Football or Premiership football |
| Blackheath, London football club withdrew | | | | on your PC. |
| from the proceedings over the removal of the | | | | |