The game of football generally flourished in England from around the 8th Century
onwards. The game was incredibly popular with the working classes and there were
considerable regional variations of the game throughout the country. Games were
normally violent and disorganised affairs with any number of players - it was
not uncommon for 1000 people to play in a single game. By the 11th Century,
games were often played between rival villages and the 'pitch' could be an
incredibly large area. The 'pitch' was not a defined size with a parameter, but
included streets, fields, village squares and anything else that got in the way!
The level of violence within the game was astonishing. Players were kicked and
punched regularly by opponents. In addition to any personal injury that
occurred, countless property items were destroyed in the course of a match.
Fields were often ruined, as were fences and hedges. Damage also occurred to
people's houses and businesses within the main streets of the village (or
wherever the game travelled in its course).
For people living within the cities, football was still an alien concept and
considered to be a 'rural custom'. However in the second half of the 12th
Century football had established itself in London. By 1175 an annual competition
had been established in the capital and every Shrove Tuesday the game created
huge interest and gained further popularity.
The future development of the urban game is not well known but some early
records do mention the violent nature of the game within cities - there is even
a mention of a player being stabbed to death by an opponent! Records also point
to women being involved in the game during the 12th Century.
History of English Football (8th - 18th century)
Information Links:
Interactive / Multimedia Links: