Will you score a hat-trick or an own goal? Test your knowledge of football through the ages.
When was professionalism (being able to pay players) made legal in English football?
The English Football Association were put under pressure to legalise professionalism by their rivals the British Football Association (BFA). The BFA was set up to allow professionalism in football, so after the legalisation in the FA, they quickly became unnecessary.
Who was the first person to call football “The Beautiful Game?”
Widely considered the greatest football player of all time, in 1977 Pelé named his autobiography “My Life and the Beautiful Game”. The book's dedication says "I dedicate this book to all the people who have made this great game, the Beautiful Game.”
In which century have historians found the first mention of ball games in England involving kicking?
In the thirteenth century monk, Mathew Paris wrote "Four and twenty bonny boys, were playing at the ball… he kicked the ball with his right foot".
What is the oldest football club in history according to FIFA?
Two members of a Sheffield cricket club, Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, formed the Sheffield Football Club in 1857. Their first games as a club were played amongst themselves and took the form of "Married v Singles" or "Professionals v the Rest".
What is the greatest number of goals ever scored in an association football match?
In 2002, Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne, a Madagascan football team, scored 149 own goals in protest against a crucial, damning decision made by the referee of their previous match. Unsurprisingly, many spectators demanded a refund!
A maximum weekly wage was introduced for footballers in 1901, what was it?
This is equivalent to around £452 in 2017, which is similar to the salary of a fully qualified nurse, and just 7% of the average wage for a Championship footballer.
Who was the first Monarch (King or Queen) to ban football?
In 1314, King Edward II outlawed football because "...there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls from which many evils may arise which God forbid”. Other Monarchs also banned football because it was seen as a distraction from practising archery, which was an essential skill for Englishmen in the Middle Ages.