Mediæval football

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The name mediæval football is a modern term sometimes used for a wide variety of localised games which were invented and played during the Middle Ages in Europe. Alternative names include folk football, mob football and Shrovetide football. Some of these games are still played. These games may also be regarded as the "ancestors" of modern codes of football. By comparison with later forms of football, the medieval matches were chaotic and had few rules.

The Middle Ages saw a huge rise in popularity of games played annually at Shrovetide, throughout Europe, particularly in Britain. The game played in Britain at this time may have arrived with the Roman occupation, but there is little evidence to indicate this. Reports of a game played in France — especially Brittany, Normandy and Picardy — known as La Soule or La Choule, suggest that some of these football games could have arrived in England as a result of the Norman Conquest.

These archaic forms of football, typically classified as mob football, would be played between neighbouring towns and villages, involving an unlimited number of players on opposing teams, who would clash in a heaving mass of people struggling to drag an inflated pig's bladder by any means possible to markers at each end of a town (sometimes instead of markers, the teams would attempt to kick the bladder into the balcony of the opponents' church). A legend that these games in England evolved from a more ancient and bloody ritual of kicking the "Dane's head" is unlikely to be true. Shrovetide games survive in a number of English towns (see below).

The first description of football in England was given by William FitzStephen (c. 1174-1183). He described the activities of London youths during the annual festival of Shrove Tuesday.

After lunch all the youth of the city go out into the fields to take part in a ball game. The students of each school have their own ball; the workers from each city craft are also carrying their balls. Older citizens, fathers, and wealthy citizens come on horseback to watch their juniors competing, and to relive their own youth vicariously: you can see their inner passions aroused as they watch the action and get caught up in the fun being had by the carefree adolescents.[1]

In about 1200 "ball" is mentioned as one of the games played by King Arthur's nights in "Brut", written by Layamon, an English poet from Worcestershire. (Magoun, Francis Peabody [1929] "Football in Medieval England and Middle-English literature". The American Historical Review, vol 35, No. 1.) This is the earliest reference to the English language "ball". Layamon states: "some drive balls (balles) far over the fields".

Records from 1280 report on a game at Ulgham, near Ashington in Northumberland, in which a player was killed as a result of running against an opposing player's dagger. This account is also noteworthy because it refers to the ball being kicked, confirming that kicking was involved in early ball games in England.

Most of the very early references to the game speak simply of "ball play" or "playing at ball". This reinforces the idea that the games played at the time did not necessarily involve a ball being kicked. Kicking was certainly part of some 14th century games, as is illustrated in a 1321 dispensation, granted by Pope John XXII to William de Spalding of Shouldham:

"To William de Spalding, canon of Scoldham of the order of Sempringham. During the game at ball as he kicked the ball , a lay friend of his, also called William, ran against him and wounded himself on a sheathed knife carried by the canon, so severely that he died within six days. Dispensation is granted, as no blame is attached to William de Spalding, who, feeling deeply the dath of his friedn, and fearing what might be said by his enemies, has applied to the pope."

Likewise Geoffrey Chaucer offered an allusion to the manner in which contemporary ball games may have been played in England. In the Canterbury Tales (written some time after 1380) he uses the following line: "rolleth under foot as doth a ball"[2].

Between 1314 and 1667, football was officially banned in England alone by more than 30 royal and local laws. (See the article Attempts to ban football games for more details.) King Edward II was so troubled by the unruliness of football in London that on April 13, 1314 he issued a proclamation banning it:

Forasmuch as there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls from which many evils may arise which God forbid; we command and forbid, on behalf of the King, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in the city in the future.

King Edward III of England also issued such a declaration, in 1363: "[m]oreover we ordain that you prohibit under penalty of imprisonment all and sundry from such stone, wood and iron throwing; handball, football, or hockey; coursing and cock-fighting, or other such idle games". It is noteworthy that at this time football was already being differentiated from handball, which suggests the evolution of basic rules.

The next clear reference to football was not recorded until 1409, when King Henry IV of England issued an edict to ban it. In 1424, King James I of Scotland also attempted to ban the playing of "fute-ball". However, the first clear reference to a ball being used did not occur until 1486.[3] There is an account from 11 April 1497 of a sum of money "giffen [given] to Jame Dog [James Doig] to b[u]y fut ballis to the King".[4] The oldest surving football is possibly a ball made in about 1540 in Scotland, from leather and a pig's bladder. (It was discovered in 1981 in the roof structure of the Queen's Chamber, Stirling Castle and is now displayed at the Smith Gallery in Stirling.) However, it has not been possible to confirm this find's actual use as a football, and because of its small size, it has been suggested by the National Museum of Scotland that the ball was instead used for a tennis-like game called pallone.

A 15th century English monk descibed a game of football at Caunton, Nottinghamshire: "[t]he players propel a huge ball, not by thowing it up into the air, but by striking and rolling it along the ground and not by their hands but by their feet." This confirms that distinct kicking football games were being played in England at this time. Nevertheless they were still rough, as the monk goes on to confirm: "a game, I say, abominable enough . . . and rarely ending but with some loss, accident, or disadvantage of the players themselves."[5]

The first record of a pair of football boots occurs when Henry VIII of England ordered a pair from the Great Wardrobe in 1526. [6] Unfortunately these are no longer in existence.

The first reference to football in Ireland occurs in the Statute of Galway of 1527, which allowed the playing of football and archery but banned " 'hokie' — the hurling of a little ball with sticks or staves" as well as other sports. (The earliest recorded football match in Ireland was one between Louth and Meath, at Slane, in 1712.)

The reputation of football as a violent game persists throughout most accounts from 16th century England. In 1531, Sir Thomas Elyot noted in his Boke named The Governour the dangers of football, as well as the benefits of archery ("shooting"):

Some men wolde say, that in mediocritie, whiche I haue so moche praised in shootynge, why shulde nat boulynge, claisshe, pynnes, and koytyng be as moche commended? Verily as for two the laste, be to be utterly abiected of al noble men, in like wise foote balle, wherin is nothinge but beastly furie and exstreme violence; wherof procedeth hurte, and consequently rancour and malice do remaine with them that be wounded; wherfore it is to be put in perpetuall silence. In classhe is emploied to litle strength; in boulyng often times to moche; wherby the sinewes be to moche strayned, and the vaines to moche chafed. Wherof often tymes is sene to ensue ache, or the decreas of strength or agilitie in the armes: where, in shotyng, if the shooter use the strength of his bowe within his owne tiller, he shal neuer be therwith grieued or made more feble.

[edit] Surviving Mediæval ball games

[edit] Extinct varieties of Mediæval football

  • United Kingdom
    • Chester-le-Street, had a game played between the Upstreeters and Downstreeters that was played until 1932
    • Dorking in Epsom
    • East Anglia: Camp ball was a popular sport in the 15th century.
    • Newton Ferrers in Devon
    • Kingston upon Thames, Twickenham, Bushy and Hampton Wick, all near London. "The custom was to carry a foot-ball from door to door and beg money:—at about 12 o'clock the ball was turned loose, and those who could would kick it. In the town of Kingston, all the shops are purposely kept shut upon that day, there were several balls in the town, and of course several parties. The game would last about four hours, when the parties retire to the public-houses, and spend the money they had collected on refreshments."The Every-Day Book
    • Teddington: "it was conducted with such animation that careful house-holders had to protect their windows with hurdles and bushes."The Chambers' Book of Days February 9th
    • Torrington in Devon had Out-Hurling. "Once played on Trinity Monday, The sport of 'Out-hurling' was included in the 1922 Great Torrington Revel' Day. The publication Devon and Cornwall Notes and Questions 1922, volume 12, carried an account of the game, and noted that it had previously been a regular sport, and involved a small ball which was thrown 'over-hand', and a pitch approximately half a mile long (adjoining a brook)."Folklore, Culture, Customs and Language of Devon
    • In Wales a game known as Cnapan was once popular, notably at Llanwenog in Cardiganshire, and Pwlldu in Pembrokeshire
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