Читать книгу Now You Know Big Book of Sports - Doug Lennox - Страница 9
ОглавлениеWhat is the origin of soccer?
Soccer-like games that involved the kicking of a ball across a playing pitch have existed for eons in regions from China to Meso-America to the Arctic tundra. But modern soccer, as it evolved in Great Britain, has its roots in a medieval European game called “mob football,” which was played between rival villages at times of celebration and festivity, especially on Shrove Tuesday. Played in England, Normandy, Brittany, Picardy, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, mob football saw teams of unlimited size trying to force a ball (often an inflated pig’s bladder) into an opponent village’s main square or onto its church’s steps. The rules were vague and play was often extremely violent, leading to broken limbs, internal injuries, and even the occasional death.
Why did both Edward II and Edward III prohibit soccer?
In 1314 King Edward II issued a prohibition against so called “mob football” because of the chaotic impact that “this hustling over large balls” had on the city life in London. Edward III also prohibited “futeball” in 1349 because it distracted able-bodied men from archery practice.
Quickies …
Did you know …
that the first recorded soccer death was in 1280 when in a game of mob football at Ulgham, near Ashington in Northumberland, a player was killed as a result of running against an opposing player’s sheathed dagger?
Who owned the first pair of football boots?
King Henry VIII’s soccer shoes — called football boots — were listed within the
Great Wardrobe of 1526, a shopping list of the day. They were made by his personal shoemaker, Cornelius Johnson, in 1525, at a cost of four shillings, the modern equivalent of $160 CDN. Little is known about them, as there is no surviving example, but the royal football boots are known to have been made of strong leather, ankle-high, and heavier than the normal shoe of the day.
What British king was first to give soccer royal approval?
Charles II of England gave the game of soccer royal approval in 1681 when he attended a match between the Royal Household and the Duke of Albemarle’s servants.
What was tsu chu ?
As far back as 2,500 B.C., a game of kicking a ball called tsu chu (also spelled as cuju) was played in China. Tsu means “to kick the ball with feet” and chu means “a ball made of leather and stuffed.” Matches were often staged in celebration of the emperor’s birthday. The objective was for players to kick a ball through a round opening into a small net attached to bamboo poles. The opening was about one foot (30–40 centimetres) wide and elevated about 30 feet (nine metres) from the ground. During the Ts’in Dynasty (255 B.C.–206 B.C.) a form of tsu chu was used for training by soldiers, and from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.) there survives a war manual featuring physical exercises called tsu chu. These exercises involved a leather ball filled with feathers and hair. With the exception of the hands, all other body parts could be used while trying to “score.”
Quickies
Did you know …
that the first instance of the modern spelling of football appeared in 1608, in act 1 scene 4 of Shakespeare’s King Lear: “Nor tripped neither, you base football player”?
What was episkyros
Around 2000 B.C., the Greeks played episkyros (also known as phaininda), a kicking and throwing game played primarily by men, usually in the nude. Early balls were made of linen and hair wrapped in string and sewn together, though it is believed inflated balls — inflated pig bladders wrapped in pigskin or deerskin — were used by later practitioners of the game.
Quickies
Did you know …
that an ancient Greek marble relief housed in the National Museum of Archeology in Athens shows an athlete balancing a ball on his thigh as a young boy looks on? This very same image is featured on the European Cup trophy.
Who was Richard Mulcaster?
Richard Mulcaster, who lived from 1531 to 1611, was headmaster of the Merchant Taylors’ School and St. Paul’s School in London. Not only was he a prominent educator of his time, he was also one of the greatest sixteenth-century advocates of soccer. In his 1581 publication titled “Positions Wherein Those Primitive Circumstances Be Examined, Which Are Necessarie for the Training up of Children,” he argued that “Footeball” was beneficial “both to health and strength” of students, and he advocated for, organized, and refereed matches to counteract the craze of mob football.
What is the world’s oldest soccer club?
The Sheffield Football Club was founded in 1857 in Sheffield by Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, and is now recognized as the world’s oldest club. The club initially played William Prest, and is now recognized as the its own code of football: the Sheffield rules. Players were allowed to push or hit the ball with their hands, and there was no offside rule at all, so that players known as “kick throughs” could be permanently positioned near the opponents’ goal.
Quickies
Did you know …
that the Inuit played a game called asqaqtuk, which involved booting a heavy ball stuffed with grass, caribou hair, and moss across the arctic tundra between goals as much as 10 miles (16 kilometres) apart?
What is the oldest national soccer team in the world?
That would be a tie. Both Scotland and England were the first countries to put forward national teams, in 1872. In fact, they did so for a match against each other, which also allows them to share the credit of holding the first international match. The game was held at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland, on November 30 that year, and, appropriately enough, it ended in a goalless tie.
Who drew up the first set of soccer rules?
During the eighteenth century, the game of mob football evolved into a codified sport at England’s public schools like Eton, Westminster, Rugby, Charterhouse, and Harrow. The first-ever set of formal soccer rules were written at Eton College in 1815, though each school tended to have their own set of rules.
What are the Cambridge Rules?
In 1848, representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester, and Shrewsbury schools gathered at Trinity College, at Cambridge University, for a meeting to codify the rules of soccer. These were the first set of rules to be used collectively by multiple school teams. When the country’s leading clubs and schools got together to form the Football Association in 1863, they used the Cambridge Rules as the basis for a new set of FA rules.
When did soccer and rugby become separate sports?
When England’s Football Association was established in 1863 they published the first set of rules, which expressly forbade carrying, passing, or otherwise handling the ball. Prior to this, the various codes of soccer used by clubs allowed players to use their hands to move the ball, often in a manner that resembled today’s rugby. It is felt that the establishment of the first FA rules marked the break between soccer and rugby.
When did the FA Cup begin?
In 1871, Charles W. Alcock, then FA secretary, announced the introduction of the Football Association Challenge Cup. It was the first knockout competition of its type in the world. Only 15 clubs took part in the first staging of the tournament. It included two clubs based in Scotland: Donington School and Queen’s Park. In the 1872 final, the Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers 1–0 at the Kennington Oval. The FA Cup is the oldest association football competition in the world.
The 12 Founding Clubs of England’s Football Association
• Barnes
• Blackheath
• Forest of Leytonstone
• Perceval House
• Kensington School
• The War Office
• Crystal Palace
• Epping Forest
• Crusaders
• Surbiton
• No Names of Kilburn
• Blackheath Proprietary School
When was the Scottish Football Association founded?
On March 13, 1873, representatives of seven Scottish soccer teams gathered at a meeting in Glasgow in response to an advertisement in the newspaper. The purpose of the gathering was to form the Scottish Football Association. At the meeting it was resolved that, “The clubs here represented form themselves into an association for the promotion of football according to the rules of The Football Association and that the clubs connected with this association subscribe for a challenge cup to be played for annually, the committee to propose the laws of the competition.” An eighth club, Kilmarnock, did not attend the meeting, but expressed its wish to join by letter.
When was the Scottish Cup first played?
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, usually known as the Scottish Cup, started in the 1873–74 season, when it was contested by 16 teams. The trophy is the oldest national trophy in the world. The Scottish Cup was first awarded to Queen’s Park when they beat Clydesdale 2–0 in the final in front of a crowd of 3,000 people.
Chronology of the Formation of the United Kingdom’s Football Associations
• England: “The Football Association” (FA) — 1863
• Scotland: “The Scottish Football Association” (SFA) — 1873
• Wales: “The Football Association of Wales” (FAW) —1876
• Northern Ireland: “Irish Football Association” (IFA) — 1880
What is the Old Firm?
The Scottish soccer teams Celtic FC, founded in 1888, and Rangers FC, founded in 1873, both based in Glasgow, are collectively referred to as the Old Firm. It is not clear how this term came about. Some say it is because of camaraderie shown between the two clubs in their early days, while others surmise it is an ironic take on the arch rivalry that eventually developed between them. Whichever it is, the two clubs are indisputably the most successful in Scotland, having won between them 66 Scottish Cups and 93 Scottish Premier League championships as of 2008.
Quickies
Did you know …
that in September 1884 the Glasgow Evening News produced the first-ever football edition of a newspaper giving match scores from earlier that afternoon?
Quickies …
Did you know …
that the Scottish club Queen’s Park FC, established in 1867, is the world’s oldest soccer club outside of England?
Quickies
Did you know …
that the Football Association of Wales, founded in 1876, is the third-oldest national soccer association in the world?
What 1882 game gave opposite records to Ireland and England?
On February 18, 1882, two years after the founding of the Irish FA, Ireland made their international debut against England, losing 13–0 in a friendly game played at Bloomfield Park in Belfast. This remains the record win for England and the record defeat for the Northern Ireland team.
What is the oldest Irish soccer club?
Cliftonville Football and Athletic Club, known as The Reds, is a Northern Irish football team playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on September 20, 1879, in the north Belfast district of Cliftonville, they are the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated their 125th anniversary in 2004.
When was the Irish league founded?
Quickies
Did you know …
that Scotland’s first match outside the British Isles was on May 26, 1929? They beat Norway 7–3 in Bergen.
The Irish League is the second-oldest national league in the world, being formed a week earlier than the Scottish Football League. Only the Football League in England is older. Four clubs — Cliftonville, Glentoran, Linfield, and Lisburn Distillery — have retained membership of the Irish League since its inception in 1890.
What is the difference between the Irish Football Association (IFA) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI)?
Ireland has two FAs because Ireland itself is divided into two nations, Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign state formed in 1921. Beginning with the formation of the Irish Football Association (IFA) in 1879, all of Ireland was represented under that one association. But with the partition of Ireland in 1921, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) was formed to represent the Republic of Ireland, due to bitter disputes between Dublin-area teams and Belfast teams.
Quickies
Did you know …
that Ireland changed to green shirts against England on October 17, 1931? Up until then they had worn blue.
When was the first international game between non-UK teams?
The first international soccer game played without involving a British side was between the United States and Canada, played in Newark, New Jersey, on November 28, 1885. The Canadians won 1–0.
Quickies
Did you know … that England played their first game on foreign soil when they beat Austria 6–1 in Vienna on June 6, 1908?
What was the largest crowd to ever attend a soccer match?
The largest crowd ever to attend a soccer match was 199,854 spectators at the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 16, 1950. The game pitted Brazil against Uruguay. Uruguay won the match, 2–1.
Who sets the official rules for soccer?
The official rules of soccer are called the Laws of the Game and they are maintained by two governing bodies: the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
What is FIFA?
FIFA is an acronym for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. It is the international governing body of association football, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA is responsible for the organization and governance of soccer’s major international tournaments, most notably the FIFA World Cup, held since 1930. The Laws of the Game are not solely the responsibility of FIFA; they are maintained by a body called the International Football Association Board (IFAB). FIFA has members on its board (four representatives); the other four are provided by the football associations of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, in recognition of their contribution to the creation and history of the game. Changes to the Laws of the Game must be agreed by at least six of the eight delegates.
Quickies
Did you know …
that FIFA has 208 football association members?
What is IFAB?
IFAB is an acronym for the International Football Association Board. Established in England in 1886, the board was originally made up of the United Kingdom’s four pioneering football associations: England’s Football Association (The FA), the Scottish Football Association (SFA), the Football Association of Wales (FAW), and Northern Ireland’s Irish Football Association (IFA). Its aim was to create a unified set of rules for the game in Great Britain and function as a governing body. Each of the four founding FAs had equal voting rights on the board. Beginning in 1913, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which governs world association soccer, became a voting board member. Today, each UK association has one vote on the board and FIFA has four. IFAB deliberations must be approved by at least six votes. Thus, FIFA’s approval is necessary for any IFAB decision, but FIFA alone cannot change the Laws of the Game; they need to be agreed by at least two of the UK members.
How many referees are there in a regulation soccer match?
There are three. One referee (sometimes called the centre referee), and two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen) who patrol the perimeter of the field and carry flags to signal to the referee. The referee, who is the only one of the three who conducts his duties in bounds on the pitch, is the ruling authority for any given soccer match. His word is law on the pitch.
Who was Ken Aston?
The red and yellow card system was invented by English referee Ken Aston, whose innovation was inspired one day in the late 1960s by the yellow “caution” and red “stop” lights in the streets of London. Aston sat on FIFA’s Referee’s Committee from 1970 to 1972. His card system was first used at the 1970 World Cup. Aston died on October 23, 2001 at the age of 86.
What does a yellow card mean?
The yellow card is a caution issued to a player by the referee. The yellow card may be shown to a player who is guilty of unsporting behaviour, shows dissent by word or action, persistently infringes the Laws of the Game, delays the restart of play, fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or a free kick, enters or reenters the field of play without the referee’s permission, or deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee’s permission. Any time a yellow or red card is shown, a “direct” or “indirect kick” will also be awarded.
What does a red card mean?
When a player is shown a red card, it means ejection from the game. By the Laws of the Game, a player must be shown a red card for serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting at an opponent or any other person, deliberately handling the ball in an attempt to prevent an obvious scoring opportunity, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving toward the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick, and for using offensive, insulting, or abusive language. A player will also be shown a red card and ejected immediately after receiving a second yellow card caution in the same match.
How many players are allowed to play for a team in a soccer match?
Soccer teams may consist of a maximum of 11 on-field players (and a minimum of seven) with three substitutes allowed per game. If, due to injuries or other reasons, a team cannot field seven players, the match is cancelled.
The Seven Ways a Ball Can Be Put into Play
• Kickoff
• Throw-in
• Goal kick
• Corner kick
• Free kick
• Penalty kick
• Drop ball
Who wore the first shin guards?
Shin guards, which are now required kit under the Laws of the Game, were first introduced in 1874 by Sam Widdowson, a player for Nottingham Forest. Widdowson cut down a pair of cricket shin pads and strapped them to the outside of his stockings. He was initially ridiculed, but the protective value of the pads could not be denied and they eventually caught on.
Quickies
Did you know …
that a professional soccer player runs an average of 6.2 miles in a game and burns 1,000 to 1,500 calories?
What is the “Acme Thunderer”?
Through the 1860s and 1870s, Joseph Hudson, an English toolmaker from Birmingham, was using his home bathroom as a whistle-making workshop, but it wasn’t until 1884 that he invented the Acme Thunderer, which is credited as the world’s first reliable pea whistle and quickly became the whistle of choice for British soccer referees.
Fouls That Will Lead to an Indirect Free Kick
By a goalkeeper inside his own penalty area:
• holding the ball in hands for longer than six seconds;
• handling the ball after it has been released from his possession but has not yet touched another player;
• handling the ball after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a teammate; or
• handling the ball after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a teammate.
By any player:
• playing in a dangerous manner;
• impeding the progress of an opponent;
• preventing the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands; or
• at the discretion of the referee, offences not covered under the Fouls and Conduct section (Law 12) of the Laws of the Game, for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player.
What does it mean when the referee holds his arms straight out?
This is called “advantage” and it means that the referee has seen a foul but has decided not to call it yet because the fouled team is in an advantageous position and might possibly score. Advantage generally only lasts three to five seconds before the referee will blow his whistle and stop play.
What does it mean when the referee blows his whistle and points at a goal?
The referee has seen a foul and is awarding a direct free kick against the goal he is pointing to.
Quickies
Did you know …
that before 1878 and the advent of whistles on the playing match, umpires communicated signals to the players by waving a handkerchief, a stick, or by shouting?
How do players know when a penalty kick is awarded?
When a referee points directly at the 18 yard (16.5 metre) area, he is awarding a penalty kick. The referee will usually run to the penalty spot, stop beside it and point straight down at it with his hand.
Why do games that are not tied at the end of regulation time often go longer?
One of the unique things about soccer is that during a match no one on or off the pitch knows exactly how long the match will go. That’s because the referee is the official timekeeper, and while regulations state that a match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each, with a mandatory break at halftime, they also state that the referee has discretion to add also state that the referee has discretion to add time to the end of each half for any stoppage of play. While the rules for games like hockey, basketball, and American football include provisions for stopping the clock (such as after a goal, or for out of bounds), the clock for a soccer game never stops, except for the during the halftime break. The referee is under no obligation to tell anyone how much additional time will be added to each half. The clock runs out only when the referee says so.
Quickies
Did you know …
that if a soccer ball is properly inflated it should bounce waist-high when dropped straight down from head height onto firm ground?
Quickies …
Did you know …
that goalkeepers may not play the ball with their hands if receiving it directly from a throw-in?
Assistant Referee Flag Signals Decoded
• Flag straight up: indicating to the referee to stop play because assistant referee needs to talk to referee. Can also mean offside or be a signal for the referee to look at the other linesman.
• Flag straight up with hand held over his chest badge: indicating to referee that a player needs to be shown a yellow or red card.
• Flag out sideways at 45 degrees horizontally along the touchline: indicating for a throw-in. The team attacking in the direction they are pointing takes the throw.
• Flag pointing at the goal: indicating a goal kick.
• Flag pointing at the corner flag: indicating a corner kick.
• Flag held straight out in front of assistant referee after an offside call:
º Up at a 45-degree angle: indicating an offside on the far side of the field.
º Straight horizontally: indicating an offside in the middle of the field.
º Down at a 45-degree angle: indicating an offside on the near side of the field.
• Flag held straight up suspended between both hands: substitution in progress.
• Flag held horizontally across chest: calling for penalty kick.
• Flag held behind back while standing at corner flag: calling for penalty kick.
• Flag held up after a goal: assistant referee wishes to dispute the goal
Why does the referee point at the centre of the field and not the goal to indicate a goal?
The regulation restart method after either team scores a goal is a kickoff by the other team from the centre of the field. That is why the referee points at the centre of the field after a goal. The referee is not indicating a goal, but rather calling for a restart from the centre of the field.
Four Reasons Why the Referee Can Add Time to the Game Clock
According to the Laws of the Game, time can be added if:
• time is lost attending to injuries on the field;
• time is lost completing player substitutions;
• time is lost due to delays in putting the ball back into active play after it goes out; or
• any other cause for interruption to active play the referee deems sufficient.
Quickies …
Did you know …
that aside from during the regulation halftime beak, the Laws of the Game do not permit the referee to ever stop the clock once play has begun?
What is the penalty for faking an injury?
Not that this ever, ever happens (ahem!), but any simulating action that is intended to deceive the referee — anywhere on the field — must be sanctioned as unsporting behaviour. This includes Oscar-worthy performances for fake injuries. The penalty is not a golden statue, but a yellow card.
Quickies
Did you know …
that a ball rolling along outside the touchline remains in play as long as part of the ball is over the touchline?
When is a soccer player offside?
Provided that he is not in his own half of the field, a player is offside when he is not in possession of the ball and he is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent (including the goalkeeper). If an offside infraction is called, the opponent is awarded an indirect free kick (IFK). There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw-in, or a corner kick.
When is offside position determined?
Offside position is not determined at the time the ball is received by an attacker, but rather it is determined at the moment the ball was last played by one of the attacker’s teammates. If, for example, an attacker kicks the ball high in the air toward the opponent’s goal while none of his teammates are in offside position, but then a second speedy attacker penetrates the defence and receives the kick behind the second-last opponent, the speedy one is not offside.
Fouls That Will Lead to a Direct Free Kick
• Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent;
• tripping or attempting to trip an opponent;
• jumping at an opponent in a careless or reckless manner, or with excessive force;
• charging an opponent in a careless or reckless manner, or with excessive force;
• striking or attempting to strike an opponent;
• pushing an opponent;
• making contact with the opponent before the ball when tackling;
• holding an opponent;
• spitting at an opponent; or
• handling the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area).
Note: If any of these are committed by a player inside his own penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded.
What is the difference between a “handball” and “handling” a ball?
A “handball” is when the ball strikes a player (other than the goalkeeper) on the hand or arm and there is no intent on the part of the player struck to control the ball with either hand or arm. As such, a “handball” is not illegal. If the player attempts in any way to control the ball with hand or arm it is called “handling” the ball, and is an illegal play.
When were the first goalposts used in soccer?
That would be way back in 1681 when a match was played between servants of the King, and those of the Duke of Albemarle. The doorways of two forts were used as goals, and players attempted to score by driving the ball through one of the doorways.
When was the size of the goal determined?
In 1863 the English Football Association decreed that the goal posts should be eight yards (7.32 metres) apart. In 1866, they further decreed that posts should be eight feet (2.44 metres) high. Both measurements stand today.
What happens if the crossbar of the goal becomes dislodged or damaged during a match?
FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, makes special mention of this in the Laws of the Game. “If the crossbar becomes displaced or broken, play is stopped until it has been repaired or replaced in position. If a repair is not possible, the match is abandoned. The use of a rope to replace the crossbar is not permitted. If the crossbar is repaired, the match is restarted with a dropped ball at the place where the ball was located when the play was stopped.”
Quickies
Did you know …
that there is no law on the books requiring the use of goal nets?
What is a striker?
A striker is a scoring forward, usually a centre-forward who is highly skilled at putting the ball in the net. The striker often plays “pushed up” into a offensive position leading the formation, while much of the rest of the team works the wings, feeding the striker or defence. Many great strikers have poor defensive skills, and are called “pure strikers.” The striker traditionally wears the number 10 jersey.
Quickies
Did you know …
that the first wooden crossbars did not appear until 1875? Prior to that, tape was used between the tops of goalposts.
What is a “sweeper”?
“Sweeper” is the name for a versatile fullback player who “sweeps up” the ball if the opponent manages to breach the defensive line. Unlike other defenders, the sweeper does not mark, or cover, one particular opponent, but covers the centre of defence. The verrou system in Switzerland and the catenaccio system in Italy were both notable for employing sweepers.
What does verrou mean?
The verrou, or “chain,” is a system of play invented by Karl Rappan while coach of Switzerland in the 1930s and 1940s. It was the first system to use four players on defence, employing a sweeper called the verrouilleur — a highly defensive fullback who patrolled the centre of defence ahead of the goalkeeper. The verrou system also required players to switch positions and duties depending on the game’s pattern. It was used by the Swiss national team in the 1938 World Cup to knock out Nazi Germany in the first round. The catenaccio system of Italy evolved out of the verrou system.
What does catenaccio mean?
Catenaccio is Italian for “bolt,” as in a door bolt, and in soccer it refers to a tactical formation made famous in Italy during the 1960s by coach Helenio Herrera and FC Internazionale Milano (Inter Milan). It uses a strong defensive formation, such as 1-3-3-3 or 1-4-4-1, which implements a fullback called a “sweeper,” who stands in front of the goalkeeper and patrols the centre of defence. From the 1970s to the 1990s, catenaccio became a trademark playing style of the Italian national team. The system, often criticized for its lack of offensive creativity, was nonetheless effective, employing sudden strikes to score early in a game and then relying on defence to protect the lead.
What is the WM system?
The WM system was created in the mid-1920s by manager Herbert Chapman (of Arsenal) to counter a change in the offside law in 1925. The change had reduced the number of opposition players that attackers needed between themselves and the goal line from three to two. This led to the introduction of a centre-back to stop the opposing centre-forward, and tried to balance defensive and offensive playing. The WM system employs three backs, four midfielders, and three forwards, and is so called because in a formation diagram the groupings look like an M under a W, with one player at each point of each letter.
What is Total Football?
Total Football is the term used to describe an influential theory of tactical soccer in which any of a team’s players on the field can take over the role of any teammate. The foundations for Total Football were laid by Jack Reynolds, who was the manager of Ajax Amsterdam from 1915–25, 1928–40, and 1945–47. Rinus Michels, who played under Reynolds, later went on to become manager of Ajax himself and refined the concept into what is known today as “Total Football” (Totaalvoetbal in Dutch). In Total Football, a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus retaining the team’s intended organizational structure. In this fluid system, no player is fixed in his nominal role; anyone can be successively an attacker, a midfielder, and a defender.
Specifications For Soccer Balls
An International Football Association–approved ball must be:
• spherical;
• made of leather or other suitable material;
• of a circumference of not more than 28 inches (70 centimetres) and not less than 27 inches (68 centimetres);
• not more than 16 ounces (450 grams) in weight and not less than 14 ounces (410 grams) at the start of the match; and
• of a pressure equal to 0.6–1.1 atmospheres (8.5–5.6 pounds per square inch or 600–1100 grams per centimetres square) at sea level.
What was the Jules Rimet trophy?
The original World Cup trophy was called “Victory.” Designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur, it stood 13.7 inches (35 centimetres) high and weighed approximately 8.4 pounds (3.8 kilograms). The statuette depicted Nike of Samothrace and was made of sterling silver and gold plate, with a blue base made of lapis lazuli. There was a gold plate on each of the four sides of the base, on which were engraved the name of the trophy as well as the names of the nine winners between 1930 and 1970. In 1946, it was renamed the Jules Rimet trophy in honour of the founder of the World Cup tournament.
World Cup Firsts
• First goal: Lucien Laurent (France) against Mexico, July 13, 1930.
• First penalty goal: Manuel Rocquetas Rosas (Mexico) against Argentina, July 19, 1930.
• First hat trick: Guillermo Stabile (Argentina) against Mexico, July 19, 1930.
• First player sent off: Mario de Las Casas (Peru) against Romania, July 14, 1930.
• First own goal: Ernst Loertscher (Switzerland) against West Germany, June 9, 1938.
Who was Pickles?
In 1966, the Jules Rimet Cup disappeared while on display at London’s Westminster while on display at London’s Westminster Central Hall, just a few months before the World Cup was due to take place in England. It was later found by a dog named Pickles, owned by a Thames river-barge worker named David Corbett, wrapped in newspaper under a garden hedge in south London. Pickles and Corbett received £3,000 reward and England went on to win the cup.
What was the first tied match in World Cup history?
That was when Italy and Spain came out 1–1 during the quarter-finals in Florence, Italy on May 31, 1934. The game was replayed on June 1 to a score of 1-0 for Italy, who eventually won the cup that year.
What was the first World Cup match with extra time?
The first World Cup match with extra time was played in Turin between Austria and France on May 27, 1934, to settle a 2–2 tie. Austria advanced to the quarter-finals.
What was the first World Cup final with extra time?
On June 10, 1934, Italy and Czechoslovakia played to a 1–1 tie in the World Cup final in Rome. Italy scored in extra time to win the cup.
Quickies
Did you know …
that Hector Castro, who scored Uruguay’s winning goal in the 1930 World Cup final, had only one hand?
By what unusual method did Chile qualify for the 1973 World Cup finals in a match against the USSR?
Quite simply, by kicking the ball into an undefended net. Earlier in the year, after a coup d’état by General Augusto Pinochet, thousands of supporters of Marxist Chilean President Allende had been executed in the National Stadium in Santiago. Out of protest, the USSR refused to play in the stadium and the match was held without Soviet players present. The Chilean players kicked off the game and scored into the empty Soviet net. Then the game was abandoned and awarded to Chile. As a result, Chile automatically qualified for the 1974 finals but were eliminated in the first round.
Why was Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas banned for life by FIFA?
On September 3, 1989, Brazil was leading 1–0 with 23 minutes left in a decisive World Cup qualifier against Chile at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. In an attempt to disqualify the match, the Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas pretended to have been hit and seriously injured by a flare thrown from the Brazilian crowd. The whole Chilean team walked off in protest, and the match was abandoned. Investigations by the Chilean Soccer Federation and FIFA concluded that he had faked the injury. FIFA awarded Brazil a 2–0 victory, banned Rojas from international play for life and banned Chile from the 1994 World Cup.
Quickies
Did you know …
that Mexico was banned from participating in the 1990 World Cup because they had deliberately fielded three over-age players in a FIFA international youth tournament?
What happened to the original Jules Rimet Cup?
If anyone knows, they aren’t telling. In 1983, the original Jules Rimet Cup was stolen from a display at the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, and it is believed that it was melted down by the thieves. The Brazilian Football Association, who had earned the right to keep the trophy in 1970 after having won it three times, ordered a replica from Eastman Kodak, who commissioned Wilhelm Geist and Son in Hanau, Germany, to recreate the trophy. Three Brazilians and an Argentine were arrested for the theft but released. Eventually they were tried and convicted in absentia.
The Four Countries That Have Hosted the World Cup Twice
• Mexico: 1938 and 1986
• Italy: 1934 and 1990
• France: 1938 and 1998
• Germany: 1974 (West Germany) and 2006 unified Germany)
Which teams competed in the first World Cup match?
France beat Mexico 4–1 in that match held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on July 13, 1930.
Why was Leonidas left out of the Brazilian team for the 1938 semifinal against Italy?
The Brazilian coach wanted to save Leonidas for the final. The decision not to field Leoni-das in the semifinal was obviously wrong because Brazil unexpectedly lost 2–1 to Italy in the match. Ironically, in the third-place match two days later, Leonidas scored two goals and helped Brazil achieve a 4–2 victory over Sweden.
Quickies
Did you know …
that thirty-two teams qualify for the World Cup from six regions — Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America — but only European and South American teams have ever won?
Why did England not play in the World Cup until 1950?
The four British FAs resigned from FIFA in February 1928 after a disagreement with how FIFA proposed to administer what are called “broken time payments” to amateur players in the Amsterdam Olympics that were being held that year. “Broken time payments” is the practice of a promoter or organizer compensating amateur players for lost income from their regular jobs. The British FAs had their own system in place and did not like FIFA’s interference. They eventually rejoined FIFA in 1946, and participated in the World Cup for the first time in 1950.
Quickies
Did you know …
that despite having to wear eyeglasses while playing, shortsighted Swiss centre-forward Poldi Kielholz scored three goals in two matches in the 1934 World Cup finals?
Why did India once withdraw from the World Cup?
The team from India withdrew from the 1950 World Cup finals because FIFA would not permit them to play barefoot, as was their custom.
What was the highest attendance for a World Cup final?
There’s agreement on the match, but not on the number. The BBC reports that 199,854 spectators attended the World Cup final between Brazil and Uruguay at Estádio do Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro on July 16, 1950. But FIFA officially records the number at 174,000. Either way, it stands as a record attendance.
Quickies
Did you know …
that the 1958 World Cup marked the debut on the world stage of 17-year-old Pelé?
Who was the youngest player to score in the World Cup finals?
That would be none other than Pelé, who was 17 years and 239 days old when he scored for Brazil against Wales to win a quarter-final match 1–0 on June 19, 1958. Brazil went on to win the tournament and Pelé still holds the record for youngest player to have played for a World Cup champion team.
What was “The Soccer War”?
The Soccer War, also known as the 100 Hours War, was a five-day war between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. It was caused by political conflicts between the two nations, namely issues concerning immigration from El Salvador to Honduras. Tensions boiled over into rioting at two qualifying matches between the nations for the 1970 World Cup, on June 8 and 15. Many people erroneously believe the war was a result of these soccer riots, but the truth was the opposite. The riots resulted from earlier tensions; indeed, by July 14, the Salvadoran air force had begun launching attacks into Honduras. The conflict lasted until a ceasefire was arranged on July 18, leaving 6,000 dead and 12,000 wounded.
Quickies
Did you know …
that upon returning to his hotel after his team’s defeat in the quarter-finals in the 1970 World Cup, disappointed English player Alan Ball threw his tournament medal out his room window?
Which was the first sub-Saharan African nation to play in a World Cup finals?
When Zaire qualified for the 1974 finals, they became the first sub-Saharan African nation to advance beyond the qualifying stage into the finals. The Zairean president promised each player a house, a car, and free holidays. All of these offers were withdrawn when Zaire lost all three matches, scored no goals, and gave up 14 goals.
Quickies
Did you know …
that in a 1978 World Cup finals match, Peruvian goalkeeper Ramon Quiroga was cautioned for pulling down a Polish player — in Poland’s half of the field?
Which country has participated in every World Cup qualifying competition but never made it through to the finals?
From 1934 to 2005, Luxembourg played 104 qualifying matches and lost 100, scoring 50 goals and giving up 356. The only two teams that Luxembourg has defeated in qualifiers are Portugal (4–2 on October 8, 1961) and Turkey (2–0 on October 22, 1972) — not quite good enough to get them in.
Why was Prince Fahid, the Kuwaiti FA president, fined $14,000 U.S. after a 1982 World Cup finals match against France?
After France scored, one of the Kuwaiti players complained to Soviet referee Miroslav Stupar that prior to the goal he’d heard a play-stopping whistle. When Prince Fahid walked out onto the field to argue the point with the referee and threatened to pull out his team, Stupar reversed his goal decision. France ended up winning the match anyway, 4–1. For their actions, Stupar was suspended and Fahid fined.
Quickies
Did you know …
that Colombian player Andreas Escobar was shot dead by an angry fan after he scored an own goal that was part of his team’s collapse that saw them eliminated in the first round of the 1994 World Cup?
What did Brazilian player Ronaldino donate to charity during World Cup 2006?
Two locks of his hair. They were donated for an auction organized by a Swiss newspaper to raise funds for a cancer charity. The hair was collected by a team of Swiss barbers in the Brazilian camp in Switzerland before the start of the finals.
Who were “The Elephants”?
Ivory Coast’s team — nicknamed “The Elephants” — created their own “elephant dance” and practised the steps in training sessions before each match of the 2006 World Cup, hoping to dance before cheering fans to celebrate a winning goal. They lost their first two group matches, but the world had the chance to watch them dance on June 21, 2006, when they defeated Serbia and Montenegro 3–2.
What country holds the record for the longest winless streak in the World Cup?
That would be Bulgaria, with six ties and 11 losses in 17 consecutive matches from 1962 to 1994.
World Cup First Cards
• First yellow card: Lovchev (USSR) against Mexico, May 31, 1970.
• First red card: Carlos Caszely (Chile) against West Germany, June 14, 1974.
• First coach sent off: Cayetano Re (Paraguay) against Belgium, June 11, 1986.
• First goalkeeper sent off: Gianluca Pagliuca (Italy) against Norway, June 23, 1994.
What country holds the record for the longest goalless streak in the World Cup?
That would be Bolivia, with a five-match goal drought from 1930 to 1994.
What country holds the record for the longest winning streak in the World Cup?
That would be Brazil, with seven matches in 2002 and four in 2006 for a record total of 11 straight wins.
Quickies …
Did you know …
that prior to the 2006 World Cup a Shamanic priest from Ecuador named Tzamarenda Naychapi came to Germany to purify the stadiums where Ecuador would play? The spell apparently only lasted until the second round, when they were eliminated after losing to England 1–0.
What country holds the record for the longest losing streak in the World Cup?
That would be Mexico, with nine consecutive losses from 1930 to 1958.
What was the first tournament played between all four national teams of the United Kingdom?
In the early 1880s, the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland each had slightly different rules for the game. When friendly matches were played, the rules of the hosting team were used. On December 6, 1882, the four associations met in Manchester and agreed on one uniform set of rules. This meeting not only marked the founding of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), but also gave birth to the British of the International Football Association Board Home Championship, which would see the four national “Home Teams” — England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland — compete in a formal tournament played out over the 1883–84 season. The winner was Scotland.
Quickies
Did you know …
that the 2006 World Cup final between Italy and France drew over 700 million viewers worldwide, eight times more than that year’s Super Bowl?
What was the Ibrox Disaster of 1902?
For the final of the 1902 British Home Championship, over 68,000 fans gathered at Ibrox Park in Glasgow on April 5 to watch Scotland face England. In the first half, shortly before 4:00 p.m., a section of terrace in the stadium’s West Stand collapsed, killing 25 and injuring over 500. Play was stopped, but was restarted after 20 minutes. The match played out to a 1–1 draw, but was later declared void and replayed on May 2 at Villa Park, Birmingham, to a 2–2 draw.
British Home Championship Winners
What is the oldest trophy in soccer?
The Scottish Cup was made in Glasgow by George Edwards and Sons of Buchanan Street and, having been minted in 1885, is the oldest national trophy in world soccer.
What is the record attendance for a Scottish Cup final?
The record attendance for a Scottish Cup final was set April 24, 1937, when, by official counts, 146,433 spectators saw Celtic beat Aberdeen 2–1 at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
Have any teams outside the Irish Football League ever won the Irish Cup?
Since the inception of the Irish Football League in 1890–91, the Irish Cup has been won by Irish League teams on every occasion except three famous “giant-killing” occasions when junior teams beat senior opponents in the final: In 1928, Willowfield beat Larne 1–0; in 1955, Dundela beat Glenavon 3–0; and in 1976, Carrick Rangers beat Linfield 2–1.
What team holds the record for con-secutive wins of the Irish Cup?
Glentoran FC, which was founded in 1882 and plays in the IFA Premiership at The Oval in Belfast, holds the record for the most consecutive wins of the Irish Cup, with four victories from 1985 to 1988. Glentoran was also the first Irish team to win a European trophy, taking the Vienna Cup in 1914.
Quickies
Did you know …
that the first Old Firm final in the Scottish Cup was played in 1894 and saw Rangers defeat Celtic 3–1?
Who won the first Welsh Cup?
The first Welsh Cup was played in 1878, with Wrexham FC defeating Ruabon Druids in the final 1–0. Founded in 1872, Wrexham is the oldest professional club in Wales and holds the record for most Welsh Cup wins, with 23.
Quickies
Did you know …
that the record for consecutive Irish League championship titles is six, held jointly by Belfast Celtic FC (1935–40 and 1947–48) and Linfield FC (1981–87)?
Why are Wales’ three historically strongest teams now barred from competing for the Welsh Cup?
Wrexham, Cardiff City, and Swansea City are teams in a kind of limbo. Professional teams from northern Wales, all three have been playing within the English Football League since before the formation in 1992 of the League of Wales by the Football Association of Wales. Prior to 1992, any FAW member team could compete for the Welsh Cup, and Wrexham, Cardiff, and Swansea had collectively garnered 55 championships since the cup’s founding in 1878. But with the formation of the new Welsh league, English-league teams were excluded from Welsh Cup competition, leaving Wrexham, Cardiff City, and Swansea City out in the cold.
What is the League Cup?
The League Cup is an annual knockout competition open to the 20 clubs of England’s FA Premier League, and the 72 clubs of England’s Football League, which organizes the competition. It was first played in the 1961, seeing Aston Villa emerge victorious over Rotherham United in a two-leg final. Since 1982, the competition has taken its name from a sponsor and is currently called the Carling Cup.
Quickies …
Did you know …
that in 1993, when Arsenal won the first-ever League Cup/FA Cup double, they faced Sheffield Wednesday FC in the final at both tournaments?
Which teams played in the first FA Cup final?
The first FA Cup final took place at Kennington Oval, London, on Saturday, March 16, 1872, before a crowd of 2,000. At the time, soccer matches were played without crossbars or goalnets. There were also no free kicks or penalties and the pitch markings did not include a centre-circle or a halfway line. The Wanderers defeated the Royal Engineers 1–0 on a goal from A.H. Chequer.
Why was the 1920 Irish Cup awarded without a final being played?
In the 1920 Irish Cup competition, Shelbourne FC, who had beaten Glenavon FC in one semifinal, were awarded the cup without playing the final, when the two other semifinalists, Glentoran FC and Belfast Celtic FC, were both disqualified — Glentoran for fielding an unlisted player, Belfast Celtic after one of their supporters fired gunshots at the Glentoran fans.
FA Cup Final Captains Courageous
• Dave Beasant (Wimbledon): first goalkeeper to captain a winning FA Cup side, and first to stop a penalty kick in an FA Cup final, 1988.
• Viv Anderson (Sheffield Wednesday): first black player to captain an FA Cup final side, 1993.
• Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham Hotsupr): first player to captain a team to successive FA Cup final wins, 1961 and 1962.
• Eric Cantona (Manchester United): first non-British player to captain an winning FA Cup final side, 1996.
How many fans came out to see David Beckham’s first start in a regulation MLS soccer match?
David Beckham’s first start in a regulation match as a member of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy team was played on Aug 18, 2007, against the New York Red Bulls. Held at Giants Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the game drew a crowd of 66,237 fans, up considerably from the Red Bulls’ average draw of 11,573 fans. The Red Bulls won 5–4.
Has any player ever won the World Cup as a player and later as a coach?
Regarded by many as the greatest German footballer of all time, sweeper Franz Beckenbauer won the 1974 World Cup as a player, and the 1990 World Cup as a coach, both times with West Germany.
Who was the first Chinese player to appear for England?
Frank Soo was the first player of Chinese extraction to play for England. He was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, in 1914 and was the son of a Chinese father and an English mother.
One of the best inside forwards of the immediate pre-war era, he formed part of a legendary team that included players such as Sir Stanley Matthews and Neil Franklin.
Who holds the record for most goals in a career?
Josef “Pepi” Bican was a Czech-Austrian football forward. Records are not entirely complete, but it has been estimated by soccer statisticians that Bican scored 800 goals in all of his competitive matches, not including friendly games. For this, the International Federation of Football Historians and Statisticians awarded Bican the “Golden Ball” as the greatest goal scorer of the last century.
Players Noted For Their Noticeable Locks
What embarrassed Italian player Peppino Meazza during the 1938 World Cup semifinal?
As Meazza scored on a penalty kick, his shorts, torn earlier in the game, fell down. His celebrating teammates surrounded him until a new pair were produced. Italy went on to win the game, and the tournament.
Has anyone scored a hat trick in an FA Cup final?
Appropriately enough, three people have done so. Billy Townley did it for Blackburn Rovers in 1890, Jimmy Logan did it for Notts County in 1894, and Stan Mortensen scored three for Blackpool in 1953. No one has done it since.
Who scored the first goal in FA Cup competition history?
The first official FA Cup competition goal was scored by Jarvis Kenrick for Clapham Rovers in a 3–0 victory over Upton Park on November 11, 1871. It was the first of two goals for Kenrick in the match. He later won the FA Cup three years running with Wanderers.
What was the “Little Tin Idol”?
The original FA Cup trophy, awarded from 1872 to 1895, was made by Martin, Hall and Co. and looked nothing like the one played for today. Made of silver, it was less than 18 inches (45 centimetres) high and cost £20 to make. It had a figure of a footballer on the top and was popularly known as the “Little Tin Idol.” In 1895, it was stolen from the William Shillcock football outfitters shop in Newtown Row, Birmingham, and never recovered.
Quickies
Did you know …
that the first televised F.A. Cup Final was April 30, 1938, with Preston North End FC defeating Huddersfield Town FC 1–0 at Wembley Stadium?
Who was Harry Burge?
In 1958, 83-year-old Harry Burge, who lived in a Birmingham hostel for the homeless, confessed to a reporter from a British newspaper that he was the thief who stole the original FA Cup trophy, the “Little Tin Idol.” He claimed to have melted it down to make counterfeit half-crown coins.
Top Ten FA Cup Winners
• Manchester United: 11 wins in 18 appearance
• Arsenal: 10 wins in 17 appearances
• Tottenham Hotspur: 8 wins in 9 appearances
• Aston Villa: 7 wins in 10 appearances
• Liverpool: 7 wins in 13 appearances
• Blackburn Rovers: 6 wins in 8 appearances
• Newcastle United: 6 wins in 13 appearances
• Everton: 5 wins in 12 appearances
• The Wanderers: 5 wins in 5 appearance
• West Bromwich Albion: 5 wins in 10 appearances
What was the first non-English team in the FA Cup final?
In 1884, Glasgow’s Queen’s Park FC became the first club from outside England to reach the FA Cup Final. They lost to Blackburn Rovers, 2–1. They did it again in 1885, and lost it again to Blackburn Rovers, 2–0.
What was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup?
A forerunner to the UEFA Cup, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was an annual soccer competition held between 1955 and 1971. It was set up to promote international trade fairs in European cities and featured teams from those cities playing in matches timed to coincide with such fairs. The first Fairs Cup involved teams from Barcelona, Basle, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Lausanne, Leipzig, London, Milan, and Zagreb. Barcelona beat a London 8–2 on aggregate in a two-leg final.
How was the UEFA Cup started?
The UEFA Cup grew out of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup after the Union des Associations Européennes de Football took over the competition in 1971, at which time UEFA disassociated the cup from trade fairs. The competition was traditionally open to the runners-up of domestic leagues, but it was merged with UEFA’s previous second-tier European competition, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, in 1999. Since then, the winners of domestic cup competitions have also entered the UEFA Cup.
Why was South Africa disqualified from the inaugural African Cup of Nations?
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) was founded on February 8, 1957, in Khartoum, Sudan, by the Football Associations of Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Sudan.
The same four nations were to compete in the CAF’s inaugural African Cup of Nations in Sudan later that month. But no sooner had South Africa signed on than they were disqualified, having failed to field a multiracial team due to their government’s policy of apartheid. Over two games, Egypt defeated both Sudan and Ethiopia to take the cup in what might be the shortest international cup competition on record.
Who was Carlos Padrós?
Carlos Padrós Rubio was a founding member of Real Madrid and later served as club president between 1904 and 1908. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Copa del Rey, which was first played in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of Alfonso XIII. Carlos Padrós refereed the first-ever Copa del Rey final, in which Club Vizcaya defeated FC Barcelona 2–1.
What is a scudetto
Scudetto in Itlalian means “little shield,” and in soccer it refers to a badge in the colours of the Italian flag, awarded annually to the championship club in the Lega Calcio Serie A, located at the top echelon of the
Italian soccer league system. The winning team will wear the badge on their jersey in the following season. The first time scudetto were used was in 1924 when Genoa CFC won its eighth championship title. They have not won it since.
Quickies
Did you know …
that Athletic Bilbao were declared winners of the 1904 Copa del Rey because their opponents in the final, Club Español de Madrid, showed up on the wrong date?
What is the Trophée des Champions ?
Le Trophée des Champions, or the Champions Trophy, is a cup organized by the French Football Federation, a match between the winners of the French Championship and the winners of the French Cup.
What is the Triple Crown of Brazilian Football?
The Triple Crown of Brazilian Football is an unofficial title given to the club that wins the three most important competitions in Brazilian soccer in the same year: the Brazilian Football State Championship, the Copa do Brasil, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (Brazilian Championship First Level). Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from the city of Belo Horizonte, is the only team to have done so (in 2003).
Six French Teams With Multiple Trophée des Champions Wins
• Olympique Lyonnais: 7 wins (1973, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
• Stade Reims: 5 wins (1949, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1966)
• AS Saint-Étienne: 5 wins (1957, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1969)
• AS Monaco FC: 4 wins (1961, 1985, 1997, 2000)
• FC Nantes: 3 wins (1965, 1999, 2001)
• FC Girondins de Bordeaux: 2 wins (1986, 2008)
• Paris Saint-Germain FC: 2 wins (1995, 1998)
Who was Lamar Hunt?
The man who gives his name to North America’s Major League Soccer (MLS) championship — the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — was a sportsman and essential promoter of soccer in the United States. He was one of the founders of MLS as well as its predecessor, the North American Soccer League (NASL). At his death in 2006 he owned two MLS teams, Columbus Crew and FC Dallas.
What is the Voyageurs Cup?
The Voyageurs Cup is the only trophy for top-level professional soccer in Canada. From 2002 to 2007, the cup was awarded annually to the Canadian United Soccer Leagues division team finishing with the best record from regular season matches against other Canadian teams in the USL. From 2008 until at least 2010, the trophy will be awarded to the winner of the Canadian Championship. Montreal Impact has won the cup every year so far.
Has Canada ever won a major international tournament?
Thrice, actually. The first time was at the 1904 Summer Olympic Games, in St. Louis. Canada sent Galt FC as their representative team and they defeated the only two other teams entered without being scored on. The second instance was more challenging as Canada competed in a field of nine national teams from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football to win the 1985 CONCACAF Championship. Then in 2000 they emerged victorious from a field of eight teams to take the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Animalistic Player Nicknames
• Lionel Andrés Messi — Atomic Flea
• Iker Casillas — El Gato (The Cat)
• Claudio Lopez — El Piojo (The Louse)
• Gennaro Gattuso — The Pit Bull
• Eusebio — The Black Panther
• Kevin Keegan — Mighty Mouse
• Jack Charlton — The Giraffe
• Marco Van Basten — The Swan of Utrecht
• Arthur Friedenreich — The Tiger
Who was the “Little Bird”?
When he was an infant, Brazilian player Manuel Francisco dos Santos suffered from severe physical disabilities: his spine was deformed, his right leg bent inwards, and his left leg was 2.4 inches (six centimetres) shorter and curved outwards. An operation that enabled him to walk left him with a distorted leg. He nonetheless grew up to become a speedy winger with the nickname Garrincha, which means “little bird.” He won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962. He died of alcohol poisoning in 1983 at the age of 49.
World’s Top Ten Richest Teams According to Forbes
| 1. Manchester United | $1,800 million U.S. (1,333 million/£897 million) |
| 2. Real Madrid | $1,285 million (951 million/£640 million) |
| 3. Arsenal | $1,200 million (888 million/£598 million) |
| 4. Liverpool | $1,050 million (777 million/£523 million) |
| 5. Bayern Munich | $ 917 million (679 million/£457 million) |
| 6. AC Milan | $ 798 million (591 million/£398 million) |
| 7. Barcelona | $ 784 million (580 million/£391 million) |
| 8. Chelsea | $ 764 million (566 million/£381 million) |
| 9. Juventus | $ 510 million (378 million/£254 million) |
| 10. Schalke 04 | $ 470 million (348 million/£234 million) |
Why did David Beckham turn down an appearance on The Simpsons ?
In a 2004 episode of The Simpsons, Marge Simpson makes a Christmas speech mocking David Beckham for an alleged extramarital affair. Apparently Boy Spice didn’t laugh, and when an offer came for him to do a cameo in Springfield, he turned them down.
What creative endeavours has Pelé engaged in since retiring?
Pelé has published several autobiographies, starred in documentary and semi-documentary films, and composed various musical pieces, including the entire soundtrack for the film Pelé in 1977. He has acted in fictional TV shows and films, most notably appearing alongside other footballers of the 1960s and 1970s, Michael Caine, and Sylvester Stallone, in the 1981 film Escape to Victory, about an attempted escape from a Second World War Nazi POW Camp. Pelé was also the first sports figure featured in a video game with the Atari 2600 game “Pelé’s Soccer.”
What is the most lucrative contract ever awarded to a professional soccer player?
In January 2007 it was announced that midfielder David Beckham was leaving the Real Madrid squad to join the Los Angeles Galaxy, part of Major League Soccer (MLS), the North American men’s pro league. The contract included a $6.5 million annual salary, sponsorship deals estimated at $25 million per year, merchandise sales worth approximately $10 million per year, and a $10 million per year share of club profits. In total, the five-year contract would award him in the range of $250 million, putting him third at the time on the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, behind only Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher.
Quickies
Did you know …
that David Beckham’s agent is none other than Simon Fuller, creator of American Idol?
Why did spies kill Lutz Eigendorf?
On March 20, 1979, after a friendly match between the East German team Berliner FC Dynamo and West German club 1. FC Kaiserslautern, East German midfielder Lutz Eigendorf defected to the West. It might not have been the wisest move, given that FC Dynamo was under the patronage of the Stasi, East Germany’s secret police. After German reunification in 1990 and the subsequent opening of Stasi files it was revealed that the traffic accident on March 5, 1983, that led to Eigendorf ’s death two days later had been staged as an assassination by the Stasi.
Quickies
Did you know …
that when a schoolmate of Pelé’s came up with his nickname, Pelé punched the boy and received a two-day suspension?
What does “Pelé” mean?
The name “Pelé” has no meaning in Portuguese, the language of Pelé’s homeland, Brazil. The nickname was given to him as a taunt by a schoolmate when Pelé was young. In Hebrew, it means “miracle.” It is also the name of a Hawaiian volcano goddess. It also resembles the Irish language word peile, meaning football.
Quickies
Did you know …
that Sir Stanley Matthews, who played over 80 international games for England, played in a major contest on his 50th birthday?
What is the FIFA World Player of the Year award?
The FIFA World Player of the Year is an Association Football award given annually to the player thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams.
Quickies …
Did you know …
that Alex Villaplane, France’s captain in the first World Cup match, was shot dead by French resistance fighters in July 1945 for alleged collaboration with the Nazis?
Why are there 125 players on the FIFA 100 list?
The FIFA 100 is Pelé’s list of the “greatest living footballers.” He chose 125 players to be on the list, which seems incongruous with the list’s name until you understand that the list was unveiled on March 4, 2004, at a gala ceremony in London, marking part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The “100” of the list name refers to the anniversary, not the number of players Pelé chose.
Who was “The Great Dane”?
Peter Schmeichel has been called the greatest goaltender to have ever played the game. Nicknamed “The Great Dane,” he was born in Gladsaxe, Denmark, and played in his home nation until 1992, when the Danish team took the UEFA European Championship. He then joined Manchester United and was captain of their 1999 squad that won an unprecedented Treble (to win a country’s top division and two cup competitions in the same season), taking the English Premiership, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League all in the same season.
Quickies
Did you know …
that in his debut professional season, playing for Brazilian club Cruzeiro in 1993, future superstar Ronaldo scored 58 goals in 60 matches?
Who holds the record for longest professional playing career?
Sir Stanley Matthews, the only English player to have been knighted before retirement, was born in 1915 and started his soccer career in 1932, playing for Stoke City FC at the age of 17. He stayed with them until 1947, then moved to Blackpool FC until 1961, at which point he returned to Stoke City FC. He played his final game with Stoke on February 6, 1965, just after his 50th birthday, achieving the record of longest professional career at 33 years. Considered to have been one of the greatest players ever, Matthews died in February 2000.
Who were the Bubsy Babes?
Recruited and trained in the 1950s, the Busby Babes were a group of young Manchester United players who progressed from the club’s youth team into the first team under coach Matt Busby. The nickname for the group, said to have been coined by Manchester Evening News journalist Tom Jackson, refers to the players who won the league championship in seasons 1955–56 and 1956–57 with an average age of 21 and 22 respectively. In 1958, eight of the Busby Babes were killed while returning from a European Cup match in Belgrade. After making a refuelling stop, the airplane they were in crashed while trying to take off from a slushy Munich airfield.
What was the “Hand of God”?
The “Hand of God” was the hand of Argentine player Diego Maradona — his left hand to be precise. In the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, as Argentina faced England, Maradona scored in the 51st minute on what appeared — at least to referee Ali Bennaceur — to be a header. However, virtually everyone else in attendance knew, or at least suspected, that, as Maradona and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton jumped for a ball that was coming down into the goal area off a high kick, Maradona had punched the ball in with his raised left hand. At the post-game press conference, Maradona claimed that the goal was scored “un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios” (“a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”). It turned out it was a lot with the hand of Maradona, as press photos appeared over the ensuing days clearly showing him punching the ball. Argentina defeated England 2–1 and went on to win the tournament. Maradona later admitted on TV that he’d hit the goal in with his hand.
The Munich Air Disaster of 1958
| Fatalities S | urvivors |
| Geoff Bent | Johnny Berry |
| Roger Byrne | Jackie Blanchflower |
| Eddie Colman | Bobby Charlton |
| Duncan Edwards (survived, but died in hospital 15 days later) | Bill Foulkes |
| Mark Jones | Harry Gregg |
| David Pegg | Kenny Morgans |
| Tommy Taylor | Albert Scanlon |
| Liam “Billy” Whelan | Dennis Viollet |
| Walter Crickmer (club secretary) | Ray Wood |
| Tom Curry (trainer) | Matt Busby (manager) |
| Bert Whalley (chief coach) |
What is the George Best Egg?
George Best, who died of illness related to alcoholism on October 3, 2005, was one of the greatest players ever to have come out of Northern Ireland. In June 2006, Sarah Fabergé — great-granddaughter of Russian Imperial Jeweller Carl Fabergé — was commissioned to create the George Best Egg as a tribute. A limited edition of 68 eggs — which feature the figure of a soccer player inside — were produced, with all profits from the sale of the eggs going to the George Best Foundation, which raises money for local football and research into liver disease and alcoholism. The first egg from the collection is now on permanent public display at the Belfast Airport, which was renamed the George Best Airport in May 2006.
Quickies …
Did you know …
that for the first anniversary of George Best’s death, Ulster Bank issued one million commemorative five-pound notes?
Why did French captain Zinedine Zidane head-butt Italian player Marco Materazzi during extra time in the 2006 World Cup final?
In one of the most infamous moments in modern international soccer, French player Zinedine Zidane ended his international career and destroyed any hopes his team might have had to win the 2006 World Cup by head-butting Italian player Marco Materazzi in the chest at the 1:10 minute mark of the tournament final. The attack saw Materazzi crumple to the ground in agony and garnered Zidane a red card. Materazzi later said that after he had grabbed Zidane’s jersey, Zidane offered it to him sarcastically. Materazzi then replied, “I prefer the whore that is your sister,” which resulted in the head-butt. Italy went on to win the match 5–3 in a shootout. Zidane retired from professional play after the incident.
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Did you know …
that because it competed for attention with the men’s game, England’s FA banned women’s soccer teams in 1921?
Who were the Dick, Kerr Ladies?
The Dick, Kerr Ladies was the most famous early women’s football team. Founded in Preston, Lancashire, England, during the First World War, it was a works’ team for the munitions manufacturer Dick, Kerr & Co., owned by W.B. Dick and John Kerr. They played friendly matches with other women’s teams during the war to raise money for charity.
What was the English Ladies’ Football Association?
In reaction to the FA’s banning of women’s football, the English Ladies’ Football Association
(ELFA) was formed. The first meeting of the ELFA took place at Blackburn on December 10, 1921. At that time there were approximately 150 women’s football clubs in England. The representatives of 25 clubs attended the initial meeting. Sixty attended the second, held in Grimsby. ELFA existed for about two years, and held one challenge cup tournament with 24 teams entered in competition. The winners were Stoke Ladies, who defeated Doncaster and Bentley Ladies 3–1, on June 24, 1922.
Quickies
Did you know …
that England’s FA did not recognize women’s soccer until 1971?
Who is Ann Kristin Aarønes?
Ann Kristin “Anka” Aarønes is a retired Norwegian soccer player. She first played for Spjelkavik IL, then for Trondheims-Ørn, and the Norwegian national team. Later she played for the WUSA’s New York Power, during the first season. She was top scorer at the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Quickies
Did you know …
that in 2004, when Pelé selected his list of the 125 “greatest living footballers” to celebrate the centenary of FIFA, only two women made the cut: Americans Michelle Akers and Mia Hamm?
Who is Delma Gonçalves?
Born May 19, 1975, in Rio de Janeiro, Delma Gonçalves is a Brazilian women’s soccer player who currently plays as a striker for Japan’s INAC Leonessa. She has been a long-time member of the Brazilian National Team for which she debuted in 1991. Her nickname is Pretinha (“little black girl”).
Who is Birgit Prinz?
Birgit Prinz is a German soccer player and the Women’s World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals. Born in Frankfurt am Main, Prinz has been with 1FFC Frankfurt since July 1994. She was elected FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2005 and was named German “Women’s Footballer of the Year” each year from 2001 to 2007.
When was the first Women’s World Cup?
The first Women’s World Cup was held in China from November 16–30, 1991. The American team, led by a dominating forward line dubbed “The Triple-Edged Sword” by the Chinese media, cut through the tournament to win the first-ever world championship for women’s soccer. The final, in which the United States defeated Norway 2–1, was played in front of 65,000 fans at Guangzhou’s Tianhe Stadium.
Women’s World Cup Finals Results
Quickies
Did you know …
that the 2003 Women’s World Cup was moved from China to the United States due to fears about SARS?
Which player has appeared in the most Women’s World Cups?
At the 2007 World Cup in China, U.S. captain Kristine Lilly competed in her fifth World Cup, making her the only woman — and one of three players in history — to have appeared in five World Cups.
Who holds the international scoring record for women’s soccer?
Mia Hamm is considered by many to be the greatest woman to have ever played soccer. In 275 appearances with the American national team, she logged a record 158 goals.
Who is Marta?
Like so many other great Brazilian players, Marta Vieira Da Silva needs only one name. To Brazilians, she is simply Marta, one of the best women soccer players ever. Thrice voted FIFA World Player of the year (2006, 2007, 2008), she was a member of the Brazilian National Teams that won the silver at the Olympics in 2004 and 2008. In the 2007 Women’s World Cup, she won both the Golden Ball award as the best player and the Golden Boot award as the top scorer.
Wins by Country for the Women’s World Cup
Country Wins
| Germany | 2 |
| United States | 2 |
| Norway | 1 |
Why did Maribel Dominguez’s childhood friends call her Mario?
Growing up in Mexico city, Maribel Dominguez was surrounded by streets filled with boys playing soccer. Wanting to join in, she pretended to be a boy herself. She had the thin physique to pass, and kept her hair short. It wasn’t until her friends saw in the newspaper that their chum “Mario” had made it onto the Mexican sub-national women’s team that the penny dropped. She went on to eventually captain the senior Mexican women’s team and was top goal scorer for them at the 2004 Olympics.
Quickies
Did you know …
that in 2004, Maribel Dominguez accepted a two year contract from the second-division Mexican football club Celaya, but the deal was stifled by FIFA because it’s a men’s team?
Who is called Sissi?
Here is another one-name Brazillian soccer star. Sisleide do Amor Lima is best known by her nickname, Sissi. Now retired, she was a star member of the Brazil women’s national football team. She won the golden boot award in the 1999 Women’s World Cup in which she scored seven goals, sharing the award with China’s Sun Wen. A veteran of three World Cup finals and two Olympic campaigns, she was pegged in 2008 as the new assistant coach FC Gold Pride, a professional soccer club based in Santa Clara, California, that will begin play in 2009 in the inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS).
What two records did Kara Lang set at just 15 years old?
Canadian Kara Lang holds the women’s football world record for youngest player to score a full international goal. She scored against Wales at the Algarve Cup on March 3, 2002, at age 15 years, 132 days. She must have been on a roll, because her senior debut, two days earlier, had been a Canadian record for youngest senior women’s cap.
Why does Valencia FC have a bat on their crest?
Valencia and the Balearic Islands were conquered by King James I of Aragon during the first half of the thirteenth century. In that period, the sight of a bat was considered to be an omen of good luck. On October 9, 1238, when James I was about to enter the city of Valencia, re-conquering it from the Moors, it is said that a bat landed on the top of his flag. He interpreted it as a good sign. When he conquered the city, the bat was added to its coat of arms. Valencia FC has adopted it for their crest.
Quickies
Did you know …
that Spanish teams are limited to three players without EU citizenship?
What is El Clásico?
El Clásico is any football match between rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The rivalry comes about as Madrid and Barcelona are the two largest cities in Spain, and they are often identified with “Spanish-ness” and Catalanism, respectively.
Quickies
Did you know …
that on May 4, 1949, a plane carrying Italy’s great Torino team, winners of four straight Italian league titles and considered one of the best clubs of the first-half century, crashed into the Superga hills near Turin, killing everyone on board, including eight players slated to compete for Italy in the 950 World Cup?
What team holds the record for most consecutive championships in the French league’s premier division?
Olympique Lyonnais, based in Lyon, won the premier league title seven years straight, from 2002–08, a record that no other club in France has matched.
What is the origin of Manchester United FC?
Manchester United began life being called Newton Heath L&YR in 1878 when a group of workers from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways formed a soccer team. The club entered the Football League in 1892 and began to sever its links with the rail depot, becoming an independent company, appointing a club secretary and dropping the “L&YR” from their name to become simply Newton Heath FC. In 1902, a sizeable donation from J.H. Davies, the managing director of Manchester Breweries, saved the club from bankruptcy. The club required a change of name to reflect the fresh start and Manchester United was officially adopted on April 26, 1902.
Quickies …
Did you know …
that the Jamaican national team is nicknamed the “Reggae Boyz”?
Quickies
Did you know …
that in their early days, while still called Newton Heath, the club that would eventually become Manchester United was nicknamed “The Heathens”?
What is the Merseyside Derby?
The Merseyside Derby is the name given to any match between the English teams Everton FC and Liverpool FC, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool. Traditionally, the Merseyside Derby was referred to as The Friendly Derby because of the large number of families with supporters of both teams. It is one of the few local English soccer rivalries that does not enforce fan segregation at games.
How did Arsenal get their strange name?
Arsenal FC were founded as Dial Square in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, west of London, but they were renamed Royal Arsenal shortly afterwards. They changed their name to Woolwich Arsenal after turning professional in 1891. The club joined the English Football League in 1893, but low attendance led to financial problems leaving them effectively bankrupt by 1910, when they were taken over by Henry Norris. In 1913 Norris moved the team to the new Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, North London, and they dropped “Woolwich” from their name the following year.
Why do Tottenham Hotspur FC have a bird on their crest?
That bird is a cockerel, a fighting cock with a spur on its leg. In 1882 the Hotspur Football Club was formed by grammar schoolboys from the Bible class at All Hallows Church. They were also members of Hotspur Cricket Club and it is thought that the name Hotspur was associated with Sir Henry Percy, who was “Harry Hotspur” of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I, and who lived locally during in the fourteenth century. Harry Hotspur was famous for his riding spurs and fighting cocks. In 1884 the club was renamed Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic Club to distinguish itself from another team called London Hotspur.
Why Sheffield Wednesday and not Thursday or Monday?
Sheffield Wednesday was a cricket club when it originally formed in 1820 as The Wednesday Cricket Club — named after the day of the week when they played their matches. The cricketers formed the soccer branch of their club in 1867. The cricket branch eventually expired, but the name survived.
Who founded Rangers FC?
Two brothers, Peter and Moses McNeil, with the help of two friends, Peter Campbell and William McBeath, founded Rangers Football Club in 1872. The original name for the club was Argyle and possibly relates to the large numbers of Highlanders who moved to Glasgow during the Victorian era. The club moved to Ibrox in 1887.
Quickies
Did you know …
that of the 11 clubs who formed the original Scottish League, only five are still league teams — Rangers, Celtic, Dumbarton, Hearts, and St. Mirren?
Who founded Celtic FC?
Celtic were founded at a meeting in St. Mary’s Church Hall on East Rose Street (now Forbes Street), Calton, Glasgow, by Brother Walfrid, an Irish Marist brother, on November 6, 1887. The purpose stated in the official club records was stated as “being to alleviate poverty in Glasgow’s East End parishes.” Walfrid’s move to establish the club was a means of fundraising for his charity, The Poor Children’s Dinner Table.
When did Rangers FC and Celtic FC first meet on the pitch?
On May 28, 1888, Celtic played their first official match, and it was against none other than Rangers — a club that had existed since 1872. Celtic won 5–2, fielding eight guest players from Hibernian FC.
What was the first non-U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) team?
That would be the Toronto FC, which was formed in 2006 and plays at BMO Field on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition. The team set an MLS record in season ticket sales, selling 14,000 before they’d even appeared in a game.
What does “bend it like Beckham” mean?
The phrase “bend it like Beckham” was popularized as the title of a British movie from 2002, starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley. The title refers to David Beckham’s ability to put spin on a ball from a free kick, causing it to curve — or “bend” — in trajectory around the defence and into the net. Nagra’s character in the film, Jess Bhamra, shows a similar aptitude for bending free kicks.
What does “bank it like Beckham” mean?
The term “to bend” a soccer ball means to put spin on a ball from a free kick to give it a curving trajectory around defenders. The phrase “bank it like Beckham” is a joke on this phrase, playing on the title of the feature film Bend it like Beckham, and referring to Beckham’s ability to land copious amounts of money in the bank upon signing a $250 million U.S. deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
What term did N.L. Jackson, founder of Corinthians F.C., give to soccer?
On May 10, 1886, N.L. Jackson, founder of Corinthians F.C. and assistant secretary of England’s Football Association, proposed that all players taking part for England in international matches should be “presented with a white silk cap with red rose embroidered on the front.” Caps are no longer given today, but the term has lived on, so that if a player has participated in 10 international matches, it is said he has 10 caps.
What is a friendly?
This is a non-competition game, the results of which do not count for standings in a league or tournament. The two sides are just having a friendly game.
Why is it said that soccer players dribble?
The word dribble dates back to the sixteenth century when it was used, as it is now, to describe a flow of drips or drops — though back then drips and drops were called “dribs.” It was first used in relation to soccer in 1863 by British journalist A.G. Guillemard, who described an Eton player “dribbling the ball slowly forward before his feet” in the October issue of The Sporting Gazette. The term describes skillful movement of the ball upfield in short, small kicks.
What is a tackle?
Unlike American football, bringing another player to the ground is a no-no in soccer. To tackle another player means to take the ball from him with your feet. In soccer, you tackle the ball, not the player.
What is a square ball?
No, it is not a cube. Such a ball shape would not work well for soccer — or any other game! A square ball is one passed on the ground in a line parallel to the touchlines on the pitch.
What does it mean to say the ball has gone into touch?
It means it is dead, because it has crossed the touchlines. When the ball goes into the area outside of the field of play, beyond the touchlines, it may be legally touched by a player’s hands, so the term means that the ball has gone into that area.
What is a banana kick?
This is a type of kick that gives the ball a curved trajectory — a bend like a banana — used to get the ball around a goaltender or defender.
What is a bicycle kick?
This is a highly entertaining acrobatic shot. A player kicks the ball in mid-air backwards and over his own head, usually making contact above waist level. It is so named because the player’s legs spin as though on a bicycle. It is also called the scissors kick.
Who called soccer “the beautiful game”?
The phrase “The Beautiful Game” as a synonym for soccer was first coined by Didi (Waldyr Pereira), a Brazilian superstar soccer player. The Brazilian Portuguese expression Joga player. The Brazilian Portuguese expression Bonito (to “play beautifully”) parallels this phrase. In 1977 Pelé, one of soccer’s greatest superstars, named his autobiography My Life and the Beautiful Game.
Quickies
Did you know …
that because of its regulation depth of six yards, the goal area is sometimes simply called “the six”?
When was the first radio broadcast of a soccer game?
On January 22, 1927, Arsenal played Sheffield United to a 1–1 draw in a Division One match at Highbury. It was the first match ever covered by radio, as the BBC called the game from pitch-side.
When was the first television transmission of a soccer game?
In 1937 the BBC was on hand to televise, for the first time, portions of the FA Cup final between Preston North End and Sunderland from Wembley Stadium in London. final between Preston North End and Sunderland The following year, the BBC televised the entire match.
Top Ten Soccer Movies
• Escape to Victory (1981)
• Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
• Das Wunder von Bern (The Miracle of Bern) 2003)
• My Name is Joe (1998)
• Mean Machine (2001)
• The Match (1999)
• Ladybugs (1992)
• When Saturday Comes (1996)
• A Shot at Glory (2000)
• Phörpa (The Cup)
Who were Mitchell & Kenyon?
The Mitchell & Kenyon film company was a pioneer of early commercial movies. Based in Blackburn in Lancashire, England, at the start of the twentieth century, they were best known for minor fictional narrative films. In 1994, a hoard of 800 Mitchell & Kenyon film negatives were discovered and restored. Amongst this collection are numerous films documenting soccer matches between English FA teams just after the turn of the century. The films are in storage at the British Film Institute, but can be viewed on YouTube.com
What are WAGs?
WAGs is an acronym created by the British tabloid press to mean Soccer “wives and girlfriends.” The acronym has been in use since 1994, but became extremely popular during the 2006 World Cup, in Germany, when the press gave increasing gossip coverage to the socializing and shopping activities of the English WAGs, who were based in the German town of Baden Baden.
What is Panini ?
These are not something you eat at an Italian soccer game. Panini is the brand name of an Italian firm that produces collectable stickers. The company is based in Modena and named after the Panini brothers, who founded it in 1961. It became famous in the 1960s for its soccer collections, which can now sometimes reach very high prices on the collectors’ market. The slogan “Stick with Panini” could once be heard in a jingle following the television advertisements that Panini aired during children’s programming.
What are ultras?
Ultras are a sanctioned form of team supporters renowned for their fanatical and elaborate displays. They are predominantly European and South American followers of soccer teams. Ultras frequently display their support through choreographed performances called tifos and also through “terrace chants,” which are sung en masse, often to well-known tunes, but with the words changed.
Top Ten Soccer Books
• Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
• Among the Thugs by Bill Buford
• Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer by David Winner
• Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Edward Galeano
• How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer
• The Soccer War by Ryszard Kapuscinski
• Foul! The Secret World of FIFA by Andrew Jennings
• Congratulations, You Have Just Met the ICF by Cass Pennant
• Futebol, the Brazillian Way of Life by Alex Bellos
• Now You Know Soccer by Doug Lennox
What are tifos ?
Tifo was originally the Italian word for the phenomenon of supporting a sport team, but it is now mainly used as the name for the sort of spectacular, choreographed display staged by large groups of fans called “ultras” on the balconies or terraces of arenas or stadiums during sporting events, most often soccer matches. For example, tifos can consist of large sections of the crowd holding and turning colour placards, to create larger “tiled” banners. Other materials that have been used include coloured plastic sheeting, flags, balloons, confetti, paper rolls, flares, fireworks, dolls, and mascots.
What is a firm?
