Association football, aka 'soccer', is the world's most popular
sport. As is known, its rules were drawn up in England between the
1840s and 1860s, largely at the behest of ex public school and
university players. Rugby, another version of football honed
between the 1820s and 1870s, split from the Association clubs in
the 1870s, and subsequently split itself into Rugby Union and Rugby
League in the 1890s. Meanwhile, different versions of football
developed in the US and Australia. Ireland has its own version,
called Gaelic Football. Amid all these developments, and in stark
contrast to the riches and glamour of the modern Premiership and
the World Cup, around 25 traditional football games continue to be
played in various parts of Britain. Their origins may be traced
back to at least the 12th century, when rival group of apprentices
would play an early form of mob football on holy days. Despite the
geographical spread (from Cornwall to the Shetlands) these folk
games share several common strands. There have been previous
studies of the Kirkwall Ba' Game and of the Ashbourne Shrove
Tuesday game, but Uppies and Downies will be the first book to
analyse the games as part of a collective tradition. Uppies and
Downies - The title of the book refers to the most common name
given to teams playing in these games. Most are played in the
streets and fields of small towns and villages. Those living in the
upper, or most northerly part of the district, play for the Uppies;
those in the lower, or most southerly part, play for the Downies
(or Doonies in Scotland). Unlike soccer or rugby, there are no
designated pitches or boundaries. The 'goals' are specified
locations (a tree, a bridge, a wall, a gate), often two or three
miles apart. There is no distinction between spectators and
players. Players drop out for a period to watch. Spectators may
join in for short periods. Games can take less than an hour, or
continue for several hours, often ending in darkness. Once a goal
is scored, the game ends.
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