The Origins of Football Debate: The Continuing Demise of the Dominant Paradigm, 1852–1856

Abstract

This article presents original and compelling new material in ‘the origins of football debate’, this time from the period 1852–1856, using the British Library's digitisation project of nineteenth-century newspapers. In so doing, it addresses the alleged disappearance of football in the wider community in mid-century, a problem that has troubled a number of scholars, not least because of the rapid expansion in the game amongst the working and lower middle classes from the 1870s onwards. In addressing this allegation it outlines a much broader and more stable footballing culture across the country than hitherto thought, based on games played at church, work and school outings, rural fetes and galas, alongside those played at celebrations and as street football or casual games in meadows, fields or greens, arguing that those historians who have simply looked for formal games were looking for the wrong forms of football in the wrong places, based on twentieth-century notions of what constitutes a ‘game’ of football. Overall, the article has added yet more evidence of the cultural continuity of football across the mid-century and contributed to the continuing demise of the so-called ‘dominant paradigm’ in the ‘origins of football’ debate.

Este artigo apresenta novo material original e convincente acerca do “debate sobre as origens do futebol”, agora no período 1852–1856, utilizando o projeto de digitalização de jornais do século XIX da Biblioteca de Londres. Ao fazê-lo, aborda o suposto desaparecimento do futebol da comunidade mais ampla de meados do século, um problema que incomodou diversos estudiosos, sobretudo devido à rápida expansão do jogo entre a classe trabalhadora e a classe média baixa a partir da década de 1870. Ao abordar essa alegação, ele define uma cultura futebolística no país mais ampla e estável do que acreditava-se até aqui, baseada em jogos disputados após a igreja, o trabalho e a escola, festas e bailes rurais, ao lado dos jogados em festas como futebol de rua ou jogos casuais em prados, campos ou gramados, argumentando que os historiadores que procuraram apenas por jogos formais estavam buscando as formas erradas de futebol, nos lugares errados, baseados em noções do século XX do que constituiria um “jogo” de futebol. Em geral, o artigo traz ainda mais evidências da continuidade cultural do futebol através de meados do século e contribui para a continuada queda do chamado “paradigma dominante” do debate sobre as “origens do futebol”.

Este artículo presenta nuevos materiales, originales y reveladores, relativos al debate sobre los orígenes del fútbol, en esta ocasión correspondientes al periodo 1852–1856, obtenidos gracias al proyecto de digitalización de periódicos del siglo XIX puesto en marcha por la British Library. Se pone en cuestión la presunta desaparición de la práctica del fútbol en los contextos populares y comunitarios a mediados de siglo, una hipótesis que ha ocupado a múltiples estudiosos, en buena medida a causa de la rápida expansión de este deporte entre las clases media-baja y trabajadora a partir de los años 1870. Este análisis nos lleva a subrayar la existencia de una cultura futbolística mucho más amplia y estable a lo largo y ancho del país de lo que se creía hasta ahora, basada en partidos disputados con motivo de excursiones escolares, laborales y religiosas, y de festividades y celebraciones rurales, junto con los que se jugaban en las calles y los que se disputaban de forma casual en prados, campos y pastos. Se argumenta que los historiadores que se han limitado a fijarse en los partidos de carácter formal han estado buscando las modalidades equivocadas en los sitios equivocados, a partir de nociones de lo que se considera un “partido” de fútbol propias del siglo XX. En conjunto el artículo proporciona pruebas adicionales de la continuidad cultural del fútbol a mediados del siglo XIX y contribuye a minar todavía más el denominado “paradigma dominante” en el debate sobre los orígenes del fútbol.

Cet article présente de nouvelles sources inédites et irréfutables dans le débat sur les origines du football, cette fois depuis la période 1852–56, en s'appuyant sur les journaux du XIXe siècle numérisés par la British Library. Ce faisant, il répond à la présumée disparition du football au milieu du siècle, dans la communauté, au sens large du terme – point qui avait dérangé de nombreux chercheurs, en particulier du fait de la rapide expansion du jeu parmi les classes populaires et laborieuses à partir des années 1870. En formulant ces hypothèses, il est mis en évidence l'existence d'une culture football beaucoup plus large et plus stable à travers le pays que celle prise en compte jusqu'à présent. Celle-ci est basée sur les parties jouées dans le contexte de la paroisse, du travail et de l'école, lors des fêtes de village et des galas de même qu'à l'occasion de célébrations, de jeux de rue, ou de parties spontanées dans un pré, un champ ou sur une place. L'argument soutient que les historiens qui n'ont analysé que les matches officiels regardaient les mauvaises formes de pratiques du football aux mauvais endroits en s'appuyant sur une conception du XXe siècle de ce qui constitue un < <  match >> de football. Par dessus tout, cet article a apporté plus de preuves sur la continuité culturelle du football à travers le milieu du siècle et contribué à la disparition progressive du soi-disant ‘paradigme dominant’ dans le débat sur les origines du football.

Dieser Artikel bringt originelles und überzeugendes neues Material in “die Debatte über die Ursprünge des Fußballs”, dieses Mal aus der Zeit von 1852–56, und nutzt dabei das Digitalisierungsprojekt von Zeitungen des 19. Jahrhunderts der British Library. So befasst er sich mit dem angeblichen Verschwinden des Fußballs in der breiten Öffentlichkeit Mitte des Jahrhunderts, ein Problem, das eine Reihe von Wissenschaftlern beschäftigt hat, nicht zuletzt wegen der raschen Ausbreitung des Spiels in den Arbeiter- und unteren Mittelschichtklassen ab den 1870er Jahren. Bei der Behandlung dieser Behauptung zeigt er basierend auf Spielen, die in der Kirche, auf Arbeits- und Schulausflügen, auf ländlichen Festen und Galas neben jenen, die bei Feierlichkeiten und als Straßenfußball oder informelle Spiele auf Wiesen, Feldern oder Grünflächen durchgeführt wurden, eine viel breitere und stabilere Fußballkultur im ganzen Land auf als bisher gedacht. Es wird argumentiert, dass jene Historiker, die einfach nach formellen Spielen geschaut haben, nach den falschen Formen des Fußballs an den falschen Orten auf der Grundlage der Vorstellungen des 20. Jahrhunderts von dem, was ein Fußball-“Spiel” ausmachte, gesucht haben. Insgesamt führt der Artikel noch mehr Beweise für die kulturelle Kontinuität des Fußballs in der Mitte des Jahrhunderts auf und trägt zu dem anhaltenden Niedergang des so genannten “vorherrschenden Paradigmas” in der Debatte über die “Ursprünge des Fußballs” bei.

本文通过使用大英图书馆十九世纪报纸数字化项目展示从1852年至1856年期间有关“足球起源的辩论”的原始的和有说服力的新材料。据称，足球运动在世纪中叶更广泛的社会群体消失不仅仅是因为工人阶级和中产阶级下层从十九世纪七十年代之后不断扩大所致。本研究旨在通过以上方法解决这一困扰众多学者的难题。本文概述了一个非常宽泛和较之前观点更为稳固的全国范围的足球文化。之前的观点认为，足球是在教会、工作和学校郊游、乡村庆典和节日上伴随着庆祝活动玩耍的活动，被作为街头足球或一种草地休闲运动。本文则认为，那些简单地寻找正式运动的历史学家是在一个错误的地方发现了一个错误的足球形式，这是基于构成二十世纪足球运动观念而产生的。总体而言，本研究还为能提供更多有关世纪中叶足球文化连续性的证据，也还未能促使“足球起源”辩论中的所谓的主流范式的持续消亡。

本稿では、大英図書館の１９世紀の新聞デジタル化プロジェクトを利用し、１８５２年～５６年の期間から、「フットボールの起源論争」におけるオリジナルで説得力のある新たな資料を提示する。これを通じて本稿は、世紀中葉に広範なコミュニティにおいてフットボールが消滅したとする主張を検討する。１８７０年代以降、フットボールが労働者及び下層中流階級の間で急速に普及することもあり、この問題は多くの研究者たちを悩ませてきた。この主張を検討する上で、本稿では祝祭の中で行われたゲームや、街頭でのフットボール、牧草地、野原、緑地でのゲームに加えて、教会でのゲームや、職場や学校でのレクリエーション、農村での祝宴などに基礎を置いた、これまで考えられてきたものよりもさらに広範で安定したフットボール文化を扱う。本稿では、単純にフォーマルなゲームだけを見てきた歴史家たちが、フットボールの「ゲーム」とは何かについての２０世紀的観念に基づいた、誤った場所における誤った形式のフットボールを探し求めていたことを主張する。全般的に言って、本稿は世紀中葉からのフットボールの文化的連続性についてのさらなる論拠を与え、「フットボールの起源」論争におけるいわゆる「支配的枠組み」の終焉に貢献するものである。

Keywords::

• football
• origins
• dominant paradigm
• revisionist
• cultural continuity

Notes

^1. The series was stimulated by the defence of the ‘dominant paradigm’ by Curry and Dunning, “The Problem with Revisionism.” Another reply came from Harvey, “The Emergence of Football.”

^2.Shearman, Athletics,Alcock, “Association Football”; Gibson & Pickford, Association Football;Green, The History of Football;Marples, A History of Football;Young, A History of British Football.

^3.Dunning and Sheard, Barbarians; See also Elias, The Civilizing.

^4.Russell, Football.

^5. See especially Harvey, Football: The First;Goulstone, Football's Secret History. See also , “A Selection,” “Surrey F.C.,” “The Working Class”; , “Football's Missing Link,” “An Epoch,” “The Curate's Egg.”

^6.Swain, “Cultural Continuity.”

^7.Swain and Harvey, “On Bosworth Field.”

^8.Curry and Dunning, “The Problem with Revisionism.” The foci of their criticisms are Lanfranchi et al.,100 years of Football; Sanders, Beastly Fury; Hornby, Uppies and Downies;Hay, “A Tale of Two Football.”

^9.Swain, “The Origins of Football Debate: The Grander Design.” See also Swain, “The Origins of Football Debate: The Evidence Mounts.” I am grateful to Lancashire County Council Library for access to the British Library ninteenth-century newspaper resource used in this article.

^10. , Football: The First; “Football's Missing Link,” “An Epoch,” “The Curate's Egg”; , Modern Sport, Football's Secret History, “A Selection,” “Surrey F.C.,” “The Working Class”; , “Cultural Continuity,” “Modern Football”; Swain and Harvey, “On Bosworth Field.” Swain deliberately excludes Francis P. Magoun from his list of ‘dominant paradigm’ historians. See , “Football in Medieval England,” “Scottish Popular Football,” “A History of Football.”

^11.Harvey, Football: The First, 57.

^12. , “The Origins of Football Debate: The Grander Design,” “The Origins of Football Debate: The Evidence Mounts.”

^13.The Huddersfield Chronicle and West Yorkshire Advertiser, Saturday, January 03, 1852, 8.

^14.The Preston Guardian etc, Saturday, February 21, 1852.

^15.Dundee Courier, Wednesday, April 14, 1852.

^16.The York Herald, and General Advertiser, May 01, 1852, 6.

^17. Many games that claimed to be from ‘time immemorial’ in fact weren't – see Kitching, “From Time Immemorial.”

^18.Manchester Times, Saturday, May 8, 1852.

^19.Nottinghamshire Guardian, June 03, 1852, 5.

^20.The Bristol Mercury, Saturday, June 5, 1852.

^21.Manchester Times, Saturday, June 05, 1852.

^22.The York Herald, and General Advertiser, Saturday, June 26, 1852, 5.

^23.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Friday, July 23, 1852, 1.

^24.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties. Friday, August 13, 1852.

^25.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Friday, August 27, 1852.

^26.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Friday, July 30, 1852.

^27.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Friday, September 3, 1852.

^28.Hampshire Advertiser 7 Salisbury Guardian, Saturday, August 07, 1852, 5.

^29.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, August 12, 1852, 4.

^30.The Lancaster Gazette, and General Advertiser for Lancashire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, &c., Saturday, August 21, 1852.

^31.The Morning Post, Friday, September 03, 1852, 5.

^32.The York Herald, and General Advertiser, Saturday October 02, 1852.

^33.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, January 06, 1853, 6.

^34.The Preston Guardian etc, Saturday, January 22, 1853.

^35.The Blackburn Standard, Wednesday, May 18, 1853.

^36.The Leeds Mercury, Saturday. May 21, 1853.

^37.Manchester Times, Saturday, May 21, 1853.

^38.Swain and Harvey, “On Bosworth Field,” 1425–45.

^39.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, May 26, 4.

^40.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, July 14, 1853, 5.

^41.The Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday, June 22, 1853.

^42.The York Herald, and General Advertiser, Saturday, September 17, 1853, 6.

^43.Trewman's Exeter Plying Post or Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser, Thursday, June 30, 1853.

^44.The Preston Guardian, Saturday, July 30, 1853,

^45.Liverpool Mercury etc, Friday, October 21, 1853.

^46.The Lancaster Gazette, and General Advertiser for Lancashire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, &c., Saturday, August 06, 1853, 5.

^47.The Bristol Mercury, Saturday, August 06, 1853.

^48.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, August 11, 1853, 4.

^49.The Ipswich Journal, Saturday, September 10, 1853.

^50.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, September 22, 8.

^51.The Leicester Chronicle; or, Commercial Advertiser, Saturday, September 24, 1853.

^52.Berrow's Worcester Journal, Saturday, October 08, 1853, 5.

^53.The Preston Guardian etc, Saturday, January 28, 1854, quoting the Manchester Guardian.

^54.The Hull Packet and East Riding Times, Friday, September 05, 1856.

^55. Ibid. Berrow's Worcester Journal, Saturday, September 06, 1856, 3.

^56.The Bradford Observer, Thursday, January 12, 1854, 8.

^57.Berrow's Worcester Journal, Saturday, February 04, 1854, 7.

^58.Trewman's Exeter Flying Post or Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser, Thursday, February 23, 1854.

^59.The Royal Cornwall Gazette, Falmouth Packet, and General Advertiser, Friday, March 17, 1854.

^60.The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, Saturday, June 24, 1854, 11.

^61.The Bristol Mercury, Saturday, May 20, 1854.

^62. Ibid.

^63.The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, Saturday, June 10, 1854, 11.

^64.The Newcastle Courant etc, Saturday, July 28, 1854.

^65.The Preston Guardian, Saturday, July 15, 1854.

^66.Daily News, Monday, July 24, 1854.

^67.Manchester Times, Saturday, October 28, 1854.

^68. For a short discussion on the importance of ‘balls’ see Kitching, “‘Old’ Football,” 1740.

^69.The Morning Post, Tuesday, October 10, 1854, 2.

^70.The York Herald, Saturday, February 24, 1855, 8.

^71.The Lancaster Gazette, and General Advertiser for Lancashire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, &c., Saturday, January 06, 1855.

^72.The Lancaster Gazette, and General Advertiser for Lancashire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, &c., Saturday, January 27, 1855.

^73.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, February 22, 1855, 5.

^74.The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, Saturday, March 24, 1855, 10.

^75. Ibid.

^76.Trewman's Exeter Flying Post or Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser, Thursday, April 26, 1855.

^77.The York Herald, Saturday, May 26, 1855, 8.

^78.The Lancaster Gazette, and General Advertiser for Lancashire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, &c., Saturday, June 02, 1855, 8.

^79.Manchester Times, Saturday, June 02, 1855.

^80.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Friday, July 13, 1855.

^81.The Bristol Mercury, Saturday, July 7, 1855.

^82.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Wednesday, July 25, 1855.

^83.The Preston Guardian, Saturday, July 14, 1855.

^84. Ibid.

^85.Berrow's Worcester Journal, Saturday, July 21, 1855, 8.

^86.Caledonian Mercury, Saturday, July 12, 1856.

^87.The Hull Packet and East Riding Times, Friday, July 27, 1855.

^88.The Ipswich Journal, Saturday, August 18, 1855.

^89.Daily News, Saturday, August 11, 1855.

^90.North Wales Chronicle, Saturday, August 18, 1855.

^91. Ibid.

^92.The Morning Chronicle, Monday, August 20, 1885.

^93.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, September 06, 1855, 8.

^94.Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, September 30, 1855,

^95.The Bradford Observer, Thursday, January 03, 1856, 8.

^96.The Huddersfield Chronicle and West Yorkshire Advertiser, Saturday, January 05, 1856, 6.

^97.North Wales Chronicle, November 24, 1855.

^98.Dundee Courier, Wednesday, March 26, 1856.

^99.Dundee Courier, Wednesday, April 16, 1856.

^100.Caledonian Mercury, Thursday, April 03, 1856 quoting the Paisley Wallet and Literary Album’.

^101.The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent Supplement, Saturday, June 07, 1856, 8.

^102.The Ipswich Journal, August 16, 1856.

^103.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Friday, June 06, 1856.

^104.The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Wednesday, June 04, 1856.

^105.The Lancaster Gazette, and General Advertiser for Lancashire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, &c., Saturday, June 07, 1856, 5.

^106.Jackson's Oxford Journal, Saturday, June 14, 1856.

^107.The Leeds Mercury, Thursday, July 03, 1856.

^108.Liverpool Mercury, Wednesday, July 16, 1856.

^109.The Preston Guardian, Saturday, July 19, 1856.

^110.Berrow's Worcester Journal, Saturday, August 02, 1856, 5.

^111.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, June 26, 1856, 5.

^112.Caledonian Mercury, Saturday, August 30, 1856.

^113.Wrexham and Denbighshire Weekly Advertiser and Cheshire, Shropshire, Flintshire and North Wales Register, Saturday, August 30, 1856.

^114.The Bristol Mercury, Saturday, September 11, 1856.

^115.Nottinghamshire Guardian, Thursday, October 02, 1856, 8.

^116.The Bristol Mercury, Saturday, August 02, 1856.

^117.The Preston Guardian, Saturday, September 06, 1856.

^118.The Lancaster Gazette, and General Advertiser for Lancashire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, &c., Saturday, December 06, 1856, 1.

^119.Bell's Life in London, January 11, 1852, February 29, 1852, March 21, 1852, March 28, 1852, March 19, 1854, January 6, 1856, August 31, 1856, October 19, 1865, November 16, 1856, November 23, 1856, December 21, 1856.

^120.Kitching, “‘Old’ Football,” 1741.

^121. See the Darwen News, March 9, 1878, for an account of game played in 1830 that indicates the ‘style’ of play’ with a method of scoring – ‘A game was not won until one side had “upped” it twice, that is, kicked the ball over his opponents fence from anywhere not less than 15 yards off, twice out of three times; if the game was not won they did not stop in one and a half hours, but would go on until dark to settle it’.

^122.Dixon, History of Turton, 5.

^123. See note 6 above.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Peter Swain

Peter Swain is a Visiting Researcher in the Department of Engineering and Social Science at the University of Bolton. He is a Social and Cultural Historian who has written numerous articles about sport in the nineteenth century, particularly surrounding the history of football. He is currently writing a Short History of the University of Bolton.