Footballs
The origin of footballs is much discussed, with evidence of balls being kicked in games during the Roman period. The Chinese also kicked a ball around for sport and even the Inuit Eskimo people played with a ball on the ice. However, the modern version of kicking a football is rooted in Europe and England in particular.
From the Norman invasion onwards, there are increasing references to footballs in the literature, although how they were used in play is sometimes unclear. The balls themselves were usually made from inflated pigs’ bladders, with leather outer covering being added by the 19th century.
By the late 16th and early 17th centuries, goals are mentioned, and so-called mob football was popular before then, being played out with great energy between neighbouring towns. Various unsuccessful attempts were made to ban this popular game yet by Shakespeare’s time it found its way into one of his plays: football was now surely here to stay.
English public schools took up the sport in the 19th century and helped develop today’s rules, but the working class public lacked their spare time to play. Eventually, in mid-century when labour hours began to be more regulated, the sport became more the province of this class.
Today’s footballs are stitched together from 32 separate waterproof panels and are much lighter than the old inflated bladders. The design enables players to have more control over the ball although there were many complaints that the Jabulani ball used in the last World Cup was too light.
