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The Origins of Football

A Global Game:
Trying to pinpoint the exact starting point for what is now the world’s most popular sports is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. England may have been the home of football, but the first instances of foot meeting ball may well have taken place thousands of miles away; and as time moved on, the formative game was being adopted and invented in various guises all across the globe. Nobody took football to the world; the world discovered it in dozens of locations over thousands of years

The China Link:
Traditionalists often talk of the early game being played out with hollow pigs’ bladders which could burst at any moment. Certainly there is some truth in this assumption – today, we believe the earliest incarnation of football to have been played with animal skins in ancient China around 2500 BC. The ‘ball’ was kicked between poles some thirty feet high, and may have served a military purpose; soldiers were trained using the rough-and-tumble of game play and matches were held to mark important dates in the calendar.

A Game of Peace:
By AD 50, the Chinese had named the game ‘tsu chu’ and early records compare the round ball and square goal to Yin and Yang, the ancient symbols of harmony an interesting contrast to the distinctly inharmonious scenes that followed as the game developed. Historians have also suggested that ancient Egyptian fertility rites may have been linked, in some was, to a form of football; however a more plausible stage of development was a Mexican game in AD 600 which involved forcing a ball through a hole in the wall of a specially designed court. Certainly, the Mexicans came up with the first synthetic footballs.

Gang Warfare:
By the time the game was developing in England, it had taken a strangely comic – and occasionally tragic – turn for the worse. The earliest stories of football date from around AD 1100 and involved a crude chasing of a ball through city streets by gangs of youngsters egged on by their parents. There was little organization either in terms of fixtures or rules, yet the foundations for the development of the game in its host country had laid.

Breaking The Rules:
Throughout the next 700 years or so, football became a source of inspiration for the masses and of great consternation to the authorities. Edward II was the first monarch to call for curbs on the ‘uproar’ the game caused – and it seems he may well have had a point. What began as a game of chasing soon developed into near warfare, with scores of players forming sides and causing havoc in urban areas as they rampaged through pitches hundreds of yards long. There were reports of serious injuries and even deaths, as well as complaints from more sedate residents alarmed by the disruption football caused.

Country Troubles:
In rural areas the problem was exacerbated by the vast amounts of space afforded to the game. Whole villages would come out to chase the makeshift ball and the absence or rules meant kicking, punching and crushing were all acceptable. The traditional Shrove Tuesday clashes were particularly troublesome. Successions of English rulers and lawmakers issued edicts attempting to crack down on the game, but it proved near impossible to stop. At the same time, the American Indians had developed a beach version of the game – in which players would disguise themselves in masks to evade blame for dangerous challenges – and the Inuits had begun playing on ice, shooting balls stuffed with grass through goals placed miles apart. Football was taking off in many different ways all over the world.

Saved By The Schools:
Somewhat ironically, it was the public schools who gave the whole affair some order. Oxford and Cambridge had accepted football as a competitive sport as early as the seventeenth century, and Eton, Harrow, Shrewsbury and Rugby quickly followed suit. The implementation of rules worked both ways: with Victorian values gradually disappearing, the schools saw the sport as a vital way to in still discipline, while also disassociating the young gentlemen who played it from the lower classes and their street games. Many still considered football too ‘vulgar’ a game for the upper classes, but by the 1899s it was common practice in public school life. As a result, the people’s game began to take shape in the last bastions of the aristocracy.

25 Selected World's Greatest Footballers to be featured in Special Limited Edition of TIMELESS coming out in June. Advert and Sponsorship Considerations Available.

TIMELESS celebrates World's Greatest Footballers

ADVERT PLACEMENTS/SPONSORSHIP IN TIMELESS COLLECTOR’S ITEM SERIES VOLUME 2

Our company, TIMELESS COURAGE PUBLISHING LIMITED, is publishing a Special Limited Edition of its flagship publication, TIMELESS Newspaper for the month of June 2010.

This Special Limited Edition will focus on the lives of the greatest footballers in the last 100 years with accompanying biographies and photographs. It will be titled, “Uncommon Lives of Uncommon Footballers with Uncommon Careers" and will have an accompanying rider, “The Most Extraordinary Footballers of the 20th Century."

It promises to be an inspiring, creative and collector’s edition of TIMELESS. The few limited copies that will be printed (2000 copies) will be distributed to select subscribers, including company chief executives, corporate chieftains, selected government officials and past speakers & discussants at our annual anniversary lectures and in selected airlines, hotels and companies.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to advertise your company’s goods and services. Only full page colour adverts will be available and will cost N250, 000. All prospective advertisers have till Friday April 30, 2010 to indicate their interests, confirm payments and send in their artworks.

This is also an opportunity for freelance advert agents, advert agencies and marketing communications companies to help get their clients involved in this project. We are paying attractive commission payments to such agents and companies.

We look forward your prompt and positive response. Thank you and God bless you.

Ayodeji Jeremiah

Editor

01-4358330, 08026861642

Akinyemi, Abati push for adoption of Uwais Report

Former External Affairs Minister and Member, Presidential Electoral Reform Committee and Chairman, Presidential Think Tank, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi said recently that the adoption of the Justice Mohammed Uwais committee report on electoral reform by the National Assembly will be one of the best things to happen to the Nigerian polity.

He was speaking at the Sixth TIMELESS Newspaper Nigeria Lecture Series where he was the guest speaker. He said the committee made 83 recommendations of which 10 were rejected by the Federal Government. “This relativity does not give a true reflection of the damage done to the Report. The rejected recommendations amount to a decapitation of the Report. A human body without a head cannot be said to have lost just one part of the body. Without a head, that body is dead,” he said.

Other speakers at the occasion were Dr. Reuben Abati, Chairman, Editorial Board of the Guardian Newspapers, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila of the Federal House of Representatives, Mr. Ade Ipaye, representative of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola and Alhaji Kunle Ajanaku, representative of Princess Sarah Sosan, the Lagos State Deputy Governor.

Dr. Abati in his presentation said the best news he has heard so far recently is the sending of the Uwais report in its unedited format to the National Assembly for deliberation and approval. He added that in addition to the reform of the electoral system, efforts must be made on the part of all Nigerians to ensure the moral integrity of all citizens, saying a system where all citizens see political office as an opportunity to spread the National Cake puts undue pressure on holders of such offices.

Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, publisher of the newspaper in his welcome address said the topic of the lecture; The Imperative of Electoral Reform was informed by our experiences as a nation in trying to forge ahead with our democratic experiment. He said despite our fifty years of nationhood, the nation remains plagued with our failure to successfully conduct free and fair elections. “As the 2011 elections approach, we believe in TIMELESS that the issue of electoral reform has to be addressed by the government, the media and the public and practical solutions come up with. There is an urgent need to reform the electoral process in Nigeria and restore faith in the electoral process. Given Nigeria’s diversity, it is obvious that democracy is the sole political choice for its survival, and the best system for managing the nation’s current challenges is by fostering better governance, and ensuring popular welfare. This can be achieved through an efficient electoral system. The fact remains that the current electoral system is faulty and requires reforms.”

Every year, the TIMELESS media group celebrates its existence through The TIMELESS Nigeria Lecture Series, which serves as the organisation’s own way of contributing to national issues and as its own service to the nation. Other guests at the occasion which held at the Agip Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos were Professor Joe Irukwu, a respected statesman and former chairman of the Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, Chief Bode Alalade, Mrs. Bimpe Bamgbose Martins, representative of the Lagos state First Lady, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, Revd. George Ashiru, Co-ordinator of the Town Hall Meetings Project, Mr. Adetokunbo Adejumo, Global Co-ordinator of the Champions for Nigeria Group and Mr. Chike Ogeah, former Managing Director of SAHCOL

Timeless Newspaper Holds Sixth Nigeria Lecture Series

PRESS RELEASE

In what promises to be another platform for elevated intellectual discourse, the sixth in the series of the TIMELESS NIGERIA LECTURE SERIES organised by TIMELESS NEWSPAPER will hold on Thursday, March 11, 2010 at the Agip Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos at 1.00pm. Every year, TIMELESS celebrates its existence through The TIMELESS Nigeria Lecture Series. The series of annual lectures/national discourse also serves as the organisation’s own way of contributing to national issues and as its own service to the nation.

The first in the series of lectures took place in June 2004 when the media house celebrated its first anniversary with a lecture titled “True Federalism in Nigeria”, delivered by erudite constitutional scholar and professor of law, Itse Sagay. Supporting him as a discussant was Professor Jide Oshuntokun, a professor of History. The occasion was chaired by Professor Joe Irukwu, a respected statesman and former chairman of the Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo. This was followed in June 2005 with another successful lecture with the theme, “Resource Control in Nigeria”, delivered by Professor Mike Ikhariale, a respected constitutional lawyer with Professor Adele Jinadu, a respected political scientist of the Centre for Advanced Social Science acting as a discussant. The occasion was chaired by Dr. Gamaliel Onosode, former chairman of Dunlop and a respected statesman. The third annual lecture of the company took place in August 2006 with the theme “Nigeria: The Future?” delivered by Senator Udoma Udoma, former chief whip of the Nigerian Senate. Honourable Usman Bugaje, formerly of the Federal House of Representatives, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos state Attorney General and Professor Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School were the discussants. The occasion was chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary-General.

In 2007, the company had its fourth anniversary lecture, which was rechristened, The TIMELESS Nigeria Lecture Series, with the theme, “Nigeria: What Next?” Chairman of the occasion was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, immediate past Executive Governor of Lagos State. Speaker at the occasion was Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former Minister in the Presidency and of The Federal Capital Territory. The discussant was in the person of Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke, former Minister of Transport and now of Solid Minerals. The fifth annual lecture held in September 2008 had the theme, “Transforming the Nigerian Economy” and was delivered by Mr. Donald Duke, immediate past Executive Governor of Cross Rivers State. All the lectures attracted personalities from different strata of the Nigerian society; were well covered by the national media and stimulated interest and discourse on important national issues dominating Nigeria’s national life.

The topic of this year’s lecture is The Imperative of Electoral Reform and is billed to be delivered by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, former External Affairs Ministry and Member, Presidential Electoral Reform Committee and Chairman, Presidential Think Tank. Supporting him as discussants are Prince Chibudom Nwuche, Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Dr. Reuben Abati, Chairman, Editorial Board of the Guardian Newspapers. Special Guest of Honour is His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Executive Governor of Lagos State. The event will attract the cream of the Nigerian society, members of the diplomatic corps, the media and is open to the general public.

INVITATION TO 6TH TIMELESS NIGERIA LECTURE SERIES

It is with great pleasure that I write to invite you to the sixth in the series of our annual Nigeria lecture series details of, which are provided below. Every year we celebrate our existence through The TIMELESS Nigeria Lecture Series. The series of annual lectures/national discourse also serves as our own way of contributing to national issues and as our own service to the nation.

SIXTH NIGERIA LECTURE SERIES DETAILS:

Date: Thursday March 11, 2010

Time: 1.00 p.m.

Topic: The Imperative of Electoral Reform in Nigeria

Venue: AGIP Hall, MUSON Centre Onikan, Lagos

Speaker: Professor Bolaji Akinyemi

Discussants: Prince Chibudom Nwuche, Dr. Reuben Abati

It is hoped that this one day forum, a corollary to our five earlier successful lectures will illuminate our perspective as a nation of consequence especially as we seek to consolidate on the achievements of the past eleven years of democratic dispensation, correct the mistakes of the past and meet the challenges of the future. It promises to be a wonderful event.

All our past lectures attracted personalities from different strata of the Nigerian society, were well covered by the national media and stimulated interest and discourse on important national issues dominating our national life. It promises to be an interesting event. We hope that you will give our invitation a favourable consideration and look forward to seeing you on that day. Thank you and God bless you.

Yours faithfully,

Ituah Ighodalo

Editor-in-Chief/CEO