Detail from a silver medal presented in 1851, the world's oldest known football prize
Today I gave a talk on The Birth of Football in Edinburgh, describing the early development of the sport in Scotland's capital up to the formation of the city's first association football clubs in the 1870s.
It is a fascinating story which ranges from medieval times to developments in the Victorian era, covering not just those pioneers who played football in the 19th century but the social changes that brought the game to a wider audience. The 1850s were crucial, as the Meadows were opened up to the public for sport, while the Saturday half-holiday gave working men the time to play.
The event at Edinburgh's City Art Centre, part of the Edinburgh 900 celebration, attracted a large audience - all tickets were allocated several months ago.
For anyone unable to attend, I have now put the full illustrated talk into a single pdf document, which can be opened by clicking on this link.
I will be giving another talk next week, on the birth of rugby in Edinburgh, and will also put it online afterwards.
It is a fascinating story which ranges from medieval times to developments in the Victorian era, covering not just those pioneers who played football in the 19th century but the social changes that brought the game to a wider audience. The 1850s were crucial, as the Meadows were opened up to the public for sport, while the Saturday half-holiday gave working men the time to play.
The event at Edinburgh's City Art Centre, part of the Edinburgh 900 celebration, attracted a large audience - all tickets were allocated several months ago.
For anyone unable to attend, I have now put the full illustrated talk into a single pdf document, which can be opened by clicking on this link.
I will be giving another talk next week, on the birth of rugby in Edinburgh, and will also put it online afterwards.
The Third Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers, Edinburgh's first association football club, founded in 1874.
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