The first football club in history: It all started in Scotland with pig bladder balls – News – Nogomania

Edinburgh’s Foot-Ball Club, founded in 1824, was the world’s first organized football club, laying the groundwork for the modern game.

Football’s history is long and rich, evolving into its current form in 1863 when England established its Football Association. However, the roots of the game go further back, with the first football clubs emerging in the 1850s. Before this, football existed in rudimentary, chaotic forms as a popular pastime derived from medieval folk games and ancient Celtic sports. By the 18th century, it had spread to Britain’s elite schools and universities, where it was often more of a brawl than a structured game, with rules differing between schools and regions.

Among those captivated by this rough-and-tumble game was a 17-year-old law student, John Hope, from Edinburgh. Determined to keep playing after finishing school, he founded the Foot-Ball Club on December 11, 1824, in Edinburgh’s Dalry district. This was the world’s first football club.

The club began with a membership largely consisting of law students but soon attracted members from other professions, including doctors and accountants. Without rival clubs, the Foot-Ball Club’s matches were played internally among its members. Early records show that the club initially had 61 members and that match sizes varied, with one game in 1825 involving 39 players. The pig bladder footballs used often burst, creating frequent disruptions.

Recognizing the need to organize the chaotic game, Hope authored the first preserved football rules in 1833. These included stipulations like banning the use of hands to handle the ball, except when it was “out of play,” which historians interpret as an early distinction between football and rugby. The rules also required marked fields, upright goalposts, and outlawed tripping opponents, though pushing and holding were still allowed. Free kicks were introduced for fouls, marking an early step toward the structured game we know today.

Despite the lack of media attention, Hope diligently recorded the club’s activities. His detailed notes, now stored in the National Archives of Scotland, provide invaluable insights into early football. The Foot-Ball Club operated for 17 years, ceasing activities in 1841, with records showing that at least 324 members participated during its history.

The club’s legacy extended beyond its closure. One of its members, Sir Charles Sharpe Kirkpatrick, fathered James Kirkpatrick, a goalkeeper and captain of Scotland’s national team during the first international match against England in 1870. James later won the FA Cup with the Wanderers in 1878, further cementing the Foot-Ball Club’s influence on football’s evolution.

Though largely forgotten after 1841, the significance of the Foot-Ball Club has been rediscovered by historians in recent decades. Its role in transitioning football from a violent, chaotic activity to a more organized sport is undeniable. By the time John Hope died in 1893, football had become a professional sport in Britain, drawing thousands to stadiums. Hope likely never imagined the global phenomenon his club and its rudimentary rules would help create.