It has grown to possibly the biggest game on earth but what is football's origins and history. Read on to learn more.
Since time immemorial mankind has played various ball games. Evidence of which can be seen in many ancient societies, ancient Greek society being an example. The beginnings of the modern game however began in Britain in the times leading up to the industrial revolution. Whole villages would band together against other villages in games, which would span several fields. These games were often violent and there wasn’t any particular restrictions on which body parts you could use.
Variances of such games continued for some time until the 19th century. More and more people were leaving their villages for the industry of towns. People were feeling pride and allegiances to their fast growing towns and soon people wanted to represent their own towns in competition with the other new fast growing towns around them. Soon games where-by you could only use your feet were being played in stadiums between the burgeoning settlements. At this stage in history there were no crossbars on the goals, only a piece of flimsy tape adjoining two poles. Other differences included, as you might suspect, no use of goalie gloves but also importantly no offside rule, the absence of such a ruling meaning strong attack bias with games frequently ending 10 a piece or greater.
More and more towns created their own football teams and by the beginning of the 20th century the structure of how football is contested today with leagues and cups were in place. Also around this time the game was beginning to be exported around the globe with teams beginning in countries like Germany and Italy around this time. International bouts were beginning, at this point England remaining supreme defeating the likes of the rest of the world on its own. With this international popularity it wasn’t long before the game was being contested on the world stage in the likes of the World Cup or European Championships.
Tactically the game was changing too, with the advent of the offside rule out went 5 strikers and in came more defensive approaches, teams such as Italy trailblazing such approaches to the game. England was losing its supremacy and by the 50's Spanish and Italian club teams as well as South American international teams in particular had risen to an equal footing.
The game since has steadily grown in popularity around the globe, this popularity attracting wealth making former small town sports clubs into multinational plcs. With this greater professionalism has been introduced into the game with better use of nutrition and exercise as well as strict controls on player’s lifestyles. The use of emerging technologies and assistance from the likes of sports psychologists are all being used taking the game to new highs. The future of the sport definitely looks rosy.
HISTORY OF MAGIC
With magic, illusions, spells, tricks and ceremonials are usually performed for entertainment. It is a supernatural power which makes the seemingly impossible occur.
'Looking Back'
In ancient Egypt, there was a magician named Dedi who performed in front of a crowd, where he supposedly beheaded two birds and one ox. He eventually restored the heads of these three animals.
Because of this, the Egyptians were considered to be the first magicians recorded in history.
As the popularity of magic developed, tricks involving cups and balls were shown to the public. Then, playing cards, silver coins and dice were added to their slew of magical tricks.
Later on, ancient Greek magicians invented tricks involving the human body. A trick where a performer thrusts a dagger through one's arm without being hurt has been developed and shown in public places.
The ancient Chinese civilization also paved the way for magic. The "linking rings" is one of the earliest tricks ever invented. To begin with, a number of rings link themselves. The rings are made up of solid metal and the illusion is that they eventually unlink themselves.
'Famous Magicians'
One of the greatest magicians of all time is Harry Houdini. He started as a trapeze performer in the late 1800's and eventually became famous for his magical abilities.
He was an "escape artist" who bonded himself using locks or ropes and eventually extricated himself.
Spanish, Italian, British, French and American magicians presented their acts as magic regained popularity in the 1920's.
'Sawing a Woman in Half'
In 1921, the world first witnessed a magician saw a woman in half. British performer Percy Tibbles cut through a box containing his woman assistant. After the trick, she appeared without a harm.
This trick became even more complicated when the woman assistant was 'operated on' with her hands, head and feet in full view of the audience. The assistant was sawed in half using a power-driven saw, and was later restored without a scratch on her head.
'Reaching a Wider Audience'
Before, magicians only performed in theaters which were open to the public where food and drinks were offered but the magic tricks were performed
without any fee given by the viewers.
By the mid-1900's, they paved the doors for magicians to be 'professional performers' by requiring the public viewers to pay for watching magic shows.
In the 1950's, television was invented so magicians were able to reach an even wider audience spectrum.
During the 70's, Siegfried and Roy re-ignited the interest in magical tricks by making large animals disappear. David Copperfield is also a major player in the field of magicians who offered great entertainment to the viewing public.
