The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #50683   Message #769830
Posted By: Raedwulf
22-Aug-02 - 05:44 PM
Thread Name: BS: Quiz - English History 400-2000 AD
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz - English History 400-2000 AD
1100-1200 - The first English football commentary. During the next 3 centuries, the game will be consistently regarded as a menace.

I can never remember whether it's Edward I or III that banned football, but whichever it is, they're both later than 1200. AFAIK, that's the first Official cognizance of the game. However, there are other references - the Gilbertine monks in York were certainly playing the game in the 13thC (aside from documentary evidence, there's a skeleton been recovered that shows unmistakable evidence of the type of anterior cruciate ligament injury that put Gazza out of the 1991 Cup Final!). I'm guessing that there's quite possibly an even earlier reference, pre-1200, so TRUE, rather than False - can't offer you a firm ref. & date, I'm afraid.

I'll plump for Eddie III as the banner, BTW, because one of the reasons for the ban was that footie was interfering with archery practice on Sundays. The other was the small matter of violent disorder... Early football matches had virtually no rules, often took place between neighbouring villages (so the goals could be a couple of miles apart), anything up to a couple of hundred-a-side, & lots of serious injuries (sometimes even fatalities). Much worse than modern day hooliganism, a football match was frequently indistinguishable from a riot!

1300-1400 - Chaucer describes morris dancing, pub sessions and the wren hunt.

TRUE, I *think*! I never have got all the way through The Canterbury Tales, but it certainly starts with a pub-session, I'm fairly sure MD is mentioned, & I wouldn't be surprised to find the wren hunt in there as well. Chaucer went on pilgrimage to Canterbury in 1388, which likely put the idea of the Tales into his head, though some of the poems may have already existed in some form before then.