Popularity of Soccer

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network 

Show Name: Pitch Perfect

Episode Title: Popularity of Soccer

Episode #1

You are listening to Pitch Perfect with your host Chris Turnbull.

In this episode of Pitch Perfect, we discuss: How soccer grew in popularity, The World Team of the Decade for the 1890’s, and continuing about the growth.

Segment 1: How it grew in popularity

As we all know, Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and a sport that has plenty of history and has been played for a very long time. Obviously there are stories of people kicking around objects thousands of years ago, which some websites will give credit to as being the beginning of the game. But I wanted to begin at a time where we would all rcognize it, when the sport began in the form we know it today. The first ever football association was formed in England in 1863. It gave rules and gave a standard size and weight for the bals, and it also divided football and rugby as we know today. Around this time, only England and Scotland played. England had a style that was more kick and run, like rugby, but Scotland was more centered around passing, which is more prominent today. Professional football was officially legalized in 1885 and the Football league was established 3 years later. In its first season, there were 12 clubs, with most clubs being very successful still to this day, with Aston Villa, Burnley, Everton, and Wolves all in the premier league this season. 

Segment 2: World Team of Decade, 1890s

This next segment will be about the World Team of the Decade of the 1890s, the best players in the world at the beginning of the game as we know it today. 

1. The Goalkeeper was Ned Doig, played for Sunderland and was Scottish, it says in this website I’m looking at that he had the skills of a modern goalkeeper, but I dont know if they are talking about Onana type skills. The 2. Right Back was Nicol Smith, played for Rangers and again was from Scotland, another modern player as he was an attacking fullback. 

3. Left Back was William John Oakley, was English and played for Corinthian FC, no clue what that is and this website said he was an amateur, so don’t know what that’s about. 

4. Now they have a RH, CH, and LH. I believe I am correct in saying they are right, center, and left half, which I have heard but I am used to saying back instead of half. These players from left to right were Jack Reynolds, who played for Aston Villa and West Brom, Johnny Holt, played for Everton, and Jimmy Crabtree, for Aston Villa. They are all English except for Reynolds, who had caps for both Ireland and England. After the back 5 is where I get more confused with these positions. 

5. The next 2 are OR and IR, which I assume are Outside and Inside right. Charlie Athersmith and Steve Bloomer, Charlie for Villa and England and Steve for Derby County and England. 

6. Then you have the Cf, which I am familiar with, Jonny Campbell played for Sunderland and Scottland.