In 1541, Henry VIII passed a law banning all sports on Christmas Day
– except archery, which was important so English men were always ready to go into battle. |
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In Tudor England, sport was heavily controlled by the government. The ordinary citizen rarely had a chance to take part in sport as the government considered it more important that they were fit enough to work. Most of their waking hours involved work of some sort so time for sport was a rarity. In the early years of the reign of Henry VIII a law was passed in 1512 that banned the ordinary person from a whole range of games such as real tennis, as favoured by Henry VII, cards, dice, bowls and skittles. It was only at Christmas that rules were slightly relaxed in celebration of a religious holiday.
Football had been a popular sport for a number of years. It was very different in Tudor England when compared to the game today. There was no limit to the number of people on each side and the goalposts were set about one mile apart. The rules also allowed those playing to pick up and throw the ball as well as kick it into the opponent’s net. These games were rough and many young men were hurt while playing it. These casualties were invariably those who might be needed for the army – young and fit men. So, it's no surprise that in 1540, in the reign of Henry VIII, who fought many wars, (against the French, against the Scots, against the Gaelic lords of Ireland, against rebels in his own realms, even against his traditional allies in the Netherlands) football got banned.
Despite ordering the first known pair of football boots, Henry VIII of England attempted a ban in 1540. As with the other laws, this was only a partial success. :)
Source: Wikipedia | CCSC News
