How Did The Industrial Revolution Impact The Development Of Mob Football In Britain?

Public schools did engage in football; however, it was formed from the mob style of play therefore it was very violent with minimal rules. The boys would play this in their free time using the facilities available to them at the time. Different school all around the country would develop the game in different ways. Football in schools has come a long way, as now in schools, there is an official football team that is run by the PE staff. However back in history, boys would only play the mob version of the game in their free time e.g. break or lunch. Also, girls would never play football back then, however in most schools now there is a girls’ team as well as a boys’ team.

Tom brown school days is a book about a boy in a school that plays rugby.

This was a period where machinery was invented and developed in Britain, which resulted in the emergence of many factories in the towns and cities. Workers from the villages and towns moved to the cities to work in the factories, which directly resulted in the decline of mob football in the rural community. Towns and cities developed and banned mob football in the streets, limiting the opportunities to play however the improved transport helped the development of the new football. During the industrial revolution in Britain men would work very long hours, they would work between 15 and 18 hours a day, this left them little time to do anything other than eating and sleeping. However, the factory act in 1846 meant that people could get Saturday afternoons off in order to take part in sport or spectator sport, a lot of the time the chosen sport was football. During this revolution, nationwide sport developed through the influence of technology, the public schools and the national governing bodies. Also, amateur and professional sport became increasingly

Professionalism established 1885.

League format established in 1888.

Match time set to 90 minutes – 1877

Association football

During the late 1800s, the number of football teams increased and the level of support that they got had increased in Britain. Factory act 1867 introduced Saturday half day. Teams from the factories and working class people could also play or spectate. Permanent grounds transport and publicity increased the popularity of the game. As well as this, due to the supporters, more money was coming into clubs, they were then able to pay players to play, which gradually changed the face of football from an amateur to professional game, against the wishes of the FA.

The following pieces of information show how much the game changed as it got more serious;

The FA cup began in 1871

England played Scotland 1872 (the passing game developed)

Northern team Blackburn beat Old Etonians in FA Cup 1883

Professionalism was sanctioned in