The rowdy roots of British football

Hornby’s take on the history of football is that too many books are preoccupied by the rules and, as a result, start in the Freemason’s Tavern in London in 1863 when the Football Association held its inaugural meeting. He concludes that game needs to be traced back farther in order to truly understand its origins.

The review of the book alone is worth a read and I can only imagine the book being equally fascinating.