Football

• Do you have a favourite English football team? Why is it your favourite? Write down as many English football expressions as you can think of and ask the student next to you what they mean.

The sport originated at British boarding schools some 200 years ago, and was used to keep the pupils occupied in their lunch-break and after school hours. While football, where the use of hands is not allowed, was popular at some schools, rugby gained popularity at others.

A problem soon arose. Since schools made their own sets of football rules, it was impossible to compete against teams from other schools. In order to make a common set of football rules, a group of enthusiasts established the Football Association. Soon a set of fixed rules became the norm for the whole country, and tournaments could be arranged. Football increased in popularity, first in the North, later throughout the rest of the country.

The football season now lasts from August to April, with matches being played on Saturday afternoons. Recent years have been dominated by teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. Manchester United alone has won the Premier League 13 times since it was established in 1992. In spite of recent financial troubles, transfer fees often reach tens of millions of pounds.

The British, being a cultural superpower, introduced football in other countries and today football is the national pastime in, for instance, most Latin-American countries. In 1969 a small war even broke out between El Salvador and Honduras due to the results of a football match.