Post by Pete on Feb 17, 2006 0:16:19 GMT 10
Football is a generic term, and the dictionary has this definition of it:
"1. any of a number of forms of team game involving kicking a ball, in particular (in the UK) soccer or (in the US) American football .
2. a large inflated ball used in such a game"
Source: Concise Oxford Online
The Australian Pocket Oxford has a lesser definition being:
"(game played with) large inflated ball"
But the fact the Concise Oxford Online definition starts with "any of a number of forms of team game.." leads you to believe that any team game that kicks a ball around can be called football. The later specific mention of soccer and gridiron just highlight examples for the reader I think. And that's a pretty authoritative definition.
If you say you are "going to the football", the person who you say it to can think of our football, Australian Rules Football, Rugby Union, Rugby League or Gridiron. But if they know you, they'll know you're heading off to see the Mariners right? ;D
The fact the FA carries the name "football" in it's name is not unique. Rugby has the same (Rugby Football Union), as does League (Rugby Football League, I think?), Gridiron (American Football Conference, National Football League?) and Aussie Rules (Australian Football League).
The FA sought to unify all those quirky games of football in the UK but didn't quite get there, but they didn't change their name either. In any case, they became known as Association Football, so I guess the billing for a match would have been something like "Preston North End vs Bolton in a game of Association Football this Saturday 3 PM." So folks would have known it wasn't a game of Hurling or Rugby!
I guess too, the FA didn't predict that the name "football" would have been so contentious all these years on, with such passion displayed for naming rights.
You can kinda understand how the Rugby folks get all worked up over it can't you? (Not that Rugby was the only other football happening in the late 1800s.)
Gads! I'm starting to sound like Dibo! ;D
"1. any of a number of forms of team game involving kicking a ball, in particular (in the UK) soccer or (in the US) American football .
2. a large inflated ball used in such a game"
Source: Concise Oxford Online
The Australian Pocket Oxford has a lesser definition being:
"(game played with) large inflated ball"
But the fact the Concise Oxford Online definition starts with "any of a number of forms of team game.." leads you to believe that any team game that kicks a ball around can be called football. The later specific mention of soccer and gridiron just highlight examples for the reader I think. And that's a pretty authoritative definition.
If you say you are "going to the football", the person who you say it to can think of our football, Australian Rules Football, Rugby Union, Rugby League or Gridiron. But if they know you, they'll know you're heading off to see the Mariners right? ;D
The fact the FA carries the name "football" in it's name is not unique. Rugby has the same (Rugby Football Union), as does League (Rugby Football League, I think?), Gridiron (American Football Conference, National Football League?) and Aussie Rules (Australian Football League).
The FA sought to unify all those quirky games of football in the UK but didn't quite get there, but they didn't change their name either. In any case, they became known as Association Football, so I guess the billing for a match would have been something like "Preston North End vs Bolton in a game of Association Football this Saturday 3 PM." So folks would have known it wasn't a game of Hurling or Rugby!
I guess too, the FA didn't predict that the name "football" would have been so contentious all these years on, with such passion displayed for naming rights.
You can kinda understand how the Rugby folks get all worked up over it can't you? (Not that Rugby was the only other football happening in the late 1800s.)
Gads! I'm starting to sound like Dibo! ;D