Finding Football's Founding Fathers

[Mr Mosquito]

FINDING FOOTBALL'S FOUNDING FATHERS

The Football Association today (Tuesday) kicked off a nationwide search to find living descendants of the founding fathers of football.

The FA is calling upon the public to come forward with information on the eight men that established the world's most popular sport 150 years ago.

It is a search that the England squad is helping with, and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is hopeful of success.

'Football has taken me around the world with Chelsea and England and it is fantastic that the passion and love for the game is the same wherever you go.

'Everyone who loves football owes a thank you to the men who compiled the first laws. It would be so special, particularly in the FA's 150th year, if we are able to locate living descendants of the founding fathers.'

Hailing from across the country, surprisingly little is known about these trail-blazers who gathered together on 26 October 1863 in the Freemasons' Tavern, London to draft the 13 original laws of association football.

The Founding Fathers of football are:

1. Ebenezer Cobb Morley (1831-1924)

2. Arthur Pember (1835-1886)

3. Charles William Alcock (1842-1907)

4. Francis Maule Campbell (1843-1920)

5. John Forster Alcock (1841-1910)

6. Herbert Thomas Steward (1839-1915)

7. George Twizell Wawn (1840-1914)

8. James Turner

Living descendants that can be identified and located will be sent an invitation to a special ceremony at Wembley Stadium in October, where their ancestors will be honoured.

Jane Clayton, cultural historian from the International Football Institute, University of Central Lancashire who is leading the search said: 'This is an important historical search. We know so much about people who were pioneers in their chosen fields but surprisingly, little is known about the individuals responsible for gifting us the most popular sport in the world.

'We are confident that by October, through genealogical research and the public's help, we can trace some of the living descendants of the founding fathers of football.'

England manager Roy Hodgson added: 'We should all recognise not only the sporting contribution that these men have made but the impact that football has had in this country and around the world. Football is part of the fabric of our society and without the vision of these eight men 150 years ago, it may not have come to exist. It is only right that we honour the founding fathers of this nation's favourite game.'

[havanatopia]

So James Turner is still knocking around somewhere then?

Since so little is known perhaps the FA should get their facts right first and be sure of them before honouring chaps who may not have been quite so important as they make out. Just saying like. If proven then of course honour them but perhaps there were others sitting down at a slightly less classy table in Burslem or Nottingham doing exactly the same thing.

[CiderHider]

Football goes back further than the 19th centry. I'm sure I read somewhere that a form of football dated back to the medieval period.

Sure theese guys may have dotted the I's and crossed the T's, but meh, there are better and more deserving heros to be worshipped than these guys, I love football i do, but i'm meeeh on this idea. I dont see how their decendents are worthy of song at all.

[Mr Mosquito]

So James Turner is still knocking around somewhere then?

Since so little is known perhaps the FA should get their facts right first and be sure of them before honouring chaps who may not have been quite so important as they make out. Just saying like. If proven then of course honour them but perhaps there were others sitting down at a slightly less classy table in Burslem or Nottingham doing exactly the same thing.

As per the article: "Hailing from across the country, surprisingly little is known about these trail-blazers who gathered together on 26 October 1863 in the Freemasons' Tavern, London to draft the 13 original laws of association football."......you never know, a living descendent may be found to be a Bristol City supporter and that's why I posted this topic. As for your mentioning of Nottingham, well, Notts County were founded 1862 so it's quite likely that some of the men at the meeting may have come from Nottingham. We'll all know soon enough with all the research now going on.

[Eco]

As per the article: "Hailing from across the country, surprisingly little is known about these trail-blazers who gathered together on 26 October 1863 in the Freemasons' Tavern, London to draft the 13 original laws of association football."......you never know, a living descendent may be found to be a Bristol City supporter and that's why I posted this topic. As for your mentioning of Nottingham, well, Notts County were founded 1862 so it's quite likely that some of the men at the meeting may have come from Nottingham. We'll all know soon enough with all the research now going on.

We know so little about them possibly because they were all Freemasons !

[Mr Mosquito]

We know so little about them possibly because they were all Freemasons !

That was the pub they met up in, how many pubs named "Masons' Arms" are in Bristol? On the contrary, some of the most famous people living and that have lived have been Freemasons, had those founding fathers actually been Freemasons then I reckon we'd all know more about them. In my humble opinion, the FA have got this search just right because the men they're honouring brought about the popularity of the greatest team sport on the planet.

[havanatopia]

We know so little about them possibly because they were all Freemasons !

And as I said in my earlier post; they may not have been the founding fathers. Research will unearth the answers? Finding a living relative may not give us the answer either.