SPORTS AND SOCIETY

football - The
people’s game
– Written by Pieter d’Hooghe, Qatar

THE EVOLUTION OF FOOTBALL the line or not. This was the predecessor to For example, Liverpool Football Club was
There are reports of football being played modern goal-line technology. founded as a reaction against the Protestant
through the streets of English villages in the It was not long before a referee entered Everton Football Club3. Similarly, same-city
Middle Ages, using an animal bladder as a the football pitch – it was said at that rivals Glasgow Rangers and Celtic Football
ball. At that time, games were described time that rugby was a sport for hooligans, Club were not just sporting rivals but
as nothing less than organised riots, and played by gentlemen, while football was religious as well (Protestant and Catholic,
were more often noted for the royal decrees considered a sport for gentlemen, but played respectively)4.
banning the games than in the games by hooligans. There quickly arose the need Nationalistic phase: Football teams
themselves! for a neutral figure, who sat at a desk on the became the reflection of a whole nation. The
The first official international football centre pitch sideline. In case of dispute, the Germans were known for their discipline
game in history was between England and captains ‘referred’ to this man, and that is and the Brazilians for their Samba-like
Scotland in 18721. The game was played how the referee was established. technical skills.
on a cricket pitch in Scotland. Both teams If the person who invented this simple Identification phase: Today, team
presented a mostly attacking squad so it is game returned today, he would see an supporters identify with the team in victory.
therefore not surprising to learn that the impressive evolution that football has gone When asked about the team’s results, a
final score was 0-0. through. This evolution has gone through supporter will say, “We won”. Interestingly,
From the outset, football was a game four various phases: when the team is defeated, it is common for
played with 11 vs 11 players. This is because Industrial phase: English industrial a supporter to lament, “They lost”.
football was essentially played between companies used football as a leisure activity Today football is a family with 209
the dormitories of English colleges. Every for their staff between working sessions. For parents as the national associations
dormitory had 10 beds and the dormitory example, Arsenal Football Club was formed worldwide. The active children of these
surveyor, ‘the guardian’, who was the by munitions factory workers during World parents are some 300 million young football
keeper. However, there was no referee to War I and is a product of this period2. players affiliated with professional and
begin with. If there was doubt during a Religious phase: Many sports clubs amateur clubs in their respective countries.
game, both team captains decided, as real throughout the whole of Europe linked There are also eight confederations which
‘gentlemen’, whether the ball had crossed religion and education in their formation. operate on each continent.

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 Image: Arsenal play Liverpool at the Manor Ground in Plumstead, 6 October 1906.

FIFA FIFA SPORTING ACTIVITIES

Although the game of football has existed The World Cup
since the first half of the 19th century and
originated in England, FIFA was founded in
No other sport event enthrals the public
around the world as much as the Men’s
Football teams
1904, in Paris. The founding fathers of FIFA Senior FIFA World Cup. Since the inaugural became the
were the Netherlands, Denmark, France, World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, football’s
Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal and Belgium, flagship competition has steadily grown in reflection of a
whole nation
while Real Madrid represented the Spanish popularity and prestige.
contingent. The original idea of bringing together
The founders had four main objectives: the elite national teams to compete in a
• To protect and develop the game. world championship was the brainchild of
• To promote football globally. several enlightened French football officials.
• To look after the laws of the game. Inspired by Mr Jules Rimet, the enterprising
• To organise its own international FIFA President at that time, they drew
competitions. up a plan to stage a world championship
It is interesting to note that today, over in the early part of the last century. The
100 years later, these main objectives tournament was held on three occasions
remain largely the same, although the before World War II and then brought to an
game itself has had a remarkable evolution. abrupt halt that was to last for 12 years. The
Led by FIFA today, sporting, social, economic competition was revived in Brazil in 1950
and medical activities are the four most and in no time the World Cup acquired the
important pillars around the development status of the biggest single-sporting event
of the football game. in the world.

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SPORTS AND SOCIETY

become the first team sport included in the

Olympic schedule. One hundred years later,
football continues to be one of the major
attractions of the Games, as witnessed at the
2008 Olympics in Beijing when attendance
figures reached a new record of 1.9 million
cumulative spectators after the semi-final
stage6.

FIFA SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

FIFA’s football mission contains three
important parts:
• Develop the game.
• Touch the world.
• Build a better future.

Developing the game

This concerns infrastructure and
financial assistance, as well as education:
New ground Other competitions The Goal Programme collaborates
In 2002, when the FIFA World Cup was The World Cup is arguably one of the around 600 projects worldwide, supporting
staged in Korea and Japan, the long tradition most important organised sports events in the construction of technical centres,
(established in 1958) of alternating between the world but what is not always known headquarters and football turf pitches.
the continents of Europe and the Americas is that FIFA actually organises 13 World Course programmes for the youth,
was broken. In 2010 the World Cup once Cup competitions for all kinds of football futsal, refereeing, women’s football, sports
again broke new ground when South Africa (female, beach football, indoor football), medicine and administration are run all
became the first African country to host the both genders and different age categories over the world.
competition. And in 2022, the World Cup (adult, Olympic, under 20s, under 17s). The Specific Development Interests are run in
will be held in the Middle East for the very preparation and guidance of all these World the host nation of every World Cup (in 2010
first time, in Qatar. Cup competitions consists of much more it was run over the entire African Continent).
than the football games themselves. After the tragic tsunamis in Asia,
Popularity FIFA donated millions of dollars to the
The popularity of the World Cup was Women’s football reconstruction of local sports infrastructure
demonstrated at the 2006 tournament Of course, it is not just men who play in affected countries including India,
in Germany, which was one of the most football. According to a recent survey, some Indonesia and Japan.
watched events in television history. 29 million girls and women play football
Hundreds of millions of people watched the in 180 countries5. Much work is done to Touching the world
action in Germany in their homes. The Italy support the development and promotion This is achieved through the organisation
vs France final alone attracted 715 million of women’s football through dedicated of the different events, spearheaded by
television viewers. Almost 3.5 million fans information and awareness campaigns. the Men’s Senior FIFA World Cup. These
flocked to the German stadiums to watch By systematically stimulating interest competitions impact on different areas
the 64 matches of the tournament, while in the game, football not only raises the including stadia, media, marketing,
another 18 million converged on the public- women’s competition to a higher level, it television and medicine.
viewing Fan Fest area at the Brandenburg also increases the standing of women in
Gate. Italy were ultimately crowned society and helps them to overcome social Building a better future
champions for the fourth time following and cultural obstacles. The ‘Football for Hope’ projects support
previous triumphs in 1934, 1938 and programmes that use football as a tool to
1982, a record only surpassed by five-time Football at the Olympics tackle social issues in communities. As a
world champions Brazil. Only seven teams Football has also played an important social legacy of the South African World
(Argentina, England, France, Germany, role in the history of modern Olympic Cup in 2010, twenty ‘Football for Hope’
Uruguay, Brazil, Italy) have managed to Games. Football was first introduced as centres were built, focusing on education
triumph in the 18 World Cup competitions an exhibition sport at the 1900 and 1904 and public health in Africa. This movement
held since 1930. Games. Four years later it went on to now has over 100 programmes running

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in 50 countries. In each centre there is a In 2010, 490 instructional courses were positive doping cases, is often raised. There
football pitch, a classroom and medical supported with an investment of over USD is less than 0.4% positive tests measured
infrastructure. Other campaigns on anti- 6 million towards youth, female football, worldwide7, which is low compared to other
discrimination, fair-play, anti-racism sports medicine and refereeing. sports. Interestingly, these positive findings
and anti-match fixing/betting are also Each national association receives USD mainly involve social drugs like marijuana
practical examples of the target areas that 250,000 per year, while every confederation and cocaine which are commonly used
can be improved through football and its is granted USD 2.5 million yearly. by amateur level players. The reasons for
community. In 2010, USD 253 million was invested this might be that preventative campaigns
in Africa through specific projects and during youth tournaments are working
FIFA ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES programmes to guarantee the legacy of and also that the chance of getting ‘caught’
Football has become a stable economic hosting the first World Cup in the African is certainly very high – since 35,000
pillar in modern society and has created continent. worldwide controls are performed yearly.
many jobs both on and off the pitch - in FIFA’s revenue between 2007 and 2010 Another reason might be that in football,
areas as diverse as catering, retail and was USD 4,189 million. physical conditioning is very important,
construction. FIFA’s highest revenue maker FIFA’s expenses between 2007 and 2010 but so too are the technical and tactical
is by far through the Men’s Senior FIFA were USD 3,558 million. elements which cannot necessarily be
World Cup, held quadrennially. Ticket enhanced by doping. Also, the team nature
sales, television rights and advertising FIFA MEDICAL ACTIVITIES of football creates an element of social
contracts are the major part of this revenue. Football has helped in the evolution responsibility since players do not want to
However, the expenses for administrative of medicine itself. In sports medicine, let their teammates down. However, doping
staff, national associations, doping controls, for example, the focus is not only on the remains a focus as it is against the integrity
various commissions, worldwide courses athlete’s health, but also on his/her physical of competition - where the essence is talent,
and other activities are huge, and the condition. Aerobic/anaerobic training motivation and team-spirit.
financial success of every World Cup is methods, cardio-guided endurance testing,
an absolute necessity in order for FIFA to mental coaching, altitude training, diet F-MARC
continue its different strategies, activities and food supplements have all found their The face of FIFA’s medical activities is
and support. way into the daily routine of a professional F-MARC (the FIFA Medical and Research
football player. More and more team doctors Centre). During every FIFA World Cup,
FIFA in numbers are becoming co-ordinator of the medical F-MARC collaborates with the local Medical
Since 1999, USD 800 million has sub-disciplines related to players’ issues, Commission to concentrate on:
been allocated to the National Football instead of the responsible general ‘all- • The qualified teams and their staff.
Associations for their respective team’s knowing’ practitioner. • The FIFA family.
development and support. • The representatives of the media.
Since 1999, USD 262 million has been Doping • The fans.
invested in 522 Goal Programme projects The question around doping in football, • The epidemiology of injuries during the
for 193 football associations. and specifically why there are so few tournament.
• The in-and-out-of-competition doping
controls.
Specific fields of interest are problems
related to youth football, female football and

Team doctors are

referee injuries (e.g. Achilles tendinopathy
is quite common in those who often run

becoming co-ordinator of
backwards).
Data on the evolution of traumatology,

medical sub-disciplines
orthopaedics, physiology, cardiology,
neurology, pharmacology, psychology,
hydration, diet and hygiene are analysed, in

instead of ‘all-knowing’ order to gather state of the art information

and derive global guidelines considering

practitioners
health of players as its most important
concern. Other factors that are followed
closely are the effect of altitude, jetlag
and football in extreme conditions (e.g.

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SPORTS AND SOCIETY

heat) on players. Because of the worldwide

globalisation of football, these issues are
more relevant today than ever before.
Through these activities, football is being
promoted as a service to human society
to obtain better health, reduce risk factors
for chronic disease and as a preventative
measure towards public health.

THE FINAL WHISTLE?

Never! A match, a league championship
or a season might be over at the sound of
the final whistle, but the next kick-off is
always just around the corner, signalling
new excitement for the next game. Against
this background of constant renewal, the
essence of football remains unchanged.
Through unpredictable results, the elation
of victory and the anguish of defeat, football
will never cease to be a moving experience.

References
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Woolich. From http://www.arsenal.com/ footballdevelopment/women/ Orthopaedic Surgeon
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arsenal-formed-in-woolwich Accessed Aspetar - Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports
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football-club-is-formed Accessed January Accessed January 2013.
2013.
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