by Matthew Adams

Created on: August 18, 2010   Last Updated: September 05, 2010

The origins of soccer, or football as it is beyond the US, can be traced back to England in the 19th century. Although the US have their own name for the sport, soccer is an English sport and England is considered to be the 'home of football' that has since become established as one of the most loved team sports. For in the 19th century the first soccer leagues and cups were established in England, along with the first governing body.

So, while it can only be speculated that soccer may have been played earlier than the 19th century, no official rulings for the sport had been laid down until the 19th century. Soccer was played often, but not until the Football Association was founded in 1863 was England starting to set down some clear guidelines for the sport. Here a series of meetings were held to lay the foundations for the modern game. Hereafter, a few soccer games were then played in 1864 in accordance with the FA's new guidelines for soccer.

As such, the path was set for the first soccer cup to be established by the FA. In 1871 the FA organized the FA Cup which became the first soccer cup. At the time, only amateur teams played in the FA Cup, and the cup soon expanded to include more teams. So, with this the magic of the FA Cup soon gained the attention of the soccer fans.

English soccer had no soccer league until 1888. The demands for more soccer fixtures led to a committee of clubs suggesting that a new soccer league be founded. As such, the Football League began with 12 member clubs. The league itself was played on a home and away basis, with 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw.

Therefore, England was the first to establish a soccer league and soccer cup in the 19th century. The Football League gradually expanded to include more divisions and more clubs from across England. This provided the basis for the professional game as soccer players began to play more regularly.

So, from here soccer expanded beyond England into Europe and South America. The national soccer teams of England and Scotland began to play other national teams beyond the UK. As such, Fifa emerged as an international soccer body for the sport. The football World Cup began in the 1930s, and became the premier cup for national teams.

As such, today soccer is team sport loved by many beyond England. The football World Cup is one of the biggest sport events, and English soccer's Premiership also has plenty of fans.

Sources:Wiki

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