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Football, the global game based on the idea of kicking an inflated pigs bladder has come a long way.

The earliest form of football was played in viking times using an animals bladder that was blown up and tied off.

When the vikings came to england to invade us we apparently stole the idea from them, and started to experiment with cow bladders as the chosen hi tech equipment of the period.

A good kick of the cow bladder, and pop, it burst, thus ending the game till another cow was slaughtered and a bladder could be extracted.

They sure would of gone through a lot of cows if they were going to continue to play this game they enjoyed so much.

So, trials started to find a stronger more sustainable material that could withstand a good kicking.
After some trial and error with other unsuspecting animals, the pigskin! It must have been quite a eureka moment for one bright animal slayer, as this tough lining seemed to be quite impenetrable to the human foot and games could be played for longer periods than ever before.

The football then, known as a pigskin, was advanced through the centuries from the inside of a cow, to a pig, to the inflated rubber sack protected by leather patches
you see all over the world today, it is played by millions and is the most popular sport on earth.

Learn more about this author, Neil Dixon.
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