W. J. Murray

This ambitious book attempts to tell the history of the most popular sport in the work in one narrow volume. Of course, mainly it’s a history of the sport played on organized team and particularly on the international level. Murray traces the (modern) origins of the sport in England, it’s spread through the world, the creation of major clubs and leagues, and the origins of major competitions. Murray is also particularly devoted to discussing the political aspects of the sport (or at least the political circus that often surrounds it), why the association football code has not caught in some countries (particularly the US), and fan violence associated with soccer. As it’s a thin book it can only give a brief sampling to one interested in learning, but does a good job of offering a good taste of history.

“In the United States the apparent absence of violence around sports events is in marked contrast to its reputation for violence in daily life. U.S. sports culture, however, is quite unlike that of the rest of the world. Spectators at U.S. football matches are people rich enough to afford the high entry charges, including many females; the cult of the traveling fan is absent, and games are conducted mainly with the television audience in mind. The worst fan-related incidents in the United States seem to be in postmatch “celebratory” riots, where much of the trouble is caused by thugs with no interest in sports taking advantage of the situation. In contrast, most soccer-related violence involves people who are deeply attached to the game.” p. 168… (más)