Tennisproline.com is the premier internet tennis retailer for tennis racquets, shoes, strings, bags, including the latest accessories like grips, overgrips and dampeners, with discounts up to 40% from retail prices. We also proudly carry an extensive range of mens, womens and junior tennis clothing including shirts, shorts, skirts, socks, hats and more.
Along with general Tennis gear, Tennisproline.com carries a wide range of Court equipment and teaching tennis aids.

As always, you can expect

Tennisproline.com is the premier internet tennis retailer for tennis racquets, shoes, strings, bags, including the latest accessories like grips, overgrips and dampeners, with discounts up to 40% from retail prices. We also proudly carry an extensive range of mens, womens and junior tennis clothing including shirts, shorts, skirts, socks, hats and more. Along with general Tennis gear, Tennisproline.com carries a wide range of Court equipment and teaching tennis aids. As always, you can expectTennisproline.com is the premier internet tennis retailer for tennis racquets, shoes, strings, bags, including the latest accessories like grips, overgrips and dampeners, with discounts up to 40% from retail prices. We also proudly carry an extensive range of mens, womens and junior tennis clothing including shirts, shorts, skirts, socks, hats and more. Along with general Tennis gear, Tennisproline.com carries a wide range of Court equipment and teaching tennis aids. As always, you can expectTennisproline.com is the premier internet tennis retailer for tennis racquets, shoes, strings, bags, including the latest accessories like grips, overgrips and dampeners, with discounts up to 40% from retail prices. We also proudly carry an extensive range of mens, womens and junior tennis clothing including shirts, shorts, skirts, socks, hats and more. Along with general Tennis gear, Tennisproline.com carries a wide range of Court equipment and teaching tennis aids. As always, you can expect

More Tennis Articles

Many of the table tennis geniuses have deeply struggled to express their unmatched talents as table tennis DVD. They have given a perfect tips and strategies how to play some master strokes such as forehand smash, forehand loops and much more. It is difficult to set a coach for everybody who will to learn table tennis. Hence many table tennis technicians expressed their deep concern to this by introducing DVDs exclusively for learning table tennis. These table tennis DVDs involve nothing lesser than the actual table tennis tips and strategies. Table Tennis has been progressing as one of the most played world class games. The craze in fans for this game is also increasing vastly. Hence people are getting more interested to watch, encourage as well as play this game. Only few people are lucky to take advantage of the table tennis coaches.

There is separate table tennis DVD which particularly highlights and specifically teaches all the techniques of a single stroke. Some of such table tennis DVDs is as follows:

Special DVDs for forehand smashes: Just like forehand loops, there are also many sub shots in forehand smashes. They are like backhand smash, head smash, jumping smash and much more. Forehand smashes are the very important moves to dare your opponent. With this you get the offensive, raw and ruthless power to defeat all kinds of opponents whom you face. It mainly depend the quality of grip with which you handle. The table tennis DVDs offered teaches you from the basics i.e. from the grips to all the smashes.

Special DVDs for forehand loops: You can get to know how to play all these loops easily by purchasing a single table tennis DVD which teaches all these sub shots as simpler as possible. One of the most powerful and dynamic strokes of the table tennis are forehand loops. Forehand loops include many sub shots as a part of it. They are like loop drives, loop kills, slow hand loops etc. You can put your opponent to easy defeat once if you are perfect with all the tips and strategies that these DVDs teach.

Many table tennis experts such as Jan ove waldner offered master table tennis DVDs. Jan ove waldner DVDs also cover all the unique and basic topics regarding table tennis. Table tennis is really a tough game which requires a lot of coordination between hands and eyes and instantaneous reactions. Hence we cannot play in as easily and casually as any other games. Apart from these there are also ping pong instructional DVDs which mainly focuses the recent development in strategies of table tennis. This is an internet generation and of course many people look for table tennis information online. Hence there are table tennis instructional videos exclusively offered online on you tube, Meta cafe, official websites and also on DVDs of table tennis. Make the most of these table tennis DVDs and other table tennis instructional mediums. So what if you do not have any personal table tennis coach.

More Tennis Articles

Serves are an important part to anyone’s tennis game. Your serves will set the tone for the match, because if you cannot win games with your serve, it will be a tough match. It is to your advantage to have a strong serve. It is also beneficial to be able to surprise your opponent with different types of serves.

Take a look at videos on tennis serves for an idea of what these different types of tennis serves are that you can implement into your tennis strategy.

Just to give you a better idea, read on for more information about each different type of serve.

Flat Serve

These tennis serves are simple and easy to replicate. This is a power serve in which no spin is used. You will want to use your legs for momentum and push forward through the ball. In this case, it is important to bend the knees and snap the wrist after being in contact with the ball.

This will bring the serve down and avoid serves from going out.

Top Spin Serve

The goal of the top spin serve is to have net clearance so that the serve is higher over the net for the ball to not land into the net. The motion used on this serve is a “brush up” motion, which can be thought of as tracing one’s head from the neck to the forehead. With this motion, you are brushing against the top of the ball at contact.

Slice Serve

The slice serve is a more accurate serve, which has a high difficulty level for opponents to return. The motion you want to use would be as if you are throwing a dart forward. This serve has a special type of sound to it that sounds like a “click”. This motion is almost lik ea top spin serve, but you are brushing against the side of the ball versus the top.

Under Spin Serve

This under spin serve is also known as the under hand serve. Most beginners like to use this when playing their first few matches. The motion is a lot easier to learn as compared to the serves discussed above. The under spin serve has extreme spin on it and can be done without extra movement of the legs. If you are having issues with your leg cramping up in matches, you can use this serve to your advantage. It also gives you the advantage in that it is not that easy to return.

Kick Serve

The kick serve is a special serve that initially bounces and “kicks” to the opposite side. By “kick” I mean that the ball looks like it will bounce in one simple direction, but it actually bounces to the opposite side. This serve is used to throw off the opponent and keep them guessing as to where the ball will bounce. If you can master this serve, you will definitely have the advantage when it is your serve during the match.

It is imperative to first understand the fundamentals of tennis serves in order to better achieve the serves mentioned above. Also, getting free critiques on your serves will help you improve your game in terms of knowing what you are doing right and/or wrong. Good luck with your tennis serves!

Related Tennis Articles

Article by Doug Melvin

Why You Should Learn to Play Golf

If you are wondering what the benefits are to learning how to play golf, then I’m willing to bet that you fall into one of the following categories:

1. Someone has suggested golf to you as a sport you might enjoy; or,

2. You are feeling some social pressure from others, e.g., colleagues at work.

In the first case, you just have to find out whether golf would be fun for you or not. In the second case, my guess is that you feel it necessary to learn golf so you can join in on the ‘bonding’ and ‘networking’ experience, even if golf doesn’t excite you all that much.

So, if you need some ‘convincing’, then read on! There are plenty of good reasons to learn golf, and you’ll find them here.

Reason #1: Mental Focus

Golf is a game of focus and strategy. You use your mind, your senses and your ability to time and coordinate movements at every step of the game.

Golf is not a game of brute physical strength the way some other sports are. In fact, the stronger you are, the more you’ll probably have to work on containing and directing that strength when it comes time to hit the ball.

The best players are those who have learn to still their minds and visualize making that perfect swing. It may look easy from the outside, but there is actually a lot of ‘multi-tasking’ going in the mind of a golfer.

You learn to judge distances and correlate those distances with the amount of force to apply in your swing. At the same time, you must aim your swing and account for any factors that might change the direction of the ball.

Believe it or not, training yourself to focus in this way will have useful applications not just in other sport, but in other areas of your life. If nothing else, it teaches you to take a step back and calculate all of the variables standing between you and a goal.

Reason #2: Low-impact Exercise

You can actually get a great work-out by playing golf.

How?

First, consider the motion of a full-on golf swing. Even if you’re in tip-top shape, you’re probably going to feel sore in your arms, shoulders, lower back and maybe even your abdomen the day after your first round of swinging that club.

Next, consider that each hole on a given course can be separated by anywhere from 200 to over 700 yards, with varying types of terrain. Unless you rent a cart, you’re going to be walking those yards and lugging around a bag full of clubs to boot!

All that walking is a great, low-impact work-out for your entire body.

Reason #3: Respect

Golf is also a game of respect — for the rules as well as other players. Some would say that golf is the most ‘civilized’ or ‘dignified’ of sports. Even though you may want to ‘best’ your ‘competitors’, the person you’re really playing against is yourself.

There are no ‘tackles’ in golf, and there is no ‘stealing of plays’. Everyone takes his or her turn in an orderly fashion, and keeps an eye out on the location of other players at all times so as not to strike them with a club or bean them with a stray golf ball.

Reason #4: Business and networking

This is probably what many people think of when they think of golf: wealthy and/or connected individuals making sweetheart deals over 18 holes at the country club.

It’s a stereotype, but one with a lot of truth to it.

Golf was once a sport strictly of the upper-classes in Scotland and England. Even in the United States, many of the best greens were connected to exclusive country clubs that the average person couldn’t access without knowing someone on the inside.

Thankfully, in this day and age, golf is a much more inclusive and accessible past-time for the average person, as well as anyone else looking for an informal activity to share with friends, clients, partners, colleagues, etc.

You can hold relatively private conversations while playing golf, and you don’t have to change into a uniform to play, either. In fact, you can play golf in a business suit if need be, although you’ll probably want to take off your jacket!

Those are the four biggest reasons I can think of for why you should learn to play golf. If you still aren’t convinced, then rent a set of clubs and do a few practice rounds on a local course. You just might enjoy it after all, once you get the ‘swing’ of it!

Start learning from the masters, visit the site below for the Golf Masters Secrets DVD Set.

http://www.golf-master-secrets.co.uk

Doug MelvinGolf Masters Secrets

More Golf Articles

The golf master has published the best 50 stadium of the United States, the top one of which is the Pine Valley club. The Arista Stadium which held many U.S. opens , Zini Cork Mountain American golf clubs which held every year’s Masters , the Cypress Point , Mr Grams monte, round while followed by golf course, etc. These stadiums have a long history and inherent golf club culture, and have held a successive major golf tournaments. 

Outside the United States in the best 50 stadium the royal rural golf club of Northern Ireland exalts the top. Among the 50 stadium, the Scottish stadium have occupied a number of 12. Ireland has 8 after Scotland, while England 7, and Wales 1.   According to the nation, Britain has the largest number of this stadium, altogether accounted for 28, France and Spain each one. In addition to Europe, Australia and Canada each has four;

South Africa and Japan each has three;  New Zealand has 2;

Mexico and the Dominican, Bermuda and South Korea (Korean nine bridge golf club) each has one.

The best stadium in the golf course, though there has personalities that other stadium cannot imitated, but it has a few common characteristics. 

In the selection, experts have in various criteria, but it has the same place when choose for many times. Above all, it needs “uniqueness” and “representative” that other places don not have. A prominent feature of Round Golf Course is outspread cliffs along cultivates. Mention the Augusta national club, on our mind will emerge with a pine tree in rich white beaches and green lawn with gorgeous appearance of the pitch.  

St Andrews, the old stadium has extensive fields, small stone bridge and golf hole bunker.  The stadium of inherent image became a pattern followed by other stadium. Thus it played a leading and template model role. Second, the best stadium has their respective traditions.

Many modern stadium are built with the ideas deriving from the traditional ones 100 years ago. So these stadium have the features of tradition.

In addition, the best stadium though does not have natural quality but it can let a person feel fun from golf. The stadium whose facilities with a history of less than 10 years can also be the best stadium is for their these similar characteristics. Finally, the best stadium has continuous innovation ability. Whether Augusta national golf club or pine valley has continually upgraded or improved the jumping pit. Some stadium innovates for themselves to bid for the main competition; Some have to upgrade the irrigation and drainage facilities; Some stadium gradually changed in the original design and fame and diligently for the changes of the years.

By this time there is a constant principle, namely, no development is no improvement.

While, I would like to introduce some popular golf products which can add the chances to your success on the course. One of these is called, callaway iron callaway iron

Callaway X-24 Hot Irons

The Details of Callaway X-24 Hot Irons:

Callaway X-24 Irons is on sale at buycheapgolf.com
Callaway X-24 Hot Irons best price 399.99
Callaway X-24 Hot Irons 3-9PS
Callaway X-24 Hot Irons Steel Shaft
Callaway X-24 Hot Irons Flex: Regular / Stiff

Callaway X-24 Hot Irons is a new style come with the most reasonable price & free shipping worldwide, great discount on buycheapgolf.com.
From the makers of the #1 Irons in Golf for the last 13 years and counting comes the longest, most accurate callaway x Series Irons ever. Callaway X-24 Hot Irons are powered by a consistently hot face that generates blazing ball speeds for maximum distance with pinpoint accuracy. The new stealth PVD finish provides a distinctive dark look that minimizes glare.

 Related information please visit: http://www.buycheapgolf.com/

Article by golf expert

With effort Power it will have fabulous swing of golf. Having long and incredibly straight that impels its associated blow of golf of 30 yards in each hole. Dear Golfista, You can imagine the glance of pure horror in the faces of its friendly of golf like removing to the sweetest units and crank to end a great turn after another one… If you have had the experience, they have bought the last one and greater equipment of its crazy garage is full of that trick aid… If you have proven golf pros and the clubs most recent and than still cannot obtain discs in the street, or that darn ball near the hole, this is the most important piece of information that you never read.

The players of golf of the cost hundreds of dollars in the experience, to only be more confused than ever… and not to be able to strike the ball to all! With this scene, which is? Taking you more lessons? Hit more balls? I am going to bet that you have already done that. Aid? He is honest. I am a straight gunner… fessing and is the first step to end the frustration and to obtain quickly in the good way. What the pros not to say to them are that is its body that are you of maintenance of a high level of yield. When the things diffuclt in swing, everything what there is to do is a simple streching or movement of the force to solve this problem in particular. That easy! That is the form in which their golf course of improvement focuses must be. Simple. Easy. With the fast results. Not more ” Band Aid” swing adjustments that do not last. Only simple suggestions and techniques that can use immediately, In fact… we are so safe with respect to the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guía… that goes to us as far as to say one of the simple ones of golf it even extends or golf exercises could almost increase your discs of up to 20 meters… the night to the morning!

The beauty to obtain its body apt for golf… is that you do not have swing more difficult of the most affected. In fact, you swing much more easy… and to see the firings in center tee explosion of fairway.

golf swing

cobra golf

golf cart accessories

us open golf

Related Golf Articles

Windows Predefined Controls – Part 21
Volume – Windows User Interface

Introduction
This is part 21 of my series, Windows Predefined Controls. In order to understand this tutorial, you must have read all the previous tutorials of the series. In this part of the series, we look at Windows Combo Box.

Note: If you cannot see the code or if you think anything is missing (broken link, image absent), just contact me at forchatrans@yahoo.com. That is, contact me for the slightest problem you have about what you are reading.

What is a Combo Box?
A combo box is a control that consist of a list box and either an edit control or a static control above it. With the combo box only one item can be selected; that is, the user cannot select more than one item in the list box at the same time. When the item is selected it appears in the edit control or the static control, depending on which one the combo box is using. All controls are child windows.

The edit control or the static control above the list box is called the Selection Field. The list box of the combo box is sometimes simply called the list. The list presents the options that a user can select, and the selection field displays the option selected. The option selected is called the current selection.

If the selection field is an edit control, the user can type what he wants directly into the edit control. What he types into the edit control does not necessarily have to be found in the list.

In this series, we deal only with items in the list that are strings.

Zero-Based Indexing
The items in the list box are numbered counting from zero at the first item. Each of these numbers is called an index

Types of Combo Boxes
There are three types of combo boxes: Simple, Drop Down and Drop Down List.

The Simple Combo Box
This type of combo box has a list box and an edit control above it. You see one or more elements always in the list. When the user selects an item in the list, it is highlighted, and then you also see the selected item in the edit control. The user can also type something into the edit control that is not in the list. This type of combo box uses the CBS_SIMPLE combo box style.

Of course the list of this type of combo box can have a scroll bar. At all times you see the selection field and the list, for this combo box type.

The Drop Down Combo Box
With this type of combo box, you see only the selection field at all times. The selection field has a drop down arrow button on its right. When the user clicks the drop down arrow, he sees the list dropped down (displayed below the selection field). Then the user can select an item in the list. When the item is selected, the drop down list closes up and the selected item appears in the selection field. The selection field here is an edit control. The drop down list can have a scroll bar.

The user can also type something into the edit control that is not in the list, without dropping down the list. This type of combo box uses the CBS_DROPDOWN combo box style.

The Drop Down List Combo Box
This type of combo box is similar to the drop down combo box, described above, except that its selection field is a static control and not an edit control. This type of combo box uses the CBS_DROPDOWNLIST combo box style.

Directory List
A combo box can have lists of all sorts. A list of particular interest is the listing of a directory. We shall see more about this later.

Data Associated with List Items
An application can have associated data with the list items in a combo box. The datum associated with a list item is of type, DWORD, which means, Double Word (8 bits form a byte, 16 bits form a word and 32 bits form a DWORD). We shall see more about this later.

The Extended User Interface
Drop-down combo boxes and drop-down list combo boxes support an alternative keyboard interface called the Extended User Interface. By default and without the extended user interface, the F4 key opens or closes the list, and the Down Arrow Key changes the current selection. In a combo box with the extended user interface, however, the F4 key is disabled and pressing the Down Arrow key opens the drop-down list. In addition, the mouse wheel, which normally scrolls through the items in the list, does not have any function when the extended UI is set. More on this later!

Cue Banners
When an application starts and before any item in the list is selected, you can have text such as “Select Item from Below” displayed in the edit control of a combo box. This is an example of a cue banner. This gives a hint to the user as to what he should do with the combo box. As soon as the user selects an item in the list or as soon as he starts typing into the edit control, the cue banner disappears. That is the behavior of the cue banner. We shall see more on this later.

Creating a Combo Box
You can create a combo box using the CreateWindowEx function. The class is provided by the operating system and it is called, COMBOBOX. The style consists of WS_CHILD and CBS_SIMPLE or CBS_DROPDOWN or CBS_DROPDOWNLIST as a minimum. The rest of the arguments for the CreateWindowEx function are like those in the creation of other controls. I have dedicated a whole tutorial on the creation of combo boxes. Before we arrive at that tutorial, we shall first look at combo box styles, combo box notifications and combo box messages, each as a tutorial.

That is it for this part of the series. We stop here and continue in the next part.

Chrys

To arrive at any of the parts of this series, just type the corresponding title below in the Search Box of this page and click Search (use menu if available):

List Box Functions
Windows Combo Box
Combo Box Styles
Combo Box Notifications
Combo Box Messages
Creating Combo Boxes
Combo Box functions
 

Boxing is increasing in popularity nowadays. But maybe this might not be entirely because of professional boxers. Big name boxers are now on the decline. And big prize fights don’t reach the purses of ten years ago.

But on the whole, boxing as a physical work out and exercise is going down to the grassroots with boxing gyms springing up all over the place. From my personal experience, this is because boxing is more interesting than the old standard aerobic exercises, and offers more variety than velo-spinning or the treadmill.

Boxing training gyms have gone a long way from the dark seedy and all male enclave. It has gone into the mainstream, where the largest enrollment in some places are for young women who want to develop their muscles and learn how to punch, but not necessarily in that order.

Boxing offers a lot in terms of an all-around workout. It develops stamina, with the requisite roadwork, and the jumping rope. It also helps make for more flexibility. And unlike lifting free weights, boxing develops the major muscle groups without putting emphasis on any single one. As a cardio workout, sparring, punching the speed bag, and jumping rope is understated. Jumping rope burns more calories than cycling or running.

A stint at the speed ball helps a lot with eye-hand coordination. It should be obvious but unless you think about it hard, you won’t get it. That’s because it looks almost too easy not to hit the ball. It does bounce back, doesn’t it?

One other advantage a boxing regimen has over other gym routines is the intensity of the coach. The trainer looks out for the boxer, and gives instructions which require a well-rounded training, from the speed and coordination, to the power punch on the heavy punching bag; to the legwork where you are asked to dance from side to side and gliding forward and back.

As a form of exercise, boxing does have a lot to offer.

By: Boxing Products Supplier

For more information please visit our website http://www.boxing-products.com

Boxing Products Supplier is the manufacturer of Boxing Gloves, Rash Guard, Boxing Equipment, MMA Shorts, MMA Gloves, Hand Wraps, Boxing Shorts, Punching Bag, Fitness Equipments, Safety Vests. For more information please visit our website http://www.boxing-products.com

How To Get Quality Used Cardboard  Boxes For Your Storage Needs FREE!

So you’re in the business of organizing and storing your valuables, and of course,  you need used cardboard boxes. This article is going to give you some tips on getting used cardboard boxes for free and where to go if you have to buy them.

Years ago, it was a lot easier to get used cardboard boxes. Your local grocery store was only happy to get rid of their empty used cardboard boxes. Anyone could just call up the store manager and request them. Now, that’s changed in many places. Many companies are going “green”, which means they are sending their cardboard boxes to recyclers in China.

At first thought, this may seem like a really great idea. After all, isn’t recycling all about saving the environment and saving the planet? Sure it is, but let’s take it a step beyond recycling. What good is recycling, when there is still waste of resources involved in the recycling process? The point is, that many used cardboard boxes that are being sent to the recyclers are perfect for you or someone else needing to use them for storage, shipping or moving.

So, we’re in a dilemma. Many cities are sending their cardboard boxes to recyclers, instead of re-using them. So how can you get them for free?

Try Home Depot/Sears/Best Buy/etc. – Most likely  you’ll discover that they send them to recyclers, but some areas do make exceptions.  What you do is call up the store and tell them that you are looking for refrigerator boxes and that that you were told that there is a local delivery company that does. What you want is to get the name of the delivery company and their phone number. Make sure that you get someone like a manager or a full-time employee who will give the contact information for local delivery companies, not national franchises like GE. The delivery contractors usually are only happy to give you their boxes.
Visit your small and local delivery service companies. These are “mom and pop” businesses.
Family owned appliance stores – These are usually the best places to get boxes, especially used cardboard boxes that are large enough to store enough of  your items. Refrigerator boxes are the largest, but not all boxes have to be the same size, and you may not want all boxes to be that big. There are dryer boxes, washer boxes, and even smaller ones available.
Bicycle Shops – again, the locally owned bicycle shops tend to be the best.
Building contractors – they would definitely know where to direct you to free used cardboard boxes.
Cabinet dealers – once again, great source of FREE cardboard boxes.
Furniture stores – they tend to have larger boxes available.

Hopefully, this list will help you on your search for free used cardboard boxes, but as stated in the first half of this article, it can be difficult in some cities and regions to get them for free. If you have exhausted all your options, have no worries. You don’t have to purchase the cardboard boxes brand new. Why buy new,  when you’re only going to be using them once, right? That’s why we’ve created www.UsedCardBoardBoxes.com. What we do is we sell high quality, low cost moving kits for anyone who is in the market for used cardboard boxes. Best of all, a portion of the proceeds goes to charity, so that we can save more trees.

More Boxing Articles

Imbued in English culture is a love and inventor of Sports of all kinds.

I have a website where I have listed and linked to the created by us Brits. Our national game is Football which It is believed was first played over a 1,000 years ago in English villages up and down the country. There are stories that villager’s played against villager’s and the aim of the game was to get the ball passed the opposing village boundary line. The rules included kicking, punching, scratching the opposition over and above the kicking of the ball.

The earliest recorded form of ball kicking was recorded in England in 1280 AD at Ulgham near Ashington in Northumberland. A player was killed by running into an opposing players dagger.

In 1314, comes the earliest reference to a game called football when Nicholas de Farndone Lord Mayor of the City of London issued a decree on behalf of King Edward II banning football. It was written in the French used by the English upper classes at the time. A translation reads: “For as much as there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large foot balls in the fields of the public from which many evils might arise which God forbid: we command and forbid on behalf of the king, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in the city in the future.”

In 1409 King Henry IV of England gives us the first documented use of the English word “football” when issued a proclamation forbidding the levying of money for “foteball”.

At the end of the 15th century comes the earliest description of a football game. This account in Latin of a football game contains a number of features of modern football and comes from Cawston, Nottinghamshire, England. It is included in a manuscript collection of the miracles of King Henry VI of England. Although the precise date is uncertain it certainly comes from between 1481 and 1500. This is the first account of an exclusively “kicking game” and the first description of dribbling. “The game at which they had met for common recreation is called by some the foot-ball game. It is one in which young men, in country sport, propel a huge ball not by throwing it into the air but by striking it and rolling it along the ground, and that not with their hands but with their feet… kicking in opposite directions” The chronicler gives the earliest reference to a football field, stating that: “The boundaries have been marked and the game had started.

In 1526 comes the first record of a pair of football boots occurs when Henry VIII of England ordered a pair from the Great Wardrobe in 1526. Unfortunately these are no longer in existence.

In 1581 comes the earliest account of football as an organised team sport. Richard Mulcaster, a student at Eton College in the early 16th century and later headmaster at other English schools provides the earliest references to teams (“sides” and “parties”), positions (“standings”), a referee (“judge over the parties”) and a coach “(trayning maister)”. Mulcaster’s “footeball” had evolved from the disordered and violent forms of traditional football:

[s]ome smaller number with such overlooking, sorted into sides and standings, not meeting with their bodies so boisterously to trie their strength: nor shouldring or shuffing one an other so barbarously … may use footeball for as much good to the body, by the chiefe use of the legges.

Mulcaster also confirms that in sixteenth century England football was very popular and widespread: it had attained “greatnes. .. [and was] much used … in all places”

Despite this violence continued to be a problem. For example, the parish archives of North Moreton, Oxfordshire for May 1595 state: “Gunter’s son and ye Gregorys fell together by ye years at football. Old Gunter drew his dagger and both broke their heads, and they died both within a fortnight after.”

The first direct references to scoring a goal come from England in the 1600s. For example, in John Day’s play ‘The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green (performed circa 1600; published 1659): “I’ll play a gole at camp-ball” (an extremely violent variety of football, which was popular in East Anglia. Similarly in a poem in 1613, Michael Drayton refers to “when the Ball to throw, And drive it to the Gole, in squadrons forth they goe”.

In 1602 the earliest reference to a game involving passing the ball comes from cornish hurling. In particular Carew tells us that: “Then must he cast the ball (named Dealing) to some one of his fellowes”. In this case, however, the pass is by hand, as in rugby football. Although there are other allusions to ball passing in seventeenth century literature, this is the only one which categorically states that the ball was passed to another member of the same team. There are no other explicit references to passing the ball between members of the same team until the 1860s, however, in 1650 English puritan Richard baxter alludes to player to player passing of the ball during a football game in his book Everlasting Rest: “like a Football in the midst of a crowd of Boys, tost about in contention from one to another”.

Football continued to be outlawed in English cities, for example the Manchester Lete Roll contains a resolution, dated 12 October 1608: “That whereas there hath been heretofore great disorder in our towne of Manchester, and the inhabitants thereof greatly wronged and charged with makinge and amendinge of their glasse windows broken yearlye and spoyled by a companye of lewd and disordered psons vsing that unlawfull exercise of playinge with the ffote-ball in ye streets of ye sd toune breakinge many men’s windowes and glasse at their plesures and other great enormyties. Therefore, wee of this jurye doe order that no manner of psons hereafter shall play or use the footeball in any street within the said toune of Manchester, subpœnd to evye one that shall so use the same for evye time xiid”.

Although football was frequently outlawed in England, it remained popular even with the ruling classes. For example, during the reign of King James I of England James Howelll mentions how Lord Willoughby and Lord Sunderland enjoyed playing football, for example:”Lord Willoughby, and he, with so many of their servants … play’d a match at foot- ball against such a number of Countrymen, where my Lord of Sunderland being busy about the ball, got a bruise in the breast.

The concept of football teams is mentioned by English Poet Edmund Waller in c1624: He mentions a “a sort [i.e. company] of lusty shepherds try their force at football, care of victory… They ply their feet, and still the restless ball, Toss’d to and fro, is urged by them all”. The last line suggests that playing as a team emerged much earlier in English football than previously thought.

Football continued to be popular throughout seventeenth century England. For example in 1634 Davenant is quoted (in Hones Table-Book) as remarking, “I would now make a safe retreat, but methinks Jam stopped by one of your heroic gamea called football; which I conceive (under your favor) not very conveniently civil in the streets, especially in such irregular and narrow roads as Crooked Lane. Yet it argues your courage, much like your military pastime of throwing at cocks, since you have long allowed these two valiant exercises in the streets”. Similarly in 1638 Thomas Randolp suggests this in the following lines from one of his plays: “Madam, you may in time bring down his legs To the just size, now overgrown with playing Too much at foot-ball”.

In 1660 comes the first objective study of football, given in Francis Willughby’s Book of Sports, written in about 1660. This account is particularly noteworthy as he refers to football by its correct name and is the first to describe the following: goals and a pitch (“a close that has a gate at either end. The gates are called Goals”), tactics (“leaving some of their best players to guard the goal”), scoring (“they that can strike the ball through their opponents’ goal first win”) and the way teams were selected (“the players being equally divided according to their strength and nimbleness”). He is the first to describe a law of football: “They often break one another’s shins when two meet and strike both together against the ball, and therefore there is a law that they must not strike higher than the ball”. His book includes the first (basic) diagram illustrating a modern football pitch.

Football continued to be played in the later seventeenth century, even in cities such as London. The great diarist Samuel Pepys, for example, states in 1665 that in a London street “the streete being full of footballs”

England was the first country in the world to develop codified football, coming about from a desire of its various public schools to compete against each other. Previously, each school had its own rules, which may have dated back to the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries. The first attempts to come up with single codes probably began in the 1840s, with various meetings between school representatives attempting to come up with a set of rules with which all would be happy. The first attempt was The Cambridge Rules, created in 1848; others developed their own sets, most notably Sheffield F.C. (1855) and J.C. Thring(1862). These were moulded into one set in 1863 when the Football Association was formed; though some clubs continued to play under the Sheffield Rules 1878, and others dissented to form Rugby Union instead. The 1863 rules of the Football Association provides the first reference in the English Language to the verb to “pass” a ball.

C.W.Alcock became the first footballer ever to be ruled off side on 31 March 1866, confirming that players were probing ways of exploiting the new off side rule right from the start. The offside rule was introduced in 1866 into the Football Association rules. It was almost identical to the one that had been part of the Cambridge Rules.

The early Sheffield Rules were particularly important as their offside system allowed poaching or sneaking and thus demonstrated the use of the forward pass: Players known as “kick throughs” were positioned permanently near the opponents goal to receive these balls. According to C.W. Alcock the Sheffield style gave birth to the modern passing game. The Sheffield Rules of 1862later included both crossbars and half time and free kicks were introduced to their code in 1866.

The was an association football competition played in Sheffield, England. A local theatre owner Thomas Youdan sponsored the competition and provided the trophy. The trophy itself was made of silver, and although Thomas Youdan awarded a £2 prize to the winner of a competition to design the trophy, it was not completed in time to be presented on the day to the winners.

The format of the competition was drawn up by a committee and played under Sheffield Rules. The first two rounds were on a knock-out basis, however the final was contested between three teams playing each other in turn.

The final was played at Bramell Lane, Sheffield on 5 March 1867 and attracted 3,000 spectators, each paying 3d admission. The game used the concept of ‘rouges’ (a rouge was scored when an attempt at goal, using a goal only 4 yards wide, missed, but would have gone into an 8 yard wide goal: rouges were only considered in the case of a drawn match), and Hallam beat Norfolk and Mackenzie to finish first, while Norfolk beat Mackenzie and finished second. The Runners-up were presented with a two-handed silver goblet encircled with athletic figures that had been purchased with the proceeds of the gate money and had been completed. Sadly Youdan was unable to present it personally as he was ill.

England was home to the first ever international football match on the 5 March 1870. The first match ended in a draw and was one of a series of four matches between representatives of England and Scotland at The Oval, London. These matches were arranged by the Football Association, at the time the only national football body in the world.

The origin of these games came in 1870 when CW Alcock challenged homegrown contenders in Scotland against an English eleven. These challenges were issued in Scottish newspapers, including the Glasgow Herald. He received no response to these adverts. One response to Alcock’s challenges illustrates that soccer was eclipsed in Scotland by other codes:

“Mr Alcock’s challenge to meet a Scotch eleven on the borders sounds very well and is doubtless well meant. But it may not be generally well known that Mr Alcock is a very leading supporter of what is called the “association game”…devotees of the “association” rules will find no foemen worthy of their steel in Scotland”.

As a result he was forced to draw upon London-based players with Scottish origins. One notable Scottish player of the 1870 and 1871 games was Smith, a player of Queensn Park FC. This suggests that southern teams were not so isolated from Glasgow players and style of play as originally thought. Alcock was categorical that although most players were London based, this was due to lack of response from north of the border:

“I must join issue with your correspondent in some instances. First, I assert that of whatever the Scotch eleven may have been composed the right to play was open to every Scotchman [Alcock's italics] whether his lines were cast North or South of the Tweed and that if in the face of the invitations publicly given through the columns of leading journals of Scotland the representative eleven consisted chiefly of Anglo-Scotians … the fault lies on the heads of the players of the north, not on the management who sought the services of all alike impartially. To call the team London Scotchmen contributes nothing. The match was, as announced, to all intents and purposes between England and Scotland”. The first official ( i.e. Currently recognised by FIFA) international match would take place between Scotland and England on November 30th. 1872. This match was played under the Football Association rules.

The F.A. Cup was the first nationally organized competition. A knockout cup, it began 1871, with the first winners being the Wanderers. In those days professionalism was banned, and the cup was dominated by service teams or old schoolboys’ teams (such as Old Etonians). In the early 1870s the modern team passing game was invented by the Sheffield FC, Royal Engineers A.F.C. and Scottish players of the era from Queens Park FC. This was the predecessor to the current passing, defensive game which was known as the Combination Game and was spread around the world by British expatriates.

The new professionals needed more regular competitive football in which they could compete, which led to the creation of the Football league in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . This was dominated by those clubs who had supported professionalism, and the twelve founding members consisted of six from Lancashire (Blackburn Rovers, Burnely, Bolton Wanderers, Accrington, Everton and preston North End) and six from the Midlands (Aston Villa, Derby County, Notts County, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers). No sides from the South or London initially participated.

Preston North End won the first ever Football League championship without losing any of their 22 fixtures, and won the FA Cup to complete the double. They retained their league title the following year but by the turn of the 20th century they had been eclipsed by Aston Villa, who had emulated Preston’s double success in 1897. Other Midlands sides, such as Wolves (1893 FA Cup winners) and West Bromwich Albion (1888 & 1892 FA Cup winners) were also successful during this era, as were Blackburn Rovers, who won five FA Cups in the 1880s and 1890s. In 1892 a second division was added and in 1920 a third division was added.

In 1891 Liverpool engineer John Alexander Brodie invented the football net.

In 1991 the English Premier league was formed of 20 clubs and with its links to Sky television and the increase in revenues by 2001 The Premier league was the richest league of any kind of sports in the world. At the present day, the league’s TV rights have reached over 2 Billion Pounds. The argument at present is when will technology be used around the goal to confirm problem goals by Video replay.

It always amazes me how from a little Island like England we created and gave the world over 100 sports and games that have dominated the world.