Ebenezer Cobb Morley: Google Doodle Celebrates 187th Birthday of Father of the Football Association
Morley set the rules of football in 1863 before which football was played in a chaotic and brutal manner.
Google is celebrating the 187th birthday of Ebenezer Cobb Morley with a doodle. Morley who is regarded as the father of the Football Association and modern football was born on August 16, 1831. He was the first person to write down the rules of football known as the 'Laws of the game'. Before Morley set the rules in 1863, football was played in a chaotic and brutal manner. With his rules, football came to be played in a much better way.
Morley who studied law and was solicitor by profession. He became the association's first secretary in 1863 and second president in 1867. Google doodle video describes him saying "He was responsible for turning brutal football into a beautiful game." Morley was born at 10 Garden Square, Princess Street in UK's Hull to a minister and in 1858 relocated to Barnes in London to study law.
He was a sports enthusiast and formed the Barnes Club becoming the founding member of the Football Association in 1862. Being the captain of the club, Ebenezer Cobb Morley wrote to Bell's Life newspaper proposing an association to govern football. A meeting of all football clubs in England at the Freemasons' Tavern was thereafter held which created FA.
Watch the video below:
The laws of the games were drafted and chartered at Morley's home in Barnes. The rules were framed over six meetings at the Freemasons' Tavern. Then 13 laws came into being and were followed across clubs in England. The 13th rule states: 'No player shall wear projecting nails, iron plates, or gutta percha on the soles or heels of his boots'.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 16, 2018 09:04 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).