Soccer, short for 'Association Football' is a British term coined in the 1800's & has been used alongside football ever since. However, its decline in usage has nothing to do with the USA. No disrespect is intended here, but the North American Soccer League was not taken seriously enough in Britain to warrant differentiation as It was seen as a place where ageing European stars could play out their final years for a lot of cash. Its perfectly logical that the term soccer was used in the USA to differentiate the game from the established American Football, but it had no impact on the use of the word soccer in Britain.
The real reason for the lesser use of the term soccer is the decline of the amateur game that had originated at the English public schools & Universities. In the early years of the FA Cup it was these amateur teams, such as The Wanderers, Old Etonians, Royal Engineers & Oxford University that dominated. The proponents of amateurism said it was unsporting to be paid - even though the men making these lofty pronouncements were already rich & amateurism was a sort of segregation, keeping the poor out of sport.
However professional football began to grow in strength & in the 1883 FA Cup final, the domination of the rich amateurs was broken when the professionals of Blackburn Olympic defeated the Old Etonians. Here was a situation where a team comprised of wealthy gentlemen were humbled by men who would only normally be in their company as servants, tradesmen or employees! In boxing, the cultural significance of Jack Johnson's defeats of Burns & Jeffries is widely discussed, but in Britain this huge victory for the 'lower' classes over their social 'betters' is rarely mentioned.
No team of wealthy amateurs ever reached the FA Cup final again and in 1893 the FA Amateur cup was created so the rich could have a trophy to lift. But the men who played in these and later amateur sides, such as Lord Kinnaird & Sir Harold Thompson still maintained power and influence, even though the game they played had been eclipsed by professionalism.
With their passing the use of the word soccer has declined too.
Oh and finally, Clough without Taylor would have been a disaster as England manager, just like he was at Leeds.
This idea Clough would have delivered another World Cup win is fantasy, just like how some England fans claim their team would have won all three of the pre-war World Cups!
***The only programme I'm likely to get on is the ------- news!***
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baldrickadder
9 years ago
I agree that the term Soccer as a name has declined in Britain. Yet as somebody who has always used the term and all friends and family as well, it may well be the reason I don't mind the name being used. But I can't for the live of me understand, why suddenly it has to be called football, according to some on here. You could call it, a bunch of overpaid posers kicking a bag of wind and I would still know what you are about. [still watch it though lol] The fact that football has an history of being called soccer. I mean are we not supposed to be a country that holds our history and tradition dear to the heart.
I agree also about Clough and the world cup. I was pointing out a documentary call CLoughie the best manager England never had. I watched it you tube, well worth a watch. It covers their relationship in a few places. Your right he never won anything without Taylor. Who knows what would have happened if he had gone to Leeds with Clough.
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