From ancient China's 'tsu chu' to the Italian 'harpastum' to other variations practised by the Aztecs, Egyptians, Greeks, Japanese and Scandinavians it is clear that putting boot to leather has been with us since time immemorial.
Closer to home we had the village wide mob-style games, some still played today, although these proved to be little more than public brawls which invoked royal and government censure.
Indeed, as long ago as 1314, Edward III ordered 'footballers' to take up archery instead, a much more genteel pastime.
As the years passed attitudes changed with records showing luminaries such as Oliver Cromwell playing the game at Cambridge in the early 1600s.
So whilst they clearly did not invent the game our Victorian forefathers did bring a uniform set of rules to the sport and a degree of organisation previously lacking.
A desire for consistency among the many public schools playing the game culminated in a coming together of the codes in October 1863 at London's Freemasons Tavern.
A further meeting was called for early December during which a set of rules based on Harrow School's understanding of the game was adopted and the Football Association formed. An annual general meeting was also set for the last week in September thus establishing the beginning of the traditional football season.
There were some notable dissenters however, Blackheath School chief among them, who decided to pursue their own version of the code which we now know as Rugby Union.
Around a month later the very first game played under the new "Football Association" rules took place in Battersea Park, London between a Secretary's XI and a side chosen by the President of the F.A., a Mr. Charles Alcock.
However these rules were still a long way removed from the game we know today. Granted stipulations such as pitch size, goals, throw-ins etc. were in place but other staples like duration of play and the number of players on each side were still very much as the discretion of the two captains.
Incidentally, it should be noted that not all clubs adhered to every rule - regional variations still thrived - but they followed enough of them to keep the spirit of the 'new' game alive.
The first international (England v. Scotland) followed in 1872, as did the inaugural F.A. Cup, while the Football League wasn't introduced until 1889 fulfilling the growing clamour for a regular fixture list to be established.
In between times the Welsh FA and Irish FA's both emerged to help develop the game via the International Football Board. In fact, the influence of the four 'home' associations is still recognised to this day with a seat each on this rule making executive alongside four from the world governing body, FIFA (founded some years later in 1904).
The game wasn't just a male preserve, however. The first recorded game between members of the fairer sex took place in 1895 and such was the popularity of this particular strain of the sport that fairly soon crowds approaching 50,000 were not at all uncommon for games between women. Principal among these was Dick Kerr's XI, a Preston based outfit who played mainly for charity and at one point crossed the Atlantic for a few exhibition games in the United States.
Unfortunately the English FA of the time grew increasingly uncomfortable with the rise and rise of the ladies game duly banning it in 1921 from being played on league grounds, effectively destroying it for generations.
By Martin Harris
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