34. Mob Football Was Very Violent – and Very Popular
In the medieval era, especially in England, the run-up to Lent often saw a rough ball game that came to be known as mob football. There were regional variations on the game throughout Europe, but the format tended to share basic similarities. Teams from different villages and towns, numbering anywhere from a few dozen to hundreds of players, would meet in a fairly central location. Then a ball was thrown, and the competing teams vied with each other to capture a ball and take it back home – usually to their church’s front porch.
There were usually no restrictions as to team sizes, or ball handling. The massive matches usually lasted for an entire day, with many players dropping out due to fatigue or injuries. Bruises, scratches, cuts, and lacerations were common, and sometimes even death. Despite those risks, medieval mob football remained popular throughout Europe for centuries. Because of its destructive nature, however, mob football was eventually banned in England by king Edward II in 1314. In what might or might not be a coincidence, Edward II went down in history as one of England’s most unpopular and despised kings.
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