Uppies and Downies The Extraordinary Football Games of Britain

In stark contrast to the riches and glamour of the modern Premiership and the World Cup, around 25 traditional football games continue to be played in various parts of Britain. Their origins may be traced back to at least the 12th century, when rival group of apprentices would play an early form of mob football on holy days. Despite the geographical spread, these folk games share several common strands. There have been previous studies of individual games, but Uppies and Downies is the first book to analyze them as part of a collective tradition.