A sweeping journey through centuries of sport discover how the ball rolled from medieval streets to the modern pitch. Montague Shearman s Foot-Ball: Its History for Five Centuries offers a richly researched, vividly told chronicle of the origins and evolution of football. Tracing early football games, village customs, schoolboy contests and the codification that birthed modern soccer, Shearman maps five centuries of football culture history with rare clarity and passion. Readers encounter the drama of grassroots play, the legal and social battles that shaped rules, and the regional traditions that fed today s global game. This Montague Shearman book is a landmark historical football analysis: part scholarly excavation, part narrative celebration. It situates football history within social change, giving both casual readers and classic literature collectors insights into the evolution of football and the sport s cultural resonance. You ll gain historical football insights on how medieval mob-foot games, public-school adaptations, and early organized clubs led to the football development we know today. Out of print for decades and now lovingly republished by Alpha Editions, this restored edition is prepared for today s and future generations. More than a reprint, it is a collector s item and a cultural treasure carefully edited, annotated, and presented for preservation. Essential for anyone curious about football through the ages, soccer history, and the enduring story of sport s place in society.