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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Vishwam Sankaran

Scottish field could be world’s oldest football pitch

  • A historian claims a field near Anwoth Kirk in Scotland is likely the world's oldest football pitch, predating the Football Association by centuries.
  • A letter by Reverend Samuel Rutherford supports this claim, mentioning football games taking place on the field on the 1600s and his attempts to stop them.
  • This discovery suggests a more organised form of football existed in Scotland much earlier than previously thought, potentially explaining Scotland's early dominance in international football.
  • While the exact rules of this early form of football are unknown, the findings could significantly alter our understanding of the sport's history.
  • Soil tests confirm the placement of stones mentioned in the letter, corroborating the timeline of events.

IN FULL

Discovery of world’s oldest football pitch in Scotland changes everything we knew about game, historian says

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