Britain: An official handbook > 1966

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504 BRITAIN: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
football, in which only the feet are used, was adopted at Cambridge in 1855;
the other type, in which the ball is handled as well as kicked, was first played
at Rugby School, whence it derives its name, and was adopted by the
Blackheath football club in 1859.
In England the controlling body of the non-handling game, Association
Football (‘soccer’), is the Football Association (FA) formed in 1863. Its chief
function is to promote the interests of the game and to prevent infringement
of the agreed rules; it also arranges for the instruction of promising young
players (some £ 10,000 is spent annually on coaching); organises various
matches and competitions, including the international matches played by
England, the Amateur Cup competition, two national youth competitions,
and the competition for its own leading trophy, the Football Association
Challenge Cup; and chooses and manages English international teams. Over
350 clubs are registered with the FA, more than 200 as full members and
between 130 and 140 as associate members. There are also some 25,000 clubs
affiliated to county (i.e. district or regional) associations. The FA derives its
main income from subscriptions and admission charges to international and
cup matches, and ploughs back a large portion of the money into the game.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have their own controlling bodies:
the Scottish Football Association, the Irish Football Association and the
Football Association of Wales.
The principal professional matches in England and Wales (played once or
twice weekly) are controlled by the Football League, which comprises over
90 professional clubs in these countries. The funds of the League are derived
largely from contributions paid by member clubs in the form of a levy of
4 per cent of the net gate receipts from league matches, after allowable
expenses have been deducted, and from annual payments from the leading
football pools promoters for the use of league fixture lists.
In Scotland the Scottish Football League comprises 37 clubs; Northern
Ireland has its own league. Clubs belonging to the English and Scottish
Leagues are organised in divisions, the members of which compete against
one another for the respective league championships. Their positions in
the divisional tables are decided at the end of the season by the number of
points gained for wins or draws. During the season about 30 million people
watch league football matches and gate receipts usually amount to between
£5 million and £6 million.
Several million people stake small weekly sums on the results of the league
matches by filling in what are known as ‘pools’ coupons. The odds against
winning anything in the pools are very great, but the prizes are high and
individual payments of ^300,000 are occasionally made. The promoters
of the pools deduct varying amounts from the stakes for commission and
expenses.
The annual competition for the FA Cup is organised on a knock-out basis
and the Cup Final is one of the most important football matches of the year
in England; it is always played at Wembley Stadium, near London, which
can accommodate some 100,000 spectators. The Scottish Cup Final is played
at Hampden Park, Glasgow. The matches between England, Scotland, Wales
and Ireland also excite great interest, as do other international matches.
For the World Cup games in 1966 the Government is making available
a sum not exceeding £500,000 to the Football Association towards the cost
of facilities necessary for the games to be suitably staged. Between 80 and
90 per cent will be spent on permanent improvements; four-fifths of the
amount will be paid as a grant and the rest be provided as a loan.