FOOTBALL WAS A SCOTS INVENTION
Actor Dougray Scott’s sporting claims are backed by historians
MODERN football WAS invented in Scotland, BBC bosses declared.
A show fronted by actor Dougray Scott argued the version of the game played today originated in Scotland rather than England.
Dougray Scott: Bringing Football Home featured historians who told how, in the 1870s, the Scotland international side was made up mainly of players from Glasgow club Queen’s Park, who were first to use “combination football” – passing the ball to each other.
Prior to this, most teams dribbled it as individuals, until a group of players, the Scotch Professors, exported the passing style to England and beyond.
After the BBC Scotland documentary aired in February, a viewer said the claims were inaccurate.
But the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) have now refused to uphold the complaint after ruling there is enough evidence to back the claim Scotland invented the modern game.
The ECU said: “A number of football historians set out evidence supporting the view Scotland played a significant role in influencing the modern game. It included the foundation of the first club, the development of tactics and a certain style of play, construction of grounds, and the role of Scottish players in spreading the sport around the world.
“Together, these were sufficient to support Dougray Scott’s assessment of ‘the foundational role Scotland played in creating the modern game’.” Fans have welcomed the decision.
Hamish Husband, of the Association of Tartan Army clubs, said: “Modern tactics evolved from Queen’s Park and the Scotch professors. Queen’s Park invented the wooden crossbar. If they hadn’t, England wouldn’t have won the 1966 World Cup when Geoff Hurst’s header hit the crossbar.”
Debate over the origins of football has raged for years. Fifa’s website states it began in 1863 in England.
In the documentary, Scott said: “It is a fact Scotland invented the modern game. But for some reason there’s another lot who seem to think the game belongs to them.”
Another lot think the game belongs to them dougray scott in football documentary