25. Medieval Mob Football Was Bonkers
In the days leading up to Lent in the medieval era, especially in England, people played an exceptionally rough ball game that came to be known as mob football. There were regional variations in the game throughout Europe, but the game tended to share basic similarities across regions. Teams from different villages and towns, numbering anywhere from a few dozen players to hundreds of players, met in a fairly central location. Then a ball was thrown, and the competing teams vied with each other to capture the ball and take it back home – usually to their church’s front porch.
Restrictions as to team sizes or ball-handling were few or nonexistent. The massive matches usually lasted for an entire day, with many players dropping out due to fatigue or injuries. Bruises, scratches, cuts, and lacerations were common, and deaths during the game were not unheard of. Despite those risks, medieval mob football remained popular throughout Europe for centuries. However, the game’s destructive nature eventually led to its banning in England by King Edward II in 1314. In what might or might not be a coincidence, Edward II went down in history as one of England’s most unpopular and despised kings.
Related:
