151-422: Neil Alexander Danns (born 23 November 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder . He is currently assistant manager at Tranmere Rovers . He began his career in 2000 as a trainee at Blackburn Rovers and subsequently played for Colchester United , Birmingham City , Crystal Palace , Leicester City , Bolton Wanderers and Bury . He became a free agent after Bury were expelled from
302-628: A stele of c. 375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy. Athenaeus , writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum . Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football , wrestling , and volleyball more than what
453-456: A 1–1 draw with Colchester United, but suffered the first hamstring injury of his career the following week and was out for six matches. He played regularly for the rest of the season, and scored in the final match of the regular season, a 3–1 win against Leyton Orient that confirmed Blackpool's play-off place . Danns started in both legs of the semi-final and in the final as Blackpool beat Exeter City to gain promotion to League One. Ahead of
604-545: A 2–0 home win in November; his next opened the scoring against his former club Crystal Palace, and he also took the free kick that led to Leicester's second goal in the 2–1 win. He added three more goals in February and March, and in the absence of Richie Wellens , captained the team against Pearson's former club, Hull City , on 24 March. He was sent off after 57 minutes for a "reckless challenge" on Hull's Paul McKenna , and
755-678: A 2–1 win. He was released by the club in the summer 2017. Douglas has earned international caps for the Republic of Ireland at age group level and won his first senior cap against Poland on 28 April 2004. Having already featured in a number of friendlies, Douglas made his competitive debut for Ireland in the European Championship Qualifier against the Czech Republic on 11 October 2006, starting in central midfield alongside Lee Carsley . He also came on as
906-465: A 30% sell-on clause. He resumed his place in the team and his goalscoring: his eight goals in this spell included both goals in a 2–1 win away to Stockport County in March 2005, and all 36 of his appearances for the season were in the starting eleven. During a match at Tranmere Rovers in February 2005, the hosts' match video commentator referred to Danns using racially offensive terminology; the commentator
1057-580: A 3–0 win against Barbados, who had fielded ineligible players, which meant that beating Belize in the final qualifier would be enough to see Guyana through to the Gold Cup for the first time in their history. Danns scored the opening goal from the penalty spot, and later missed a second penalty, as Guyana won 2–1. Danns was named in Guyana's squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup , played in all three group matches and scored all three of his country's goals. In
1208-458: A 3–1 league win over AFC Bournemouth on 11 September, and scored both goals in a 2–1 defeat of Port Vale on 4 October. The loan was extended for a second month, and Danns was a regular in the first team throughout his 13-match stay, during which he scored four times. In December, disappointed at a perceived lack of opportunity at his parent club, Danns rejoined Colchester for a nominal fee, later reported as £15,000; his 18-month contract included
1359-420: A 3–1 victory at Middlesbrough. His loan was extended for a second month, and he contributed two goals from nine matches before returning to Leicester. Bristol City manager Derek McInnes was keen to extend Danns' stay further, either as another loan or on a permanent basis, but instead he joined another Championship club, Huddersfield Town , on loan until the end of the season. On his debut, he "certainly put in
1510-493: A French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920, women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, stating that "the game of football
1661-402: A bid from Southampton for Danns, but the player rejected the move. Warnock challenged him to "step up and take on the goalscoring duties" from the departed Victor Moses , and he complied, with both goals in a 2–0 win over Peterborough United , a late winner against Scunthorpe United , and two more goals later in the season that took his league tally to eight. However, in the penultimate match of
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#17327797926331812-442: A caution ( yellow card ) or dismissal ( red card ). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while
1963-426: A club the size of Birmingham come in for you, it's hard to say no." He started Birmingham's opening fixture – against Colchester – and was involved in the first goal of a 2–1 win. In the first half of the season he was a regular on the pitch, either starting or as a used substitute, and scored three times. He set up a goal for Sebastian Larsson 's equaliser against Newcastle United that took
2114-574: A competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari , a ball made of animal skin. In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians ; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals". Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on
2265-505: A deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays . A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of
2416-689: A draw with Peterborough, although a toe injury kept him out of the last three fixtures. In January 2013, Danns had dismissed suggestions of a disagreement with Nigel Pearson, and professed himself mystified by his exclusion from consideration at Leicester. At the start of the 2013–14 season, Pearson pointed out how fortunate Leicester were to "have quite a lot of quality in terms of our central midfield options", and that Danns would benefit from regular first-team football elsewhere. On 26 September 2013, Danns signed on loan for Championship club Bolton Wanderers , managed by Dougie Freedman who had coached him at Crystal Palace. He made his first Wanderers appearance in
2567-551: A fee of £600,000, rising to £850,000 conditional on the club's promotion to the Premier League. He made his debut as a 64th-minute substitute in a draw with Southampton on 4 February, and made two starts that month before a groin injury that needed two operations kept him out until 4 October. He returned as a half-time substitute against Nottingham Forest and was involved in Shefki Kuqi 's late winning goal. The comeback
2718-400: A goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during
2869-427: A goalless draw away to Blackpool on 1 October, and his goal in the next match, away to Birmingham, gave his team their first league win of the season. He soon established himself in the team, and scored four goals from thirteen matches over the three-month spell. Freedman admired his industry, his ability to adapt his style of play to the match situation, and the way "he gets you off your seat and makes things happen", and
3020-405: A late substitute in a 1–0 win over Leeds United , and went on to make six appearances in all competitions in the 2002–03 season. Ahead of the 2003–04 season, it was expected that Danns would be loaned out to gain first-team experience, and on 4 August, he joined Second Division club Blackpool for an initial one-month loan period, later extended to three months. He started the opening match of
3171-422: A late consolation goal against Ipswich Town , and converted a penalty as well as setting up the goal that completed James Vaughan 's hat-trick against Portsmouth in mid-September. He made a swift return from medial ligament damage suffered at the end of the month and soon returned to form. With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, speculation grew as to whether he would re-sign: an opinion piece in
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#17327797926333322-640: A latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic. As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB , the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units . The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with
3473-443: A mass brawl at the end of Birmingham's defeat at Barnsley ; he served a three-match ban and was not selected thereafter as Birmingham won four of the last five matches to confirm their promotion to the Premier League as runners-up . Danns was determined to establish himself at Birmingham in the 2007–08 season, tried to take consolation from other players who had returned to the squad after lengthy periods out of it, and worked hard on
3624-596: A medical. He returned from injury to make a further 14 appearances, taking his total for the club to 114, in the last of which, having still not signed a new contract, he scored the only goal of the match against Leeds United that all but secured Palace's Championship survival. He was again shortlisted as Palace's Player of the Year, and won the Vice-presidents' Player of the Year award. Despite Scottish Premier League club Rangers believing themselves close to signing
3775-529: A meeting attended by representatives from Eton , Harrow , Rugby , Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club , formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to
3926-438: A one-goal lead and went out to Liverpool. Soon afterwards, he received his tenth yellow card of the season and with it a two-match ban. In April, Danns and Barry Bannan were "suspended indefinitely" and fined two weeks' wages for drunken behaviour at the club's hotel; after apologising to all concerned, they missed just one match before Lennon recalled them. Danns finished the season with 47 appearances in all competitions. Danns
4077-576: A one-year contract extension at the end of the season. Danns retained the captaincy for the 2018–19 season. He scored his first goals on 3 November in a 4–1 win over Macclesfield Town , "smashing home into the top-right corner from the edge of the box" for his second. Lowe said afterwards how pleased he was that Danns' hard work had been rewarded. He found himself in and out of the first team because of injury and his international commitments with Guyana , but still ended up with 34 league appearances (28 starts) as Bury gained promotion back to League One despite
4228-426: A penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs , goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks. A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee
4379-416: A relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain. The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided
4530-506: A second time, again for two yellow cards, against Stockport County on 20 September, and scored his second Blackpool goal in his next league match, "rounding the keeper and striking a sweet left-foot shot into the far corner and between the two defenders on the line" to complete a 2–1 win over Notts County . Despite manager Steve McMahon and the players wanting him and fellow Blackburn loanee Jonathan Douglas to stay, both left Blackpool after their three months. Danns "ran his heart out" for
4681-411: A shift, first on the right hand side of midfield, then after the departure of [Oliver] Norwood , who started reasonably but lost his way, in the centre", in a draw at home to Birmingham City, He was a regular in the starting eleven as Huddersfield avoided relegation back to League One, with 17 league appearances and 2 goals, the first in a 2–1 West Yorkshire derby defeat of Leeds United and the second in
Neil Danns - Misplaced Pages Continue
4832-583: A short-term deal with National League club FC Halifax Town . He left the club on 12 January 2021 after appearing in five league games. At the beginning of March, Danns signed for Cymru Premier club Connah's Quay Nomads until the end of the season. He scored once from 16 appearances, the last of which was as a late substitute in the final-day win away to Penybont that confirmed Nomads as 2020–21 Cymru Premier champions. On 9 September 2021, Danns signed for North West Counties Premier Division club Macclesfield on non-contract terms. On 13 December 2022, Danns
4983-454: A significant impact, playing in 16 league games and scoring three goals. Despite being a tenacious central midfield, whose strengths focussed on energy and aggression rather than technical skill, Blackpool manager, Steve McMahon used the on-loan Douglas as an emergency left midfielder. This unexpected role was to prove a stroke of luck for Douglas. Not soon afterwards, Graeme Souness , manager of Blackburn Rovers, found his side struggling near
5134-576: A similar ancient game ( cuju , or tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian , Scotland, during the 1790s. Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on
5285-527: A total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it is the world's most popular sport. The game of association football is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game , a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference . The two teams compete to score goals by getting
5436-564: A truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké , an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras . The sport also exacerbated tensions at
5587-432: A variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards . An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Headgear
5738-415: Is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called a pitch . The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for
5889-468: Is governed by FIFA . Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA . Of these confederations, CONMEBOL is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with
6040-410: Is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by
6191-438: Is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during
Neil Danns - Misplaced Pages Continue
6342-405: Is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area
6493-816: Is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds. Women's football also faced bans in several other countries , notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979, in France from 1941 to 1970, and in Germany from 1955 to 1970. Restrictions began to be reduced in
6644-506: Is recognisable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football , the antecedent of all modern football codes , these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it. Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The history of football in England dates back to at least
6795-593: Is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success, and the women's game has been improving in South America. Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game . The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference, known as
6946-455: Is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time , while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of
7097-435: Is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School . Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes , and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football. The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and
7248-404: Is to score goals; defenders , who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders , who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which
7399-421: The football (or soccer ball ). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by
7550-622: The 2000–01 FA Youth Cup Final , and captained the team in the final, scoring as Blackburn beat Arsenal 3–1 in the second leg having lost the first leg 5–0. Manager Graeme Souness gave Danns a "surprise" debut on 19 September 2002 in the starting eleven for the 1–1 draw with CSKA Sofia in the UEFA Cup ; according to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph , he "didn't let anyone down with a lively performance". He made his first Premier League appearance three days later as
7701-588: The 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification tournament. Danns was born in Liverpool , the son of Neil and Karen Danns. Neil Sr. was a backing singer on the UK's entry in the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest as well as a European title-winning skateboarder . Danns grew up in Toxteth , a difficult neighbourhood, and credited his parents for maintaining discipline and keeping him from involvement in crime. He has three children;
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#17327797926337852-527: The Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia ) have yet to make a mark in international football. When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final. These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women's national team has won
8003-646: The Football League , and joined Tranmere Rovers in September 2019 until the end of the 2019–2020 season. He then played in non-league football for Radcliffe , FC Halifax Town , and in the Cymru Premier for Connah's Quay Nomads , before finishing his career at Macclesfield . He also played internationally for Guyana . His final season of his club playing career saw him also take the role of player-manager at Macclesfield, which led to him becoming
8154-721: The Republic of Ireland at international level. Born in Monaghan , Douglas first joined Blackburn Rovers after having been a trialist at Celtic and made his debut against West Ham United in the League Cup on 31 October 2000. A cruciate ligament injury in 2001 hampered his progress, and he was out for many months, managing to make it back in early 2002. In March 2003, he was loaned to Chesterfield for six weeks, in which time he played seven matches and scored once against Blackpool . Ironically Blackpool were his next loan destination, joining them for three months, where he made
8305-470: The Second Division season, a 5–0 defeat away to Queens Park Rangers . and was sent off in the next, receiving a second yellow card for timewasting near the end of a 3–2 win over Wycombe Wanderers . His first goal for the club, "[hitting] the roof of the net with a screamer from 40 yards (37 m)", began Blackpool's comeback from 2–0 down to win 3–2 at Oldham Athletic , He was sent off for
8456-513: The "younger, hungrier players" prioritised by the manager, the Bolton News suggested that "Freedman may have already made the most important signing of the summer". Amid strong competition for a place in Freedman's preferred 4–2–3–1 formation , Danns started his 2014–15 season from the bench in a 3–0 opening-day loss to Watford . After Mark Davies 's stoppage-time penalty kept Bolton in
8607-400: The 16 minutes of what proved to be his final appearance for Blackburn Rovers in a 4–3 loss against Bolton Wanderers on 10 January 2004. In March, he joined another Second Division club, Hartlepool United , on a one-month loan, later extended to the end of the season, and as he had with Blackpool, he made his debut in a heavy defeat to Queens Park Rangers. He established himself as a regular in
8758-635: The 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968. In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England, with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom. Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971 . Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football, while The Football Association rescinded
8909-489: The 2009–10 season in the starting eleven and largely remained in it. He created goals for others, scored a couple himself, and became increasingly influential as manager Neil Warnock set up the team to play in a style that suited his strengths. Crystal Palace entered administration during the January 2010 transfer window, and the consequent ten-point deduction left the team in danger of relegation. The administrators accepted
9060-424: The 2014/15 season with Brentford missing out promotion to the Premier League after losing on aggregate to Middlesbrough. On 4 August 2015, Douglas joined Ipswich Town on a two-year deal. His first goal arrived at Rotherham on 7 November in a 5–2 victory and Douglas followed that strike up in the next game at home to Wolves in a 2–2 stalemate. He also scored an overhead kick goal against QPR on Boxing Day 2015 in
9211-515: The 2017–18 season, manager Lee Clark told Danns that he could not be guaranteed game time and was free to leave. He was not initially given a squad number and had to train away from the senior squad, but remained keen to be part of Bury's campaign. Despite starting in the EFL Trophy and making three appearances (one start) in the league in September, it was not until Clark was sacked and Ryan Lowe took over as caretaker that Danns returned to
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#17327797926339362-493: The 2–1 victory against Coventry City . After Leeds' captain, Kevin Nicholls requested a transfer to Luton Town , Douglas was made captain by Wise. He had played numerous matches as Leeds captain previously due to injuries to Nicholls, Shaun Derry and Gary Kelly . Douglas was forced to sit out the rest of the season when he received his 15th yellow card in the defeat at Colchester United . However, despite being stripped of
9513-505: The Championship, along with Rovers' youngster, Jay McEveley . Douglas was a regular in the side that so narrowly got relegated. However, he had once again impressed with his tenacious work-rate. On 19 August 2005, he joined Leeds United on a season-long loan. He became a regular player, making over 40 appearances for the club and scoring five goals in the process as Leeds reached the Championship playoff final but ended up losing 3–0 in
9664-576: The FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team. Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has
9815-910: The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales , and the Irish Football Association . FIFA , the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of
9966-467: The Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick . The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by
10117-475: The IFAB Laws. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes ), one of whom must be the goalkeeper . Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are
10268-527: The June 2015 second leg, which finished as a 4–4 draw, but his country lost out on away goals . Danns scored in a 2–2 draw with Barbados in a 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifier , which doubled as a qualifying tournament for the CONCACAF Gold Cup . He captained the national side and scored their goal in a 2–1 defeat to French Guiana on 20 November that put them out of contention for Gold Cup qualification. However, CONCACAF awarded Guyana
10419-430: The Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees . In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether
10570-748: The Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup . The men's World Cup is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games . The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League , which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of
10721-479: The Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks . The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with
10872-458: The League Cup first-round match against Bury of League Two, Danns scored twice in extra time to take his side through. He started the next Championship match, and remained in the starting eleven for most of the season. Playing on the right of a diamond formation , Danns scored in new manager Neil Lennon 's first home match, a 3–1 win against Brentford on 25 October, before Lennon reverted to
11023-422: The Premier League. Douglas first Blackburn goal, a spectacular volley, came during this time, in a 4–3 victory over Fulham . Douglas had shown his potential as a utility squad player for Blackburn and Rovers awarded him a three-year contract. However, manager Souness departed to Newcastle United and under new boss, Mark Hughes , Douglas soon fell down the pecking order and moved out on loan to Gillingham of
11174-543: The United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of the 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league . The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and
11325-407: The assistant at Tranmere. Danns began his football career on schoolboy forms with Liverpool and spent two years at the Football Association 's School of Excellence at Lilleshall . At 16, he chose to leave Liverpool, and signed for Blackburn Rovers as a trainee "in the face of fierce competition". He converted his penalty in the shootout by which Blackburn's youth team beat Liverpool's to reach
11476-452: The ball into the other team's goal (between the posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within the penalty area . The team that has scored more goals at
11627-460: The ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England. Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from
11778-410: The beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play: A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of
11929-534: The beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990. Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that
12080-525: The bottom of the Premier League and missing a left midfielder due to injuries and inadequate transfer dealings. Jonathan Douglas was recalled by Rovers and promoted straight into the much re-jigged Rovers side, which adopted very defensive tactics to grind out results. The unheralded collaboration of Jonathan Douglas, Martin Andresen , Jonathan Stead , Lorenzo Amoruso and others, eventually proved successful in eking out results to guarantee Rovers safety in
12231-404: The buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions. The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch ) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with
12382-750: The champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world. In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world, but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere. Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa , Asia and North America , and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football, although countries in
12533-710: The club captaincy, Douglas played regularly in the Leeds first team in the 2007–08 season . Despite rumours of a transfer to Burnley , Douglas stayed at Elland Road . On 28 October 2007 Leeds defeated Millwall 4–2 with Douglas grabbing his second brace for the Yorkshire club in his two years at the club. A serious leg injury late on at Walsall ruled Douglas out for much of the remainder of 2007–08, an injury which coincided with Leeds' dip in form after their astonishing start to life in League One, as Leeds struggled to replace
12684-402: The club. This seemed to be down to a difference of opinion between club and player of the valuation of his services. On 10 July 2009, Douglas signed for Swindon Town after being released from Leeds United. On 10 October 2009, Douglas was given a straight red card in a match against Millwall. Swindon felt the decision was unfair and prepared an appeal against the automatic three match ban for
12835-425: The course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes, with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches . Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at
12986-405: The defensive aspect of the midfield position, but to no avail. He made two substitute appearances in the Premier League and two League Cup starts under manager Steve Bruce and none at all under his successor Alex McLeish , who told him that he should look elsewhere for first-team football. Danns signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Championship club Crystal Palace on 22 January 2008 for
13137-495: The dismissal. On 14 October the appeal was rejected and an extra one match ban added taking Douglas' suspension to four matches. This incited chairman Andrew Fitton to launch a scathing attack on The FA and its justice system. Douglas missed a home match with Hartlepool United , two away trips to Norwich City and Tranmere Rovers and the visit of Conference South side Woking in the FA Cup First Round. Douglas
13288-453: The eighth century. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The Cambridge rules , first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge , at
13439-653: The eldest, Jayden , made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on 21 February 2024 in the 89th minute of a 4–1 win over Luton Town . His daughter Hayla represented the United Kingdom in Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023 as a member of girlband Stand Uniqu3. She was also a finalist on The Kids Voice 2023 under Pixie Lott. In 2010, Danns took a video editing and production course at the London Academy of Media, Film and TV. He
13590-420: The end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations. A game is officiated by a referee , who has "full authority to enforce
13741-405: The end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or a foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out . Internationally, association football
13892-460: The final against Watford . These performances impressed former manager Kevin Blackwell enough to make the move permanent, and on 31 August 2006, Douglas moved to Leeds permanently for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year deal with the club. Douglas' performances impressed new manager Dennis Wise and kept him in the Leeds starting lineup. Douglas' only goal for the club that season came in
14043-465: The financial turmoil surrounding the club, a winding-up petition pending and players and staff being paid late or not at all. By the time Danns returned from international duty, Bury's financial position had worsened, and after six fixtures were suspended by the EFL pending credible proof of the club's viability, it was expelled from the league on 27 August 2019. Interviewed on radio station Talksport , Danns
14194-420: The forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling , passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at
14345-528: The formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street , London. The only school to be represented on this occasion
14496-531: The four British associations. For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup , inaugurated in 1930 , became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams. In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and
14647-695: The game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation . Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager . There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on
14798-425: The goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of
14949-404: The highest global television audience in sport. In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans , local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games. The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure
15100-687: The instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league , which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England . Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of
15251-759: The lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup , which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock , and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow , again at
15402-422: The local paper in the new year suggested that Danns was one of a small group of players who "aren't putting in 110%" and who should be a priority for new manager Dougie Freedman to get "playing from the same tune", and the player made a lengthy response via social media dismissing any suggestion that he was not giving his all for the club or that his recently acquired back problem was chronic and would make him fail
15553-614: The men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster), and
15704-534: The nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football. Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from,
15855-426: The next stoppage of play. The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. Jonathan Douglas Jonathan Michael Douglas (born 22 November 1981) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder . He has represented
16006-426: The offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff. Rather than stopping play,
16157-537: The opening game of the season, a 2–0 win over Charlton Athletic , but ten days later injured a foot and was out for a month. He scored his first Bury goal on 18 October from the penalty spot in a 2–1 loss at home to AFC Wimbledon . He was sent off against Bristol Rovers in December for an off-the-ball incident, so served a three-match ban, and spent the second half of the season on loan to League Two club Blackpool . Danns made his Blackpool debut on 4 February 2017 in
16308-470: The original thirteen laws of the game. The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC , had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union . The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and
16459-432: The pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines , while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines . A rectangular goal
16610-437: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow . In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895. Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom. Association football continued to be played by women since
16761-437: The player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of
16912-437: The player was keen to make the move permanent if Leicester were willing. He rejoined Bolton on 3 January 2014 on loan until the end of the season. In February and March, he set up a goal in each of three consecutive wins. At the end of April, Danns signed a one-year contract with Bolton, to begin on 1 July after the expiry of his Leicester deal. Highlighting his work-rate, dynamism, and the positive attitude that set an example to
17063-532: The player, Danns became Sven-Göran Eriksson 's second signing for Championship club Leicester City when he agreed terms on a three-year deal to begin on 1 July after the expiry of his Palace contract. He started the opening game of the season, a 1–0 win over Coventry City , and scored his first goal as Leicester eliminated Bury from the League Cup. Danns was a regular inclusion in the matchday squad, both under Eriksson and his successor Nigel Pearson . He scored his first league goal for Leicester against Blackpool in
17214-400: The players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa . Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by
17365-435: The progress Colchester were making allowed him to develop without needing to leave – 13 years later, he expressed his gratitude to the club for giving him the opportunity to shine – and that facing Chelsea in a televised FA Cup-tie "could be the start of another big opportunity". He "kept Colchester ticking" as they came close to earning a replay , and played a major part in his team's promotion to
17516-416: The referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at
17667-419: The referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play , and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time". The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs
17818-440: The respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since; by 2019 , it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition. Four years later , FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion, while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record. Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996 . North America
17969-544: The rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart. At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers , or forwards, whose main task
18120-445: The running power and positional sense of the injured Irishman. He returned to the squad on 22 March, playing the last ten minutes of the match against Walsall, a match Leeds won 2–0. Leeds reached the playoff final against Doncaster Rovers but lost the game 1–0. After Leeds' failure to win promotion to the Championship, Douglas was again linked with a move to Burnley. He scored the first goal in Leeds' 4–0 romping of Crystal Palace in
18271-416: The season captaining the side on many occasions. He scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw away to Walsall in September and he also scored away to Tranmere Rovers later that month. He also scored against Doncaster, and Carlisle United . He was a pivotal part during the 2013/14 season in earning the club promotion to The Championship , he also helped guide the club to The Championship playoffs during
18422-550: The season, a 1–1 draw with West Bromwich Albion , Danns was sent off for headbutting Graham Dorrans , so was suspended for the visit to Sheffield Wednesday from which Palace needed a point to survive at their hosts' expense. The match was drawn, so Wednesday were relegated. Danns was nominated for Palace's Player of the Year award – according to the citation, "his work rate and skill were major reasons Palace stayed up" – but lost out to goalkeeper Julián Speroni . Having served his suspension, Danns scored
18573-437: The second match, he converted two penalties in a 4–2 loss to Panama that eliminated Guyana from the tournament, and in the third, after "dribbling from the left corner of the 18-yard box, Danns cut inside and curled a right-footer off the underside of the crossbar near the top right corner" in a 1–1 draw with Trinidad and Tobago . He was named in the group stage Best XI. In June 2023 Danns was named to Guyana's 23-man squad for
18724-490: The second round of the League Cup and again in the 5–2 league defeat of Crewe Alexandra . Douglas' played in a more unfamiliar position of right back as Leeds reached the playoffs again, only to be knocked out the competition when they lost 2–1 on aggregate to Millwall. On 21 May 2009 it was reported that Leeds would be offering him a new deal. However the following day it was reported by official club text that Douglas, along with goalkeeper David Lucas , had been released from
18875-482: The second tier of English football for the first time in their history. His performances were recognised with a place in the PFA League One Team of the Year . On 19 June 2006, Danns signed a three-year contract with Birmingham City , newly relegated from the Premier League. The fee was an initial £500,000 with the potential to rise to £850,000. He admitted that he "had a great time at Colchester but when
19026-554: The sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation , and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most." Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this
19177-453: The side, scored the winning goal away to Wrexham in April, and helped Hartlepool reach the play-offs . Danns played in both legs of the semi-final, in which they lost 3–2 on aggregate to Bristol City , having been 2–1 ahead with three minutes plus stoppage time to go. In September 2004, Danns joined League One club Colchester United on loan as injury cover. He started the next match,
19328-417: The side. Against Gillingham on 11 November, he scored his first Bury goal for a year, but a hamstring injury sustained a week later was to keep him out for the rest of 2017. His exclusion had made him contemplate retirement, but Lowe made him captain and his enthusiasm returned. He scored three goals in February and March, but Bury's return to League Two was confirmed with four matches still to go. Danns signed
19479-484: The system used by Freedman but with more license given to attack-minded players. In January 2015, Lennon described Danns and Darren Pratley as "pivotal" in the way his team was set up to play. but injury to the latter would adversely affect Danns' form. At the end of January, Danns signed a one-year contract extension. Having captained the team in the FA Cup third round, he was sent off in the fourth before Bolton let slip
19630-460: The third-round FA Cup-tie to a replay at St James's Park , which Birmingham won 5–1. In the second half of the campaign, he was used increasingly little in league matches, making only one start and five substitute appearances after the turn of the year; bids from League One club Nottingham Forest to take him either permanently or on loan were rejected. He came back into the squad in early April, but his season ended after being sent off for his part in
19781-447: The time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty. The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty. In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such
19932-538: The time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century. The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club . Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where
20083-499: The top corner from 25 yards out against Sheffield Wednesday in a 3–1 defeat, his only goal for the club. However, Swindon were relegated to League Two after finishing bottom of the League One table in the 2010–11 season. Douglas rejected an offer of a new contract at Swindon to sign for Brentford on 29 June 2011. At the start of the 2011/12, along with Richard Lee , he was named as a deputy to club captain Kevin O'Connor . Douglas
20234-422: The tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score. In competitions using two-legged matches , each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from
20385-613: The transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju . Kemari originated after the year 600 during the Asuka period . It was a ceremonial rather than
20536-439: The two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required. Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play . From
20687-516: Was Charterhouse . The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game , forming modern football. The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley , ratified
20838-559: Was appointed interim manager at Macclesfield. During his time at the club, he helped them achieve back to back League Titles/Promotions with Macclesfield going from the 9th tier to the 7th tier. After spending half a season as interim player–manager at Macclesfield during the 2022–2023 season, in which he won the Northern Premier League Division One West , Danns left at the end of the season to become assistant manager at Tranmere Rovers . Danns
20989-473: Was called up by Guyana for friendlies against Grenada and Saint Lucia in March 2015. He qualifies for the team via his grandfather. He made his debut against Grenada on 29 March, setting up both goals in a 2–0 victory. After missing the first leg of the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines because his Guyanese passport did not come through in time, Danns scored twice in
21140-408: Was considered as stand-in captain after incumbent Pratley was injured, but was not chosen. He scored his first goal of the season on 26 September 2015 in a 2–2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion during which Jamie Murphy was sent off for fouling him. Accusations of diving prompted Danns to tweet a picture of the damage caused. He played regularly in the first half of the season but in the second,
21291-533: Was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce , a military history from the Han dynasty . Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through the fengliu yan , a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established. The Silk Road facilitated
21442-419: Was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca . Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. The Chinese competitive game cuju ( 蹴鞠 , literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu ) resembles modern association football as well as a mix of basketball, and volleyball. This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game
21593-506: Was highly critical of the role of the owner, who in his view had "literally destroyed lives" by his failure to progress the club in a proper manner. Danns became a free agent after Bury's expulsion from the league, and on 19 September he signed for League One club Tranmere Rovers until the end of the season. He made 24 appearances in all competitions without scoring. In October 2020, Danns signed for Northern Premier League Premier Division club Radcliffe . In November 2020, Danns signed
21744-504: Was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War , when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England . The team played in one of the first women's international matches against
21895-409: Was named Brentford's Supporters' 'Player of the Year' for 2011/12, having only missed 26 minutes of Brentford's League One season, scoring two goals and providing the assist for four others. In the 2012–13 season Douglas played 52 games in total, as Brentford missed out on promotion after a dramatic final game against Doncaster Rovers. With O'Connor and Lee being restricted to the bench Douglas started
22046-448: Was not selected again for the rest of the season. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Danns played for 14 minutes in the Championship and made two League Cup appearances, but those were his last before joining Bristol City on 14 November on a month's loan. He made his debut against his former club Blackpool three days later, and in the second match, he set up a goal for Stephen Pearson that helped City end their 11-match winless run with
22197-513: Was part of the Swindon side which reached the League One playoffs. They won their playoff semi final after beating Charlton Athletic on penalties but were defeated by one goal to nil in the final at Wembley by Millwall. Douglas was later awarded both the club's Player of the year award and the club's Player's Player of the year award for the season 2009–10. Douglas scored with a volley into
22348-513: Was reported to be about to release a single, but did not. His music interests and career were featured in BBC Sport's The Football League Show in February 2010. He is a regular user of X. Blackburn Rovers Colchester United Birmingham City Blackpool Bury Connah's Quay Nomads Macclesfield Individual Macclesfield Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer ,
22499-403: Was sacked. Danns scored against Gillingham in the opening fixture of the 2005–06 season, but his team lost 2–1. He missed most of September with an abdominal injury, and took time to return to full fitness, but a run of goals in January, including two against Derby County to take his side through to the FA Cup fifth round , sparked interest from higher-level teams. However, Danns claimed that
22650-428: Was short-lived: after two more matches, an ankle injury kept him out for another couple of months, and it took a considerable time to return to full fitness. He finished the season with 23 appearances in all competitions and three goals, which included a header in a 3–1 win away to Plymouth Argyle (a match in which his error led to Argyle's goal) and a much-needed winner against Preston North End in March. Danns began
22801-410: Was used off the bench and often out of position. He did not start a league match in 2016 until 9 April, well after Lennon had left the club, in a defeat to Derby County that confirmed Bolton's relegation. Danns was released when his contract expired, having made 81 appearances in his permanent spell. After a trial, Danns signed a two–year contract with League One club Bury on 21 July 2016. He scored in
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