128-795: Ewood Park ( / ˈ iː w ʊ d / ) is a football stadium in Blackburn , Lancashire, England, and the home of Blackburn Rovers F.C. , founding members of the Football League and Premier League , who have played there since 1890. It is an all seater multi-sports facility with a capacity of 31,367, and four sections: the Bryan Douglas Darwen End, The Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End, the Riverside Stand, and Jack Walker Stand, named after Blackburn industrialist and club supporter, Jack Walker . The football pitch within
256-461: A Mick Harford hat-trick for Derby in a 6–0 home win over his old club Sunderland. Manchester United beat Liverpool 3–1 at Old Trafford . Nottingham Forest keep their hopes of a third successive League Cup triumph alive with a 2–1 win at Plymouth . 1 November 1990 – Spencer Trethewy is dismissed from the Aldershot board of directors just three months after saving the club from closure, after it
384-628: 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
512-428: A 100% record after seven games, and they extend their lead to six points after Arsenal are held to a 2–2 draw at Leeds. Tottenham and Crystal Palace are level on points with George Graham 's men. Manchester United's title hopes are dented when a Stuart Pearce goal gives Nottingham Forest a 1–0 win at Old Trafford . Luton climb to sixth place with a 3–1 win over Norwich at Carrow Road . Sheffield United and Derby occupy
640-402: A 1–0 win at Charlton . 10 September 1990 – Manager Joe Jordan leaves Bristol City to return to his native Scotland and become manager of Hearts . 12 September 1990 – England beat Hungary 1–0 in a friendly at Wembley , the first game under Graham Taylor's management. 15 September 1990 – Arsenal keep up the pressure on Liverpool with a 4–1 home win over Chelsea, as do Tottenham with
768-487: A 1–0 win at Port Vale, boosting their hopes of a second successive promotion. 4 October 1990 – Peter Taylor , former managerial partner of Brian Clough , dies suddenly of pulmonary fibrosis whilst on holiday in Costa De Los Pinos, Majorca, at the age of 62. 6 October 1990 – In the biggest Second Division win of the season, West Ham United beat Hull City 7–1 at Upton Park . Wolves boost their hopes of
896-476: A 2–0 win at Leeds. Oldham make it five consecutive wins in the Second Division by beating Oxford 3–0 at Boundary Park . 16 September 1990 – Peter Beardsley scores a hat-trick for Liverpool in their 4–0 league win over Manchester United at Anfield . 18 September 1990 – Oldham drop points for the first time this season with a 1–1 draw at home to Charlton, who claim their first point of the season in
1024-547: A 2–1 win at Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace with a thrilling 4–3 home win over Wimbledon. The top four in the First Division are all unbeaten after 10 games, as are the Second Division's top two clubs Oldham and West Ham after 14 games, and Fourth Division leaders Torquay after 13 games. 31 October 1990 – Everton sack manager Colin Harvey after their worst start to a league season leaves them third from bottom in
1152-506: A 3–1 defeat at Nottingham Forest leaves his side third from bottom in the First Division after just one win and five points from their opening eight games. 12 October 1990 – West Ham United strengthen their promotion bid with a £600,000 move for Luton Town defender Tim Breacker . 20 October 1990 – 21 of the 22 players on the pitch brawl in Arsenal's 1–0 league win over Manchester United at Old Trafford . In their ninth league game of
1280-493: 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
1408-615: A capacity of more than 31,000. By February 1994, the new two-tiered Blackburn and Darwen End stands were opened with car parks situated behind both stands. This had involved the demolition of terraced houses in Nuttall Street and also the demolition of Fernhurst Mill. The ground's transformation was complete when in August 1994, the Jack Walker Stand was opened on the site of the old Nuttall Street Stand. The new Ewood Park
SECTION 10
#17327917400421536-442: 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
1664-792: A club record £1 million for Watford goalkeeper Tony Coton . 22 July 1990 – Czechoslovak national coach Jozef Vengloš is appointed as the new manager of Aston Villa, and becomes the first foreign manager in the First Division. 31 July 1990 – Aldershot F.C. in the Fourth Division are wound up in the High Court, condemned as "hopelessly insolvent" with debts of nearly £500,000 by the Official Receiver. 1 August 1990 – 6 August 1990 – Arsenal sign Swedish winger Anders Limpar from Italian side Cremonese for £1million. 7 August 1990 – Aldershot are saved from closure by
1792-574: 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
1920-505: 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
2048-400: 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
2176-640: 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
2304-529: 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
2432-463: A paddock for 9,320 in front with changing rooms and offices underneath, cranked at one end to follow the angle of Nuttall Street. An attempt was made to destroy the ground in 1913. As part of the suffragette bombing and arson campaign , suffragettes carried out a series of bombings and arson attacks nationwide to support their campaign for women's suffrage. In November 1913, suffragettes attempted to burn down Ewood Park's grandstand but were foiled. In
2560-426: 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
2688-441: A point from their opening three games. There are victories in the Second Division for promotion favourites Millwall , Sheffield Wednesday , Oldham and West Ham . 4 September 1990 – The only league action of the day sees a Mark Robins goal give Manchester United a 1–0 away win over Luton Town . 8 September 1990 – Liverpool extend their winning start to the season to four games with a 2–1 away win over Wimbledon. Mark Robins
SECTION 20
#17327917400422816-416: 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
2944-549: A semi-final defeat by West Germany , with Chris Waddle and Stuart Pearce both missing penalties. 5 July 1990 – Chelsea sign Norwich City midfielder Andy Townsend for £1.2million. 7 July 1990 – England lose 2–1 to host nation Italy in the World Cup third place play–off.2 July 1990 – Leeds United prepare for their First Division comeback by signing midfielder Gary McAllister from Leicester City for £1million. 16 July 1990 – Graham Taylor , manager of Aston Villa ,
3072-576: 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
3200-578: A ten-year lease at an initial annual rent of £60. Their first match at the ground was against Accrington in September. In 1893, Blackburn Rovers bought the freehold of the ground for £2500, but came close to disaster soon after when part of a stand collapsed under the weight of a 20,000 strong crowd for the visit of Everton . In 1903, a roof was built on the Darwen End of the ground, at a cost of £1,680. The stand now held 12,000 spectators. In 1904,
3328-475: A third promotion in four seasons by beating Bristol City 4–0 at home, with Steve Bull scoring a hat-trick. In the First Division, Southampton and Chelsea draw 3–3 in a thrilling match at The Dell . Liverpool make it eight consecutive wins by beating Derby 2–0 at Anfield , while Arsenal keep the gap between themselves and the leaders at six points by beating Norwich 2–0 at Highbury . 7 October 1990 – The pressure mounts on Everton manager Colin Harvey after
3456-527: 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
3584-564: 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
3712-432: 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
3840-480: A £200,000 rescue package put together by 19-year-old property developer Spencer Trethewy , which means that they will be able to start the new Football League season. 15 August 1990 – Crystal Palace sign Wimbledon defender Eric Young for £850,000. 16 August 1990 – Crystal Palace further strengthen their defence with a £400,000 move for Charlton Athletic , their Selhurst Park tenants, for John Humphrey . 18 August 1990 – Liverpool and Manchester United share
3968-415: 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
Ewood Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-439: Is appointed as successor to Bobby Robson as the England manager. 18 July 1990 – Derby County sign defender Paul Blades from Norwich City for £700,000. 19 July 1990 – England striker Mark Hateley ends six years overseas and joins Scottish league champions Rangers in a £1million move from AS Monaco . He had played on the continent since his move from Portsmouth to AC Milan in 1984. 20 July 1990 – Manchester City pay
4224-468: 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
4352-410: 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
4480-438: 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
4608-571: Is now the oldest part of the modern Ewood Park. It is the only single tiered stand in the ground, the seating spells out the word "ROVERS" – the club's nickname. The stand holds approximately 6,000 spectators. At the corner of the stand is a giant TV screen showing features, teamsheets and other live games on a match day. Since around the year 2000, there have been plans to redevelop the stand, which would raise Ewood Park's capacity by around 9,000 to 40,000. However, these plans have yet to materialise, and were not even realised during Blackburn's long spell in
4736-405: 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
4864-816: 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
4992-506: 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
5120-541: Is revealed that he was unable to pay back the £200,000 he borrowed to keep the Hampshire based club afloat. 3 November 1990 – Crystal Palace suffer their first league defeat of the season when they lose 2–0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Derby beat Luton 2–1 to make it back-to-back victories in a boost to their survival hopes. Managerless Everton beat QPR 3–0 at Goodison Park. 4 November 1990 – Tottenham's unbeaten league start ends and their title hopes are hit by
5248-593: 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
Ewood Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-455: 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
5504-413: Is the star of the show for Manchester United once again, scoring twice in a 3–1 home win over QPR . Crystal Palace go second with a 3–0 win at Norwich. Paul Gascoigne scores a hat-trick for Tottenham in their 3–0 home win over Derby . Everton claim their first point of the season with a 1–1 draw at home to Arsenal . Oldham have a 100% record after four games, remaining top of the Second Division with
5632-435: 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
5760-404: 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
5888-421: 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
6016-573: The 1960 FA Cup Final . A double tiered Riverside Stand was built in 1913, bringing the capacity of Ewood Park up to 70,886 with 7,000 seats. In 1928 the Riverside Stand roof was re-roofed for a total outlay of £1,550. Ewood Park saw its largest crowd – 62,522 for the visit of Bolton Wanderers in 1929. Floodlights were installed in 1958 and were first used in a friendly against Werder Bremen . After selling Walkersteel to British Steel Corporation for £330 million, Jack Walker decided to buy Blackburn Rovers and set about changing Ewood Park to one of
6144-527: 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
6272-703: The Charity Shield after a 1–1 draw at Wembley. 23 August 1990 – Oldham Athletic pay a club record £460,000 for Nottingham Forest striker David Currie . Leeds United are warned that they face expulsion from the Football League if measures aimed by the Football Association at curbing incidents of hooliganism involving the club's fans fail. 24 August 1990 – Everton sign midfielder Mike Milligan from Oldham Athletic for £1million. 25 August 1990 – Liverpool begin their defence of
6400-651: The Manor Ground . 25 September 1990 – Ian Wright and Mark Bright both score hat-tricks for Crystal Palace in their 8–0 home win over Southend United in the League Cup second round first leg at Selhurst Park . 26 September 1990 – Paul Gascoigne scores four goals for Tottenham in their 5–0 win over Hartlepool United (managed by former Tottenham defender Cyril Knowles ) in the League Cup second round first leg at White Hart Lane . 29 September 1990 – Liverpool's 1–0 win over Sunderland at Roker Park gives them
6528-475: The UEFA Cup second round first leg. In the Second Division, Newcastle's promotion hopes are hit by a 3–1 home defeat to struggling Charlton. 27 October 1990 – The Manchester derby at Maine Road ends in a 3–3 draw between City and United. Liverpool return to their winning ways with a 2–0 home win over Chelsea. Arsenal keep up the pressure with a 1–0 home win over Sunderland at Highbury, as do Tottenham with
SECTION 50
#17327917400426656-507: The final . In 2014, the official supporters trust of the club, Rovers Trust, successfully applied to register the stadium as an Asset of Community Value , In June 2017 the ground hosted a pop concert by Elton John . In May 2022, the stadium was opened for Muslims to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer. Record Attendance: Record League Attendance: Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer ,
6784-635: 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
6912-576: 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
7040-496: The First Division title with a 3–1 away win against recently promoted Sheffield United . Arsenal begin their challenge for a second league title in three seasons by beating Wimbledon 3–0 at Plough Lane . Leeds United enjoy a fine First Division comeback with a 3–2 away win over Everton . Key games on the opening day of the Second Division campaign include a 4–2 home win over Blackburn Rovers for newly promoted Bristol City and Oxford United's 5–2 home win over Port Vale . In
7168-458: The First Division. Below them are Derby County and winless Sheffield United, while Liverpool remain top with nine wins from their opening 10 games. Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace are their nearest contenders, and the top four are all still undefeated in the league. The Second Division promotion race is heating up, with Oldham Athletic still top of the table and West Ham United having crept up to second place. Sheffield Wednesday occupy
7296-838: 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
7424-491: The Fourth Division, Walsall draw 2–2 with Torquay United in their first game at the new Bescot Stadium . 28 August 1990 – Manchester United and Leeds United meet for the first time since April 1982, and battle out a goalless draw at Elland Road in the First Division – a repeat of the last clash between the two sides. 31 August 1990 – The first month of the English league season ends with Arsenal and Liverpool sharing
7552-467: 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
7680-475: 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
7808-430: 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
SECTION 60
#17327917400427936-748: 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
8064-479: 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
8192-482: The Nuttall Street Stand was built, based on designs by the architect, Archibald Leitch at a cost of £24,000. The stand was first used by supporters on New Year's Day 1907 for a match against Preston North End . In 1905, the textile baron Laurence Cotton became chairman and set about overhauling both team and ground. In 1906, construction started on a new main stand seating 4,112 on its upper tier with
8320-553: The Premier League. Any development in the foreseeable future depends on an increase of attendance. The Darwen End is so named after the town of Darwen which is situated just beyond Blackburn's southern borders . The modern Darwen End was built in 1993 and holds 8,000 seats. The stand houses both home and away supporters in a two tier stand mirroring the Blackburn End in both appearance and capacity. The stand houses
8448-420: The Second Division, Oldham Athletic lead the way with 20 points from their opening eight games. The other two automatic promotion places are occupied by Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County , and the playoff zone is occupied by West Ham United , Bristol City (in contention for a second successive promotion), Swindon Town and Brighton . 1 October 1990 – Notts County go second in the Second Division with
8576-543: 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
8704-562: The World Cup quarter finals, securing qualification to the semi–finals for the first time since the 1966 tournament . 2 July 1990 – Swindon Town win an appeal against their relegation to the Third Division, but miss out on promotion to the First Division and remain in the Second Division. Their place in the First Division goes to Sunderland. 3 July 1990 – Chelsea pay a club record £1.6million for Wimbledon winger Dennis Wise . 4 July 1990 – England's World Cup hopes are ended in
8832-517: The aftermath of the Bradford City stadium fire ; a new, single-tier stand housing over 1,000 (700 seated approx.). The material for the new roof and terracing was provided by local steel firm, Walkersteel, owned by the man who was soon to buy the club, Jack Walker. Further development of the Riverside Stand took place in 1990 with further seats being added. The stand is currently sponsored by Regulatory Finance Solutions (RFS). The Riverside Stand
8960-452: 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
9088-460: 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
9216-410: 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
9344-534: 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
9472-423: The bottom places, both winless after seven games. Oldham remain top of the Second Division despite being held to a goalless draw at West Bromwich Albion . 30 September 1990 – Liverpool, with a 100% record after seven games, are First Division leaders by six points at the end of September. The bottom two places are occupied by Sheffield United and Derby County, who have both yet to win a league game this season. In
9600-404: 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
9728-750: 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
9856-514: The club's education department which attracts youngsters from the surrounding areas for football-based activities in the classroom. The stand is home to the "Legend's Lounge" and International hospitality suites. Behind the stand is the Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre which provides facilities for community coaching, football leagues and soccer schools. Fernhurst Mill, which stood to the rear of the former Darwen End terrace,
9984-425: 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
10112-453: 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
10240-420: 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
10368-405: 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
10496-420: 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
10624-528: 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
10752-531: 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
10880-695: 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
11008-425: 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
11136-404: 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
11264-687: 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
11392-759: 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
11520-512: The lead in the First Division after two games. The Second Division leaders are Oldham Athletic. 1 September 1990 – Newly promoted First Division side Sunderland achieve a shock 2–1 league win over FA Cup holders Manchester United at Roker Park . Liverpool's 2–1 home win over Aston Villa leaves them with the only 100% record in the First Division after three games. Leeds go second with a 3–0 home win over Norwich City . Everton's 1–0 defeat to Manchester City at Maine Road leaves with without
11648-614: 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
11776-418: The most advanced grounds in the country. Having gained full control of Blackburn Rovers by the end of the 1990–91 season and funded the construction of the new stand to replace the Riverside Stand three years before, Walker unveiled plans to rebuild the three other sides of Ewood Park and in June 1992 the local council plans for three new stands to be built, which would give the club an all-seater stadium with
11904-534: 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,
12032-596: 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. 1990%E2%80%9391 in English football The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England. In the Football League First Division, Arsenal emerged victorious as champions. 1 July 1990 – England beat Cameroon 3–2 in
12160-426: 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,
12288-470: 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
12416-432: 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
12544-437: 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
12672-437: 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
12800-400: 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
12928-490: The process. 22 September 1990 – Liverpool extend their winning start to the season to six games by winning the Merseyside derby 3–2 at Goodison Park . Arsenal keep up the pressure and hold onto second place with a 2–0 win at Nottingham Forest . Oldham remain top of the Second Division with a 1–0 win over Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park . Swindon Town draw level with the top three by beating local rivals Oxford 4–2 at
13056-416: 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
13184-419: 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
13312-440: 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
13440-427: The right end as well. I was born just 400 yards away from the Darwen End. It is a really proud moment". Though primarily the home ground for Blackburn Rovers, Ewood Park has seen other usage, including hosting the 1941 Football League War Cup Final Replay . The ground was given the honour of hosting an international – England v Scotland in 1891 and England v Wales in 1924. Six FA Cup semi finals were played at
13568-544: 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
13696-468: The same year, suffragettes succeeded in burning down Arsenal 's then South London stadium, and also attempted to burn down Preston North End 's ground. More traditionally male sports were targeted in order to protest against male dominance . The Nuttall Street stand changed very little until a fire in 1984 in the Blackburn End corner of the Stand. The club took the opportunity to redevelop this section of
13824-451: The season, Liverpool drop points for the first time when Norwich City hold them to a 1–1 draw at Carrow Road . The gap between first and second place is cut to four points as a result. Tottenham keep up the pressure with a 4–0 home win over Sheffield United, with Paul Walsh scoring a hat-trick. The bottom two clubs are still winless after nine games. 24 October 1990 – Aston Villa beat Italian favourites Inter Milan 2–0 at Villa Park in
13952-554: 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
14080-547: The stadium measures 115 by 76 yards (105 m × 69 m) Football had been played on the site since at least 1881; Rovers played four matches there when it was known as Ewood Bridge and was most likely little more than a field. Their first match was against Sheffield Wednesday on 9 April 1881. Ewood Park was officially opened in April 1882 and during the 1880s staged football, athletics and some form of greyhound racing (not oval). Rovers moved back in during 1890, signing
14208-489: The stand is home to the Premier Suite and Jack's Kitchen which form part of the club's hospitality packages in partnership with multinational corporation Sodexo . The neighbouring houses in Nuttall Street were demolished to make way for it. The modern Blackburn End Stand has 8,000 seats and was constructed in the early 1990s. The boardroom in the Nuttall Street Stand was dismantled piece by piece and, when rebuilding
14336-498: The stand with executive boxes and glass-fronted lounge overlooking the ground. The development cost £250,000 and was named the John Lewis Complex, after the club's founder. The Blackburn End is so named as the town of Blackburn lies behind the stand and is for home supporters. The Blackburn End was terraced in 1928, but did not acquire its concrete cantilever roof until 1960, which was financed after an FA Cup run to
14464-408: The stand. On 13 August 2011, as a sign of respect to the late and long-serving Rover Ronnie Clayton , it was announced at half-time during the first game of the 2011–12 Premier League season that The Blackburn End was to be renamed The Ronnie Clayton End . It was not until 1988 that the old Riverside Stand was replaced by a new stand. The old stand had failed a safety check in 1985 that came in
14592-461: The stand. From here ground tours were led by former Rovers player, Ronnie Clayton (1934–2010) until his death in October 2010; it was renamed in his honour less than a year later. The stand is home to the "Strikers Lounge" where members of the club's junior membership scheme "Team Rovers" congregate before and after matches. The Bob Crompton (1879–1941) suite and Executive Boxes are also located in
14720-408: The third and final automatic promotion place. Millwall , Wolverhampton Wanderers , Barnsley and Middlesbrough have all climbed into the playoff zone this month. Charlton Athletic's are in real danger of a second successive relegation as they occupy second from bottom place in the Second Division with eight defeats from their opening 13 games. The Football League Cup third round action includes
14848-447: 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
14976-538: 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
15104-422: 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
15232-613: 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
15360-439: 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
15488-463: The venue between 1893 and 1947. On 9 November 2002 Ewood Park hosted Great Britain's rugby league test match against New Zealand , which was part of their tour of Great Britain and France. The tourists won 30 – 16 with 16,654 in attendance. The ground has also hosted numerous England U21 internationals including England v Wales in 2004. The stadium hosted three matches during the Women's Euro 2005 competition – two England matches in group play, and
15616-516: 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
15744-399: Was demolished to make way for the new stand as well as a new car park to serve the stadium. On 1 November 2012 the Darwen End was renamed as a tribute to club legend Bryan Douglas . He said of the honour: "The first person to congratulate me was Ronnie 's wife Val. He is at one end of the ground and I’m at the other end and long may that continue. We were great friends. They have put me at
15872-485: Was finished, reassembled in the Blackburn End. The lower-tier houses some of the more vocal Rovers supporters. The rear of the stand is also home to a memorial garden and a statue of Jack Walker entitled "Rovers' Greatest Supporter". Outside the stand is the Blackburn Rovers club shop "Roverstore" which was revamped in 2008. The home supporters ticket office and "Blues" cafe bar is situated in the lower reaches of
16000-533: 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
16128-419: 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
16256-504: 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
16384-502: Was officially opened in November 1995 which Blackburn Rovers marked the occasion with a 7–0 win over Nottingham Forest . The biggest stand at Ewood is named after former club owner Jack Walker (1929–2000). It has 11,000 seats and is one of three stands that were built during Ewood Park's ground redevelopment in the first half of the 1990s. This stand contains the home and away dressing rooms and media/conferencing facilities. Furthermore,
#41958