Football is perhaps one of the most popular sports in the world, which was introduced to us by the Europeans. From the early years of barefoot competition to the present age of sophisticated football, Sri Lanka has played a vital role in its growth and it is known here as the poor man’s sport.
It is not possible to say exactly, when football was introduced to Ceylon, as it was then called, because here again, the origins are out, literally in the mists of time. However, there is evidence of the game being played in the sprawling sandy stretches familiarly termed as the Galle Face Green, by bare footed British servicemen stationed in and around Colombo in the 1890s.
The Service barrack grounds at Echelon Square, the present Hotel Galadari premises, and the Army rugger grounds, the present premises of Taj Samudra Hotel, were the popular football fields.
British service units such as the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery and the Royal Garrison Command were the pioneers who promoted competitive football in this country. The British administrative service and the British planting community took the sport to the Central, Up-Country and Southern areas with equal zest and fervor. By early 1900 football as a competitive sport, was popular among the local youth. Though playing bare footed, our lads had mastered the skills, and in fact donned the service jerseys as replacements or reserves in many an exclusively white dominated team.
It was in Colombo that the first Association of Football League was formed, at the Bristol Hotel. In April 1911 H. French was elected the President with H. K. Crosskey as the Secretary. And during the World War I the sport became inactive and once again in 1920 the Colombo Association Football League was revived and named as Colombo Football League, with Herbert Debugging as President.
Then in 1918 the Colombo Mercantile Association Football League was formed and followed by the Government Services Football Association. The City Football League was inaugurated in 1922. Somewhere in the 1920s the Southern Province Football Association was formed, mainly due to the keenness of R. Brough, a British tea planter in Deniyaya. He formed the Galle Association Football Club.
In the 1930s football was introduced in Kandy. That was during the Second World War, when the British units were stationed in Kandy, with the one-time Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces in South East Asia. Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten having his headquarters in Kandy. By the 1930s many clubs played the game and in the early 1940s the Kandy Amateur Football League was formed and later it was changed to Kandy District Football League, and it served football not only in Kandy but also in places like Gampola, Nawalapitiya, Hatton, Matale, Kurunegala and Kegalle. As years passed by the game became popular, and they formed their own leagues. In 1939 the Jaffna Football Association was formed with W. G. Spencer, as the head. Then in the 50s, the game got off to a start in Anuradhapura.
With the sport taking a keen interest, there was a need of a national controlling body for the game. With several meetings, in which people like Sir John Tarbat, R. H. Marks, C. W. Mackie, R. Mackie, Donovan Andree to name a few, met on several occasions, and finally had a meeting, and the national body for football was formed under the name of Ceylon Football Association, the meeting place was the Galle Face Hotel, and the following were elected: Sir John Tarbat (Patron), C. W. Mackie (President), J. C. Robinson, J. Forbes, S. C. Traill, R. Brough and Lt. Col. Stanley Fernando as Vice Presidents, R. Mackie Secretary, Donovan Andree Treasurer. The election took place during the second World War.
Today there are many leagues, but not properly governed by the controlling body, only a few clubs are seen kicking and passing the ball. Holding office is not a big thing; one must come forward and promote the game like in the past.
No comments:
Post a Comment