The Man Behind Modern Football: Ebenezer Cobb Morley

Ebenezer Cobb Morley, who lived from 1831 to 1924, is often considered the "father of modern football" because of his crucial role in shaping the foundation of association football (soccer) as we know it. He died on this day 100 years ago.

A solicitor by profession, Morley was born in Kingston upon Hull, England, and had a deep love for different sports. His influence on football stems from his organisational skills and vision for standardising the game.

Commemorative plaque at Freemasons' Tavern, London

In 1863, Morley wrote a letter to the newspaper “Bell’s Life“ proposing a governing body for football. A meeting at London's Freemason's Tavern led to the creation of the Football Association, the inaugural governing body for football. He served as its first secretary and later as its president.

He devised the first comprehensive set of rules of football known as “the laws of the game.” With the instruction “No player should carry the ball,” these rules distinguished football away from Rugby, establishing it as a separate sport. His vision led football to be regarded as a structured sport, rather than a local pastime.

Morley succumbed to pneumonia at the age of 92 and was interred at Barnes Cemetery, a now-deserted graveyard in south-west London.

The global appeal of football can be traced as far back as Morley's contributions, which ultimately propelled the sport right to the top.

The Iva Valley Shooting

The Iva Valley shooting, a tragedy that occurred during the colonial era in Enugu, Nigeria, happened 75 years ago today on November 18, 1949. 

A statue re-enacting the massacre
stands in the centre of Enugu

This event was pivotal in Nigeria's labour history and fueled the movement for independence from British rule.

The British government's exploitative practices at the Enugu colliery, which included inadequate pay and unsafe working conditions, fueled the miners' protest and ultimately led to the incident. Their grievances led to a strike operated by the Nigerian Trades Union Congress.

British colonial police, acting under orders to quell the strike, fired on unarmed striking miners who had assembled at the Iva Valley mine. It is estimated that 21 miners lost their lives, with many more being injured.

The Iva Valley shooting remains a significant moment in Nigerian history, remembered as a stark example of colonial exploitation and resistance. It fuelled the drive for Nigerian independence, which was achieved in 1960.

The Execution of Criminal Jack Sheppard

They hanged Jack Sheppard, an infamous 18th-century English criminal and folk hero, 300 years ago on 16th November 1724, at Tyburn, London. 

His death followed a series of dramatic prison escapes that captured the public’s imagination and made him a notorious figure in Georgian England.

Sheppard was a skilled thief and burglar who became famous for his ability to escape from incarceration. He claimed that he’s been led astray by “bad company and lewd women.”

Over two years, he managed to escape from custody four times, including from the notorious Newgate Prison. These escapades made him a celebrity, with many seeing him as a symbol of defiance against the oppressive legal system of the time.

However, his luck ran out after his final capture. The Old Bailey tried him, sentenced him to death, and executed him before a massive crowd. People believe he faced his execution with courage, cementing his legendary status in popular culture.

He became a favourite figure in verse, popular plays, romances, and burlesques. Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, his fame and popularity in Georgian England possibly rivalled Robin Hood’s.

The Capture of Winston Churchill.

On 15 November 1899, 125 years ago in the Second Boer War, British politician Winston Churchill was captured by the Boers while working as a war correspondent for the Morning Post newspaper.

Illustration depicting the
ambushed train and the battle

He was accompanying an armoured train which was ambushed and derailed by the Boers near the town of Chieveley. After joining in to try and fend off the Boes, he was captured along with several other men and interned in a prisoner-of-war camp in Pretoria. 

Churchill pictured in 1895

Just a month into his internment he successfully made a daring escape slipping out through a latrine and scaling the camp’s walls in the still of night.  

He then embarked on a perilous journey, stowing away on a train and seeking refuge in a British sympathiser's house in Mozambique.

His escape made headlines in Britain, turning him into a national hero. This paved the way for his entry into politics, setting the stage for a career as the legendary statesman he became.

Death of Karen Silkwood - 13th November 1974

Karen Silkwood was an American chemical technician and union activist known for reporting concerns about corporate practices relating to health and safety in an Oklahoma nuclear facility. 

She was employed at the Kerr-McGee Cimarron Fuel Fabrication site in Crescent, Oklahoma making plutonium pellets.

After testifying to the Atomic Energy Commission about her safety concerns at the plant, she was found to have plutonium contamination in her body and home.

Her story was chronicled in the 1983 Academy Award-nominated movie “Silkwood” starring Meryl Streep. 

She was killed 50 years ago on 13th November 1974 in a car crash in circumstances that have never been satisfactorily explained. 

She had attended a 5.30 pm union meeting at the Hub cafe in Crescent, leaving at 7.10 pm. She got into her Honda Civic car to drive the 30 miles toward Oklahoma City for another meeting, but less than 30 minutes later, her body was discovered in the wreckage of her vehicle approximately 7 miles from the cafe.

Her family sued Kerr-McGee for the plutonium contamination she suffered from with the company settling out of court for US$1.38 million, whilst not admitting liability.

Warren Clarke

Today (12th November) is 10 years since British film and television actor Warren Clarke died. 

Best known for his roles as Andy Dalziel in the TV series “Dalziel and Pascoe” and Dim in the film “A Clockwork Orange”, he also appeared in numerous other films and TV series in a long and distinguished career.

Born in April 1947, Clarke grew up in and around the Oldham, Lancashire area. He was born Alan James Clarke but changed his name to Warren because his girlfriend at the time had a crush on actor Warren Beatty.

His standout movie role was Dim, one of the thugs who indulged in “ultraviolence” with their ringleader played by Malcolm McDowell. 

Numerous offers were made from Hollywood after the release of A Clockwork Orange, all of which Clarke turned down saying “It was stuff I didn’t want to be involved with.”

In an early role

The role of grumpy, police detective Dalziel clocked up 46 episodes. He loved playing a character who, as he said, “farts, scratches, behaves badly with women and did not bow to the liberal views of society.”

He was a keen golfer and was a Manchester City FC supporter from the age of seven.

Despite a successful career of over 50 years, Clarke died at the age of 67 on 12th November 2014 after a short illness.

The Execution of “Blueskin” Joseph Blake

Joseph Blake, better known as "Blueskin," was a notorious English highwayman and criminal in early 18th-century London. 

His nickname, "Blueskin," may have originated from a particular skin tone or appearance, though this is not fully certain. Blake became widely known for his involvement in a violent incident with the notorious magistrate and "thief-taker" Jonathan Wild, who was involved in capturing many criminals at the time.

Blake's most infamous moment occurred in 1724 when awaiting trial for his crimes, he attacked Wild in a fit of rage. Armed with a knife, Blake severely injured Wild in the courtroom. Although Wild survived the attack, this act intensified the public's interest in Blake's case.

After the trial, Joseph Blake was sentenced to death by hanging. He tried to escape Newgate Prison whilst incarcerated without success and never showed any remorse for his crime.

He was executed at Tyburn, London, on November 11, 1724 - 300 years ago. The event drew a large crowd, as executions at Tyburn often did.