Y’all were literally calling it soccer in like the 60s and 70s in programs and magazines. I admit these are still more niche than the general populace but they still existed. I hate these arbitrary pedantic arguments where both parties are ostensibly correct. Trolls.
The rules of association football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863. The alternative name soccer was first coined in late 19th century England to help distinguish between several codes of football that were growing in popularity at that time, in particular rugby football. The word soccer is an abbreviation of association (from assoc.) and first appeared in English public schools and universities in the 1880s (sometimes using the variant spelling “socker”). The word is sometimes credited to Charles Wreford-Brown, an Oxford University student said to have been fond of shortened forms such as brekkers for breakfast and rugger for rugby football (see Oxford “-er”). However, the attribution to Wreford-Brown in particular is generally considered to be spurious. Clive Toye notes that “they took the third, fourth and fifth letters of Association and called it SOCcer.”
So, yes, literally a lot of people used to call it soccer there, so much so it was taught in schools.
ETA: It’s kind of an interesting throwback. Bill Bryson has pointed out that in the colonial period culture in North America (Eastern seaboard really) was still heavily dependent on trends from Britain (and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Europe). But because it took a while for be slang and terms to make it over the Atlantic and propagate across the colonies, they were usually a few decades behind (I think he actually said about 50 years behind). This meant that colonialists in America were using terms in daily life that were considered pretty antiquated by Brits. And could lead to bewilderment and mocking if the team into Brits.
The use of ‘soccer’ / ‘football’ in North America compared to the UK could be seen as an echo of that old dynamic.
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I used to think this too, but I learned that “soccer” is a slang British term for “association football” or “assoccer”. Kinda cool
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_(word)
It was initially introduced to colonies as “soccer”, so it’s no wonder it stuck in some places.
Anyway, call it what you want. I use both depending on what social circle I’m talking to.
Ass-soccer.
Goooooooooaaaaaal!
Right?
Thank fuck we didn’t have Soccer AM on sky TV from 1995-2023.
Or Soccer Aid. Which was broadcast by ITV.
Or World Soccer, which is Britain’s longest running football magazine.
Stop speaking for us mate, you don’t have the clout.
Y’all did invent the word tho
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Y’all were literally calling it soccer in like the 60s and 70s in programs and magazines. I admit these are still more niche than the general populace but they still existed. I hate these arbitrary pedantic arguments where both parties are ostensibly correct. Trolls.
From Wikipedia:
So, yes, literally a lot of people used to call it soccer there, so much so it was taught in schools.
Get with the times, grandpa!
(jk, jk)
ETA: It’s kind of an interesting throwback. Bill Bryson has pointed out that in the colonial period culture in North America (Eastern seaboard really) was still heavily dependent on trends from Britain (and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Europe). But because it took a while for be slang and terms to make it over the Atlantic and propagate across the colonies, they were usually a few decades behind (I think he actually said about 50 years behind). This meant that colonialists in America were using terms in daily life that were considered pretty antiquated by Brits. And could lead to bewilderment and mocking if the team into Brits.
The use of ‘soccer’ / ‘football’ in North America compared to the UK could be seen as an echo of that old dynamic.