CHOUSE NEED TO SINK THE WINKIES

Charterhouse play close rivals Winchester College in the final 32 of the ISFA Cup on the 7th October. The Hampshire independent school, like Charterhouse, Eton and Harrow, to mention a few "private" schools, has its own brand of football, which was originally played down the length of Kingsgate Street in town. Each team attempted to move a football from one end of the road to the other with few or no rules, and little regulation, to spoil this most primal version of the game. The only tribute the modern game bears to this earliest form of the game are the measurements of a modern canvas (i.e. pitch), fitted to a particular section of Kingsgate Street.

Most likely after one broken window too many the game was moved a safe twenty minutes' walk away from the College to the flat, grassy top of St. Catherine's Hill. The game persisted with few rules, but now required a long line of junior men to keep the ball from rolling down the slope and disappearing into the canal below.

The first addition that remains almost unadulterated in the modern game was made when the lines of kickers-in became depleted due to injuries caused by overenthusiastic players colliding with them whilst in the pursuit of rogue balls: ropes were erected down each side of the pitch, supported by nine solid posts.

In the early 19th century, the necessary changes to the rules were standardised to create the relatively cultured, civilised affair that it is today. The fundamental rules of "dribble" and "tag" were added at this stage, presumably followed by the other rules. The game was also moved from the top of St Catherine's Hill to where it is played now, between their boarding houses, on Meads, as well as in Palmer Swamp. At the same time as this move, the lines of kickers-in were finally replaced by canvas sheets, and very soon afterwards by netting, in order to allow others to appreciate the game without the aid of a ladder.

The earliest evidence of coloured shirts used to identify football teams comes from Winchester football: an image from before 1840 is entitled "The commoners have red and the college boys blue jerseys". At soccer, Winchester wear dark blue shirts to signify their connection with Oxford University.

Charterhouse tend to win this annual fixture but lost it last year, so they have two reasons to make sure they get a result. Ex Aston Villa pro Lou Chatterley has coached at the College for years and he will be delighted to meet Charterhouse's pro, David Howells.