https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQuPmB5T6gc
If you hit this link and you may have done already, you will discover that Google is celebrating the birth of Ebenezer Cobb Morley in 1831, born at Hull. The opening page gives you a bit of a clue to who he is. He was the son of a minister and became a Yorkshire solicitor, who eventually found himself in London at the age of 22, forming the Barnes Football Club and spending a fair amount of time rowing on the Thames, founding the Barnes and Mortlake Regatta in 1862.
The Mirror explains much of his achievement:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/ebenezer-cobb-morley-facts-football-13089083
Having written to Bell's Life announcing the standardisation of the laws of football in 1863, he then brought various clubs together to form an Association. This took place at the Freemasons' Tavern on October 26th from which Morley became secretary of the FA for three years and then President from 1867-1874. (visit the pub to see a memorial board)
The pages below are a copy of the original 13 Laws set by the meeting of the Football Association, now resting in the National Football Museum in Manchester.
Morley played for Barnes in the first ever match played to the new laws, against Richmond and he scored in the first representative game between London and Sheffield club in 31st March 1866. Sheffield of course was ploughing its own furrows with their own laws and the two "cities" came together to agree an improved version.
All this sparked our great game and this kind of "action"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1SVcjYY6TE
There will be an unveiling of a Blue Plaque dedicated to Morley at the Hull History Centre on Saturday at 10am.
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