Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 278 045 The English Football Association's appearance time has been advanced

When the competition time comes, it will be held in two days. First, two people will compete against each other, and the winners will enter the final on the second day to decide the final winner.

At the same time, the losing side also has to determine the ranking. Early football matches were more or less a civilian sport, and most of them were friendly matches.

Of course, it is not surprising that the game turned into a friendly match after losing so much.

The competition was held on a flat surface near Wimbledon Park, which is considered to be a relatively formal venue nearby.

This lawn doesn't look like a training area, it looks more like a vegetable field.

Moreover, Crown Prince George also came to the scene to watch the game in person today. He must have figured out that sometimes the education of his daughter also requires the father to appear in appropriate occasions.

He brought Princess Charlotte to kick off the first game, and he also prepared a copper plate as a prize.

The reason is simple. If it is gold and silver among precious metals, it is more likely to be stolen.

In particular, there was a Mr. Morrison living nearby who liked to steal things from other people's homes. Because he was a habitual offender, he was arrested by the British police in charge and was prepared to be exiled to Australia.

This kind of episode is sometimes unexpected.

Moreover, it is indeed rare for royal supplies to be awarded to civilian teams as rewards.

With Prince George's clever mind, he saw from the boys' eyes the eagerness for the game and victory when Princess Charlotte kicked off the first match between Central School and Wimbledon FC.

For the British, if the royal family performs well, it can also act as a lubricant.

But if there is trouble in politics, there will be gossip about the royal family, and if possible, even a royal pregnancy.
During the reign of George III, the news was mainly about the two princes, George and William. The latter's descendants became prime ministers and were pulled out of the botanical garden to become foreign secretary.
This was not an era of explosive news, otherwise the battle between Prince George and Princess Caroline over the custody of Princess Charlotte could easily overshadow the current tense situation as Britain prepared to fight back against the French landing.

Solovyov, the coach of Wimbledon FC, was not allowed to play on the court because he was a foreigner, but he would soon realize the importance of having a coach.

"Your positioning must block the opponent's forwards. You should be able to tell this by looking at the logo on this board."

"Sir, you want us to stand in this formation to defend?"

"Yes, the opponent should not have such an advanced style of play. It's just that Steve and Frank in the midfield will have to work harder. You two will be responsible for intercepting in the midfield. If you see an opening, you can shoot at the top of the arc."

"and then?"

"Then, Mike, I want you to be able to get in quickly, don't just let others know that you're running fast. Our two wingers, Joseph and Paul, don't try to cross the ball, you all have to come back and cut inside, Harry will retreat there to contain the opponent."

"What if Harry asks?"

"Can you understand the red-haired Irish guy? He speaks with a thick tongue and an Irish accent. Just throw the ball at his head and feet, that's all. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

Anyway, he had made clear arrangements for both the front and back fields, but he was more worried about the butter hands of British goalkeepers and the fact that his own goalkeeper's name was Hart.

If the opponent learns his tactics and just swings the ball for a long shot, it will be quite troublesome.

In addition to the local gentlemen, workers and farmers of Wimbledon, there were also several members of the royal family who came to watch the game today.

In addition to the Crown Prince and Princess Charlotte, there are three little princesses who are always inseparable, Mary, Sofia and Amelia. Especially the last princess, although the blush on her face is cute, it also means that she is infected with tuberculosis, but the symptoms are relatively mild.

It was useless for Solovyov to help her. After all, he knew how to use streptomycin and isoniazid, but the synthesis route was too complicated and it was not something he could solve alone.

When it comes to organic chemistry, it is much more troublesome than inorganic chemistry.

This princess was also the favorite of George III, but she was also the most unlucky. She suffered from tuberculosis and measles in her life. Although the symptoms of tuberculosis were not serious, she was infected with measles during a trip to the United States. Even though she recovered, her immunity was destroyed and she died in 1810.

She didn't even have the chance to complete her wedding with her boyfriend, which drove George III completely crazy. Prince George served as regent before becoming George IV.

The princess was asking Sofia about the situation on the court. Obviously, she knew that the disease was contagious, so although she was very close to Charlotte, she also kept some distance.

This happens in the open air. As long as the droplets don't directly hit your face, it is actually relatively safe. It's just that the tuberculosis bacillus itself is more terrifying.

However, since Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria under a microscope, there has not been much progress in the study of microorganisms, and it is impossible to know the source of some deadly diseases.

These tall and strong players of Central College are all students of the school. Although their playing style seems rough, it is still relatively civilized and there is no malicious behavior.

But their movements were always very big. After watching them, Solovyov could only say that this was a typical rough English style of play, which was to crush the opponent with their bodies.

But if they knock down their opponents, they will take the initiative to help them up, which shows that they are well-educated.

In the future, Britain was in chaos and there was no gentlemanly manners at all.

"Ref, this is a foul, shouldn't there be a warning?"

"I'm sorry, sir, we don't have any rules that can severely punish rough fouls. This can only be considered a foul."

When Solovyov was on the sidelines, he looked a bit like a hair dryer, constantly putting pressure on the referee and encouraging his players.

If the big guys on the opposite side hadn't been relatively civilized, he might have blown it.

"It's really interesting. This Russian guy is like a hot-tempered Scotsman. He usually has a very polite accent, but he becomes a different person when he gets to the sidelines of the court." Crown Prince George was also watching the fun, but Solovyov's voice was so loud that he could hear it from here.

"He's a Russian?"

"Yes, Amelia, you were recuperating the past few days and were not here. We have seen how a young Russian officer turned these Wimbledon boys into an excellent team within a week!"

The Crown Prince himself also supports Wimbledon FC, because these guys are neighbors in his country villa, especially after the shot was saved by the goalkeeper, the Wimbledon striker seized the opportunity and made a sneak attack.

Today, some tabloid reporters actually came to the stadium. Crown Prince George, who has always been addicted to alcohol and sex and rarely spends time with his daughter, actually brought Princess Charlotte to kick off a friendly tournament near Wimbledon. This was outside of official business, but it showed his closeness to the people.

After all, the crown prince is the future king of the United Kingdom. If he turns over a new leaf and cares more about the lives of the British people even when he is eating, drinking and having fun, it would be big news.

British journalists have one advantage, which is that they run very fast and are always looking to make big news.

As for being able to interview members of the royal family at close range, it was indeed quite surprising.

Especially the Sun, which was founded in 1792. There are indeed no girls on their third page, but this time the pro-Tory media, that is, the Conservative Party, is actually not very friendly to the crown prince who supports the Whig Party.

However, we have to admit that the Crown Prince's methods of allowing public interviews and hosting events today were all good things and reflected the demeanor that an English gentleman should have.

His big belly really doesn't seem to be an athlete, but the Crown Prince's attendance at the event with three unmarried young princesses and Princess Charlotte always attracted attention.

There was even a man in Russian military uniform on the sidelines directing the players of Wimbledon FC.

There is a lot of material. Considering Britain's recent efforts to win over Russia, the Crown Prince is doing much better than when he was living a life of debauchery.

In this case, it is not possible not to report positively.

But the score on the court was 5 to 3, with Wimbledon FC defeating Central School, and the result didn't seem to matter.

This was considered unacceptable by the newspaper's young editor Murdo Young (who would later become editor-in-chief of the old Sun when it turned to the Whig Party). After all, with the Sun's sales volume second only to the Times, it should have a more accurate grasp of all news rather than selective reporting.

However, he himself also appreciated the content of the first day's reports. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince had a good relationship with the Whigs. Although the editorial department of The Sun was all on the Tory side, they could not selectively report.

"You did a great job, but will His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales attend the following events?"

"His Highness will also attend the awards ceremony for the finals the next day. He will also attend and watch the match between the two teams this afternoon."

"Ah, His Highness is still the same. He prefers entertainment, but we can also report it. Or maybe he has some new ideas."

In fact, after winning the game, Crown Prince George, as a supporter of Wimbledon FC, made a decision.

"If possible, football, as we should call it now, should have an association that can organize competitions in London and even the whole of England, so that street sports will no longer be a sport of kicking and breaking other people's windows, but a recreational activity for the people. And competitions can be held regularly, such as the 'England FA Cup', where football players from all walks of life can organize teams to participate in the competition. Among them, there should be regional competitions, local competitions, and colonial competitions."

Solovyov was listening nearby. The fat crown prince really understood things quickly. When he was training the players, he mentioned some suggestions on organizational rules, and he heard it. Now, let alone the English Football Association and the FA Cup, he is almost talking about the European Cup and the World Cup.

However, if the Crown Prince were to manage the English Football Association, I am afraid his debt problem would be even more serious.

As for other sports associations, he also expressed his strong support, especially billiards, cricket and tennis, which are popular among the British people.
The British invented many projects, but their own performance is really not that good, and sometimes they even have a special kind of arrogance.

However, although it is a bit ahead of its time to set up a sports association so early, it sounds like a good thing in the UK.

As for what the Crown Prince mentioned, including the polite words like organizing the competition was to ease the tense atmosphere and make the people more united, after seeing it, George III somewhat thought that although his son was still living a life of debauchery, he was at least starting to move on the right track.

Although these sports are nothing more than recreational activities, they still require approval even in the House of Commons.

But the king himself prefers astronomical observation and agriculture, which shows that he has a broad mind. Although sports can also interest him, compared with worldly affairs and daily prayers, he does not pay much attention to civilian sports.

Especially when his mental illness occurs more and more frequently.

However, George III still wanted the Crown Prince to organize this kind of thing, so the British Football Association appeared 59 years ahead of schedule.

The first formal football club will also be established in London.

Given London's long history, Prince George initially considered establishing the club near Stamford Bridge.

It’s just that Stamford Bridge was the place where William the Conqueror came to England for the final battle. It always has some unlucky connotations of changing dynasties, so the first club did not restore history and changed from Sheffield to Millwall in east London.

Why here? Because the Scottish and Irish brewery workers here are all football lovers, so they put it here.

But Solovyov is a football fan. He knows that the Crown Prince is very good at choosing locations for these London teams. Even if the workers of the Royal Arsenal form an Arsenal, it will be seamless. Or he can set up a club in Fulham, West London.

The place he chose would later become the area with the highest concentration of football hooligans in London. The diehard fans of Millwall loved to fight, and not just ordinary fighting, they often caused trouble for West Ham United fans. Both clubs were from East London.

This is the second thing. The Crown Prince himself was interviewed on Saturday, May 1804, 5.
But there were some unexpected things. For example, after Wimbledon FC defeated its opponent on the second day, the four teams decided to establish a Wimbledon football team after the establishment of Millwall Club.

But their club has two tennis brands on its logo.

Perhaps it symbolizes that their technical style of play came from a ball that accidentally entered the Crown Prince's tennis court, where a British general and a Russian officer were playing tennis.

And locally, there is a Wimbledon Park
(End of this chapter)