精彩的全球体育盛会——卡塔尔世界杯

在上周末落下帷幕

阿根廷队时隔36年再度捧起大力神杯

而那场跌宕起伏、峰回路转的决赛

也必将被全世界的球迷所终生铭记

“这就是足球！竞技体育的魅力！”

而热爱足球的你是否知道

英国私立学校对促进现代足球的发展

有着不可磨灭的功劳？

请听我们细细道来

最早关于足球的详细文字记载可以追溯到1519年，由曾经在伊顿和温彻斯特担任校长的William Herman 记录。

17世纪，已有雏形的足球运动开始风靡于英国各公学，其中以哈罗公学、伊顿公学、拉格比公学、和温彻斯特公学的足球运动最富盛名，师生们把民间的市井足球（Mob Football）转变为了有规则的体育运动。

19世纪，第一部广泛流传的足球规则，就参考了各公学的规则。现代足球队有11个球员，源自公学的宿舍通常由10名学生加1名老师组成。而公学之间的比赛也成为传统，著名的比赛包括1834年哈罗公学对伊顿公学和1859年哈罗公学对威斯敏斯特公学。

足球的运动规则更是在英国各公学的比赛和实践中得以不断完善和细化，比如首次划分了“踢球”（kicking）和“带球”（Carrying）的区别，这成为了现代足球运动的基础。

而公学之间的校际赛变成学校的传统文化

深刻影响了足球体育赛事的发展

1871年，英国足球协会秘书长查尔斯-阿尔科克

回想起他在哈罗公学上学时的校际联赛

提出了一项杯赛计划

就是今天我们熟知的英格兰足总杯比赛

英国足球协会会徽

1872年3月，英足总挑战杯首次举办，流浪者足球俱乐部球队赢下决赛，举起首个英足总挑战奖杯。这个俱乐部大部分队员为哈罗公学毕业生。

流浪者俱乐部球队合影

以上说的是现代足球，但在现代足球成型之前，它的其中一个前身名为“哈罗足球（Harrow Football）”。作为英国最古老的公学之一，时至今日，哈罗公学的学生除了当代足球，还保留着哈罗足球这项独特的体育项目。

不同于现代足球，哈罗足球是一项介于足球和橄榄球之间的运动。诞生于200多年前的哈罗足球，并不完全是一个圆球，而是一个用硬牛皮缝制而成的椭圆形球，尺寸也略大，比赛往往在泥泞的草地中进行。

哈罗足球又大又不规则，材料会吸水，在比赛进行过程中会变得潮湿并沾满泥土，随着比赛的进行会越来越重。在哈罗足球比赛中，一队各有11名球员，进球多者获胜。球员主要用脚踢球，但是在特定情况下，球员可以用双手或者手臂等其他身体部位滚动足球。

哈罗足球赛季会持续几周，在创校日达到高潮，哈罗的毕业生们会回到学校参加友谊赛。该运动是哈罗独家，所有比赛在哈罗校园内举行，一般是现在校生内部或者与老校友之间的对抗赛。不过，如今，哈罗公学也会举办与其他学校（比如伊顿）的联谊赛。

已故英国女王伊丽莎白二世在1957年访问英国哈罗公学时，对这枚哈罗足球颇有兴趣，还专门在校园观摩了哈罗足球比赛。

正值哈罗公学创校450周年之际，哈罗公学举办了一次全球校区的哈罗足球传递活动。这枚历史悠久、别具一格的哈罗足球作为哈罗450周年庆典“大使”，从伦敦出发，开启了它的环球之旅，与哈罗学子见面。

这枚足球在11月到达了哈罗珠海，满怀期待的学生和老师开心地迎接了它的到来。珠海的哈罗学子们都兴奋地与哈罗足球合影留念，并在信纸上郑重写下自己的名字和院舍，以表达对哈罗社区的祝愿和热爱。

这些孩子们签名的特制信纸，将被寄回伦敦哈罗公学，并由哈罗协会（Harrow Association）收集，统一保存在哈罗历史档案库中，与全球哈罗人的信件一起封存。

从1572年建校，到2022年，英国哈罗公学走过了450年，在泥泞里进行的哈罗足球作为哈罗独特的一项运动，也沿着时间的长河滚滚而来，成为哈罗校友共同的美好记忆。

跨越时间，飞跃山海

足球精神始终振奋和鼓舞着所有热爱它的人

挑战自我、直面困难、团体协作

哈罗足球将继续传承下去

在各个哈罗学子中接棒

踏上迎向美好未来的征程！

The wonderful global sporting event,  Qatar World Cup

came to an end last weekend

Argentina won the Cup for the second time in 36 years

And the final, with all its twists and turns

will be remembered by fans around the world for the rest of their lives

"This is football! The glamour of sport!"

And if you love football, do you know

the origins of modern football

has its roots in British public schools?

Here is the story :

The earliest written reference to football dates to 1519, recorded by William Herman, who headed both Eton and Winchester.

In the 17th century, football began to take shape in English public schools, with Harrow, Eton, Rugby and Winchester schools being the most famous, as students and teachers transformed the mob football into a regular sport.

The first widely circulated rules for football in the 19th century referenced the rules of the various public schools. Modern football teams have 11 players, originating from the dormitories of the public schools which usually consisted of 10 students plus 1 teacher. Matches between public schools also became a tradition, with known matches including Harrow School v Eton School in 1834 and Harrow School v Westminster School in 1859.

The rules of football were refined through the games and practices of English public schools, such as the first distinction between 'kicking' and 'carrying', which became the basis of modern football.

The inter-school tournament between public schools has become a traditional school culture

The development of football as a sporting event was profoundly influenced

In 1871, Charles Alcock, Secretary of the Football Association

recalled the inter-school leagues he had played in when he was at Harrow School

He proposed a cup scheme

The FA Cup as we know it today

The Logo of FA

The FA Cup was first played in March 1872, with Wanderers winning the final and lifting the first Cup. The majority of the club's players were graduates of Harrow School.

Wanderers

What we mentioned above is modern football, but before modern football took shape, one of its predecessors was called 'Harrow Football'. As one of the oldest public schools in the UK, Harrow students still play Harrow Football as a unique sport, alongside contemporary football.

Unlike modern football, Harrow football is a sport that is somewhere between football and rugby. Born over 200 years ago, Harrow football is not exactly a round ball, but an oval ball sewn from hard cowhide and slightly larger in size, with matches often played on muddy grass.

The Harrow football is large and irregular and the material absorbs water, becoming wet, muddy and heavier as the game progresses. Each team has 11 players and the one who scores the most goals wins. Players mainly use their feet to kick the ball, but in certain circumstances they can roll the ball with their hands or arms.

The Harrow football season lasts for several weeks and culminates in Founders' Day when Harrow graduates return to school to play in friendly matches. The sport is exclusive to Harrow and all matches are played on Harrow's campus, usually against each other within the current school population or with older alumni. Harrow School also hosts friendly matches with other schools (such as Eton).

The late Queen Elizabeth II took an interest in this Harrow football when she visited Harrow School in 1957 and watched a Harrow football match on campus.

To celebrate the 450th anniversary of the founding of Harrow School, a historical and distinctive Harrow football set off on its journey around the world from London to meet Harrow students all over the world in different Harrow campuses as an ambassador for the 450th anniversary.

The Harrow football has travelled thousands of kilometres across half of globe , and has been passed on from campus to campus. The Harrow football travelled to AISL Harrow schools including Beijing, Bangkok, Haikou, Nanning and Shanghai.

The football arrived at Harrow Zhuhai in November and was greeted happily by expectant students and teachers. Harrow students excitedly took photos with the Harrow football and solemnly wrote down their name and their wishes and love for our Harrow community.

The special letters, signed by the children, will be sent back to Harrow School in London and collected by the Harrow Association for safekeeping in the Harrow History Archive, where they will be sealed with the letters of Harrovians around the world.

From1572 to 2022, Harrow School has travelled 450 years, and Harrow football played in the mud, a sport unique to Harrow, has rolled along the river of time, becoming a fond memory shared by Harrow alumni.

Across time, leaping mountains and seas

the spirit of football has always been a source of inspiration for all those who love it

Challenge yourself, face the odds and work together as a team

Harrow football will continue to be passed on

The baton will continue to be passed on from one Harrow student to another

on the journey to a better future!