The Global Spread of Football from the 1860s to the 1880s

Thomas Adam's forthcoming book presents a groundbreaking perspective on football's global expansion during a pivotal period in sports history. As a professor and expert in transnational history and intercultural transfer studies, Adam brings a unique lens to this examination of how football transformed from a local English pastime into a worldwide phenomenon.
What sets this work apart is its horizontal approach to football's dissemination across continents. Rather than treating the sport's development in isolation, Adam weaves together three crucial narratives: the emergence of organized football, the evolution of 19th-century education, and the pressing challenges of urbanization. This interconnected analysis helps explain why football found such fertile ground in diverse cultures simultaneously.
The book's most compelling argument centers on football's role in the Victorian-era social reform movement. During this period, sports underwent a dramatic transformation from unruly pastimes to organized activities, particularly in educational settings. Adam demonstrates how football became a solution to urban health concerns, as reformers sought ways to get students out of poorly ventilated buildings and into open spaces.
The study spans multiple continents, tracking football's journey from England to Germany, the United States, and Argentina. This broad geographical scope allows readers to understand how a single sport could adapt to and thrive in vastly different cultural contexts while maintaining its core appeal. The focus on high school adoption is particularly interesting, as it shows how educational institutions served as crucial vectors for the sport's global spread.
Adam's work fills a significant gap in sports history literature. While many studies have examined football's development within specific national contexts, this book's transnational approach provides a more complete picture of how the sport achieved its global reach. The integration of social reform history with sports development offers valuable insights for both sports historians and social scientists.
This ambitious study promises to be a valuable addition to both sports history and transnational studies. Its examination of football's role in addressing 19th-century urban social issues remains remarkably relevant today, as we continue to grapple with questions of physical activity and public health in urban environments. Scholars, sports enthusiasts, and those interested in global cultural exchange will find this work both enlightening and engaging.
The book is scheduled for publication on December 31, 2025, by Anthem Press as part of their Intercultural Transfer Studies series.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48 [Delivered to You Second/Third Week January 2025]
Publisher: Anthem Press
Published: January 31, 2025
Price: £80 
Hardcover: 250 pages
ISBN-10: 1839987200
ISBN-13: 978-1839987205
Dimensions: 153 x 228mm