Football or Soccer? (Challenge: Break Your Gnere)

So I’ve decided to take up my first ever challenge prompted by Harsh Reality, I found his blog very interesting, you should go take a look if you haven’t already after reading this short post of course.

The prompt is Break Your Genre. Here it goes….

WHAT THE BRITISH THINK ABOUT THE WORD ‘SOCCER’

I must admit, I am guilty for having the problem with the word “soccer” being used for the sport we call “football”. I mean it just makes sense, the ball is kicked using one’s feet throughout the whole 90 minutes of the game.

I think the reason why it annoys us more is that fact that the biggest American sport is called “football” by them, even though whenever I seem to catch a glimpse of it in movies and so on (apologies for the lack of interest, don’t care much for football either, am I confusing you?), the ball always seems to be held with their hands. I call it American style rugby with helmets and padding.

Why Us Brits Should Have No Problem With The AMERICAN USE OF THE Word ‘Soccer’

So I decided to seek the origins of the word soccer and this is what I found.

The British invented the word “soccer” and it was the first word to describe the game we Brits call “football”. It’s derived from the name it was formed by; Associated Football. Apparantly, when the sport became more popular to the middle and working class, British school boys who liked to nickname things took the first part of the word “association” and added an “er” to it to call it “soccer”. The first recorded instance of it being called “football” was 18 years after it started being referred to as “soccer”. (TodayIfOundOut.com)

Let’s set one thing straight, I still won’t be calling it soccer though. It’s a nick name, it is after all Associated “Football”.

Sorry if I’ve offended anyone, this wasn’t my intention. I am only voicing the opinions of the masses.