On 18th February 1933 the writer and broadcaster J B Priestley went to the derby game between Nottingham Forest and Notts County. Apparently, there was a ‘huge crowd’ in attendance, although Priestley was puzzled by how one decided to be a Forest or County supporter.
On 18th February 1933 the writer and broadcaster J B Priestley went to the derby game between Nottingham Forest and Notts County. Apparently, there was a ‘huge crowd’ in attendance, although Priestley was puzzled by how one decided to be a Forest or County supporter.
He wrote in his diary: ‘Nearly everything has been done to spoil this game: the heavy financial interests; the absurd transfer and player-selling system; the lack of any birth or residential qualifications for the players; the betting and coupon competitions; the absurd publicity given to every feature of it by the press … but the fact remains that it is not yet spoilt and has gone out and conquered the world.’
You could make much the same set of remarks today: all one would have to add in is the key role of television and the influence of the social media, while the football ‘coupons’ have become less important, although online in-game betting has taken their place.
Moreover, through globalisation and satellite media, football has gone out and conquered the world in a way and to an extent that Priestley could never have envisaged.