It turns out that we were an industrial bunch as this year not only do we celebrate the creation of London Underground but also the establishment of the world’s first official football association (The FA.)
After In 1863 on Monday 15th January a collection of local clubs, Barnes, War Office, Crusaders, Forest (Leytonstone), No Names (Kilburn), Crystal Palace (not the current Crystal Palace), Blackheath, Kensington School, Perceval House (Blackheath), Surbiton, Blackheath Proprietory School and Charterhouse, came together in a pub in Long Acre to discuss forming a “definite code of rules for the regulation of the game” and the FA was formed. The pub still which is also famed for it’s men in black suits, leather briefcases and secret hand shakes (I think!) as a meeting place for the local Freemasons. It hosts live sports and serves good food all day. The FA are planning a year of events to mark the milestone.
During the same month London became the first City in the world to have an underground railway system. Originally stretching from Paddington to Farringdon and powered by steam trains it was a private venture known as the The Metropolitan Railway quickly started carrying 26,000 passengers a day (now an astonishing 3.6m trips a day!)
