Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette 19.10.71
John Charles Thring was instrumental in developing two sets of rules during the pre-history of football.
In 1862 Thring was a master at Uppingham School when he developed 'The Simplest Game' (also known as 'The Uppingham Rules').
These rules had some influence on the Football Association when they began formulating the Laws of the Game in 1863.
Of course, whilst giving us the greatest and most popular game in the world, the Football Association ultimately failed in their goal of unifying football.
Debates as to the relative merits, safety and propriety of football and Rugby feature widely in newspaper correspondence in the 19th century.
Thring's appeal here went unheeded, and the west of England became something of a Rugby stronghold.