SOCCER SERIES

Origin of the word soccer

Did you know that the word “soccer” came from an abbreviation of the word “association football”? Back in the 1880s, students of Oxford University used to abbreviate words by adding “er” to the end. For example, breakfast was referred to as “brekkers” and rugby was referred to as “ruggers”. Charles Wreford Brown, once a student at Oxford University, is usually credited for inventing the word “soccer” but there is a lack of supporting evidence.

Where did the phrase “score a goal” come from?

Did you know that small marks were made on the post to keep track of the number of goals? Every time a goal was conceded, a small nick was made into the post. So literally, a goal was “scored” onto the post, hence the phrase “to score a goal“!