The 1883 FA Cup final is rightly recognised as a significant moment in the history of soccer, for it represents the event which changed the culture of the game. Prior to this the old boys’ teams based in the south of England had been dominant but the victory of Blackburn Olympic over Old Etonians changed the game for ever. Arising from this, new methods of training, styles of play and playing formations emerged as well as a new breed of fanatical spectator. The upper class amateur spirit epitomised by the public school old boy teams was replaced by a much more hard-headed and business like northern culture which placed winning and, particularly, ‘pot hunting’ to the fore.
