Kicking it back to the beginnings

Soccer game from 1957 between Bendigo and Shepparton.

The game of soccer has been around for centuries, dating back to well before we had rules or a leather ball.

The first known examples of a team game involving a ball, which was made out of a rock, occurred in old Mesoamerican cultures over 3,000 years ago. According to sources, the ball would symbolize the sun and the captain of the losing team would be sacrificed to the gods. Thankfully, we’ve since moved on to a more structured game, a leather ball (and no sacrifices to the gods), which had its beginnings in England in the 19th century.

The first known ball game, which also involved kicking, took place in China in the second and third century BC under the name Cuju. Cuju was played with a round ball on an area of a square. It later spread to Japan and was practiced under ceremonial forms.

Back to Australian shores, the game of soccer began in the 19th century, brought over by British immigrants. The first club formed in the country, Wanderers, was founded in 1880 in Sydney. Currently, the oldest club in Australia is the Balgownie Rangers, formed in 1883 in Wollongong and still going strong to this day.

Locally, the Shepparton Soccer Club will be celebrating 60 years this year, while Shepparton South Soccer Club began in 1971.

We thank Lost Shepparton and Shepparton Heritage Centre for kicking goals and supplying a look into Greater Shepparton’s soccer past. For more great snapshots of the region’s history, visit Lost Shepparton’s Facebook page.